Shure SM7B Too NOISEY???

Eddmann69 said:
Well, I feel like an idiot, sorry to screw up your name Harvey, I VERY much appreciate your input on this matter, you are the man with a reputation for greatness in this field. I have not yet changed any of the settings on the SM7, so I am assuming they are still set to flat response, but I will double check that tonight, as well as pop the cover off the VTB-1 and remove the tube and try again. What I came to realize last night is, there is a hiss whenever EITHER of my preamps are hooked between the mic and the Mbox, so since the Mbox already has Focusrite Preamps built in to the inputs, could the hiss be caused by a preamp going into a preamp? Or could I possibly have a noisey/shorted Mbox? I did NOT try the preamp comparo through my Tascam US-122 yet, so if I DO get the hiss with both preamps through that as well, then I will be able to narrow it down a little further...
Thank you for your continued help with my dumb problem...........I really appreciate everyones input.
Eddie.
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If you are running into the XLR input on the MBox, you are stacking your preamps, which may account for the noise. Despite the misinformation posted earlier, the 1/4" out on the back of the VTB-1 is a TRS balanced out and you should use a TRS cable to connect it to a line-in on the Mbox. Like Harvey, I have never noticed excessive hiss with my VTB-1.
 
WOW thanks Scrubs!! I am super excited to try this when I get home tonight, I cant believe in my rambling tests that I did not think of that. I am soo glad I started posting on this board instead of one of the others, that may or may NOT have such knowledgable, helpful fellow audiophiles such as myself as members.
Thanks again.......Well see what this does for me
-Eddie.
 
Well....

I have tried the TRS output of the VTb-1 into the insert of the mbox (1), and it gets no signal? I am assuming I was wrong to try and do that since it produced no sound? I hook the TRS into the line level, and I get a signal as loud as the XLR, but when I bring the volume up enough to hear on my headphones, I hear the background hiss just as ever. I know I am not working with the best of signal chain here, but I at least was hoping for a useable signal, may be then I could find a way to deal with the hiss? I mean, the waveform on protools when I record a voicetrack is soo thin and lifeless..and quiet, I use the only Normalize effect that came with my program and it makes the hiss as loud as the voice......so no good. I was wondering, would maybe a preamp /gate/processer unit that has a noise reduction in it get rid of some background hiss? I guess if I really want to use this SM7B, then I have to by the proper preamp to drive it cleanly? Possibly the single channel avalon di box for 550 bucks, or the Grace 101 for about the same? Both are options I might consider, what do you think fellow dynamic mic users?
 
I think my VTB-1s are very usable with SM57s, a SM58, a Beta57, and a EV ND 767A that I used to have. Like I said before what level are you trying to hit in your recording program, where are your peaks on the tracks you are recording with the SM7 and VTB-1? Turn the input gain to 50dB or below, turn the output gain to +12, adjust the tube blend all the way to the left. And then post a MP3 of you or some one else talking so we can hear your hiss problems.

Oh and never errrr almost never use the normalize feature.
 
Hello again,
Tonight, i will try and get a chance to put together an MP3 for posting. The Tube Blend on my VTB-1 really makes no difference as far as the Hiss is concerned. The hiss is there weather the tube blend is turned all the way to Solid State, or if you crank the tube all the way to high, the hiss never gets any louder really, its just a constant, as long as the VTB-1 is plugged into the mbox, and the level is high enough to get a signal from the mic, then the hiss is there. I have tried every single combonation of the knobs, adjusting this way and that, with no sucess in toneing down the hiss. I started an account over at Soundclick.com and I planned on posting a link to that page on here once I have an mp3 posted. Do any of you know of a better way / site that I can use for this purpose? Thank you for your continued advice.
 
Have you tried using a diferent cable? Silly I know but these problems can sometimes be that simple, worth checking.

Other than that it sounds as if your VTB-1 may be faulty.

You certainly don't want to use another piece of gear to try and remedy a problem which is obviously inherent in your current setup (regardless of whether it's a fault with the gear or the way in which you're using it).
 
Hello Again, Still with me?

So I finally got a couple brian cells together and tested the VTB-1 as a DI box, the Strat sounded nice and plunky, the DeArmond sounded VERY Gretschy, the EMG 81's in my ESP Eclipse sounded LOUD and crisp and the Fender bass (copy) sounded smooth and best of all, QUIET as could be, so NOW I know I am working with a functional preamp, and the problem only arises when hooking up a Mic in the chain, either the 57 or the SM7. I guess I am back at my other questions, and I HATE to ask the same one that everybody else has asked...BUT. If I were to choose between the Grace 101, the FMR RNP, or the Spec 5.0 Mic Pre, or the Avalon u5 all near the same price range, in which direction should I go?
 
There could still be a problem with the VTB-1. You really need to have it checked.

The FMR preamp does not do well with low output mics, although I loved the sound of the Shure SM57 thru the RNP.
 
OK thank you, I will send the VTB-1 back for a replacement. In the meantime, its between the Avalon U5, The Grace 101, and the P-solo (of which I am looking for recomendations about this one, not sure about its use with the SM7B?). I know there are numerous single channel preamps out there to choose from, including the DAV Electronics BG1, of which I just heard of, but for $750 shipped, Id kind of like to hear a bit of feedback about this one, and its possible use with low output dynamic mics. Although, no preamp in the WORLD will do me a shred of good, if I cant get an outboard AD/DA converter, in order to go SPIDF into the MBOX to bypass the preamps there...because from the BILLIONS of posts I have read, it seems that the line-ins of the MBOX are also wired into the preamp circuts. Is there a different interface I could try that DOESNT have any built in preamps to BYPASS?? I am seriously thinking about just buying a digital multitracker (several digital 8-tracks come to mind for under $350), and just tracking my voice to that, then importing the voice tracks to Pro Tools?

I know it seems like trying to throw money at a problem, but since this is going to be a MAJOR part in the sound quality of my voice-over demos,(my source of income) then I have no problem making such a financial commitment to something that will help me achieve that. This is why I value all of your opinions so much. Its still a hobby yes, but it will in turn effect my (soon to be) carreer.
 
This thread hits home. My 57 makes that same hizzz noise, like an amp. If I plug my 57 direct into my 22-2 reel to reel, I get the same hizzz. My condencers work fine. What the hell?
 
Yo Eddmann! Better men than I are trying to help you with your basic problem, and I really can't tell you whether your problem is a faulty VTB-1, a bad cable, a problem with the MBox, or just bad gain staging. Note this, though- The Avalon U5 is not a mic preamp. It is an active DI box, which accepts an instrument level input and puts out a line level output. There is *no* mic input. It is, however, a kickass DI. The Avalon M5 *is* a mic preamp, and has an instrument input also, which is basically the same circuitry as a U5. It is a $1500 solid state single channel mic pre. an Avalon AD2022 is basically 2 M5's in one box. I own one, and use it a lot with the SM7b, Even with the Avalon, I have to crank the crap out of it to drive the SM7. I'm happy to say that when you drive the Avalon to the limits of its output, it makes no noise that I can hear. My only point here is that you can't use mics with a U5. It is, however, one of the best bass guitar boxes on earth, a real bargain at $500.-Richie
 
Eddmann69 said:
Hello All......I recently made the purchase of a Brand new Shure SM7B, and a brand new Studio Projects VTB-1. Now I hooked them up last night for the first time, and as I was dialing in the levels, I hear this back ground hum...like a distorted amp? I tried killing all the dials one by one, but its just too damn quiet then??? It would seem that the SM7B needs way too much gain in order to come up to level? I am going to do a side by side tonight with my SM57 and see if the noise is still there. I dont think its a compuyer fan / noise issue, It just simply sounds like adding distortion onto a clean amp....just that background hhssssssssssssssssssss. There is nothing that takes it away barring removing all the input anf tube gain, but like I said, that makes the signal unusable. Please offer any suggestions???

Thank you....Ed
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Sounds like the pre-amp itself, can you turn that aweful toob effect off? If so. it should be cleaner, if not, it is most likely a noisey tube. I would be surprised if it was the mic. SM7's need alot of gain (like 60-70) but cranking the mic should not introduce noise unless the noise is coming from the pre-amp.
 
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