Shure
Beta 54
Electret / lavalier · Supercardioid · 50–20,000 Hz
- The supercardioid headworn: 141.4 dB SPL with the RPM627 preamp, and real rejection in exchange for caring where the boom sits.
- The one to specify when the stage has wedges rather than in-ears.
Frequency response
No response curve yet.
MicSense only draws a curve redrawn from a graph the manufacturer publishes — it never estimates one from the microphone’s class. No published graph has been redrawn for the Beta 54 yet, so the numbers are in the spec table below.
Polar pattern
Generated from the first-order directivity formula for supercardioid. It illustrates the pattern type — it is not a measurement of this individual model.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Shure |
|---|---|
| Model | Beta 54 |
| Type | Electret / lavalier |
| Form factor | Headset |
| Polar pattern | Supercardioid |
| Frequency range | 50–20,000 Hz |
| Sensitivity | -56.0 dBV/Pa (Beta 54 with RPM627 preamp; Shure prints −56.0 dBV/Pa "(2.51 mV)" — −56 dBV/Pa is 1.58 mV/Pa, the figure Shure gives for the WBH54) |
| Max SPL | 141.4 dB SPL (1 % THD; with RPM627 preamp; WBH54 on a bodypack 152.5 dB) |
| Self-noise | 43.1 dB(A) |
| Impedance | 160 Ω (RPM627 preamp output) |
| Connector | TA4F into RPM627 in-line preamp (XLR); WBH54 version for bodypacks |
| Powering | Phantom 11–52 V (phantom 11–52 V via the RPM627 preamp; WBH54: 5 V bias from the bodypack) |
| Weight | 135 g |
Specifications: Shure specifications page · last checked 2 Oct 2026. These are the maker’s published figures for this model. A dash never means zero: “not published by the maker” means the maker’s documents give no figure; “not yet checked” means MicSense has not confirmed one yet. Spotted an error? Tell us.
MicSense notes
| Price tier | Pro |
|---|---|
| Introduced | — not recorded |
Price tier and “a rider regular” are MicSense’s own judgement, not the maker’s.
What it gets used for
- Theatre lav
- FOH vocal
- Monitor vocal
MicSense tags microphones by the job on a live stage, not by studio category — so you can filter for “kick in” or “monitor vocal” instead of working backwards from “large-diaphragm condenser”.
Beta 54 alternatives: closest in published specs
Based on published specifications only — always listen at soundcheck. These are the microphones in the MicSense library whose datasheet figures sit closest to the Shure Beta 54’s for the same live job, with the reasons. It says nothing about how they sound.
Not compared for the Shure Beta 54: response curve not redrawn yet.
-
Sennheiser
ME 3
- Same job: theatre lav, FOH vocal, monitor vocal
- Same type: electret / lavalier
- Same form: headset
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Max SPL as high or higher (150 vs 141.4 dB SPL)
- Cardioid instead of supercardioid — deepest rejection at 180°, not ±126°: check where the wedge sits
- Check: Powered from a wireless bodypack — on a cable it needs the maker’s phantom adapter
-
Shure
SM35
- Same job: theatre lav, FOH vocal, monitor vocal
- Same type: electret / lavalier
- Same form: headset
- Max SPL as high or higher (153 vs 141.4 dB SPL)
- Cardioid instead of supercardioid — deepest rejection at 180°, not ±126°: check where the wedge sits
- ≈ 3 dB less output — add about 3 dB gain
- Check: Powered from a wireless bodypack — on a cable it needs the maker’s phantom adapter
-
Shure
Beta 53
- Same job: theatre lav, FOH vocal
- Same type: electret / lavalier
- Same form: headset
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Omnidirectional instead of supercardioid — no rear rejection: more spill and feedback risk near wedges
Compare it against the alternatives.
MicSense lets you put up to four microphones side by side — spec table, overlaid response curves and polar diagrams on one screen. Free with a free Squaresmile account.