Stop Lusting for the Shure SM7B Microphone (It's Overrated)
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
- 🌟Try Riverside Today: riverside.fm/?...
The Shure SM7B is overhyped! In this SM7B microphone review we share four reasons why this popular podcasting microphone might not be the best choice for beginners or those looking to upgrade their setup. Find out alternative options that offer great sound quality without the drawbacks of the overrated SM7B.
📺 Videos Mentioned
7 Best USB Microphones for Podcasters & Creators [2023]
• 7 Best USB Microphones...
Prevent and Edit Mic Bleed
• How to Prevent Mic Ble...
Shure SM7B vs Earthworks Ethos: Which is the Best Pro Mic?
• Shure SM7B vs Earthwor...
2 Min Podcast Tutorials
• 2 Min Podcast Tutorials
🛒 Products Mentioned
Shure SM7B
a.co/d/bnAxYAz
Earthworks Ethos
a.co/d/dYbkbMq
Shure MV7
a.co/d/0uAi9qH
ATR 2100X USB Mic
a.co/d/1yxn2vo
Cloudlifter
a.co/d/7V3XiHj
FetHead
a.co/d/e7v0WMW
Rodecaster Pro II
a.co/d/67AW76R
Apollo Twin
a.co/d/8BzGAkJ
Apogee Symphony
a.co/d/fhHCtf7
Chapters ➡
00:00 Introduction
00:52 Shure SM7B is Costly
01:17 Requires Expensive Gear
02:19 Finicky Cable
02:42 Dip Switches on Mic
03:21 Pros of the SM7B
04:28 Who Should Buy the SM7B?
04:44 SM7B Alternatives
06:25 Using Mics with Riverside
Download our Riverside app for iPad and iPhone:
👉 apps.apple.com/app/id1554443872
Download Riverside app for Android:
👉 play.google.com/store/apps/de...
---
Keep up to date:
Subscribe to on RUclips: ruclips.net/channel/UCOaG…
Follow us on Twitter - / riversidedotfm
Follow us on LinkedIn: / rive…
Like our Facebook page: / riversidedotfm
Read our blog - www.riverside.fm/blog
---
Try Riverside Today: riverside.fm/?...
⭐⭐⭐ About Riverside.fm ⭐⭐⭐
Riverside.fm is the leading remote recording platform that makes professional podcast creation achievable by anyone, anywhere. The platform has easy-to-use tools to help podcasters record, edit, and promote their show.
The company, founded by brothers Gideon (CTO) and Nadav (CEO) in 2020, already helps 70,000+ podcasters and companies, including Guy Raz, Gary Vaynerchuk, Marvel, The New York Times, and Disney to record studio-quality interviews from anywhere, with no loss in recording quality. 
Хобби
Why people choose this:
1) Podcast typically has guest who don't know how to use a mic, they tend to pop other mic easily, the SM7B has the capsule way behind and has the windscreen installed as part of the design and it looks good on camera.
2) The SM7B sounds nice for all voices
3) The darker tilt make the mic sound so smooth, great for long form content without feeling fatigue
4) The bottom XLR connection, even though you don't like it, it makes cable looks neater on set
5) With budget mixer like the Rodecaster Pro II and Rodecaster Duo, you don't need an inline preamp
6) I mentioned this before but I looks good on camera
All that being said, I use the LS-208 or KU5A for my podcast =')
Great points, especially for guests who aren’t mic savvy. And not sure if you meant the Rodecaster Pro II is a budget interface, but I find I still would use a cloudlifter to get better gain levels. That buzz / noise was from the Rodecaster
@@Riversidefm Rode has mentioned and Tom Buck has tested, that the Rodecaster Pro II and Rodecaster Duo actually sounds worst with an inline preamp such as the cloudlifter. Budget is a relative term I guess, because I'm comparing the consumer Rodecaster Pro II with professional mixers, but as far as value goes, the Rodecaster Pro II and Rodecaster Duo is worth it in my books. You get clean gains of 76 db, a compressor, deesser, eq and 4/2 mic preamps. If people are on a real budget, perhaps the XM8500 and the M-Track solo might be better for them if they are doing it solo.
Seconded on the Ethos. Tried so many different mics (inlcluding SM7B) and had to re-buy it. Such a good mic.
It’s my daily driver!
Great video Stephen.
You’ve made me want to try the Ethos!
Thanks, Justin! You should definitely try one
well made! thanks for the insight
You're welcome! Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
"The most overhyped Microphone" is the point where you got me and my thumbs up!
Haha appreciate it!
Finally, somebody said it!
I personally love the Shure MV7. The price makes sense, the sounds are great and it looks amazing on camera.
Thank you! MV7 is definitely a great option, and I use when traveling!
Agree about the SM7B. And Ethos for the win.
Love my Ethos!
Please people PLEASE stop spreading this myth about the SM7B needing a Cloudlifter. I swear someone somewhere must have said that once in a video and now everyone just blindly repeats it. Anyone who says you can’t get a great signal with the SM7B plugged straight into a Scarlett have never actually tried it.
Damn straight. It's harder to find an interface that can't power an SM7B - they exist, but damn, almost anything over $80 is just fine.
I’ve tried with a 2i2 and 18i20, if you crank the gain in post it’s certainly usable, but if you want to use in live production environments or not run the knobs at 11, an additional preamp is key. Doesn’t have to be a cloudlifter, I used with a dbx90 and other preamps, but the cloudlifter is a simple solution, especially for two SM7Bs in one setup.
What do you use for the Shure MV7? Do you use a Rodecaster? And if so, what are your settings?
MV7 I often plug in directly via USB. But if connecting via XLR, turn OFF Phantom Power (it’s a dynamic mic so doesn’t require it), and just set the gain where it’s in the “yellow” at a loud speaking voice.
I've had a Yeti for the longest but wanted to upgrade it, I have a pretty deep voice and very soft spoken on top of that. Would the volume on this mic be an issue and if so do you have any specific recommendations
MV7 is fantastic compared to yeti. I have a volt 176 and they go great together. The vintage mode really brings a deeper duller voice to life.
You may want to try the earthworks ethos first. Being a small diaphragm condenser, it will be easier to increase the gain and get more volume even from a soft voice. But if you want to try the SM7B, get a cloudlifter that goes in between the mic and your audio interface. Or, the Rodecaster Duo and Pro can run this mic pretty well!
You are awesome and a real pro! I just discovered this while I was considering which microphone to buy and this could not have been better express. Thank you!
Appreciate that, and glad it was helpful!
To get rid of cable for bottom mounting, unscrew SM7B & flip it around in its holder. The position it comes in the box is for mounting overhead
Great tip!
Thanks homie! Been racking my brain watching videos the past 4 days. Ppl overcomplicate things.
Glad we could help!
Finicky to some is just normal audio mixing and adjusting to others.
Sure, but for beginner or intermediate podcasters who may not have a background in audio, a more streamlined option may be better!
@@Riversidefm Oh, ok, this video is directed toward podcasters. Understood.
I have a Yeti Blue mic for my podcast, and it performs quite well. Usually runs at $100-$120
Yeti can sound good in a very treated environment (little echo, etc).
I honestly only have mine because I got it used for $200 and while I love it, it’s definitely not the first option I recommend. I still have to crank my Apollo Solo to use it, so maybe I should dig up that cloudlifter that I have somewhere haha.
That’s a great deal and they’re a solid build quality so buying used is a great option. Interesting that the Apollo struggles with gain too!
Do you need a cloudlifter, or a high powered interface to use the SM7B effectively? Yes.
Is an SM7B more expensive? Yes.
Are the on-mic settings finnicky to change? Yes.
But the same could be said about a comparison between a manual transmission Ferrari versus a stock model auto transmission Camaro. Will the Camaro get you from point a to point b? Certainly. But I want the Ferrari, because quality is a higher priority to ease when it comes to what I do with the car.
If you know how to drive it, for sure!
Mv7 for singing id say def not close enough for shure sm7b replacement. But for a rap kid maybe. As for a real vocalist or anyone who is loud nope. Its possible to get a close sound if you are able to maintain reasonable mic tech and can keep more still or find your mouth to same distance before next line.
But its way less forgiving including for spoken word over dubbing.
You get used to it but possible to get recordings still even for singing with some eq know how
Singing and music performances are certainly a different world.
I currently own a Lewitt 440 Pure and I've just purchased an SM7B because it checks so many boxes for me.
If you have a quiet space that's somewhat treated, the Lewitt or a number of other condenser microphones around or over the $150 mark are absolutely amazing. There's a lot of competition in that area, which is great for us, the consumers. However, if you don't have that space, you need to reach for dynamic microphones and, if you care only about the sound quality, there are a lot of good ones over the $100 mark, like the Shure SM57 or SM58. But those cheap dynamics need a very good microphone technique otherwise you'll introduce a lot of plosives. Other dynamics need to be left on a stand because they transmit a lot of the handling noise (the Shure MV7 segment in this video is a great example as you can hear the noise when the hand is brushing against the cable).
The SM7B or the EV RE20 are much better than cheaper microphones with rejecting background noise, handing plosives or reducing the noise caused by handling, while sounding great. While the consumer products have progressed immensely in the last two decades, the SM7B is still a microphone created for professionals and they do need a bit of fiddling to get working well with consumer audio interfaces, but a Fethead isn't that expensive.
Just keep in mind that you can get 75% of what the SM7B has to offer while paying 25% of the price 🙂
Great breakdown. I've been wanting to try the RE20 too...
What setup did you run with the pure 440?
@@ladiesgod I had a Steinberg UR22mkII, but you'd be much happier with a UA Volt 1 (or UA Volt 176) for pretty much the same price (tested on Windows, Mac and Linux).
@@rockatanescu Awesome. Thanks
Stephen, Stephen, Stephen... I appreciate you, my friend (just subscribed, btw. ;), but this is a bad take. There's a reason this microphone is a staple in the podcast and broadcast industry. For the price, the sound you get from it is amazing. I've done blind shootouts with it and the results compare to $1000+ microphones.
I've used it with a 2i2 successfully in many applications. Yes, you may need to boost the signal in post, but it's never given me a noise floor that was unmanageable like you demonstrate in this video.
Your point of it needing lots of high end equipment is off base too. Yes, better preamps, conversion, interface, etc. will certainly get the most out of a SM7b, but when starting out, you need to start somewhere. I'd rather invest in a GREAT microphone to start with and upgrade pres and interface later.
Yes, not a very travel friendly mic, and the MV7 is definitely at the tops for USB mics, but to my ear, the drop off in quality is noticeable.
Also, most of the audio in this video is recorded on a $1k mic. 😉
Appreciate the sun 😉 and my point is there are great sounding mics at the same price point (earthworks ethos, re20) that aren’t as “needy.”
But I like this blind mic showdown idea 🤔 we gonna collab??
@@Riversidefm Sounds fun! I do like the sound of your Earthworks, and it's a really cool looking mic to boot.
Stephen, you know I love you but this is like the ultimate clickbait title (well played) and some of the information simply isn't accurate. The Shure SM7b, despite all of the Internet nonsense, does NOT require a Cloudlifter, nor does it require ridiculous gain settings. I've run it directly through a $49 Behringer Xenyx mixer with no Cloudlifter and no "expensive" audio interface. I've also run it through my Apogee Duet, Zoom H6 and Zoom H8.....without a Cloudlifter. Honestly, I'm not even sure why the Cloudlifter is even mentioned as a necessity because it isn't. The Shure SM7b was on the scene long before (decades) the Cloudlifter was invented and released in 2011. Literally the only way you are getting that feedback and distortion is by turning the gain up way too high. You say $79 for a mic and then show the Tula Mic, which I also own, that cost $299 at launch. It's a phenomenal microphone on its own with the Klevgrand and Brsufri ANC (and it's a portable recorded with 8gb storage) and while it's definitely a contender for sound quality, it's not $79. Now, I live in Florida, too, and the Shure SM7b makes it very easy to sound great despite all of the AC and ceiling fan noise (which it doesn't pickup at all). It's an all around great microphone. I don't know what that diatribe was regarding "finicky" settings because you literally don't have to change any setting on it. To your point, no, I do not take the Shure SM7b with me when traveling. My Tula Mic is literally sitting in a Ziploc bag with power cables to get through airport security. And, yeah, I've never understood the external cable on the SM7b either.
Appreciate your thoughts! While you can physically use the SM7B with “any” audio interface, it will require the gain or volume to be cranked to 100% (I’ve tried with Scarlett 2i2, sub-$150 M-Audio boxes, PreSonus), and most of the options introduce noticeable noise.
Of course you don’t need a cloud lifter with more expensive options with powerful preamps, like you said the Zoom, my MixPre-3, Apollo Twin, etc.
I should’ve shown the ATR 2100X or Samson Q2U when I said $79 which was the mic I had in mind. Links in the description!
And I also agree, for those with constant room noise and unkind audio environments, the SM7B is a good option. Which I did try to concede those benefits later in the video!
My main point is so many up and coming podcasters try to achieve the “ideal” setup by getting the mic they see all the big names using. And I believe you can get a comparable or even better sounding podcast without needing this specific mic at the center. Lots of great options out there!
True, I have one and have been using it for years. Shure SM7B is great but comes at a price.
Can be great for sure! Just need to be ready for the investment
I completely agree ruclips.net/video/MQcdFTEE1wQ/видео.html
Whenever I see someone use it without post processing it sounds downright bad 😢
Will take a look at your video too, thanks!
Finally somebody is agree with me
🤝
I have never disagreed with a title more the shure sm7b is ten times better than the shure mv7 there is a reason why it's considered legendary
Looking *just* at sound quality, of course the SM7B is better. But from an overall experience standpoint, and for those that aren’t audio gear experts, the SM7B can be awkward to use at first.
Nope, it's amazing.
Still a good mic, just...a little finicky 😏
Emm, the cool factor already superseded every other stuff. ;-p
haha the cool factor is hard to convince otherwise
Hate to spoil the party but you sounded best on the SM7B.
😏
Well the SM7B sounds way better. Usb? 😅😅😅
You think so? Better than the Ethos??
Finally, somebody with balls. The Mic has a muffled signature that is just awful!
haha it's controversial but I appreciate it!
@Riversidefm can you send it me for free If you don't Like it
Still testing 😏
But you sound great 👍🏾 Im shure 🫱🏽🫲🏼
Very punny 😏