Condenser microphones require a second piece of equipment known as a pre-amp in order to run. The condenser microphone is used in recording sessions for recording instruments and vocals.
The Shure SM57 is well known in the recording industry as a quality instrument microphone, but is not a condenser microphone as described above. The sound is clean and clear and the microphone keeps out background noise from the recording environment. With a microphone cable and a pre-amp R57 cartridge, this setup will work well with the Tascam DP-004 for recording music on the fly.
The Tascam TM-ST1 is battery powered condenser microphone that doesn't require a pre-amp, giving you one less piece of equipment to haul. The microphone works well when recording large ensembles or acoustic instrumentalists and the price is affordable.
The Tascam TM-STPRO runs on a pre-amp phantom power source or a battery. The microphone is meant for studio recordings but will work for live recordings as well. The microphone is compatible with the DP-004 and is recommended for other Tascam portable recorders as well.