Even when you’ve by no means heard of Shure’s SM7B, you’ve nearly actually heard the SM7B. From stay radio to podcasting and streaming, the modern, black microphone might be discovered hanging in entrance of mouths, delivering its trademark broadcast sound. As we speak, Shure is unveiling the newest version — the SM7dB — to have fun the microphone’s fiftieth anniversary. It additionally occurs to resolve one of many mic’s largest ache factors (the clue is in its title). The $499 Shure SM7dB comes with a built-in preamp that provides both 18- or 28dB of much-needed achieve.
The SM7B famously wants a variety of amplification which might result in quiet audio or an undesirable “hiss” on inferior preamps. To resolve this, folks usually buy an in-line preamp corresponding to a FetHead or a CloudLifter — which is an extra $100 or so on high of the $399 SM7B.
The SM7dB eliminates the necessity for extra {hardware} and in addition guarantees a “clear” increase in quantity. What’s extra, it does this with out including any vital dimension or a change in type issue. To be clear, the brand new microphone is a shade longer than its un-amplified counterpart. And there’s a minor beauty change from the modern, stealthy matte black to a barely shinier paintjob. There’s additionally a shiny “Shure” emblem now on the microphone physique which makes the entire thing look a bit much less cool when you ask me however you may not be so delicate to such issues.
The addition of a preamp brings with it another sensible adjustments. The basic SM7B has two switches on its rear: a excessive go filter and a mid-frequency increase. The SM7dB nonetheless has these, however there are two extra switches — one for bypassing the preamp and the opposite for toggling between the quantity of achieve (the aforementioned 18- and 28-dB boosts).
When “bypass” is activated, the SM7dB acts as an everyday dynamic microphone and gained’t want phantom energy. When you activate that preamp although, you’ll want to produce 48v to drive the preamp. The overwhelming majority of audio interfaces with an XLR enter may even provide phantom energy, so there’s no problem right here however when you’re used to working with dynamic microphones and the delicate comfort of not having to consider phantom energy, simply know there is a slight workflow change right here.
One of many important advantages of a dynamic microphone is its noise rejection —- they are much extra forgiving on background noise or the sound of passing site visitors, for instance. Fortunately, the built-in preamp right here would not change that because the microphone nonetheless works as a dynamic ought to (not like condensor microphones that want phantom energy to work and are way more delicate).
With the total 28dB of achieve utilized, I initially thought there was some audible noise when recording silence, but it surely shortly turned clear that with all that further achieve and my audio interface set to document at full quantity it was merely simply too loud and was selecting up extra ambient noise — it could have been far too loud if I had began talking into it. As soon as the degrees had been adjusted accordingly, the noise ground disappeared.
Maybe unsurprisingly, with none preamp turned on, the brand new SM7dB sounds close to an identical to its legacy sibling. I examined each through a Rodecaster Duo which has ample achieve to drive these microphones by itself. Nevertheless, after I examined each of the SM7dB’s preamp settings (whereas decreasing the achieve on the Rodecaster accordingly) the output remained simply as clear and noise free with no apparent change in character — which is precisely what Shure was going for.
The apparent draw back is that, the SM7dB prices about $100 greater than the common SM7B. That’s an honest quantity extra, particularly when you don’t really want the preamp however are perhaps hoping to future-proof your setup, or simply improve to the most recent mannequin. Then again, when you had been going to purchase an SM7B figuring out you’d additionally want a separate preamp then the brand new mannequin prices about the identical as shopping for each individually.
Given the sheer recognition of the SM7B, the brand new version must be effectively obtained. Not least due to the plain benefit of it being louder, however for a extra sensible, if barely superficial purpose, too. That being that the design of the SM7B places the XLR port dealing with both instantly up or down on most increase arms or mic stands (somewhat than perpendicular) which sure inline preamps can look a bit, effectively, ridiculous protruding of the highest of backside. With the SM7dB, then, you possibly can presumably remove another visible distraction out of your streams. No matter your motivation for contemplating the brand new microphone, it is out there beginning right this moment.