I'm a musician/singer/songwriter and produce/engineer my own music with 3 album releases, yet being independent I have no claim to commercial funding so every piece of equipment I buy is a precious investment. I bought my SM7B after much research and have done numerous audio tests in my studio, with some preliminary recordings for a planned new album. (I put in this boring self-description so you can judge where I'm coming from in writing this review).
I believe many/most people buy this microphone without fully understanding what they are buying. The Shure name and the hype about Michael Jackson recording with it tends to cloud the judging process, so for many it's a quick decision to buy. But a more detailed analysis reveals more characteristics and with better understanding you can put aside the hype and probably appreciate theSM7B for what it truly is : a fantastic Dynamic microphone with a SM58-like character that works for robust studio-recordings IF you have a high-quality high-gain preamp to use with it.
Being a dynamic microphone, it does not have it's own preamp and is thus not as sensitive as a condenser mic. It's therefore not very useful for recording delicate singing voices, it's just not sensitive enough. But it will handle loud,screaming vocals easily, the capsule is robust enough to take in all that high energy. This is just the physics/science of microphones: dynamic mics handle loud sounds better, condensers handle delicate things better.
But the SM7B is not like the Shure SM58 dynamic mic, it's capsule elements are thinner and much more sensitive, so it's sensitivity does lean towards the condensers, but being a dynamic mic this sensitivity comes at the expense of it only being able to produce a weak signal, so it needs a preamp with plenty of clean gain before the signal can be used.....if you really think hard about it, it is thus trying to be like a condenser mic, but whereas a condenser mic has a built-in preamp, this SM7B needs an external preamp! In-between, that's where it is.
But the story gets more interesting. The SM7B has "character"... the audio pattern mimics the legendary SM58's presence-boosting curve, so the SM7B can give your recorded voice the classic Shure SM58 "live" character if you know how to use it right (though again you need to keep in mind that it's never going to be as delicate as a condenser mic, still if you know what you're doing you might find it a worthy trade-off to get great character with the loss of some delicate-ness. Post-recording engineering, a bit of compression and you're back in the game.)
Misconception: There is a presence-boosting switch. Nope. What the switch does is take away the presence to give you a flat-response curve, i.e. in its natural state the presence is already boosted, the switch is misleading, the flat-response is the altered state.
Misconception: The pop-filters (windscreens) provided give you a natural sound. No they don't. They filter off the high-frequencies, giving you a flatter sound. This is perfect for podcasting, and you can speak with your mouth close to the mic without having pops (use the thinner or thicker filter, depending on how robust your POP-ing is getting), but for singing you want to take off the windscreens, leave the metal grill exposed, and use a proper external POP filter.
For recording of a singer, the magic comes with a proper external POP filter, no need for a super-expensive one, but one with at least a double-grille and larger (6inch minimum) diameter. Shure sells such a POP filter, good enough for the task. Once you're using a proper external pop filter, you can place it really close to the metal grille front, have your SM7B switches without bass-cut and with the presence-boost on (as I said it earlier this is actually a no-presence-cut position rather than a real boost)...and you can record your singing in all it's glory, your voice gets recorded as if you were winging with a Shure SM58 on steroids, i.e the "character" of the mic is there. There is no need to switch off this presence, you can always do so in the mixing stage. You thus end up recording with a high degree of sensitivity yet having a very low noise floor (the advantage of a dynamic mic).
The is not much proximity effect with this mic, the metal grille extends far beyond the capsule element so your mouth cannot get really too close to the capsule. (Hats off to the Shure engineers for this bit of idiot-proofing). Imagine a super-sensitive SM58 with a Blues singer planting his lips of the grille and you're recording his voice in a studio, and you're in 'POP hell...now you appreciate the engineering :)
Apologies for the lengthy review, but I do believe I've given an honest description of the important details. PODcast users may find this mic overkill but hey if you have the cash then flout it, though you could get the same audio with a cheap condenser with a big windshield and some EQ work. Recording vocalists with a more dynamic vocal range is where the SM7B will probably shine, and especially with louder vocalists, or for recording alongside other instruments being played simultaneously, where the bleed from other sounds is significantly reduced with such a cardiod-pattern dynamic mic.
I'm very happy with this mic, have done tons of audio tests with it. I'll use it for my more rocking vocals, leaving the delicate ballads to a condenser mic. Hope this review helps you decide what's best for you, make the best use of your hard-earned $. Cheers.
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This Item  Shure SM7dB Dynamic Vocal Microphone w/Built-in Preamp for Streaming, Podcast, & Recording, Wide-Range Frequency, Warm & Smooth Sound, Rugged Construction, Detachable Windscreen - Black |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | -28% $449.00 List: $624.00 | $599.99 | $269.00 | -20% $179.00 List: $224.00 | $249.00 | $259.00 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | — | Get it as soon as Monday, May 20 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Quality of material | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | TheImagingWorld | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Sds audio |
| power source | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Usb Microphone,Usb-c | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric |
| connectivity tech | XLR | XLR | USB | XLR | USB | XLR |
| connector type | XLR | XLR | Micro-B USB, XLR | XLR | USB, XLR | XLR |
| model number | SM7DB | SM7B Cloud Kit | MV7-K-BNDL | MV7 | MV7-K | PR30BK |
| material | — | Microfiber | Metal | Metal | Metal | Alloy Steel |
| audio sensitivity | -59 decibels | 25 decibels | 132 decibels | 38 decibels | 132 decibels | 40 decibels |
| noise level | 28 decibels | 25 decibels | — | — | — | 146 decibels |
| signal-to-noise ratio | 60 decibels | 78 decibels | 72 decibels | 72 decibels | — | 80 decibels |
Reviews with images
It’s just perfect
First I bought the SM7B microphone which was good but then I bought the SM7DB and DAMNNN it’s so much better for my voice. I make rap music at home so i needed a microphone that would work well for that and this works perfectly for it. The built in preamp with the gain and bass settings in the back of the microphone really makes a difference in the sound quality of my voice. I use a Mac Mini M2, Logic Pro and Universal Audio Interface. It’s definitely worth the monetary investment to be able to make amazing quality music that people can enjoy for generations.
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Claudio A.G.Monteiro Filho, M.D.
Microfone tem um som fora de série!
Reviewed in Brazil on May 1, 2024Style: SM7BVerified Purchase
Richard
Shure SM7DB - 9.9 out of 10
Reviewed in Canada on February 15, 2024Style: SM7dB (Built-In Preamp)Verified Purchase
Richard
Reviewed in Canada on February 15, 2024
In my studio I can plug in a TLM 103 on one channel and a Shure SM7db on a second channel and I guarantee you may not know which is which with the same read. It’s done with processing. EQ, Aural Exciters, Compression. These effects alone can transform a darker sounding mic into the airy, crisp, presence filled microphone of your dreams. Just like you need to tweak the color on a TV, you need to tweak the ‘color’ of a mic.
I use Adobe Audition recording software and a RodeCaster Pro 2 where the effects I mentioned are all included. They will elevate the SM7db and your podcast, YT Channel, voice over work to a pro level. It achieves this by making your voice easier to understand, adding clarity, sparkle and dimension, and in turn, making ‘you’ more enjoyable to listen to.
And now with the built in power boost the SM7db can be used pretty much used with any recording equipment.
The SM7b has been around for 50+ years and I can totally recommend this mic to anyone, especially male voices. The latest SM7db version adds a preamp with +18 or +28 db courtesy of the built in Cloudlifter. For female voices, keep the built in presence switch activated.
You’ll love the updated Shure SM7db. It is one of the great mics out there.
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Scorpio
Fantastic mic however by no means recommended for everyone
Reviewed in Canada on August 24, 2022Style: SM7BVerified Purchase
Kevin Lemke
Das beste Mikrofon für Streamer!
Reviewed in Germany on November 20, 2023Style: SM7BVerified Purchase
