Shure rant

[Phil O]

Don't know why I've been posting rants lately - must be my old age. Anyway, here we go again.

So, anytime I hear a YouTuber talking on their channel (and it makes me immediately want to reach for the EQ) I notice that they're using a Shure SM7B. What's the deal with this microphone? I thought it was supposed to be an industry standard. As far as I can tell it sounds like doggy doo. I've never had one to try myself. Do any of you use this mic? Does it really sound that bad or do YouTubers/bloggers just have a knack for really bad EQ settings? Just an observation.

[end rant]

Your friendly neighborhood Phil

[mikehalloran]

Don't know why I've been posting rants lately - must be my old age. Anyway, here we go again.

So, anytime I hear a YouTuber talking on their channel (and it makes me immediately want to reach for the EQ) I notice that they're using a Shure SM7B. What's the deal with this microphone? I thought it was supposed to be an industry standard. As far as I can tell it sounds like doggy doo. I've never had one to try myself. Do any of you use this mic? Does it really sound that bad or do YouTubers/bloggers just have a knack for really bad EQ settings? Just an observation.

[end rant]

Your friendly neighborhood Phil

That's ok. If they paid attention, they'd notice that SM57s and 58s also sound uh… less than ideal. All three use the same basic capsule. The basic difference is that the 57/58 has an output transformer while the 7b has two filters, a hum cancelling coil and no transformer making its output even lower than the 57/58.

Although tube/grill/ball affect the frequency response, the real culprit is the impedance mismatch between these "industry standards", designed for the old Bell Telephone 600 Ω spec and every solid state preamp you can find that does not have variable impedance and enough boost to give you a useable level. The 57/58 have a higher output because of the transformer.

This article goes into depth.
https://web.archive.org/web/20081206065 ... l/330.html

Without a decent mic pre that matches the SM7b, they sound dull and the level is too low. A mic booster like a CloudLifter CL-Z solves all problems with the 57/58, too. Those two large foam wind screens are designed for vocal closeup only. These sound better for any other application with those gone. Bruce Swedien recorded Michael Jackson's vocals on Thriller with his SM7s (no hum cancelling coil) without those foam monsters in the way.

Of course, YouTubers and bloggers who read specs and write reviews without knowing a damned thing about microphones are ubiquitous. That can't be helped.

I use my 7b on VO tracks when I know that's the sound a client wants. M•Audio interfaces are known for having enough level to drive a 7b (barely) but I'll generally use a CL-Z if I have to use it for anything else. Not my favorite mic.

https://www.cloudmicrophones.com/cloudlifter-cl-z

[Phil O]

Thanks for that explanation, Mike. Makes sense now.

Your friendly neighborhood Phil

[James Steele]

Yeah... the YouTubers should do themselves a favor and get an EV RE20. I think that's what I'd go with if I were to pick one.

[daniel.sneed]

Yeah... the YouTubers should do themselves a favor and get an EV RE20. I think that's what I'd go with if I were to pick one.

Second hand EV RE27ND is another option.
IMOE, great sounding mic (voice, wind, bass drum, e-guitar...), great filters on board, and no proximity effect at all.

[mikehalloran]

Yeah... the YouTubers should do themselves a favor and get an EV RE20. I think that's what I'd go with if I were to pick one.

Because of EV's "Variable D" back porting, there's far less proximity effect when working close to a PL20 or RE20 (same mic, different marketing). Some of this is negated by using the longer of the two foam windscreens on the SM7b but not as much as one might think. Both spec at 150 Ω output —way too low for solid state interfaces without high gain, variable Ω mic preamps. Again the CL-Z makes all things right for both microphones.

Not a big fan of the RE27ND or any mic with a 6dB rize around 5kHz for that matter. I can see using one with the right voice but not mine. It's another mic with a 150 Ω output.

For podcasting, YouTube demos etc. I'm a bigger fan of the Shure MV7. Less expensive, higher output level and 314 Ω output impedance plus XLR or USB output.

[James Steele]

Both spec at 150 Ω output —way too low for solid state interfaces without high gain, variable Ω mic preamps.

Yeah... I guess I just planned on using something better, but I guess that's not typical in the podcasting world. I see a ton of RE20s in the radio broadcasting world and on many "higher end" podcasts and seems to be rather flattering for the most part.

[mikehalloran]

There are a number of mic boosters out now that will help the output level.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/search ... ic+booster

The CL-Z matches impedance and you can actually "tune" the mic response with the Ω knob.

I make my own impedance matching Gizmos per the sidebar in that article from a barrel connector and a resistor, selling them on Reverb when I have a batch ready. I'm not the only one but I use a Neutrik barrel and a slightly different resistor than the others.

Making a box to perform the same function as the CL-Z is easy: Get a metal effects box, a pair of XLR panel jacks, a 1kΩ variable resistor pot, a knob and a little bit of wire. This can match impedance by itself if your mic pre gain is high enough or combine it with any fixed mic booster such as the Klark Teknik or sE at a fraction of the cost of a Cloudlifter CL-Z.

Voice is not the only application and these broadcast mics are not the only ones that benefit. The first time you record an upright bass or electric bass cab with a ribbon mic that has been properly terminated may be the last time you want to use anything else.

My favorite broadcast mics are none of the above, however. It's these:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/search ... +broadcast

The BCM 104 has switches for 100 Hz high pass and -14dB pad hidden in the connector to keep your talent from messing with them. The BCM 705 is a dynamic. Both have pop screens behind the grill that are readily accessible for cleaning.

There are a few voices I record with the BCM 104 that just don't sound great with any other mic in my cabinet.

[EMRR]

SM7 into a preamp that matches well is perfectly serviceable. That can be a challenge for some. The average booster device will be too hi-Z for it to sound best. When I had a steady stream of unknown rockers coming in the studio, it was the mic most likely to sound good without time to audition options, so I used it a lot. Most other vocal mics seem to have a lesser "acceptance rate" on singers, while they may sound "better" on the ones they like, so it's common because of its universality more than it's sound necessarily. When it doesn't work, it can sound like something's broken, more than any other mic I've encountered. I've changed preamps/cables/patch points more than once before realizing it was a singer/SM7 conflict, so great was the disfunction. Recently had a real hard rock shouter with good pitch and delivery, singing over fairly dense guitar music, the SM7 fit in the mix better than a lot of high end condensers we tried. They all worked fine, just not as well in that case.