Shure SM7B on the cheap (ft. Behringer XM8500)
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- Опубликовано: 30 июл 2024
- In this video we will find out if you can eq a Behringer XM8500 to sound like a Sure SM7B.
Amazon | Shure SM7B: amzn.to/3j2MIC2 *
Thomann EU | Behringer XM8500: www.thomann.de/intl/behringer... *
Thomann EU | Shure SM7B: www.thomann.de/intl/shure_sm_... *
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00:00 Intro
00:10 SM7B vs XM8500
01:27 Audio Samples
02:45 SM7B vs XM8500 + EQ
04:03 Frequency Response and Differences
04:42 Mic Preamp Performance
06:06 EQ settings full conversion
07:06 EQ settings for voice
07:25 Pros and Cons
08:59 Outro
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Incredibly appreciated, Julian! EQ and spending money are two of my my weakest spots at the moment - and you explained how to fix one and avoid exposing the other. =)
This channel owns so hard.
I have many many Shure mics and I can tell you the XM8500 is a great all rounder.that can easily take the place of SM 58's and 57's. Highly recommended. Buy ten now!
That's not my experience. The SM58 I have is far better in everything but price. My XM8500 sounds like it's been wrapped in a blanket, terrible high end to it.
Love seeing more jokes in your videos. Your dead-pan delivery makes them even funnier. Great work on the video. I've been using the SM57 eq tip on my Twitch stream, and even name dropped you :)
You making this video brings joy to my life. Got three of them for 20€ some time ago, and just released a podcast where I used them, they sound really good imo. Thanks a lot !
Awesome detail in this video! I've tested this EQ out for mine and it is a noticable difference.
Another fantastic video. Many thanks!
Also, I still love the videos analyzing converter boxes. Very helpful.
Your videos are great. Giving quality and clarity. Hope to see your channel continue to grow
This is great content, Julian! It's so cool that the XM8500 is incredibly affordable, and a simple EQ using your settings can make it even better. Now there's even fewer excuses to start that podcast, for those who are thinking about it! Thanks for the video!
since JK doesnt answere: Could you briefly explain which EQ to use and how settings are applied?
@@123maines Did you figure it out?
@@123maines You need a parametric equalizer with at least 5 bands. For each band, you set a center frequency, a band width (Q factor), and an amount to boost or cut (the center of) that band. Any good parametric EQ plugin should let you do that, just plugging in the numbers from the video (onscreen starting around 7:07).
Brilliant... Better than expected. By the way @Julian, XM8500 to SM58 EQ conversion would be interesting too, as this is the mic XM8500 and every cheap mic tries to copy.
Just tried this eq settings on my XM8500, impressive! Thanks Julian! 🙏
Thank you! Very helpful video. Behringer sounds very good for it's price! It also looks good in black.
That's so cool. Crazy to think that such a cheap microphone really can get such professional results.
Thank you! I was searching for this!
Guter Content, guter Humor, verständlich aufbereitet. Was will man mehr. Abo ist gemacht, Like gedrückt.
Excellent technical content, appreciate the humor.
Incredible video once again Julian, it just goes to show that fundamental knowledge in audio editing can get you far when it comes to improving your sound regardless of the gear you use.
Not mic related but I recently saw this interface by PreSonus called the Revelator io24 and it would be interesting if you did a review on it, its such an underrated audio interface and I’m curious to see how it stacks up compared to the other high end audio interface you’ve already reviewed
Keep up the enthusiasm and the audio content you create, I love em
Hope you have a great day!
Another magic EQ, well done. Happily using my SM57 EQ thanks to JK😎
honestly crazy how close they are to each other and the low noise is really good.
I had a really hard time telling the difference. Even before the EQ was applied.
😅
Same. Indistinguishable listening on a phone speaker. Listening on my budget studio monitors I think I could detect a very slightly more 'sizzly' sound on the XM8500, which must be the highs Julian mentioned.
this is exactly what many are questioning and looking for, another great piece by jk
This video SHURE was informative… I’m going to buy 15 XM8500s tomorrow. Thanks for validating my decision Julian!!
fantastic work Julian 🙂
You did it! Spitze!
Craaaazy. After watching this video, I’m inundated, yes, my recommendations are literally flooded with comparisons from other RUclips channels. I never searched for microphones before (not my topic of interest).
Simply incredible!
Amazing content that you do! Thanks!
Great post, Julian!!! Thanks!!!!!!
Julian you are saving me an absolute fortune in mics - keep 'these vids coming! Btw have you looked at the Pyle Pro 57 clone?
Great video!
You already made me feel bad for spending money on an SM7B when you released the SM57 video haha. Great video though. Good to know I can make those XM8500s sitting in my closet sound real good if I ever need to use them.
the XM8500 is the best value ham radio dynamic mic I've come across, as well. Whatever it has in the mids really works well for ham radio communications. It just cuts through the noise on air fabulously.
since I watched this video I am using this eq and I am 😻😻pleased with the result because the xm8500 raw is a little muffled and a little muddy thank you for this video and keep up the good work 👍
The XM8500 truly is one of the best values-for-money mics out there. I got two of them for 7€ each on an Amazon sale. Fantastic video as always JK👏
How close is it to the sm58?
Bravo!!!👏👏👏👏 Thanks very much to share your knowledge about.
I would love to see a video of you doing the actual EQ for newbs like me!
thank you so much. Lots of LOVE from NEPAL ❤️
Great quote for the narrated comparison! Douglas Adams, I believe.
Thanks, this is really interesting! My £14 XM8500 is on its way to me today. I've been using a cheap Samson condenser mic for the last few months. No complaints, but I'm keen to dip my toe into the dynamic mic world given my room is untreated and prone to background noise/reverb.
Nice one Julian
This channel is the authority on all things audio. Thanks a lot for this Julian. Could you pls do the UMC1820 🙏
Very interesting experiment.
Would love to see a video like this for the ATR2005 USB Mic. Such an affordable all in one solution that already sounds surprisingly solid. But a recipe for EQing it to sound like SM7B would be next level for low budget and beginning podcasters.
I think another unmentioned benefit of SM7B over XM8500 is lower handling noise e.g. rumbles when a boom arm is moved or a desk is bumped. That said, I don't have an SM7B to compare side-by-side with my XM8500 -- I'm just judging from online videos that this seems to be the case.
These are always so fun to watch, thanks Julian.
You're right, but you wouldn't be handling the SM7B anyway.
@@honeste6652 it's designed to be handled and on an articulated arm mounted on a desk and you just grab it and reposition when you wanna sit in a different way or juggle records or tapes. On many podcasts, the occasional creaking and squeaking you hear; that's those articulated mic arms.
Oh my God... You are amazing... Thanks... Greetings from Republica Dominicana
Julian we really need to protect you from the big brand zealots. You debunk so many marketing and psychological bs in audio. Thank you for your videos.
Awesome video
Very nice job, as usual...
One comment from my side. I am listening through a tablet, not the most reliable audio device for a serious test. But if I connect my TV to my home theater (self built loudspeakers and amplifier) there is compression and leveling from RUclips.
I would give my answers only if I got lossless files to be played under strict hi-fi management.
In the meantime I would probably buy a Behringer XM8500! 😜
Moooore microphone madness! :)
There is one Antares plug-in I literally can’t live without. No, it’s not Autotune. As a live recordist, I often end up with what I would call a poor choice of microphone hampering the sound of a perfectly good player and instrument. Mic MOD has saved my ass many times. Excellent example: the crew of a very famous Tokyo jazz club insisted on SM58s for all five saxes on a big band recording I did for release on Warner Bros. Any mic picked at random would have been a better choice. During post production, I purchased the app from Antares in a fit of desperation and was astounded at the results. I had to do all the conversions off line for best results, changing them to my favorite AKG C12a nuvistor mic. It literally opened the window to my mixes and made the record a success.
Fantastic video fancy doing a rode nt1 to Tlm 103 😁
I'm not even into microphones but still love your vids. And the amount of puns and humour in this video is refreshing. Great stuff, keep it up, love your channel.
Couldn't tell the difference with Apple wired earphones. Hoping some day you can EQ a Samson Q2U to make it sound similar :D Thumbs up as always!
very nice tutorial and perfectly explained. Does the choice of audio interface also make a big difference when coming up with a budget SM7B mimicking setup, an actual SM7B user will also have higher costing interface compared to a Behringer user who might go for something like a xenyx Q502usb for feeding the PC. Please do comment
yeah, more of this videos. I've already bought my mic, but this videos are fun. Please make a video of the stagg sdm70 mic (I think it cost less than 20 bucks) Equing it to sound like an SM57.
Julian, that was your funniest video yet... (maybe put a pitcher of water in the background of a later video to acknowledge your dry sense of humour...)
To be honest, I couldn't tell them apart in any test, so clearly this trick is lost on me. But the effort was highly appreciated. (Personally, after I tried to be snobbish with an old and loved EV mic and an interface I could not get enough gain out of, I simply gave up and bought an Audio Technica USB cardioid mic. More than good enough.)
Thanks for the video, Julian. I wonder if the Slate Digital VMS models can be 'emulated' as well with just some eq.
I realize no mic is going to fully replicate another, but the idea you can tweak the character of one to imitate aspects the other is pretty exciting.
How do you capture the frequency response of a mic to do something like this? I’d like to learn how it is done.
You can capture the frequency response using simple equipment and REW (Room EQ Wizard), which is free software. The basic trick for medium and upper frequencies is to put the mic up on a stand where it's several feet from any surface, and play a chirp (fast frequency sweep) on a speaker near the mic. For the medium and high frequencies, the direct signal will be recorded before any reflections can bounce off of surfaces and hit the mic (which takes several milliseconds due to the speed of sound being about 1 foot per millisecond).
For low frequencies getting clean measurements is harder because you need either a very large space or an anechoic chamber for that trick to work at long wavelengths. For relative measurements of two mics that isn't generally necessary (you can let reflections mess up the results somewhat, but similarly for both mics so that comparisons still work. If you need cleaner results for low frequencies you can do it outdoors "in half space" with the speaker sitting on the ground in a large, flat area like a parking lot. For low frequencies the direct sound from the speaker and the sound reflected off the ground just below it will be almost identical, and not mess up the measurements.
If you want to make precise, objective measurements, rather than just looking for differences between mics, you need a measurement mic with a precisely known frequency response. You can buy a calibrated measurement microphone, which comes with a file telling you its sensitivity at different frequencies (and maybe different angles). You can use that in REW to adjust the results for a microphone you're testing, to factor out the non-flatness of the speaker etc. response.
The eq curve was well made, though the transient response really gave away the xt8500 for me. your plosives were a lot more apparent with the eq'd xm8500. Still a great job!
Incredible video, I have Behringer XM8500 myself but I was planning on buying their Shure MV7 but decided to keep my Behringer XM8500. If you don't mind me asking, what application did you use to EQ your Behringer XM8500? I really liked your EQ settings but I don't know how to EQ my mic. Thank you!
You're funny! ;-) "See you in the next one when I EQ a Blue Yeti to sound like a Neumann U87". Love it.
Nobody mentions but I laughed every time you did that Shure pun. :D
Hi there! Thank you for this info, do you have a tutorial on how to set this in garageband? Or do you recommend any other software? I see more options in the eq panel but do not know which to change. I am checking your other videos for clues. Thanks again.
The differences were noticeable. The highs on Mic A were louder, and Mic B sounded warmer, and more to my liking (listening with Studio Monitor Headphones). The XM8500 sounded more natural and pleasing to my ears, whereas the SM7B sounded a little cold and harsh. It's amazing what plugins like Ozone Match EQ, FabFilter, or the EQ you used, etc. can do. Do you think a Mic with a flat EQ could be transformed to sound essentially like any other Mic using EQ Matching software?
I've seen theses EQ Matching Plugins used to match the tone of various guitars and their pickups. The results are often indistinguishable, particularly if you take a couple of passes through the iterations of the processed results.
Excellent, informative video as always. Thanks 👍
You didn't ask me but I'll give my opinion: Things like off-axis response, off-axis distortion, pickup pattern (which will vary even between microphones that have nominally the same pattern) and so on are baked into the microphone and will make exact matching between two mic designs extremely hard or just impossible, especially when jumping between different mic types, eg a fig 8 ribbon and a shotgun mic. However, you could probably make a mic sound CLOSE ENOUGH to a different mic, especially if they're broadly similar in design, eg two cardioid dynamics, as in this video.
A microphone's frequency response depends on the direction of the source, this is something you can't replicate with filters. So in principle, with EQ you can only match a mic's frequency response from a given direction to another mic's freq response from another given direction. There's also the fact that filters themselves introduce phase differences.
Basically, the more similar a couple of mics are the better you can approximate each other with eq alone. That being said, If you want to imitate a target mic I don't think having a flat frequency response would give an edge to a source mic in this regard, it would be best to just pick whichever mic behaves the most similar to said target mic.
@@enriquekahn9405 Thanks for sharing your insights. It's useful to be reminded of other factors that contribute to the unique performance of Mics. 👍
@@HelliOnurb Good points. Thanks
Actually there is the slate mod mic check it out!!!
Amazing!
"criminally cheap" :-D I really like your videos as well as your sense of humor. ;-) And I'm going to turn XM8500 into SM7B too.
big thumbs up!
I am using this EQ with my 3d printed sm7bs, thanks for the video
I recently had chance to test a Behringer XM8500 in my studio and was very impressed. I also took the opportunity to compare it with another cheap dynamic SM58 clone, an Italian XXL Inside XC58 that I bought in 2005 when I worked for the UK distributor Sonic 8 Ltd, who also sold the fantastic Sontronics brand of microphones. In my very quick test the XXL sounded and performed almost identically to the Behringer, very little between them indeed but possibly the XM8500 just shaded it but I am splitting hairs here. However looking at the frequency plot for my XXL, it looks much flatter in response from 200Hz until around 3kHz where it climbs and has a 4K bump and another bump around 9K, then slopes off and then sharply at around 14-15K; all based on being 500mm away from the mic. Based on price the Behringer is extremely hard to beat though.
@2.20, to my ear, I'm thinking A is the Shure and B is the Behringer. I can hear less weight on the hat on B, weaker signal and a little brighter. Regardless of the result, the Behringer is certainly a good contender for a spare mic, but if the Behringer is A, I will purchase one instantly >> time to continue the video to find out the truth >>
Great video as always Julian! :)
Amazing! Are these EQ settings based on the xm8500 using the factory popfilter(ball)? I'm thinking of getting a larger foam pop filter like the Shure A 81 WS (or similarly sized) to put on the xm8500 to replace the factory one. Do you think think that would have the same effect as your eq settings?
Great vid!!! Only one thing i've being wondering this days. Which are the benefits of buying an expensive microphone if you can eq other way cheaper to sound like it??? Thanks a lot for your channel, I love your videos :3
Pickup pattern and proximity effect vary and are more effective/useful on fancy mics. Sometimes distortion, noise, shielding, handling noise, max SPL and output is better on expensive mics. The SM7b has a lovely pickup pattern but you really need a decent preamp to make it shine.
I used to own and operate a live sound business in Hawaii. The weather can be very difficult to predict, there is plenty salt in the air, and all equipment is on a shortened life due to these factors. and most events are outdoors, of course. I had quite a few sm58, but a couple went bad on me. I purchased a couple 8500's to test, and immediately ordered 10 more after testing. I would occasionally get an artist questioning the microphone, to which I could offer a 58 instead. Yes, it is near the same sound but not the same, the rear rejection is not the same, but more than ample for most situations (especially outdoors). If you are looking for a good SM58 clone, XM8500 is a good choice.
So, you likely remember Willy K ? I surely miss his voice and guitar, I played with him in S.F, way back in the 90s..
@@MrStephanbrun of course. Big loss for contemporary Hawaiian music... Aloha!
Hello and thank you for your great videos! A beginner question: I have a shure SM58 - are these settings a good starting point for it too or is it better to use the ones you suggest for the SM57? Thank you!
Thanks Boss, ❤️❤️❤️
Another great video! The music sounded a lot like Sass Jordan's "High road easy". Is that what it was?
Dear Julian, first happy new year. I and Im sure a lot of others like this kind of videos. Actually I have an shure sm57 and a Behringer XM8500, so actually 2 SM7bs -or a stereo SM7B nowthanks to you ;-) So if this is possible, would it also be possible to get a (similar) sound of one of my favorite mics (Neumann7Telefunken U47, Telefunken ELA M 251or the Sony C800) from a reasonable not that exspensive condenser mic? Best wishes from Berlin.
Nice video👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Btw, u make me want to buy the behringer xm8500😂
I just recorded a podcast with a friend, he has the m7b and I have the XM8500. It all sounds great.
B sounded a bit more mid heavy and A sounded a bit duller, which would make you think A was the SM7B, but with EQ who knows. I leaned towards that guess, but I flipped back and forth a few times I can't really say I could tell the difference.
I think the only clue I ever get between expensive and expensive ones is that the inexpensive ones tend to have a bit more clustering with certain frequencies, like I feel like 2khz gets summed with 2.1khz a bit more whereas they are more separate with a high end mic. I think Neewer mics are a good example of that. With that said, I think I'd fail in most blind tests.
You are my hero
Nice! Saving $380 and still rockin' well, rocks! :) Curious which preamp you'd suggest for best rock tone? Your thoughts on Klark Teknik CM-1 ?
Hi Julian, is it possible to upload the REW Measurement File for the calculated difference from the two mics, so I can mess around with the EQ-Filter-Settings in REW. That would be nice.
Hey first of all great video, thanks for sharing this trick. Could you recommend a programm for windows to EQ the mic?
JK my guy you are the BEST man let's go champ. You know I always come through with a like everytime don't even have to ask. Great job man. This is the man right here make way let the man through lol. Take it easy Big J
Awesome video! In the electric guitar world, speakers' IRs got a lot of hype in the recent years.
I always wonder how close can you make a guitar's Speaker emulate another one if you have both IRs and build an EQ with their difference. I think it will be a lit bit more challenging than with microphones because you usually are interested in the speaker + cabinet response and it's hard to decouple their behavior.
If you're using IRs, I don't think you need to separately EQ. As I understand it, the speaker's frequency response is a function of its impulse response, and adjustments to emulate the desired IR will adjust frequencies as a matter of course.
Amazing. I have both XM8500 and an SM57. This is an eye opener. Or should I say ear opener.
Very very cool video. Would it be possible to expand this idea to a wider range of microphones? I understand that there are limits to how close one can get, but it would be amazing to know how to replicate a SM7B with an SE v7 or replicate a beta SM 58 with an Sontronics solo etc etc. Is it just a matter of having a detailed record of each eq curve and adding/subtracting the difference?
For a rough matching only the frequency response of the two mics are needed. Then you can calculate the difference and EQ it.
As you said, it won't be perfect but you can do this with any microphone as long as they have similar polar patterns.
Hi Julian, thank you for the video, I really suck when we talk about audio, how do you apply the EQ? is it something you have to do in the computer or in the audio interface? Thank you in advance.
Thanks🎉😮😊
Some brands would not even sell you the box of the mic for the same price 😂 Would you recommend the sm57 over the xm8500 for this type of sound ?
I wouldn't have believed the behringer would be this good even without eq, congratulations behringer !
Very interesting. Could this apply to the BA 85A as well ?
Nice video, thank you! I have a 14-year-old XM8500 that doesn't get much use nowadays, but I'm still fond of. It was a great purchase back then, when I couldn't afford anything better. They even made an SM57 copy that they discontinued before I could purchase it.
I would have said that microphone A was the XM8500, though, since raspy highs like those in the guitar recordings were noticeable when I used it to make guitar speaker IRs and I played them🤔Perhaps the capsule changed through the years?
The Behringer SL 75C is not discontinued.
@@fbnx4219 Mmmm, I'm not sure if that's the copy I'm talking about, I think it also was XM-something (probably xm7500). Some friends got them for their practice room and saved the Shures for live shows, they said they were perfectly fine and they wouldn't mind using them live, either.
But it's good to know they have the SL 75C, thank you for pointing it out! I never saw it in any of the shops where I regularly buy, though. Anyway, now I have a real Shure SM57.
Whilst this won't work for aggressive close vocals (a place where the sm7b is amazing) because of the differences in the physical design, if you are just going to be recording speech I actually recommend this setup as more beginner friendly especially if you are on a budget and not sure how "into" what you're doing you are. I'm tempted to buy some of these for friends just so they have better audio when we play games 😅
@Fuckyouall6679 Oh rad! I find as soon as guys start handling it and getting their mouth close all I can hear is their fucking breath. Not a problem with the sm7b, it takes dudes breathing on it like a champ kinda miss playing with one tbh. works fine at a distance of around 20cm+ or off axis but dudes be wanting to put the mic right near their mouth >< you got any tips and recordings you can share?
What do you recommend for aggressive close vocals on a budget?
@@Versel Honestly I'd probably say get a boom arm mic stand, and a pop shield, stick the pop shield around 3cm away from an xm8500, that's probably gonna get you the best bang for buck close aggressive vocal. Then get your vocalist to keep his grubby little hands in his pockets bc cupping the mic makes weird combing like effects that I think sound shit in a mix. What do I know though, I'm an old man 😅
How much of the SM7b's handling of close vocals is just that it won't let you get close to the capsule? The schnoz sticks out well in front of the actual capsule (sensor), which limits people's ability to get right up close to the capsule, and that limits the proximity effect.
In that respect, you can just put a pop screen in front of the XM8500 at the right distance, to keep people's mouths away from its capsule, too, or maybe use an oversized foam windscreen that sticks out.
@@paulw.3967 haha check the comment above yours in this reply chain, you're correct!
I'm a recent subscriber. Dope content on the 57 to 7b eq. I'm saving to get an Aston Origin or Spirit is there any mic that can capture that crispy high end and vocal detail post eq? Thank you so much in advance for any help! God bless you!!!
This is awesome timing Juilian! I backordered a XM8500 last summer from Amazon, and it just barely showed up this week 👻
Doesn't SM7B have dip switches that affect the frequency response?
Yes, you have a low frequency roll-off and a high frequency boost filter with the SM7B. Both were set to off for the test as this is how the SM7B is mostly used.
Hey Julian, could you pls review the MERGING TECHNOLOGIES ANUBIS PRO interface ? Have been hearing great things about it… Would be really glad if you make a detailed review of the sound quality and other features pls… 🙏🏼🙏🏼😊😊
Have you ever tested a stereo setup with the beringer and the sm 57 both eqed to sound like the 7B, just fore the giggles?
you are the Best!
thumbs up and please make budget condensor sounds like neuman TLM or Rode if possible :D
That's a whole different story