Shure SM7B Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Microphone Reviews

I just got this mic today and plugged it into my zoom h6 which is a consumer grade field recorder. I turned the gain up to seven and a half and I had a great sound out of this microphone. Don't believe everything you hear about needing a cloudlifter to boost the signal. Buying interface with decent preamps or a recorder with decent preamps and you'll be just fine! I already love it!

I was worried that I wouldn't even notice a difference but was pleasantly surprised! Previous $60-$100 mics could barely even handle My voice and were limiting my singing ability.

This new mic allows me to sing as loud as I need without even coming close to clipping!

So stoked! No regrets!

Now we know why this mic is a classic we switched over to this mic and it changed the vocals so much. Sweetwater has the best service anywhere!!!

Alex, a sales engineer at Sweetwater, provided me with an exceptional experience. Their knowledge and professionalism made them stand out from the rest. They took the time to understand my unique needs and offered valuable insights, ensuring I was well-informed. Alex's responsiveness, friendly demeanor, and willingness to help throughout the process made it a pleasure to work with them. Their commitment to customer satisfaction went beyond the sale, offering assistance with setup, troubleshooting, and accessory recommendations. I highly recommend Alex as a sales engineer at Sweetwater. Their expertise and outstanding service set them apart.

Very nice upgrade from my standard headset I mainly just use this for online calls and gaming and my voice has never been more crystal clear

will not "totally reject" sound in you not good acoustic environment, it just rejects a lil bit more then normal condensers reject but not enough to be like "wow I only here me now!" you'll still get those creeping wave into you track. for that trial and error with your mic positioning (like audio engineer trainers version of the jab to there pupils. the mic is made to pick up audio and ideally you want it to do that is the best audible way. get the sm7b for its mic sound and other aspects instead of trying to reject sound that's more of a hands on thing and that's why we got editing and plugins. fire sound nice midrange bump a diehard love for metal/rock Vox and really everything above but I rather a Neumann for a singer just love the clarity!

My son said the microphone is so awesome he may have to re-record his past work to bring it up to this leve.

I used a Blue Yeti for the past four years on my podcast. The BY is a great mic too, but it is a condenser mic. Thus, it picked up things like the heat or ac kicking on, lawnmowers running outside, dogs barking outside, etc. The SM7b doesn't pick up any of that and it sounds amazing, I'm confident it's the last podcast mic I'll ever buy.

Probably the finest all-around dynamic microphone ever made, great for everything from podcasts to Michael Jackson's voice.
I trust Sweetwater. I bought one on line from another vendor and it was a fake. This one is not.
Thanks guys!

Late Night with Rob and Kris was the largest music podcast radio show before the plandemic. We lost everything during the plandemic and restarted our show on ghtalkradio.com just after Robert got back on his feet from 168 days in coma. We each bought one of these mics with the Cloud lifter and so glad we did!

I typically use another highend mic. A Studio Engineer suggested that I try this Mic. This Mic is smooth a silk.

I had been skeptical about all the hype around this mic, but after reading so many first-hand reviews from novices to experts, I relented and bought one. Hooked up with a Cloudlifter, this mic is fabulous! I did several comparisons to various others from reputable manufacturers including, pricey German-made originals, clones, modeling, and other mid-level excellent value mics. The SM7B for vocals (my application), has a presence and clarity that is remarkable and cuts through and sits well in dense as well as more sparse mixes. My higher-end and much more expensive condensers are still the go-tos for that silky smooth, lush sound, but in a pinch, and on a tight budget, the SM7B can do it all.

BUY IT! Also, get the Cloud Microphone's Cloudlifter CL-1 to use with it, to get the most out of the SM7B.

Excelente producto...

I recently purchased this mic for vocals in my home studio and I can't believe I didn't do so sooner. I have a Rode NT1 and a Beta 58, but I found the Rode condenser picked up too much of the poor acoustics present in my bedroom while the Beta 58 lacked the fullness you'd want in a studio mic. That's where the SM7B comes in. The mic is super quiet and pics up minimal noise from its room. That means you don't need a perfectly treated room to get fantastic vocals. The detail captured by the SM7B is also perfect. There is plenty of fullness and nuance without exquisitely capturing unwanted artefacts such as foot tapping or lip smacking. Absolutely love this thing. No doubt the perfect option for your casual artist trying to produce some bedroom pop. Honestly, I'd take the SM7B over a Neumann condenser any day of the week.

This mic records so clearly and, combined with the Rodes desktop mic arm, it is always ready whenever I am! By itself, it sounds great, but I would suggest getting the CloudLifter as well, it just takes it to another level!

Its a SM7B. you don't need me to tell you. You got this far just buy it !

Yes. This is one of the best mics for podcasting. Comes with a hefty price tag but if you're dead serious about taking your podcasting game to the next level, this microphone will take you there. Great investment with a great resale value if you decide to call it quits! It's great for mostly all vocals. New models come with a heavy pop filter as well that will help with plosives.

Cliff Hackleman of Sweetwater recommended the Shure SM7B for vocals and guitar recording. Did a few sample recordings of vocals and electric guitar and am very pleased. I recommend the Shure SM7B.

I have worked in broadcast engineering for the last 52 years. I needed a great sounding mic to add to my ham radio station, so I chose the Shure SM 7B. I talk around the world with my ham station and the audio quality of this mic helps to make it happen. The mic is connected to my UB802 mixer and feeds a DBX 266XS limiter. I use a little bit of reverb from a Boss RV6 into the FX input of the mixer. The mic is set to roll off the base and the high frequency switch is turned on. I get great comments on the superior quality of the sound from this mic. I recommend this mic highly you will not be disappointed.

I previously had much a cheaper (sub $75) XLR mic that worked, but the sound quality of my voice, even with all the EQ Settings, was what you would expect for the price paid. I ended up splurging a bit and getting this at the recommendation of a friend, and after messing with the EQ Settings, my voice sounds much warmer and more full than before. A huge difference when you pay for quality!

Upgraded this year to the Shure SM7B and I am loving the full sound! Thank you Sweetwater!

Brandon

I was considering rating this a 4 for input volume, but this only affects me when I am talking on call. The noise floor is so low that you can not pick up any background noise. I even turned my input monitoring on with my closed back headphones and the only way I am going to get any background is if I force my mic to listen to humming or an open window directly. If this is going to be your daily mic, pick up a high pre-amp for your interface. Buying a worse interface to compensate for one mic is a bad investment. In my untreated rooms, I have little echo. In my studio, the mic is peak.

Its an excellent mic. It didn't seem super impressive until I saw all major artist using this mic for podcast and acoustic recordings etc. I trusted their judgment and I haven't been disappointed. I will say the cloud adapter is very helpful with volume.

I was using a Bluebird mic for quite a bit which was $100 cheaper, decided to upgrade to this one because I heard great things. This mic has exceeded all expectations. For $400 it can't be beat in price. It adds such a nice raspy base to my vocal I was missing. This is by far the best mic I've used in the studio. 100% recommend.

This is honestly the best microphone iv ever owned. Im not a musician or content creator, but i play games on pc with friends, i dont use a headset either, full open speakers, this microphone pair with the goxlr i got from sweetwater, the microphone doesnt pickup any feedback from the other audio sources and i love it.

Great general purpose microphone. We use it for overhead mics at times though mostly for scratch during full band tracking. If it was good enough for Michael, it is more than good enough for all.

This was my first "real" microphone investment for my developing home studio and love everything about it! Very forgiving with outside noises and have used it for Vocals, Foley, and for everyday Zoom lectures for school. Mixing was a bit finicky to dial in my "sweet spots" however this also may be due to user error as I am still learning to perfect my skills as an audio engineer / producer. Best overall microphone to have in your arsenal in my opinion.

Pretty good so far! Seems pretty easy to mix my vocals and make them sit right in the mix. Plus it has a really good sound. The kind of sound I've really been looking for.

Weather you are in the studio, on stage, or recording at home- this mic shines! Pair it with the right pre-amp and it will rival mics costing thousands more in terms of it's sound quality. It is a must own. (I have a pair of them.) Because it is so versatile and sounds good in so many applications I would say that Shure may have crafted the perfect microphone.

I use this for podcasting, talking with friends over Discord, and for work meetings over Zoom. I have yet to use it to record vocals or instruments, but that will come in time. Loving it so far!

I was skeptical due to price point, but wow. If you're on the fence - don't be. This mic is utterly amazing for vocals (I'm sure for other things, but I use it for vocals). I've been looking for a mic that sounds top level in a smaller size vocal booth as my studio is a bit smaller, and OH BOY. We ran through mics ranging from 99$ to 2000$, while they were OK - this one definitely beats them. It takes ALL the cake. You need thus mic.

PERFECT FOR PODCASTING

ive used several types of mics in the past but the SHURE SM7B is by far the best sounding in the recording field----great price for such a durable mic-----also has a great sound,smooth,clear and not scratchy----fred king

This microphone has the sensitivity and presence more like a condenser than anything else I've ever tried.

I'm planning on using it for podcasting, and in that endeavor I feel it will be more, much more than adequate.

My sales representative was instrumental, no pun intended, in my getting two of these microphones. I am just blown away with a terrific sound and sensitivity of these upper end Shure products. I would be willing to bet that these mics would be tremendous in a live situation! Kudos to SWEETWATER!

Great microphone. While the Shure SM7b is a standard for voice/vocals, it did exactly what I was wanting when micing a guitar cabinet. I had been wanting a ribbon microphone for guitar cabs, but this really got the fatter, warm sound I was trying to get with other mics in my locker... which makes this microphone a versatile, multi-purpose secret weapon in your mic locker.

i use the sm7b on my flex ham radio and i cant ask for better. great mic for the money

The SM7B has been known for being a streaming mic for years now, so I thought I'd try it out. It sounds amazing!

These have been around for many many years and there is a reason why they are used by so many pros. The sound quality is excellent. They are dead quiet. The construction is excellent. I also love that you can use the switches in the back to tailor the sound to your voice. That's a feature I didn't even know I wanted until I had it. Great mic for shure.

One of my favorite mics for it's excellent sound and versatility

This is a Great value. Superior quality and sound coupled with it's versatility. Will buy more before the price goes up.

This is all around a great mic. FANTASTIC to say the least for recording live bass. Might be a bit harsh on the high end, but haven't got to play with the settings yet. Definitely does best when inserted a good mic-pre.

I bought two products within the last couple of months and was very pleased with the ease of purchase and how quickly the products were sent out. I bought an SM 7B and two Klark Teknik mic boosters. I was having a problem with one of the Mike boosters and my representative and technical support took care of it very quickly and I had another one in my hands within days. SWEETWATER will be my go to from now on. Thank you guys for being a great company and caring about your customers

This probably is one of my best purchase from Sweetwater. I got this on sale for $. That's a lot of value!
Noise isolation is great and my voice just sounds so smooth.

The SM7B adds a nice flavor to my mic arsenal. For louder vocals, it is not as harsh as my Neumann TLM103. It cuts through the mix nicely. I added a SE DM-1 for the extra gain, which compliments it for more gain. Bought it on sale and have no regrets.

I have tried many times before to record audio with external microphones in my computer. The results were always poor with lots of background noise and computer hum. I would hear watch YouTube channels where people would do screen casts and wonder how they got it to sound so good. After doing lots of research, the most recommended product to use was the Shure SM7B. I decided to spend the money to get one and I am glad I did. Setup was simple and it did not take long before I was able to produce my first vocal recording. The raw results were spectacular. This is a winner microphone! During the 2021 holiday season I purchased the Shure SM7B, Cloudlifter CL-1 Mic Activator, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen, and the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm headphones. My bundle came with 2 XLR cables and a stage microphone stand. I use Linux Mint for my OS, and Reaper as my DAW. If I were to change anything about my order I would probably have ordered the Scarlett 18i8 3rd Gen instead of the 2i2, just for the ability to use MIDI and have the increased number of IO ports.

I've been buying products from Sweetwater for several years and the experiences have always gone very smoothly. This is my 1st time submitting a review on my customer experience and product purchase.

1. This microphone is an industry standard and has a solid broadcast sound. You wońt be disappointed no matter what type of content you produce.

2. I has some issues with the shipment and my sales engineer Skyler McGlothlin looked into the problem and quickly resolved the issue. Sweetwater is one of the best stores for music gear and also provides awesome customer support.

I love this mic as well as the customer service and the sweet water company. :) Everything I have bought from sweet water is high quality made and handled with care. Look forward to buying from them again!

Everyone knows, and it's right there on the box--the Shure SM-7B is a vocal microphone. That fat sound that broadcasters like, and I have seen this mic used in live sound for singers for that same warm tone. I was struck by the effect being exactly what I want for a live fiddle mic, similar to the way a ribbon microphone cuts out some nasty violin sounds. You can't use a ribbon mic live, though--figure-8 pickup pattern and too fragile. So, I took a chance on the SM-7B and not only is it the best sound onstage--BY FAR--of any microphone I've tried on the violin, it also won the violin microphone shoot-out in my studio. My Sweetwater guy recommended using a Cloud lifter with it, and that was great advice.

I, and everyone who has heard me speak on this thing, have been blown away by the significant jump in quality of my voice. I had been using a gaming headset... and this mike proves how amateurish that sound is. It works... but there's something about a faithful reproduction with a cleaner signal that matters. I was admittedly skeptical until after hearing the difference with my own ears; couple that with the overwhelming commentary of the audience and I now only regret not prioritizing this purchase sooner for my web streaming.

I use this on my vocals. It seems to work best for my voice. I do use other mics for my voice but I seem to like this mic in general. Especially putting down the scratch vocal. Its best to use or need to use a cloudlifter or something like it. I use it it to record my Fender DRRI sounds Great!! One of the best purchases I've made. Thanks Ty and Sweetwater.

I wish I had bought this when I originally set up my podcast studio. It's more than worth every penny. I bought three other mics before I found this one. It could have easily filled all my needs. Great sound, no need for additional pop screen, and did I mention, it sounds GREAT! Thank you Tom Koch my sales enginneer!
Morris

If you're in an untreated and less than ideal recording environment. Don't cheat yourself.....treat yourself

Not much to say about this. classic mic. great sound. Important mic to have available in the locker.
Sweetwater delivers with the best price out there.

I purchased this mic based solely on reviews and it was delivered literally hours before a studio session with a rap artist. Without making any adjustments to it, we did the session. I was immediately impressed. I own (2) high-end ribbons and (2) large-diaphragm condensers. I love the way the SM7B accentuated low frequencies in the artist's voice. To me it added some heft, exactly what I needed on rap vocals. It also seems to pick up a lot less ambient noise compared to my condensers, something that is critical to me given that I've yet to invest in isolation booths. The session was recorded in an open, untreated space (living room).

Everything I expected it to be & everything I needed to get my vocals to the next level in my home studio. Love this thing.

I am extraordinarily pleased with this mic. Unbelievable vocal quality... but as a bonus it works extremely well recording my Taylor acoustic as well. It literally sounds like you are in the room being played to live.

Ironically the day before the mic arrived a YouTube video popped up with Mitch Gallagher from Sweetwater using it for that very purpose with... you guess it... a Taylor acoustic. But as others pointed out it may not work as well with guitars that have a less bright sound... but for me it is simply amazing. Highly, highly recommended for vocals.

Beautifully clear. Pleasantly surprised by the spectral range of the mic. Definitely lives up to the hype. You will need the pre-amp. Recommend the Cloudlifter CL-1. For music vocals / pod-casts, etc. - look no further.

Excellent mic with great sound, use this in my studio, I'm going to get another!!

Love it!!!

Perfect. It captures all nuances of the voice without pufs and ssss.

This has been my dream mic for years now and after finally gathering enough to buy the full set-up, it has not disappointed and has in fact further encouraged me to continue my music career

I bough the new Shure M7V for VoiceOver work as well as podcasting and even livestream meetings and videos. It didn't turn out to be quite as durable as I had hoped. Fortunately, Sweetwater understands that and helped me get the mic I originally thought I wanted which is the SM7B. It sounds great and has a reputation for durability. As recommended by Sweetwater advisor Jon Krempel, I am using with the Audient iD4 which seems to be enough power for all of those situations above at the lowest cost.

I have always used shure microphones for our bands live performances vocally, kick drum, and guitar amps. Now that I am getting older, I have been spending more time in my studio. I purchased this microphone and haven't looked back since. It is such a great workhorse. If you can't get the sound that you are looking for with this mic, you're doing it wrong. I am in no means a sound technician, but I can definitely obtain that stature using this mic. Thanks again Matt Masek for another pleasant shopping experience.

Out of the box.... best mic for spoken word that I have heard. Noiseless to the touch.... very responsive ..... has three settings for tone preference. Fits my blog cast system perfectly.

I chose the Shure SM7B over the EV RE20 and am happy with that choice. I listened to online demos comparing the two mics. On one comparison, the presenter's speaking voice did sound more natural on the EV. But I chose the Shure because I know my voice sounds better with a little 'shaping'. I would love to compare the two at my house! But to me, the SM7B, which I use along with the Soyuz Launcher, captures my singing voice in a manner that I would expect from a professional studio.

At the present, I am stuck in a small living space with no real soundproofing and minimal acoustic treatment. I needed a mic that would focus on my voice and nothing else. The SM7B delivers that, and with an open sound (doesn't 'feel' boxy or enclosed). I sat down for a couple hours and casually put down vocals to a song that aced anything I had done with it up to that point, and I wasn't even really set up for it! I can now finally proceed with getting my demos completed.

I can't find a single thing wrong with this mic, and I know I got my money's worth and then some! So I give it five stars.

My listeners are raving about the quality sound on my livestream and podcasts since I started using this microphone. If you want clarity and depth in your audio, buy this microphone

So many before me have raved about what a great mic this is. While I've loved my Rode NT1 over the years for vocals, I bought this on impulse a couple of weeks ago. It is amazing. The noise rejection is impeccable. My studio isn't acoustically treated, but this mic picked up only my vocal, none of the room. So happy to have finally made the leap. Also, Sweetwater is awesome, as always.

I've recorded vocals on one song with this since my purchase, and it sounded wonderful. I found that I didn't need to do much EQ'ing, as it sounded nice and natural. I left the mic switches on the flat factory settings and used the Cloudlifter as was advised by some peers. Great results!

If you're interested in this microphone, whether it's for a podcast, radio, or content creation, out of the box this will do the trick.

Properly set up, it is perfect.

How does one even begin to write a review about a mic with such a rich history? The SM7 is notoriously versatile. Are you a podcaster? SM7. Are you a singer? SM7. I've recorded both trumpet and French horn on this mic, and both sound spectacular. It's the crown jewel of dynamic mics and a must-own.

There are countless reviews regarding the quality, sound signature, and the need of amplification and while all of these are true and particularly the aspect of proper amplification in order to truly extract all that this mic can accomplish, I am rating it five stars because of the versatility of exceeding across so many areas of recording specific to how I may use this device. The need for proper amplification is an advantage that allows the SM7B to function as it does. The fact that you have to spend more to get there is really not the point and certainly not a fault of the microphone itself. By excluding additional electronics or pre-amps inside the unit it stays true to it's basic function of recording what is true especially considering "when" it was originally put into production. After playing with the switches at the rear, I without hesitation put the screws in the cap and left it in the "flat" position period as this was the best setting for me and anything further if needed could be handled in post production. The "A" "B" speaking comparisons do very little in evaluating the sound due to the frequency response of the human voice in my search for the right mic however, the versatility is what sold me.

There's a reason this mic is so popular and used by huge names. This thing is crystal clear and really upped my audio quality ten fold on my live stream. 10/10!

After putting it off for what now seems like forever, I purchased the Shure SM7B for my home studio. Why did I wait so long???!!! This is a perfect (fairly inexpensive) mic solution for vocals, podcast, and even instruments! The only thing better than this mic is the customer support from Sweetwater. Philip and all of the guys at Sweetwater go above and beyond to help with anything you might need. Thank you guys for making all of my purchases through Sweetwater incredibly easy, fast, and informative!

I purchased this mic and the cloudlifter cl-1 for mainly vocal recording. I'm absolutely stunned at just how perfectly it fits my voice. I'm a worship leader with somewhat of a powerful voice (powerful as in I sing hard, lol), and this is by far the best mic I've recorded with. Take my advice and get the cloudlifter with this, otherwise you wont have enough power to get the gain level you need. So glad I bit the bullet and pulled the trigger on this mic!

I've used many microphones in my life and the SM7B is by far my favorite microphone for the price at $... compared to the U87 which is almost 10x more in price. When I moved into my new house, I turned my second bedroom into a recording studio. At the time I didn't have any acoustic treatment, which is why I got the SM7B. Now that my room is treated, I still use the SM7B to record clients from different genres.

At the time of getting the SM7B, I was using the Unison Preamp Plugins that came with my Apollo Twin X. Shortly after that, I purchased the Neve Shelford Channel. Boy oh boy, the Neve Shelford Channel makes the SM7B sound more expensive than it is, which is why I call the SM7B the U87 Killer. I see it like this. The U87 is $... The SM7B plus the Neve Shelford Channel is $... So for the almost the price of the U87, you can get a killer combo just as good, if not better than the U87. To achieve this sound, I record vocals without the windscreen to make the SM7B sound more like a U87.

I work part-time at a local professional studio. We recorded an eleven-song album for a Hip-Hop artist. For ten of the songs, we recorded him with the SM7B instead of the U87.

Aye, don't sleep on the SM7B. To achieve the best results, pair it with a good external microphone preamp.

I bought this as a podcast mic, but it it gives my Neumann, AKG and Warm Audio Studio Condensers a run for their money as a Vocal Mic for Studio Recording.

This Shouldn't Even Need Reviews. Why are you even reading this?

Awesome microphone very clear

I've been wanting one of these mics for quite a while. Since getting it I've used it on vocals, acoustic guitar and guitar amps and so far it has not disappointed. I run it through an API 312c into a Focusrite Clarett 8Pre. Normally these mics need a lot of gain to get a nice input signal and having the API before my interface helps with that issue. I know a few people that put a CloudLifter in the signal chain prior to their mic pre for these.

On vocals it's perfect for voices like mine that have too much mid range in them. It really smooths out the rough edges and adds some warmth. For guitar amps it really delivers the good. Nice, warm cabinet tone. Acoustics sounds amazing through them as well. Nice, controlled tone that is pleasing to the ears.

Can't wait to try it on drums.

Great product and customer service

After weeks of intensive research and getting recommendations from friends, I'm so glad I chose the Shure SM7B!!!

It's such a versatile, amazing mic, and despite being a dynamic mic, it picks up all the little nuances in my singing and speaking beautifully. What's great is that it doesn't make me sound "better" or different than I normally do-- it just makes me sound like I normally do, which is amazing! It gives the feeling of being right there in the room with me.

My bedroom is not sound treated at all, but it picks up very little AC noise or room noise, which is amazing.

My only gripe is that you DEFINITELY need a mic activator like the Cloudlifter CL-1 to get the most out of this mic with most pre-amps. Without it, the mic is super quiet!

Great value. Perfect for a lightly or untreated room. Sound is great.

Good sound quality. Nice layout of connector and mounting hardware. Will probably buy another one of these microphones.

Great mic with enough adjustment within itself. Beautiful broadcast sound. Can't go wrong with this one.

Needed a good mic for screams. This did not disappoint.

I have spent countless hours watching YT reviews for this microphone. Having done that I knew, or at least I already have an idea on how dies it sound. Having been able to actually use it is a totally different experience however. I have used several mics before, the most recent one was the Rode Procaster. While the Procaster is already a wonderful piece of gear, the SM7B is just on a different level. (It has to be though, it has a steeper price.)

I feel like this mic just suits my voice better than the Procaster. It just sounds so warm, and I LOVE IT!!! It sounds GREAT, it sounds naturally balanced. I just sound ... ME.

Be warned though, this mic requires a lot, A LOT of gain. The MOTU M2 is well capable of driving this mic at 95% gain, and yes you can do that with the M2.

I've been an on-line broadcaster for 15 years, using headsets of various kinds to do my voice-overs. No one complained about sound quality, so I thought they were good enough. About three years ago the sound card on my PC quit working, so that my headset was no longer recognized. I could, however, use a USB interface.

I bought a USB headset. It didn't work. Its replacement also didn't work. A different brand was even worse. In desperation I cobbled together a system using a battery-operated mixer, Shure SM954 mic I had bought for another project, windscreen from the XL-1 camcorder, and a cheap USB audio interface. When I spoke using this Rube Goldberg system, everyone said "What did you do? You sound much better!"

I haven't used a headset since them. I did some research, listened to videos, and bought a Shure SM7B on a Rode PSA-1 boom. For the USB interface I bought a Sound Devices MixPre3 because I'd had very good experience with other Sound Devices equipment. The MixPre has more than enough gain for the SM7B.

The voice is surprisingly dynamic. I decided I wanted to raise the average level of my voice just a little, so it would match the music I played. After looking at dynamics compressors, with advice from Gage here at Sweetwater, I bought a Grace M103 because it offers control and monitoring of every step in the chain. I immediately discovered that it doesn't have enough gain for the SM7B and my rather quiet voice. I bought a Cloudlifter pre-preamp, and that put the mic level right where the M103 wants it.

I've been using this system for about a year and a half (as of July 2020). It's reliable, and my voice is clear (depending on the day) and articulate. I use it for voice-over during broadcasts, and also to read poems and stories live. I do this in my living room with windows open, but no one has complained about street noise. The back of the mic is toward the windows. There is no acoustic treatment.

Mic placement is important. If I have the mic too high, pointing downward at my mouth (this can make it easier to see what I'm reading) I have a slight nasal quality. Putting the mic lower, pointing upward, sounds better but can get in the way.

Signal chain:
Shure SM7B - Cloudlifter CL1 - Grace M103 dynamics - Sound Devices MixPre3 USB interface - Computer

--Larry Nelson

Using an SM58 and other mics don't make the vocals stand out as much as the SM7B. The SM7B Gives that extra push for the vocals not to be lost in the mix and yet still sound brutal!

For many years I was the Music Director at "General Hospital" on ABC-TV. Every vocal isolation booth at ABC has an SM7 or SM7B mic hard mounted in the room. It's the ONLY mic ABC uses for pre-recording spoken word, but it's also a killer vocal mic. Michael Jackson recorded all of his vocals on "Thriller" using an SM7B.

You won't go wrong choosing this mic, its a BEAST for all applications

I got the SM7B mostly because a Creator I follow that has really great audio quality uses it, and all the hype there is around the web for it.

And was it worth it? Yeah, I think it was. The quality is much better than what I was constantly criticizing myself about with my Blue Yeti. At least once I got everything set up. It certainly took awhile to get the settings just right with my equipment, but it was well worth it.

#1 microphone for streaming. It's a broadcast standard.

I am loving my new mic. Everything records so clearly making it much easier to mix.

I absolutely love this mic. HOWEVER, if you buy this mic thinking it'll sound like podcasts or how streamers sound and stuff right out of the box you're wrong! I was one of those people haha however I've found ways to throw on some EQ before sending it to my stream and I'm loving how it sounds. For vocals I also love not have a lot of high end as I already have a whiny voice lol. If you do plan on getting this mic, I promise it's well worth the wait to save and get a cloudlifter! It's not 100% necessary but you don't want to be cranking the gain on your interface just to be heard, I promise!

I recently received my Shure SM7B and I could not be happier with my purchase I've been wanting one forever and I knew I would need an inline preamp to give me the extra gain I needed. It is also a highly versatile unit which makes me quite happy it not only works well for my Podcasting needs but works great for my music production work as well. Again you can't go wrong with this microphone its a classic for a reason.

Full bodied and smooth hi-end. Great for lead vocals and guitar amps. Badground vocals will require some bottom hi-pass and hi-end EQ. Love that it's very directional and doesn't pick up a lot of background noise. Will definately need a cloud lifter type signal booster to keep the noise down at the preamp (caused by having to jack the pre's level excessively). The booster uses phantom power to power the lifter/booster at the mic end of the chain. Very nice mic.

So I was searching for a second option for vocals other than my AT4040 and kept reading about this puppy. So a few weeks ago I purchased this along with the Cloudlifter CL-1. Plugged it in to my Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 and it sounded great from the start. But wait...I added the preamp air option and LOOKOUT! THIS THING SOUNDS AMAZING!!! Extremely pleased with this mic. I'm still waiting for my TLM 102 on backorder. I may decide to cancel it after hearing this mic.

The SM7B is an excellent all around mic that has become ubiquitous in studios for a good reason. Most home studios owners can relate to the adventure of building their studio spaces and gear collection over a period of years. The journey of this path can lead us to obvious places and some to the esoteric. Like most who comment about the Shure SM7 mics - I agree with the sentiment of "Why did I wait so long to buy this killer mic that is both affordable and versatile?" I now understand this universal law of the recording studio universe. Before you venture too far down the rabbit hole of Synthlandia, Guitar Pedal World, or any other category in the choose your own adventure of Audio Gear Accumulation - do yourself a favor - add one of these mics to your collection and never look back. Oh...one more tip. You'll most likely need/want to add a Db booster. The extra 25 DB of gain will greatly help with the problem of self noise generated by maxed out audio interface preamps or any other preamp that only has 50-60 db of gain.

If you're running a small project or home studio with little acoustic treatment, you can't go wrong with this mic. Especially for heavier vocals like hard rock or metal.

When paired with the cloud lifter unit, you get enough gain to boost the signal without adding any noise to it. I've had great sessions with this mic in my home studio that ended up in mastered tracks finished by real producers and mixing engineers with little complaints on their end about the tracks. Solid choice!

I've wanted one of these for a long time. I started out with an AKG Perception then upgraded to a Shure KSM32, which has been my main mic for years. Love the 32 for the fact it does a lot of things really well. As far as vocals, I prefer the SM7B over the 32 on my voice. Running it through a Warm Audio WA12 and WA76 Compressor. Don't have to worry about room acoustics and it sounds great. Wish I would have gotten this a long time ago. If you have a condenser for recording acoustic guitar, percussion, etc. and your'e not flattered with it on your voice, this is a really great option, especially if you have a good pre.

You can do everything with this great mic. I use it for snare drums, as a room mic and of course for what is most known for, vocals. Pristine clarity and great capture. You might want to think of getting the cloud lifter bundle Sweetwater sells, as this is a low output mic. If not, well just fiddle with your gain output.

These are great all around mics for podcasting and singing vocals! Solid all around mic for anything vocals.

Great mic if you know how to use it! Obviously you have to drive it but if you're buying it you probably already know that. I love it on vocal, guitar cabs and low end sources like bass.

Great product. Even better price!

In my experience, microphones get a lot of hype, and so it's difficult to know where to invest your gear dollars. I took the plunge and invested in this mic, with the Cloudlifter, and from the first mic check I was amazed. For the money, this mic is fantastic. I had a VO to complete, so I did it with this mic with great results. Then I tried it on a vocalist that's currently recording a project with me, and there was so much depth and energy in the recording that we re-tracked a complete song. What a difference! The vibe was there (and I was using a tube mic previously), and it sat in the mix so well we went from struggling to complete to almost finished overnight.

There are allot of great mics to be had. Many that will put me in the poor house. Yet, the Shure SM7B is a terrific bargain for my voice over work and podcast coming up. Built like a brick...well you know. It just takes the knocks and comes back for more. Though I am nice with my gear.

Bring gain to the party. I am looking at a Mic Preamplifier with around 70 if not more db of gain. I use a Cloudlifter and a dbx 286s and I am so far very happy with the result. It really is a mic that brings out the best in your voice. I had AKGs and Audio Technica's before, but this Shure is it for me. Short of hopping onto a Neumann, which I could never afford, this one and the RE20 Electro Voice were my choices.

The RE20 did not flatter my voice at all, the SM7B was so much a better match for me. I am so happy with this microphone, I wonder why I just didn't get this one sooner.
Have not played with the shelving eq controls on the rear of the mic. No need. Every time I use it, I get very nice results, and am glad the SM7B was so easy to get. Priced to perform, and for a long time. Way recommended.

Perfect, best mic I've ever used. Just buy the Cloudlifter with it if you don't have a stellar preamp. Sweetwater also provided hands down the best customer service I have ever experienced.

Got it for podcasting but didn't realize how good is sounds and works for other things in the studio. Workhorse for sure.

Great microphone and once again, amazing customer service from Sweetwater.

I've always liked the SM7b, I've personally viewed it as one of the greatest vocal microphones ever made. Despite it being incredibly gain hungry, it's still a beast of a microphone, and works with so many different voices it's not even funny. For me, someone with a deeper voice, (I'm doing voiceover,) it's absolutely amazing for me, and works beautifully. I definitely recommend it, whether you're a voice-over artist, singer, rapper, or metal vocalist, this microphone will do the job and more for you!

I am looking to start a podcast and had some equipment for things I do at our church but for what I am planning I wanted to upgrade on some equipment. I am VERY pleased with this mic. I researched it before I spent the money and listed to some other podcasts that use this and was very impressed so I took the jump and very happy that I did. If you can afford it, Do It!! You will not be disappointed!

I have the Shure SM57 microphones that I use for my guitars, and a SM58 I have been using for vocals.
I am completing a small home music studio for my personal enjoyment, but I want the best equipment.
I talked to my Sales Engineer, Ben Robinson, and asked for a recommendation for a dynamic microphone for my baritone voice, that I could also use for recording acoustic guitar.
Ben recommended the Shure SM7B.
How is it for recording guitar? It is marginally better than the SM57. It does smooth out the sound and tone and gives it a rounder depth, so it is better, but only slightly better, for recording guitar (in my opinion).
Where does this microphone shine?
In recording a baritone voice (like mine).
I purchased a Lauten Atlantis Condenser microphone for voice ($1,500). It is fantastic (and so similar to a Neumann U87 that I cannot tell the difference). But, since my untrained voice is not great (unlike my wife who is an opera singer, who will only use the Atlantis) I did not want a microphone that was going to pick up all my imperfections (which are too numerous to list).
This SM7B is perfect for my voice. I understand that several noted musicians recorded their vocals on this microphone. I can see why. I highly recommend this microphone.

This mic lives up to the hype and fame. HOWEVER, like others have written it needs a lot of gain. So be aware your interfaces may likely not have enough gain to make it sound the way it should. It will get noisy if your pre-amps don't have enough juice and you're maxing them out. My recommendation is make sure you have a MINIMUM of 60 dB gain available from your interface or microphone preamp. If not, upgrade those first or get a mic booster like a cloudlifter. After that, this mic becomes worth the pricey investment because this is a mic you will never outgrow. You will pretty much keep it in your mic locker or collection forever because it will always sound good.

This mic is one of the kings for rock, pop, rap, metal vocals, podcasting and voiceovers too. You can get that BIG BOOMY classic radio voice or something more natural. Vocals are its strength. This mic is very good at background noise rejection and works very well in an untreated and in treated rooms, condensers can sometimes pickup too much.

The presence boost and low cut filer switches on the back of the mic are good too. They're subtle, and a little too small to move with your nail. So use a pen, guitar pick or something like that to adjust them. They are handy though. Also, the mount is adjustable for your stand whether you want to hang it from a boom or regular. It does take a little work though to get it setup for one or the other. It also comes with two pop/windscreens for plosives, a thin one and a thick one. They both work really really well.

Now, the best thing about this mic is that no matter how you place it, you will get a very good sound out of it. It is hard to get a bad sound out of it. Nothing will ever be too loud for this mic, and it is built like a tank like all other shure products I've ever owned. It sounds very open, clear, flat, balanced, and crisp compared to my SM57. Yes. Its true that you can get a usable and similar sound with a SM57. But, you won't get the clarity, the extended flat response, and openness of an SM7B. This is the real deal.

Sounds great and looks cool too. Thanks to Carson, my Sweetwater consultant, it arrived on time and in perfect working order. And a Halloween treat!

The SM7B is a legendary mic for a reason. It sounds superb, rejects off-axis noise extremely well, and has unrivaled versatility. I knew all of this going in, but what I didn't realize was how much it would improve my workflow.

I've always recorded vocals at home using condenser mics, and because I've lived in apartments with less than ideal acoustics and outside noise, a reflection filter was an absolute must. My CAD AS32 served me well for this purpose, but the constant set up and tear down of the reflection filter in my small space was not ideal. In addition, standing in front of the mic stand to record, then walking back over to the desk to act as my own recording engineer really took me out of the artist mindset I need when tracking. Not anymore!

With the SM7B, no reflection filter is needed, even with noisy kids playing inside the halls of my building. I can sit the mic on a stand directly between my legs and record as I sit in front of my laptop, meaning I can have lyric sheets pulled up and perform engineering tasks seamlessly. It sounds like a small change, but this has drastically increased my productivity during home recording sessions and makes self-recording way more fun for me - before, it felt more like a chore unless I had someone else there to engineer.

As far as the sound of the mic, I'd describe it as smooth, thick, and somewhat compressed (in the best way). It adds a certain weight to my voice that I really enjoy. I've done blind shootouts on my voice with the SM7B against U87s, Mojaves, and other studio standards, and I always come back to it.

Trust me when I say that you'll never regret adding the SM7B to your mic locker!

WORD OF WARNING:
For anyone unaware, please note that the SM7B requires a LOT of gain. I use a Universal Audio Apollo Twin, which works really well with the SM7B (the Apollo's preamps have 65 dB of gain), but the preamp still needs to be cranked up far more than any of my other mics for it to capture good levels.

If you already own an interface that doesn't have the necessary preamp gain, you can add a Cloudlifter CL-1 or Triton FetHead to your signal chain to give you an extra 20+ dB of gain. Otherwise, you run the risk of capturing very quiet, very noisy signal.

Great mic to have,nice sounding recording vocals so far.this is one most studios should have

Right out of the box this mic sounds great. We use the presence boost setting for voice over work. We also bought the Cloud Microphones CL-1 cloud lifter with it, and I would highly recommend that you do, as this mic needs a bit of gain and the CL-1 is super clean.

This mic is amazing. I have used it for speaking and singing on male and females. This will be my go to mic for a lot of different purposes. Get a good preamp because this is a very gain hungry mic but if your looking at upgrading your mic this is a great mic for many different purposes. Any kind of vocal, guitar cab, horns etc. This is a great all around mic and you will get every penny of use out of it.

Ah, the SM7B. I'd had the opportunity to use a couple at studios and, when I was deciding what would be my first "serious" microphone, the debate was between certain large-diaphragm condensers in this price range and the inimitable SM7B. I ended up picking this guy because I find that it captures just about any source 95% accurately – that is to say, it really can handle anything. Compare that to many LDCs that are stunning on vocals, or acoustic guitar, because they color the sound in a way that is flattering to those instruments, but they make other instruments sound harsh or tinny.

Just this week I have used the SM7B on male vocals, glockenspiel, guitar cab, bass cab, piano, and for dirtying up drums through a guitar amp. For all of these things, you get a very neutral, accurate representation of what they sound like in the real world. The natural high partials in a male voice, the midrange grit of an amp, etc., not exaggerated or polished – just real.

If you are looking for a workhorse mic for your creative studio, you can't go wrong with the SM7B. Combine it with a decent preamp (I'm using the Audient iD14) and you'll be recording everything you can find because it sounds so cool. I expect to have this mic for the rest of my life.

I Used AKG C4000 B To Record Vocal For Tutorials On YouTube Throw Art MP Into RME ADI-2 ... But When I Got The Shure It Killed AKG In That Purpose I Suggest It For Any One Who Wants To Get Great Vocal

Best Microphone for the price hands down.

You just can"t go wrong with the SM7B. It"s an incredibly neutral, natural mic. It"s also extremely durable and hefty and it looks like the real deal, which will instill confidence in any singer you put in front of it. The only possible downside is its (well documented) fairly low output level. If you can afford it, grab a Cloudlifter. Otherwise you"re likely to be pushing your preamp to its maximum.

Fantastic mic, although we probably all know that from its reputation alone. I have no idea why I waited so long to pick one up. All the wasted years....

I was trying to save money by using cheap mics for my podcast but when I heard the SM7B I was sold. I broke down and bought a pair last week and I am very happy with the money well spent. I am using the Cloud Lifters in line and that really makes a difference. When doing interviews, it is hard to get the interviewees to get close. These mics are forgiving with this problem. They sound warm but very clear and no problems with popping.

This mic is top notch. Can be used on a wide variety of applications. I love it on rap vocals or rock vocals, snare drum, guitar and bass cab. Ive seen guys use em on outside kick, floor tom
, high hats, and even overheads! Basically, If I could only have one mic, I'd probably pick this one, or lets just say if I had to only use this mic to record a full album, I wouldnt be worried! Its also a bonus having the prescence boost! If youre considering a mic in the 4-800 dollar range, give this guy a close look! The only thing to stress is If your preamp doesnt have more than 60db of gain youre going to want a cloudlifter, a fethead, or some kind of signal booster as this mic is gain hungry!

Honestly, having used this mic in other studios on vocals, I was not a super fan as I felt it was a little dark for what I would need, but I do like the mic & decided to add one to my mic locker, thinking I may use it more on guitar cabs & misc. duties. After getting this mic, I did a vocal demo track with a seasoned female artist & decided to run through an Audient ASP 800 pre (channel one of the 'iron' channels) which I had just purchased. The results were outstanding - much better than I had anticipated. I've read that one of the main vocal chains for Chris Stapleton is an SM7B -- 1073 -- 1176. A good vocal chain can never go wrong, and the SM7B has shown me why some of the big names have used it.

Totally love this microphone for vocals. I ended up getting the CL-1 Cloudlifter as well, which really compliments this microphone well. Worth every penny.

This mic is everything I hoped it would be. Sweetwater staff was prompt in shipping it. Love recording vox with this!!! Also useful for gaming applications

I loved this mic when I plugged it up. I compared it to an sm57 (like many people do online), which is another great mic that I love, and can hear why it has been used on so many applications. Definitely my favorite.

I run a Gaming YouTube channel and was looking for the mic that best fit my voice. I started with a Sennheiser e835, which was fine at the start but I needed more depth on my recordingns, then tried a Rode NT1 which pulled too much ambient noise in the recordings and sounded tinny I had to use an EQ to correct much of it. Then I tried the Shure SM7B and I would say this is exactly what I was looking for as far as vocals. The quality of the sound is amazing it really makes you sound like a professional broadcaster! I would highly recommend purchasing this if you run a YouTube channel. I would also like to give a big shutout to my Sales Engineer Conner he has a lot of experience in the music business and was able to assist me with all of my questions for purchases.

I have a deep voice, stupid deep ( I hate it btw ) but it has never been captured in its depth like with the SM7B. Even in pro studios, I have never felt my voice was so completely present.

The best mic out there for an unbeatable price. Thanks to the best sales rep, Mike Godlove.

First things first, go to a studio or pro audio dealer and test out mics to find the one that works with your vocal style. Now that that's out of the way, I've had this microphone for about year and it is simple awesome. Like any piece of equipment, you need to match it to the source and give it the right support. I use a Focusrite Liquid Channel, and this microphone gives me the accuracy in my vocals, (male, Hip Hop). This mic will take what ever you dish out, just don't use this microphone with a cheap noisy mic pre, then complain about the results, increase noise, etc. There isn't just one microphone for every purpose, so if you buy this microphone, get yourself a good preamp and cables and have a blast. You wouldn't put street tires on a dragster and expect great results would you! Don't short change yourself when purchasing equipment either.

Got this mic because of its reputation for handling "aggressive" vocals as well as its quality, durability, and versatility. First time I plugged it in to record a pass I instantly knew how it got its reputation. It's a solid mic. It's perfect for what I do (scream vocals etc...). It has that "built in compressor" feel to it. Pretty unique.

I had been using Blue mics (condensers) as well as a Flux, and while they're great mics - this mic just wins over those for my application. I highly recommend this one for sure. So many possibilities.

I was personally exposed to this mic at a Sweetwater Master Recording Class where the SM7B was put up against several stellar (and significantly more expensive) mics of world renown, to choose the right mic for the vocalist. The SM7B was astounding to most of us in the class at how clear, open, and full it sounded. For a $ mic to compete head-to-head with a nearly $ Telefunken and a Neumann U 87 was astounding. I immediately purchased one for my studio--and haven't regretted it at all. It's a workhorse mic with great versatility and fantastic sound.
I've used it on lots of vocals, many acoustic instruments such as flutes, Irish whistles, violins/fiddles, accordions, percussion, and even guitars, with terrific client-pleasing results, A number of clients have preferred the SM7B's sound on their vocals over my C414B-ULSs, my KSM44s, and my Lauten Audio LA320 tube condenser. I think it's a must-have tool for any reputable studio.

Exceptional mic, especially with the cloud lifter.. excellent for hard screamer vocalist. Thanks jimmy for all your help with selecting a mic for me..

I have sung into many different mics, from a good old 58 to legendary high end Neumann condensers. While I love the sound of all of them, this mic really does something special. It has a warm sound that smooths over the rough edges that male voices can sometimes have...but in a way that classic, present full, and anything but muddy. It takes EQ very well, and also can shine in a variety of different rooms. I highly recommend this for home studios with no acoustic treatment. I tried it with and without the Cloudlifter, but found that I didn't need it when plugging it into my trusty Universal Audio LA610...that preamp is seriously a winning combo with this mic. If you are a male tenor, you owe it to yourself to try one of these out. You won't be disappointed!

The Shure SM7B is a must have microphone for recording applications. Can't believe I waited so long to get one. In addition my sales rep Michael Baldonado recommended the Cloudlifter which boosts the SM7 and the mic really shines that much more. The Cloudlifter also works great when using the RE 20s, 57s and 421's. Simply awesome for tracking electric guitar . My clients love the sound and you will too!!! It's a winner.

I was using a Blu mic, and I read several articles that said the Shure SM7B was the best studio quality mic out there, and for the price, you couldn't beat it. I read that many artists from Michael Jackson to Whitney Houston used this mic. One prominent producer said he used many mics, but kept coming back to this one, and I was sold, so I bought it. It immediately made me sound like a pro. The vocals sat in the mix without needing very much reverb or delay on the vocals. When you add in all the harmonies and overdubs, it almost creates it's own space. I only used dual compressors on the signal and a little bit of delay to get the great sounding dance mixes I dreamt about. I will not use my Blu anymore. Blu is good, and it sits in mixes, but it doesn't capture the way the Shure does.

Needed a mic for screaming vocalists and roaring guitar amps and this is the right one. This mic with a cloudlifter into Avalon 737-SP is a great combination yielding the sound I was looking for.

I just picked this mic up the other day and I am glad I did. Recorded 2 different vocals on it and everyone was pleased. Like a previous post said, if you are in a home studio, why buy any other mic for vocals? Its under $500 first off and its worth way more IMHO. You do need a lot of gain as you know by now. I run it through my Focusrite ISA One. Sounds awesome. Also sounds great running through my Manley Core and its tubes.Doing rap vocals? You want this beast! You need someone who understands how to work the mic when doing vocals, for most of these high end condensers. This mic is very forgiving in that sense. Also it is very natural sounding and flat. It takes EQ very well. Go click the buy button already!

This mic is all about quality voice - exactly what I needed for my podcast! It is unbelievable how much better the quality of my recording is with this compact little guy at my computer. Paired with my Scarlett Solo pre amp, and I can take on the world!! Thanks to John at Sweetwater and Jared at ZChord Studios for the rec!!

This is one of those microphones that you definitely need to own. I hate the fact that I waited so long to buy this microphone. It allows the artist the shine and gets out of the way. You have the option of flat, bass roll off or mid range emphasis, all with an easily accessible switch. This is an awesome microphone and you won't believe it until you try it out for yourself, stop reading reviews and go test this microphone out in your studio, do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got this mic about a month ago and have used it on several gigs, both indoor and outdoor. I couldn't be more pleased!!!!! My voice can sound a bit thin and nasally at times, but the SM7B cured all that and more. I have it set at the factory default settings and really don't feel the need to tweak them. I can be a good 6 to 8 inches from the front mic before the volume drops off considerably (I have a fairly loud voice) which is great because it eliminates the need to chew on the windscreen to get a decent vocal impact in the mix. In my case there is very little proximity effect boomy-ness unless I'm literally chewing on the windscreen. Back off an inch or two and it's gone. The off-axis rejection is also very good. Not as good as a hyper-cardioid mic of course, but excellent for a cardioid dynamic design.

EQ-wise, I'm able to leave everything flat, which is how I prefer to set things when using your typical live budget board (Mackie/Yamaha/A&H etc.). Also works well with built in effects on these types of boards. Reverb and delay aren't mushy or brittle. which surprised me as well.

As others have mentioned, I use a Cloudlifter to boost the gain to the board, which allows me to tailor the board's input gain and fader level thus setting up proper gain-staging.

Haven't used it in the studio yet except to very quickly check it out enough to determine that the self-noise was low, and as expected, there is better detail of your voice when this mic is used in conjunction with pro-level signal chains.

This is my new "go to" mic for vocals. I use a cloudlifter to boost the signal before my Langevin vocal combo. The result is a great vocal sound!

This Mic is real good and surprisingly versatile. It takes eq well - sounds great with overdone compression. It controls sibilance and is often the perfect thing. Very happy with my purchase. Exceeds its value.

Bought it on sort of a whim, but so so glad I did. I've been using it for live and recorded vocals. It adds a beautiful presence and body to most vocals. As with most mics and vocalist, you gotta find what type of voice it suits best. And in using it with about 7 different vocalists already, only 1 of them I thought it maybe didn't really suit. But for the other 6, it is the go to for when they are on lead vocal for the day.

I always have the presence switch on for the boost in the upper mids.

Also, it looks really great and people are always asking about it. For the price, it's the best mic you can get.

(In a live setting I run the SM7 straight to the board. When recording I use a Cloudlift CL-1 as it just seems to need a little more gain)

First, let me say as an announcer, I used the microphone on the air back in the 80's. It was always my favorite over the EV RE20. I have a project studio now and ordered this microphone from Nick at Sweetwater back earlier this year. It was hard for me to justify the $$$, so I sent it back. A few months later, I ordered it again, added a Cloudlifter preamp w/25db of clean gain and had a fantastic sound right out of the box. For my baritone voice I record with it on flat EQ. Works good for me. For anyone looking for a really warm, fat, clear sound, buy this microphone and keep it! It really is a "Legend".

The recording quality of this microphone is incredible. I bought it after reading reviews online and I am even more impressed after using it. I have been in the initial stages of getting a voice over career going and had been using the Rode iXY-l and Shure Motiv MV88 microphones paired to an iPhone 6 with Voice Record Pro for practicing/demos. The sound from those microphones is actually quite good, but pale in comparison to the Shure SM7b/Tascam UH 7000 preamp that I purchased from Sweetwater.com. Much more open and full sounding. Very pleased with this setup! Sweetwater is the best.

Best mic i own right now. I've only used it on my nylon string acoustic and it was really awesome. I used it with a Cloudlifter and it really helped the signal level. Plan on using it for my main vocal mic on a recording in the spring.

Upon purchasing I noticed my preamp couldn't gain this microphone as loud as needed. I did some research and bought a cloudlifter c1. That little amp made this mic sound amazing. I have never heard my vocals sound this way. So clear and crisp with little eq needed. Other mics have came and webt but this mic will literally always be a part of my home studio. Thanks sweetwater

This mic lives up to its great reputation. It's especially good for vocals. It seems to lend a smoothness and warmth to vocals that is harder to get with a condenser. With the Cloud Lifter you get enough quiet gain so you don't have to push your mic pres too hard. Would love to go back and redo a lot of vocals with this mic!

First of all, I have the cloudlifter.. which is a must have with this microphone. I was very surprised at the sheer clean sound of my voice through the speaker the first time I tried it. I haven't tried to mic any instruments or cabinets yet. Paired with the right preamp or cloudlifter: Best microphone in its price range for a stationary vocalist (live or in the studio)

I bought this for two reasons - fattening up thin vocals and home recording. Pair this with a cloud lifter and you have a warm mic that offers great noise reduction due to it being dynamic. You'll see this being used in a lot of pod casts and youtube videos for that very reason. I've even tried it on acoustic with my SM57 with success.

I use a high pass on my preamp so don't use the bass roll off and prefer to EQ in my daw rather than play with presence boost controls.

Anyone that does not give this product at least 4 stars is crazy! This Mic is great for just about everything.
Use it paired with a great preamp and you will not be disappointed. I would not recommend using it without a good preamp otherwise you'll be like "Ah Man, Zeke lied to me, this mic aint worth crap!"
Preamps are everything in the recording world. GET ONE! You won't regret it.
I use this mic with a 737. 6176, and I have used with through a distressor and a badass focusrite preamp.
The response is great. The tone is pretty flat and natural. I use is for Rappers, Metal screamers and some back up vocals.
I would recommend that every up-n-coming studio engineer add this mic to their mic locker. IT IS A MUST HAVE!
Buy it and Rock out! :)

I Love this mic and wit cloudlifter is sound like the beast

We are VERY impressed with the sound of the SM7B with our AEA RPQ500 preamp. I knew it would be great, but wow. I love that old school big rich pro announcer voiceover sound we're getting. I believe it will suit our male tenor and baritone very well. After trying it out, even our spprano, who strongly prefers the GroupDIY C12 I built for her, wants to use it for one dark moody vocal track.

Of course I've wanted one since my college days, when my involvement in radio began. When not in the studio, it will live on over my desk/console on a broadcast style boom, just for show. No carrying case needed for this baby.

Remember, you need LOTS of CLEAN gain for this mic to shine. It will not be useful with the average preamp with only 60 db max gain.

I've been searching for a studio mic that would work for my voice. Male, raspy. I've never had much luck when it came to my voice, and condenser mics. This mic is insane. I recorded a track with it, and was just blown away by the results. For my particular voice, the best way to sum it up is that the SM7B is very forgiving. I've since recorded my vocal with the foam cartridge on, and off. When the foam cartridge is off, I use a nice pop filter. This method yielded some pretty cool results also.
Now for the part of this review that I couldn't get an answer too when I was researching this microphone. The answer is YES, this mic works great with the Warm Audio WA12 mic pre, and the WA76 Compressor. And, no you don't need a Cloud lifter for this mic with the WA12. Crank the gain on the WA12 to 3 o'clock, and go. The WA12 is quiet so noise wasn't an issue at 3 o'clock. This mic also needs little or no EQ. If you're searching for a mic for this particular vocal style, don't hesitate. I haven't tried it with a female vocal yet, but found some youtube videos that sounded fantastic on a female vocal. This is one purchase that you won't regret. One other note, if you're not buying this mic for broadcast, put the big foam cover away somewhere, you won't need it. The smaller foam cover is a cartridge, it has a plastic ring around it that snaps to the mic, so taking it off, and putting it back on is a breeze.

The SM7B speaks for itself with it's reputation and worldwide use in both radio and recording studios. As many people will tell you, I can't recommend enough the need the purchase the Cloudlifter. The SM7B is known for having very low gain, which is fine, as long as you have a cloudlifter (or a high end pre amp). I have a review/comparison on YouTube, check it out. I run this through the Duet 2, with the cloudlifter, and it's incredible. It's super clear, and sounds amazing for vocals.

One of my favorite, and often overlooked features of this mic is not needing to use a pop filter. All my other condensers need a pop filter in the studio, and this mic doesn't need it (at least for my vocal).

I love this mic, and I'm glad I now have it as part of my collection.

Im a solo rap artist who has been recording for about 16 years. I've used every mic from neumanns to akg etc. This mic in the right setting is amazing. It is super natural and took some adjusting from the very high end high frequency mics. It made me go back to just recording without the worry of how the mic would perform. I highly recommend this mic. My voice sounds exactly like myself as it should. Don't be fooled by the new condenser standard cause this mic stands its ground. Believe the hype its worth every penny and more!

Guitar Amps, Vocals, This thing for everything! But for snar thats where it won my heart for good! I love this mic! Used it on snar on The Ventures record "Sounds Of Summer"

I'll be buying more soon!

Need a mic for your vocals? This is the one! Worth every penny. Coupled with Sweetwater's service, you cannot go wrong. Thank you Charlie Davis.

I absolutely LOVE this microphone! I play mellow psychedelic folk, and have a somewhat deep, gentle voice. Ive had to sing into my other condenser mics at fairly close proxomity, because I play guitar at the same time, and ive had a lot of trouble getting clear, un-muddy vocal recordings which also don't sound thin or harsh after compensating for the proximity effect with eq. Its especially important I don't sound thin since my arrangements are pretty sparse and im not doing much double tracked vocals. With the sm7b my vocals sound fat AND clear! Like they should! Mic placement is a breeze with the sm7b, which has allowed me to focus more on guitar mic placement, so now everything sounds better! The sm7b's side rejection is seriously amazing! Get this instead of a fig.8 condenser for vocals!! What little guitar does bleed in isn't wet sounding. All in all this mic is smooth, warm, clear, natural, AMAZING! Even without bass rolloff engaged, proximity effect is nothing compared with my condensers. I usually don't even use the bass rolloff and I get a really clear natural sound. I do like to use the presence boost for a little kick and well, presence. It sounds so good raw, now Im free to eq to enhance, not correct. much more fun!

The best vocal mic I ever had. It sounds natural and clear. Also it's an awesome microphone for bass drums and guitar amps! It's really versatile.

Thanks again, Tony! This mic is 100% the best value for the money. The vocals were incredible and even better with the Cloudlifter you recommended! You are awesome.

I just ordered and recieved my shure SM7b and am amazed. This thing is amazing. I have had three sessions since I got this mic. One of the singers loved the mic so much that she wanted to re record all of her previous vocals. Which helped pay for the mic. This thing is so pristine and clean. The vocals are so natural and I can have an acoustic playing right along side of this mic with just a very small amount of bleed over. Great separation for us engineers

RIGHT ON THE BULLSEYE with this SM7B. EXACTLY what I was looking for. Mine is a 'broadcast' type need. I didn't need any massive preamp either.

And I believe I've found THE place for all my audio needs - Sweetwater, of course.

Needs Lots of gain but, it sounds perfect for Metal Vocals.

I originally purchased this mic after using it to record my vocals and it is hands down awesome.

A few years later we went in to record our third album and this mic ended up on EVERYTHING. We used it on my guitar cabs, the bass cab, heck, we even used it on the kick drum. It just sounds good wherever you put it. I know that all microphones color the sound in their own way but this one is VERY true to the ear.

I want to purchase a couple more, one as an additional and another for backup.

Get it, seriously.

this mic has left me nearly speechless....i stumbled across it and was very intrigued by the reviews.....so i bought it.....placed it on my guitar cab and within seconds i was smiling from ear to ear.....you literally cannot get this mic to sound bad no matter where you place it on your guitar cab.

rich, full, creamy and present without any harshness. this is by far the best mic i have ever seen to capture my guitar tone as i have ever used....it sounds like what your ears hear. so that you can put these comments into perspective here are some of the best guitar tones i love; EVH (dave days), eric johnson, david gilmour, george lynch, andy timmons, andy summers, alex life son, john petrucci, joe bonamassa, warren haynes and brain may. so if you agree that these guys have great tone most of the time then trust me when i tell you this mic is PERFECT to record your guitars with.

now that leaves the vocals.......superb, once again, whether i sang or tried to nearly scream or sing as loud as i could the mic easily handled it and sounded as smooth as butter in the process. for this price EVERY studio owner should have this mic in their locker.....but it now, you wont be sorry.

Pair with the Apogee Quartet this mic is outstanding for voice overs and vocals.

Best microphone I have used for my voice, I don't want to be that guy but I'd have to say, honestly, that this mic is UNDERpriced. Artists with unique styled voices, I recommend this this mic for you

This is the perfect mic for a singer with that raspy Steven Tyler/Chris Robinson voice...and in a home studio, you don't have to worry about it picking up the heavy bass beat of rap when a car load of teenagers drive by. I love this microphone and would recommend getting the cloudlifter for that extra 25db boost.

I compared this mic to my BlueBird and the SM7b blew it away (for my type of vocals). I have a very mid rangy vocal and the SM7b with the Focusrite ISA one is a great combination. Love the different settings of filters. Had to adjust them to fit my vocal style so you have to experiment. I would recommend this mic to anyone looking for a multi purpose mic.

I've owned my SM7B for about 3 years now and it is the very best mic I've heard on my own voice and most other male voices I've recorded. The mic gives a really full sounding vocal while somehow always being able to fall perfectly into the mix with zero eq adjustment.
It also sounds grewat and gives a very cool vibe on acoustic guitar, bass amp, guitar amp, and it sounded really cool as a mono drum overhead.
Highly recommended.

The SM7 is the gold standard when it comes to a great multipurpose microphone. I have used it time after time on male vocals and it ceases to amaze me. If you are looking for a microphone that can tame any harsh vocalist this is what you need. The prescense boost and the HPF allow this mic to remain pretty untouched (processing wise) when it comes to mixing. Do you like to use an SM57 on guitars? Try the SM7 and you will never go back! Do you usually use a condenser microphone on HI-Hat? The SM7 allows you to set the mic up and never even touch it in mixing.
No matter what your application, you will always get good results with the SM7.

I checked out this mic because I hear that Jeff Tweedy from Wilco used it on several of his most recent albums. I love the sound of his vocals so I checked it out. This mic is nothing short of amazing. Much more than I expected. I have been using a Studio Projects C-1 and though it is a good mic, I was having to wet it and EQ it a bit much. I recorded a vocal line and compared the two. The SM7B sounded much better without much less effects and absolutely no EQ. It was perfect. Clear and punchy but not too bright. This mic is perfect for my voice which is in the tenor range No more struggling with my vocal sound..Awesome. I am using this mic through a focusrite ISA one and it matches beautifully.

This microphone is just what I've been looking for! At last my search is over. I feel like an idiot spending 100 dollars on a usb mic. I should have went straight for this one. The USB mic I was using is a joke compared to this baby.

My Brother screamed as loud as he could into this microphone and it captured it perfectly. He sounded like a rockstar! Now I feel inspired to make music! This mic could easily be a 1000 dollars and it would still be worth it.

Sounds even better than expected. Seems to work great for singing, screaming, and rapping. Never hear any pops, great and affordable!

This is a good multipurpose vocal mic. It sounds good on most vocals I record. When it comes to recording I am always hard on myself when it comes to mixing music. But even if I mix down a song poorly (in my opinion) I can still hear the quality of the mic. If I had to mention one great thing about this mic it would be that it does a great job at rejecting background noise. I usually record teens and when they have their friends with them waiting and playing around and making noise the mic will do a great job of rejecting the background noise.

Great microphone, I paired this with the Focusrite ISA One and vocals came out very clean. Glad I purchased it!

Honestly, when I saw the pricetag of this mic, I had some trouble believing it could really be as good as people say, but they are not lying, it is just as good. This mic is just perfect for male vocals, and is even better than my AKG C414 for strong male vocals. Be aware, it takes some gain from the preamp, but man, this mic is pretty awesome.

When it comes to dynamics, I go to Shure. Granted, that opinion had been because of their SM58 alone, but no more. When I was looking for a mic to handle what I call "long haul" digital narration projects (well, okay, that and I wanted to buy another pro-grade microphone. Can you blame me?), I ultimately came down to two mics (say 'em with me now): the Electro Voice RE20 and the Shure SM7B. My voice is low and at it's lower and quieter moments has a bit of a rumble, so after a few voice tests at a local shop, I went with the SM7B. It handles my voice perfectly with no thinning or dampening. I've never been happier.

One note: you're going to need a good amount of clean gain to drive this puppy. I pair mine with a Grace m101 and it absolutely SOARS!

This mic picks up all the nuance and character that I want while also providing amazing ambient noise rejection. I can record in any room in my house and the sound is nearly the same in each place. And while I wouldn't call this microphone a jack of all trades, that doesn't stop me from telling you that I love Love LOVE this microphone!

I rarely (in fact never) write reviews, but I was too impressed by this mic. Believe all the good things you hear about it, it's just so good. I've been experiementing and recording at home for some time, I've had a Rode NTK, SM58, SM57, Rode NT1a, Beta 87a, and a couple others. The SM57 is the only one I've kept out of the bunch, and it sounds good, but the SM7 takes it too a whole new level. You get a professional sound (tight, warm, clean, clear, even) without having to do much. All my other mics bled a lot, including the sm57, but the sm7b has most of your needs built right in. It is PERFECT FOR HOME RECORDING, where you may not have tons of money for other equipment or even know-how, this will help you get out a good vocal track without having to think to much (which is good when you're just trying to get demos down without sounding like an amateur).

Thank You Shure

on my baritone male voice, the SM7 does great in "rock" mixes. I set the presence boost to "on" and the bass cut also "on". I prefer other mics for sparser acoustic arrangements. This mic has also worked well on other male vocalists I have recorded, and on a nasty sounding guitar amplifier. I just love the sound. I agree with others who call it "ready to mix". the sound is warm, but present enough, and has a small footprint in your mix, leaving plenty room for your other tracks (this is a good thing). it's the magic shrinker, very useful mic. pair it with a good preamp and you're golden

This mic has a nice big warm sound to it and it sits perfectly in the mix. Some of my clients prefer this one over my MA-200 (which also is an awesome mic). I just can't believe the SM7 was only 350.
This is my first choice when i have to record hip-hop, or grunge type rock vocals. I run it to my Blue Robbie into the MOTU and I'm good to go.

For home recording... this is the mic you need. Eliminates all background noise and electronic interference. Ideal for deeper voices and spoken word/ hip-hop, but also just a great all-around vocal mic you need not worry about isolating. If I must complain about something, it's that the bracket is very difficult to switch from it's shipped boom-stand position to floor stand, but I'm over it. The price... you can't beat it.

Ok, got this a few days ago, bought it after reading lots of reviews on it, for a female screechy, loud, edgy like broken glass type female singer and this is the only one I've tried that can take that kind of beating, we're ok now. I've tried it micing up bass, el.guitars and both male & female vox, it's just great. Bono uses it, Michael Jackson on Thriller, Chili Peppers and now this incredibly difficult female singer. If I should have only one microphone in the studio, this would be the one. Thanks to other reviewers for putting me on the right track. Just a shout-out to others having these problems, this is the one. Nice and tight, warm sounding too, you won't regret buying this and I can see no reason why I'd ever wanna sell it, it's a keeper.

A friend of mine has been raving about this mic for vocals. So I used it this weekend. just plugged it into my solo610 cranked the gain and POW sweet nector of the Gods. Did the same for snare gives a super fat sound. I LOVE THIS MIC!! a great secret weapon. I Will be adding this to my cabnet in the next few weeks
cheers

I've used the Shure SM7B and the Re20 for years in broadcast radio but the Shure has always been my favorite for clarity, warmth and easiest Mic technique.

This microphone is an absolute powerhouse. I absolutely love that it captures every bit of my voice, while maintaining the natural sound. Super clear for vocals in a professional mix. I use it for metal, rap, and acoustic.

I mean, it's THE SM7b. Others can imitate (looking at you UA), but there's really only one. I tried using this for drums, but personally didn't like some of the sounds I got from it. I still think it truly shines on vocals. Podcasting, VoiceOver, rock singing. etc. The XLR connector on the base is a bit annoying, but not the worst.

What more can be said about this dynamic mic. It should be a part of everyones mic locker. I have always pass on buying this one many times. I always opted for something else gear wise. I have a lot of mics for a home studio operator, and tend to lean towards condensers and ribbon mics most of the time. Or of course another must have Shure microphone, the SM-57. The Swiss Army knife of mics and a great hammer if needed in a pinch. I finally decided to buy this much loved dynamic and it didn't disappoint one bit. I absolutely love my vocals through this mic. Be it setting the switches to flat or rolling off either highs or lows, the results are consistent, crisp and clear. I have no gain issues running it straight through my Behringer UMC2018 or with any of the Preamps in my 500 rack. And I don't need to max out the gain either. A inline booster is often recommended with the SM7b, but I decided to wait and see whether or not I would need one. Glad I saved the $... I haven't tried it on a guitar cab yet, I generally use a ribbon & SM-57 to capture my guitar cabs, but have no doubt the SM7b would yield very usable tracks on a cab. I bought it for vocals and like just about everyone who buys this mic, I love it. Do yourself a favor and add one to your arsenal, it's a no-brainer mic purchase. And as ALWAYS, a Sweetwater purchase is a smooth & painless process. They ALWAYS follow up with you afterwards, offer assistance and who doesn't like free candy ? My sales rep Matt is always helpful and available if needed. Keep up the great work Sweetwater. Maybe add some new options candy wise though lol.

This is a great, predictable, microphone! I am a voice over actor and I do a wide range of acting from kid voices on PBS to commercial acting. This range makes it really hard to find a mic that can handle the yelling of cartoon characters to the warmth needed for commercial acting. I had a Neumann TLM102 before this and it just couldn't handle the high register of kid voices and had horrible sibilance. I don't have that issue at all with this mic. Only downside of this mic is that you have to buy the Cloudlifter with it because it isn't powerful enough on it's own. Without the Cloudlifter I had to have the gain on at least 9.25 and that made the room tone very noticeable. But, with the Cloudlifter I don't have any issues. Great mic!

As a semi-professional Audio Engineer, one of the most common questions I get asked is what mic someone should by for vocals for their project studio. While there are many good affordable choices these days, the old tried and true SM7B still holds it's own and at the top of my list. I have yet to find a vocalist that this mic doesn't work for. It's very easy to get a great vocal sound from this microphone, and in my own testing, it even beats out some large diaphragm mics that cost a bit more than it does. It's a true studio workhorse.

It's for more than vocals too. It works for drums, guitar, you name it. The build quality is excellent. It's a very high quality microphone and the onboard switches will allow you to tailor the sound to your application. If there is only one draw back to this mic, the output might be a bit low unless you have a good preamp. If you have a low cost interface, I recommend you use a product like the Cloud Lifter or equivalent to increase the gain.

Even if you have a great preamp, it still doesn't hurt to use something to increase the gain a bit. I'm using this mic for extreme metal screaming vocals. Both my own and for clients. If you do extreme metal vocals in your studio, you need this mic. It can handle a very high spl (loud source) without distorting and it's finding itself getting used more than some of my large diaphragm condensers for this purpose.

All in all it's a fantastic mic and it's an industry standard for a reason. That's because it just works and does what it does very well. Don't you think it's time to add an industry standard mic to your mic locker? I do!

good sercice,QTY & fast shiping ....

Great mic! We use them for our podcasts... and love them! Great mic!

This mic somehow finds its way into every session. I"ve recorded vocals, drums, guitars, bass, horns, etc. with it and have never been disappointed. It is gain hungry though, so while it"s great for podcasts and broadcasting, I would highly recommend a cloudlifter/ dynamite between this mic and the preamp to keep the noise floor as low as possible.

I ONLY USE SHURE SM-7Bs ON STAGE ONLY THE KICK DRUM DIFFERS FRONT BETA 57

Having written a previous review on the SM7, and having read some of the comments concerning low signal from this mic, I'm hoping I can help a little here. First let me say I have two of these mics, and have had them for years. They still sound great. When I first started using these mics, I had a pretty beefy mixer, and was also recording on reel to reel format. They worked great with that setup, and gain wasn't an issue, nor was noise an issue.
Today I don't have that advantage. I'm now recording on a Tascam 2488 which by the way isn't noted to be big on gain. This doesn't just affect this mic, but several other dynamic mics I use. Before I go on, let me say this. For me, noise has never been an issue with this mic. However when I switched over to recording on the Tascam 2488, gain did become an issue.
To cope with this, I bought a Mackie 402 VLZ3 mixer. It is very quiet. I plug the SM7 into the Mackie mixer and set the gain for a zero reading on the mixer meters. The output of the mixer then goes into the input of the Tascam 2488. Gain is not an issue, noise is not an issue.
Here's the deal, every good piece of equipment has it's advantages and it's flaws. Sorry to say they have yet to manufacture the one piece fits all, cures all, satisfies all piece of equipment. I had a choice here, and I made the choice I did for a reason. MONEY. I could use a different type of mic and fix all my room acoustic problems, which would cost thousands, or fix the gain problem for a fraction of the price.
Getting great results, that's all I care about. This mic, has served me well for many years.

I purchased 2 of the older version SM7s about 16 years ago, I used them in my home recording studio. They work great on vocals, especially close up vocals. They also work well for many other applications. 16 years later I'm still using them. Just finished up a couple recordings today, and they still sound great. If the new ones are anything like the older ones, they are well worth purchasing.

I decided to try the Shure SM7B after reading where it was used on many hit recordings, and was a good all around vocal mic for a variety of uses and voice types. The price made it a lot easier than other mics I have recently added!

The mic arrived on time (as does anything ordered from Sweetwater) and I got it set up quickly for some test vocals in place of a Beta 58 used in the practice room. For comparison, there is everything from standard 57s and 58s, through a 414 and U87. The SM7B was immediately pleasing to the ear, even with no EQ adjustment. I didn't expect it to have the clarity of the high dollar mics, and it doesn't, but it certainly sounds good and, in my opinion, much more balanced than the Beta 58. The spoken voice sounds round and full, and singing just never sounds bad at all. Pleasant is a good word for it... clear, full, and well, pleasant. Surprisingly so for a dynamic mic.

I can see this as a good all around vocal mic, a great spoken word mic, and a hard to beat mic for the cost. I am very happy with it. I'm not sure how resilient the small wire is, and it is a bit odd to position at times, since it is addressed from the front (although I found you can use it in a sort of side address and it still works decently). All in all, a solid mic that has earned its solid reputation, and convinced me it is as good as I have heard it was!

As advertised and then some.

This mic is just a workhorse when it comes to vocals and even guitar cabinets. I haven't had the chance to use it on much else besides those two sound sources, but I can tell you for sure that it's the best quality mic for under $.

It definitely needs a heck of a lot of gain in order to get good levels, but I've been able to get enough gain from both a Behringer FCA610 (lowwwww end interface) and a UAD Apollo 8p (high-er end interface) with a little gain to spare.

Again, this mic is great on vocals, hands down. It's not the pristine high end of a condenser, but it's got a nice flatness to it. It doesn't over-accentuate low end or high end, and it does have the internal bass roll-off and high end boost if you want to set it up right from the mic.

I'd recommend it to anyone building their mic locker, it's just a good choice for vocals and guitar cabs. There's definitely other mics out there that might serve better for different uses and configurations, but I'd deem it pretty much universally necessary to have a SM57, and now a SM7B.

I'm very satisfied with this mic! It has replaced my C414 XLS as my go to vocal mic. A/B ing in solo the C414 sounds more transparent but in the mix the SM7B cuts through, sits forward, and takes the right space. For vocals I run it through a Universal Audio 4-710d with the gain around 8.5 and the level at 10 and with the mic's low-end roll off and HF boost active.
For female vocals I used to combat sibilance with condenser mics. I don't have this issue nearly as much with the SM7b and the proximity effects some body. With male vocals it just sits well. Also no huge gigantor-kill- the-mood pop filter is needed :-D
Drawbacks are that you need a lot of gain for this guy. If you don't have a pre with sufficient gain it wont hit the "sweet spot". My friend got an SM7b for his small PreSonus interface and it struggles to get a good level without floor noise. Probably needs the Cloud Lifter to boost the signal.

This is an exceptional vocal mic if you're looking for in-your-face sounds. Clarity and loads of body.

Be sure to pick up a Cloudlifter with it, though - this mic needs a lot of gain.

Sounds fat and smooth on vocals. It's very forgiving on a loose performance. Great with a high output pre like an API.

This mic really sounds great for vocal applications its sounds very accurate to what your actually hearing in the room doesn't color your sound when you have the bass roll of switch engaged and roll of switch off for recording hip hop vocals. I don't even have to eq that much with this mic because its so accurate. You may need to purchase a cloud lifter before purchasing this mic for +25db of clean gain or just make sure your preamp has more than 50db of gain.

I like this mic a lot. It's good for many types of vocal styles as well as guitar amps, kick drum, snare drum. My vocal recordings are great but they still don't sound like nop notch when compared to professional artists. That may be because I'm using a firestudio project and not a million dollar board. It still sounds great and it's perfect for my small studio because it doesn't pick up too much room noise. I'd recommend this.

We've used this mic on male/female vocals and get great results. Everything from opera to folk ... it's genera proof. It feels like it's got a built-in compression at times ... the harsh or shrill over-tones are just not there. Works great for live recording w/ acoustic players. It's very directional and rejects like a champ. Make sure you've got a solid stand. A studio boom stand is helpful but not completely necessary.

Great value.

Shame on me for waiting so long... Plugged it up to my preamp and the rest was history. Truly a multi-faceted smooth sounding Mic. Is it really worth the money - "Yes!"

So far, I've used this on my (male) voice and it has a mellower sound than the large diaphragm condensers used in the past. It demonstrates why some engineers use dynamics for vocals when called for. I bought the CL-1 Cloud Lifter with it and that's a good idea for this mic given it's low output. Because of the mellower tone, sibilance is much less of an issue. I'm really looking forward to trying this mic on many sources. Shure products that I've owned over the last 35 years have always been steadfast reliable for me and it looks as if this one will do as well !!

So far, I've used this on my (male) voice and it has a mellower sound than the large diaphragm condensers used in the past. It demonstrates why some engineers use dynamics for vocals when called for. I bought the CL-1 Cloud Lifter with it and that's a good idea for this mic given it's low output. Because of the mellower tone, sibilance is much less of an issue. I'm really looking forward to trying this mic on many sources. Shure products that I've owned over the last 35 years have always been steadfast reliable for me and it looks as if this one will do as well !!

Great sounding mic! Use it for loud vocals & very forgiving for a room with less than perfect acoustics. Also sounds great on guitars & voice over work.

I got this mic for recording vocals mostly. I've been using a nuemann tlm103 but it doesn't fit with everyone. On some it would bring out too much of that nasally whinny higher frequencies. I wanted a good dynamic to smooth that out a little. This does the trick, and it is also really good at separating sound sources for those live everyone in the same room type recordings.

This is a perfect mic for screaming vocals enough said!

There shouldn't be a mic cabinet or studio without an SM7 regardless of any budget or price range... It's in every commercial studio that I've been to and worked in, and it gets abused on daily basis... It's thick foam makes it impossible for plosives to get through, having no need for a pop filter. VERY VERY durable (don't test its durability by throwing it against the wall now), and PERFECT (the best) for a room/booth that hasn't been acoustically treated. It gets the most out of your vocals without picking up any of those exaggerated room sound that a condenser would. Sonically it sounds great, ideal for fattening whatever your trying to record and with good EQ'ing, even an amateur will hear the difference!! It makes a great impression, any talent walks into your studio and sees an SM7 and it will say a lot about you as an engineer. If I must be a bully, it doesn't get a 5 because you do need a preamp with a lot of gain. The only mics that stand up to the SM7 cost $3000+ dollars, and even then, the SM7 STILL stands amongst them!!!

Compared to the popular & pricier Neumann TLM 103, the SM7B also has great presence without the hard edge on the highs. Using the SM7B plus a tube preamp on commercials for major international brands and a university, the producers and clients were thrilled with the results.

Rick@GetRickJensen.com

I may wind up investing in one of these gems. I read this weekend that this exact model was the one used in the studio recording of Michael Jackson's most successful album, "Thriller."

It was recommended to my by a friend to try out the Shure SM7 on a guitar cab. I thought this was a joke, but OH MY GOD!!! To pair this with a Sen 421 is the absolute best guitar sound I've ever recorded. The SM7 sounds fantastic when used as the sole mic on a guitar as well... especially when you're playing at high distortion levels. You HAVE to try it.

I was skeptical to try this always ran less expensive mics. I can really tell the difference with this mic. So much more like an instrument.

This is a very good mic, don't get me wrong. My one complaint is a design issue. I found that the socket for the XLR connector is too close to the mic mount.

I use a Gator Frameworks microphone boom stand. I also bought a FetHead in-line mic preamp. The FetHead does not connect flush to the SM7B's XLR socket; it's a bit crooked because the FetHead is just thick enough that it doesn't clear the mic boom. When I rotate the mic at the end of the boom, the FetHead rubs against the boom.

If the mounting bracket for the SM7B's XLR socket was 1/2" deep instead of 1/4" deep, the FetHead would clear the boom. As it is, the FetHead is tilted 1/32" from being flush.

only negative, it has no protective storage box. works as advertised. great investment. thanks

The Shure SM7B is everything they said it was and more!!! Right now my signal chain for the SM7b consists an Apollo Twin Mkii with a UAD 610 on the input is a UAD la2a and a Precision Channel Strip as Inserts. Vocals are nice and tuneful. The SM7B's vocals "Sit" nicely in the mix. I'll be receiving a Cloudlifter in a few days, I full expect this move to make this rating a 5 star Review!!! Thanks Michael_Wuchter and the Sweetwater Team!

Just received the microphone today. I use a small Mackie ProFX 8v2 mixer, and it just does NOT have enough gain for this microphone. Thankfully some of the other reviews mentioned the important of getting one of the Cloud Lifter "Mic Activator"s and those work wonderfully (They use phantom power to add 20db of very clean gain) . I'm doing some basic recordings for tutorials in a rather noisy room (computer fans etc) and the results are great. Unless you have a great pre amp/mixer with a lot of gain, get the Cloud Lifter though (you'll need an extra, probably short XLR cable to connect the Cloud Lifter in the Middle).

So much easier than a condenser in the home studio, and crazy versatile! Just get one, you'll thank yourself right away!

I love this mic because it isn't harsh. In fact, it's dull and has tons of proximity effect. Also very directional.

Just what I need when tracking on location in someone's untreated home studio.

Would I rather use a better mic in a fully treated studio in combination with a 20k signal chain? Of course I would, but that isn't reality. And I need to get paid.

Most home and small studio are NOT treated well enough to do a service to expensive condensers. Expensive mics pick up everything, including the crappy sound of an untreated room. An SM7b on the other hand, will pick up less of that nonsense and give me more consistent useable takes.

Because it sounds dull, I don't have to worry about the harshness of a cheap condenser. I can add air to a voice later with EQ. The proximity effect? Sounds great on vocals... why do you think it's such a popular mic for broadcast radio? It gives bass to the artist's voice, and is easily controllable from the artist's perspective. And BTW, most "artists" don't use correct mic technique. An SM7B with the pop filter taken off and replaced with a pop screen (used to force some distance between the artist and mic) works wonders on "dynamic" artists who need help.

The cons? It's an SM7B. Would I rather use a C12? or a vintage Neumann? Of course I would. But to use a high end mic without high end treatment is a waste of money. For most people, an SM7B is a godsend. It works well on most voices. It needs a ton of gain to operate properly, so you will need a mic preamp capable of lots of clean gain. I use mine with a Focusrite ISAone and never get any complaints.

Conclusion? Every studio needs one. It's an essential mic because the SM7b is a true workhorse. It outperforms mics costing ten times as much in less than ideal environments. It's easy to use and built very well. I give it 4 stars because it isn't the best mic in the world. Not even close... but it is the best mic for many of us.

Used this mic in college. This mic has earned a grammy, what have you done lately?

I was recommended this mic by a fair number of people who are familiar with my voice-I have a somewhat squeaky, sibilent voice that usually needs a LOT of treatment (de-essing & general eq) to get a decent sound-doesn't matter what mic either, sang through everything from $100 MXLs to really nice Neumanns. The SM7B, on the other hand, works absolutely great with my voice! I haven't had as much time to work with it as I would have liked yet, but I'm getting really great tones out of it, right out of the box! This is a very neutral sounding mic, neither warm nor cool, with a smooooth top end and a solid bass, and sibilents (ess sounds for the newbies) are tamed very nicely, to the point where I haven't even put any de-essing on my voice! I'm rating it 4 stars right now, but as I learn this mic more, I think it may wind up going 4.5 or even 5 stars-a GREAT studio mic with a different flavor than a condenser!!!

I don't believe this mic could ever replace a condenser. It's too rounded sounding and I found that it made me sound like a duck with words that had the ie, ae, ing, etc sound in them. Overall though this is one of my favorite mics but this is why I dumped it. It really is a good broadcasting mic but now I'm back to looking at condensers after this failed me but like I said this performs very well just not natural enough for my liking. Definitely overall one of the best dynamics I've used and I used most.

This is a legendary mic...you hear about it in audio geek circles all the time. It was recommended to me by an audio engineer I work with.. The reason I purchased the mic was to interface with my new Babyface by RME, to act as the pre-amp between my mic and Lenovo laptop when I am doing vo sessions on the road. During the setup of this new equipment, we realized the output of the Shure was not nearly as strong as another mic I have, the Rode NTG3. All this to say that the Shure is a solid product, but I could not recommend it for this particular application.

I got this mic after hearing a number of good things about it from various sources, as a good "bang for your buck" type of mic that has been used on a lot of top records and recordings, and is a studio stable. I did several shoot-outs with it using a Shure SM57, an Apex 205 ribbon mic, and a Cad m179 condenser for comparisons. The SM7b won out on vocals when tested with my voice, my wife's and a friend who is also a singer. It doesn't require a lot of EQ'ing, which is nice -- good vocal sound. Of course, it won't work for everyone, when it comes to vocals. I've heard some say it's only good for "male screamers," but I am generally a pretty soft singer, and my wife is anything but a male screamer, so I would say that that is a bit of a caricature.

I like it a lot. I also own an Electrovoice RE-20 (the original model) and it was close to a coin flip between the two. Testing with my own voice (male, somewhat bassy), this is what I ended up liking:

For dialog, I liked the SM7B with the presence boost and the RE 20 flat for dialog, both pretty close to the mic. To my ears, the RE 20 was a little more smooth. It seemed to have a bit more core and a nice air on top. The SM7B was a bit more articulate and a bit less flattering. I think I would prefer the RE20 with my voice unless I was concerned about projecting over other sounds.

For singing, I liked the RE20 flat at more of a distance (around 4 inches), and the SM7B flat and pretty close. I preferred the RE20 for what I was singing, but I can see how the SM7B would work better for more punchy vocals.

I think it would depend on the voice and the material which one I would prefer, but if I had to have only one of the two mics I would probably go with the RE20.

This is a great mic to add to your cabinet, for not a lot of money. Have I found it great on everything? No. However, on some sources it has been perfect. I used a Neumann TLM-103 on a bassier male vocalist and it sounded absolutely terrible, but with the SM-7 the vocals were perfect with some eq added. Easily the best sounding vocals I have ever recorded. I don't love it on guitar amps like some have said, but for certain voices it is really, really great. I especially like it with the built in eq boost turned on. On hihats it had a cool sound, not crisp and detailed, but a little rawer, more vintage sound that with the right eq was pretty cool. Make sure and have a preamp with a good amount of gain, 60 db seems the minimum for quieter singers. I feel it is a must have for anyone interested in having more than one good mic, and at the price it makes expanding your mic collection with good mics that will last a long time, a real possibility.

Nice but won't replace my Neuman TLM 103 or AT 4033 for my somewhat harsh male vocals. My review is based solely on using this for my singing voice in my home studio. My voice is very similar to Joe Cocker and Elvis, when I feel it, baby. Yes, this mic is very quiet and I tried recording into Sonar direct, and with several different pre-amps (LA610mkii, Apollo Twin soft preamps). Regardless of whether I used a pre-amp or not, it sounds good but not a magical fix for harsh vocals as I had read from some other reviews. Fortunately, I think I have found some magic for harshness in the Pultec clone EQ units from both Waves and Klark that seem more magical in reducing harshness. I'm trying both of those out now and may even keep them both?

Anyway, this mic is certainly quiet and seems like it almost has a noise-gate built-in and worth a try and looks really cool and well-built like all my SM57's I've used live through the years. However, I already have some nice mics so this would be redundant for me and I returned it.

While this mic has become a staple within the recording industry, it just goes to show that not every mic is perfect for every singer. I bought this for a record I was making last year because a musician/singer I GREATLY admire, one that I've been told that I sound like even, uses this mic on almost every album they make. I quickly found that while it has a great sound for rock music, it didn't really fit the americana/folk/intimate sound that my music has.
Don't get me wrong, this is a fantastic microphone, but be weary of the singer you're going to be recording before you purchase it. For singers with a big bodied, mid-focused voice, this mic will perform exceptionally well. But for singers with a voice that is brighter and less prominent or heavy (like my voice), you might want to lean towards something like a tube mic to warm up their natural timbre. I had to do a fair pit of tweaking before I dialed in the right sound for my voice on that record, and even after all the work I did, this mic didn't fit the vein of the music I record. It did a great job of sitting well in the mix though, I will say.
All in all, I'm happy I bought this mic because I'm doing work with other artists now who have thicker voices that need something like the SM7B to capture their natural timbre. This is by NO means a regretful purchase and I'm happy to have bought one just for the purpose of having it within my mic arsenal.

Really nice microphone for Radio
My only problem is the low gain that you have to crank the Gain knob all the way up and you get a lot of noise in return

Like many others....I bought this microphone on the hype it had.....all over the internet people screaming the praises of it.

The truth is- its a fine mic. It is dangerously similar to a 57 in its overall impression as a vocal mic-thats not a bad thing! it is fatter- and more focused.

What it isnt- A magical microphone that will save your life. Just because Michael Jackson used one- or Steven Tyler .......or whomever the long list is.....has no point here.....those records were made by Michael Jackson and Steven Tyler and etc......not YOU...and it is my opinion that those records sound great despite the just *ok* nature of this microphone.

Would I record a whole album with it on a deserted island? Sure!!!! And it can and will make 100000s more hit records before we stop caring about them.....

however it is not a miracle of audio- it is a microphone. a fine one that can do lots of things- but it wont sparkle like mics even 100$ more

Unable to get enough signal out of the microphone even with the gain turned all the way up on the interface. Returning unit.

I'm not sure why people are so excited about this microphone. Based on the reviews, I picked it up. I have to say, with a brand new cable going into a Universal Audio 710 then directly into a MOTU Ultralite, this thing is noisy. I record in a sound booth. My Blue microphone has no ground noise at all.

I would say this is fantastic if you're LOOKING for that low noise. But for clean recording, I can't recommend this at all. Unless I'm expected to run it through a gate or something...but then why not just use something that doesn't have this problem?

Just a nitpick, but the plug location is pretty annoying too. And that wire is scary. If anything happens to it, you're done and it's off to repair.

All around, I feel like people are either gaslighting that it's so good or are afraid to say anything bad because there are so many positive reviews.

I'm returning it.

I really wanted to love this microphone. Everyone raves about it and how wonderful it is, but even with try after try I just couldn't get it to work correctly.

I've been looking for a microphone for podcasting and audiobook narration. I'm also using a less than ideal recording environment so I was leaning towards dynamics and the SM7B seemed like a no brainer.

The good is I absolutely loved the way my voice sounded with this microphone. It provides clear vocals and I can see why people love the microphone. It's why I tried so hard to get it to work. The noise rejection was wonderful and I really liked the sound.

So if the mic is so wonderful why the negative review you might ask?

Well let's get on to the frustratingly bad:

Gain - You need a lot of it for this microphone, and even if you're using clean solutions like the Cloudlifter you can still get some noise. I tried this mic again later with an Apollo Twin after I'd learned a little more about audio production and this wasn't nearly the problem it was the first time I tried it, but be warned if you're just starting out. You can't cheap out on the pre with this mic.

Pops - This was a minor annoyance but it was still there. Some people say the foam shield that comes with it is enough to save you from plosives, but that's really not the case in my experience. Some still sneak through. I tried the thicker filter that comes with and that helped with pops and mouth noise, but it also made the sound so muddy as to be worthless. I ended up running a pop filter in front of it.

Hiss - This was the real dealbreaker for me. For what it sounds like I could put up with other annoyances, but the hiss that showed up whenever I applied a low pass filter to the mic was too much for me. I was using it for audiobook narration, and with my voice the low end was way too boomy. The solution? Cut out the lows!

The only problem was it introduced a slight hiss underlying the vocals every time. It didn't matter where in the chain the filter was introduced. On the mic? Hiss. On the interface? Hiss. Added in at the DAW stage? Slight hiss. Maybe I just got a bad mic, but regardless it was frustrating and I've not run into this issue on any other mic I've used, dynamic or condenser, so ultimately I returned it.

The SM7B sounds wonderful. The problem is it's entirely too finicky to be worth it for me. If you're a professional in a studio setting it's probably great, but home hobbyists should probably go with something that's a little easier to work with.

OK. No one is gonna plotz with nozzle nut glee looking at this old girl. But if you need a really solid good value VO mike, you need go no further than the SHURE SM7B.

It was designed for use by broadcasters in on-air studios, which means you can pound nails in with it all morning and cut great VO tracks all afternoon and into the night.

It comes with a mondo pop filter that looks rather like a whale tumor, but that glob of foam makes it just about impossible to pop a "p" without using nitro. No need to set up the ring of pantyhose with this baby.

And there is a built in humbucking coil, so unless you are using an active MRI unit as your announce booth, you won't run into any hum from monitors, flo lights, etc.

We pros (ahem) set the roll off curves to flat bass and presence boost and leave it that way.

Look, it doesn't have tubes, it dosen't need 48 volts, and it isn't fragile. But it sounds great for voice overs, day in and day out, year after year.

So get one of these to use until you can afford the expensive German mikes-
and get ready to put it back up after you spend 6 hours cutting plosive "P"s out of a documentary VO track recorded with a 147 and not enough pantyhose.

In the entire colorful history of broadcasting, we have yet to find a high tech replacement for the paper clip...or the SM7.