Otherwise you'll add a shit-ton of pre-amp noise from the excessive amounts of gain you'll need from the pre-amp. It's very possible that you're comparing your own raw takes to someone else's "sweetened" audio, or maybe you're processing in such a way that it doesn't sound good to you. The SM7B needs an absolute whackton of gain, keep turning that preamp up. You guys were right! SM7 needs a shitton of gain and a good preamp. Then I realized that, even though my computer had the interface as input/output, this whole time Audacity hadn't been reading my interface, aka I'd been recording from my computer mic all along. Press J to jump to the feed. Today I've jumped on and I've got nothing. The SM7B is a dynamic microphone, it doesn't need phantom power. Of course it's gonna sound bad in comparison. What other processing things should I be doing to improve quality? My Shure SM57 Microphone stopped working. I have since added a Cloudlifter to the equation (to boost the signal) and now run the gain around 2 o'clock on the Focusrite and that seems to be the sweet spot. I would suggest sticking with the mic in the open room, but as you found out if you're recording in an untreated room you'll run into reflections - this is why studios are acoustically designed and/or treated. I bought a Cloudlifter, set it all up, and it still sounded crappy. Or no sound at all. You might want to consider swapping that sm7 to to some consender. So you can sing or speak at a comfortable angle and it captures the Top Pick Shure SM7B Alternative: Electro-Voice RE320. For those musicians, podcasters, or content maker, HEIiL PR40 vs Shure SM7B are two ideal option to consider because they are equally capable of delivering a clean sound and rigid enough to stay long in your setup. languageAmericas/USA. Check it out here: [http://cloudmicrophones.com/cloud12/?page_id=217]. Thanks! I'm getting to response from the mic. For some reason, I can't get the mic to sound like the quality I want, and honestly sometimes I think my iPhone sounds better. I have a shure SM7B mic for recording voice overs at home. Has it worked before, or is this the first time you've hooked everything up? The SM7B takes EQ really well too, don't be afraid to put a fairly aggressive high-shelf on your Vox, you will be surprised how sweet and smooth the high end is up there. I want to say I just read something that they mic their hosts/speakers off axis. I'm using it for Twitch Streaming. I tweaked the settings and finally got the SM7B to record. The mic is plugged into the #1 input and then the interface is connected to my macbook via USB. Shure SM7B won't work with audio interface. It features excellent shielding against electromagnetic hum generated by computer monitors, neon lights, and other electrical devices. I've always heard that these things are basically indestructible and I didn't do anything rough or harsh on it, it just stopped picking up sound one day. Get a cloudlifter for the mic - it will boost the gain substantially. I hope its not just my voice... How close are you to the mic? Hadn't thought of that. The mic is plugged into the #1 input and then the interface is connected to my macbook via USB. Ok so I shouldn't send back the focusrite, but instead just get the cloudlifter in addition? Update: Thanks for all the help guys. I'm getting to response from the mic. ... You can listen to audio samples of the SM7B at Shure’s Mic Listening Lab. The SM7b sounds really good on a lot of people right out of the box, that's why it's popular - but not ALL voices. Do you mean the windscreen that came on it? No way an iPhone is even close in that regard. I was also recording in a room that was not acoustically treated and happy with the results. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the audioengineering community. Some dynamic mics like the Shure SM7B contain an internal hum-bucking coil that reduces hum pick-up. Aside from its seriously sharp sound, the SM7B is a large-diaphragm dynamic mic, which means it has an excellent bass response, and is fantastic at rejecting unwanted background noise. may be treated with EQ, compression, gating, or any other combination of processing the engineer deems necessary - don't expect the raw sound of the mic to sound "finished.". Read a little on EQ and compression and you'll probably get much better results! shopping_cart. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Products, practices, and stories about the profession or hobby of recording, editing, and producing audio. Product Description for the Shure SM7B. I have the M-Audio Fast Track C400. Also, many times the voiceover you're hearing on the radio, other videos, etc. I have the M-Audio Fast Track C400. Products, practices, and stories about the profession or hobby of recording, editing, and producing audio. How should I be setting it up to get the best quality, warm, intimate NPR voice that I need? nah, the sm7b is dynamic. It sounds great now and has plenty of gain. Service & Repair Find an Answer Online and Software Tools Downloads Tech Portal Shure Audio Institute Wireless Spectrum Firmware Registration & Warranty Discontinued Mic Cleaning Where to Find Shure. I'm brand new to this so I'm thinking maybe I'm missing something simple. I went with the Shure SM7B since it seemed to be the standard, and in the price range I wanted. The Shure SM7B has been a staple of recording since, and has continued to be at the pinnacle of the industry. http://current.org/2015/06/a-top-audio-engineer-explains-nprs-signature-sound/. Top Pick Shure SM7B Alternative: Electro-Voice RE320 Electro-Voice RE320 My audio setup is: Shure SM7B XLR Microphone Cloudlifter CL-1 Line6 UX2 Interface The gain on the UX2 is on around 60% (which is still fairly quiet, but I've heard that high gain can cause hissing) Thank you kidnly! So you would suggest a more open space but with sound dampening on the walls? Thanks all! Shure SM7B + 2i2 - suddenly no sound output? I have basically no audio experience, but have been working for months on the research for a podcast, so I decided to splurge and get a really nice mic. The SM7B (and most other broadcast/voiceover-suited mics) works best at very close distances. I have a shure SM7B mic for recording voice overs at home. I'm using it with a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. If you're not seeing anything on your meters after turning up the preamp, check your mic cable. If your iPhone sounds better, good chance something is simply wrong. I did some noise reduction and compression, but I don't know how to do that really properly. This means that, no matter how you decide to angle the SM7B, there is no risk of the cable hindering your setup process – and it makes cable management much more satisfying. Aidenator Poster Posts: 13 Joined: … Aside from its seriously sharp sound, the SM7B is a large-diaphragm dynamic mic, which means it has an excellent bass response, and is fantastic at rejecting unwanted background noise. What are you recording the microphone into? These are super quiet mics, For those thinking it's the SM7b's notorious lack of output, the C400 has been used successfully with it so that's not the issue: http://recordinghacks.com/2012/06/18/sm7b-audio-interface-shootout/, But yeah, the gain knob needs to be WAY up. Npr uses u87s. Also, I am typically right up on the mic to the point where I think my nose might hit it. Cloudlifters are great for low output dynamics (SM7, RE20) and ribbons mics on quieter sources. I have basically no audio experience, but have been working for months on the research for a podcast, so I decided to splurge and get a really nice mic. What are you hearing that you don't like (or what are you not hearing that you think should be there)? It seems you're comparing unprocessed signal to professionally mixed signal. What I feel like I'm lacking is what I would describe as a "closeness" or a "warmness", like it sounds like I'm just sitting in a room talking, which I don't want. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, http://recordinghacks.com/2012/06/18/sm7b-audio-interface-shootout/, http://cloudmicrophones.com/cloud12/?page_id=217]. Anyway, you should post some audio. Yeah I guess I just need to mess with tweaking it. What are you comparing your takes to? Not to mention get up on that thing, SM7s were beloved by belters in the 80s because of how they smoothly compressed the vocal performance. In addition, you don't see it but your iPhone probably does some processing to the audio before it's recorded or played back. I've had sm7's in untreated rooms and even then, when you are close enough to the mic there is plenty of "warmth" there. I can't get the mic to work with my audio interface. I recently upgraded form a Blue Yeti to the SM7B. Currently thinking about adding the DBX 286s or upgrading my preamp/interface but in no real rush because I'm like 80-90% there in terms of what I was looking for in terms of sound quality.