Just picked up a Shure SM58a Beta for free...I must say it sure (pardon the pun) does require a healthy amount of gain on my mixer. I haven't run it through the 286s yet. I suspect that'll make a difference... This mic thing sure is fun. I can see why people get such a large collection over time. I've heard that the 58a Beta does good job rejecting unwanted room noise so I am excited to put it through its paces.