Do the built-in pre's on a TASCAM 388 have enough 'Va-Va-Voom' to power the SM7b?

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gentlejohn

gentlejohn

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Just wondering! The SHURE SM7B is a dynamic mic I believe and all reviews I've read so far state you need a ton of preamp gain to get the most out of it. Are the standard Pre's in the 388 good enough for the job do you know?
 
Oh, hang on! This Cloudlifter gain box needs Phantom Power (I think!) Hmm ... there's no Phantom Power on the 388.

Why all the questions? Well, I'm toying with getting an SM7B but I need to know if it's going to be compatible with a Tascam 388 (and, buying an SM7B would blow my budget - I don't have a budget for an SM7B AND an external preamp right now).
 
You just pipped me to the post there JP! Any further thoughts on this? Are the pre's in a 388 good enough to power a (dynamic) SM7b do you know??
 
Just found this quote:

'The Shure SM7b is a LOW OUPUT mic. If you don't have a Cloud Lifter (CL-1) get one! Even if you have an expensive mic pre it will give you around an extra 20db of Gain. I run my SM7b with a Cloud Lifter through a API512c into an UA1176ln into a Focusrite Pro 40 and it sounds amazing!'

Hmm ... still none the wiser as to Shure/388 compatibility mind.
 
gentlejohn said:
You just pipped me to the post there JP! Any further thoughts on this? Are the pre's in a 388 good enough to power a (dynamic) SM7b do you know??
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I don't have either, but I'd be surprised and disappointed if it didn't work.

Incidentally, if you desperately need a preamp, I have an Icon Reotube G2 which isn't doing anything.
I had to build a new PSU housing as the wall-wart got smashed in transit and I needed to use it that same day. (Thus the PSU is no longer RoHS compliant, since I used lead solder while fixing it).
Eventually I got a TLA compressor instead so it's just sitting the loft at the moment.

It was never worth much and with a DIY power supply I'm not sure it has much retail value so I'd be happy to let it go more-or-less for postage if it's any use to you.
 
The SM7B should work fine with the 388 preamps. No need for these wacky boxes.
 
You have to crank it on some sources, but there is enough. Good mic choice by the way, if I had to keep only one microphone for the rest of my life it would without a doubt be my sm7b.
 
Cheers Folks! I'm very interested to hear opinions on the venerable SM7B. I especially like Rikard's comment about it above as I'm thinking of doing just that ie: investing in ONE perceived-to-be 'good' mic. As flippin' always (!) budget is a big issue this end (or lack of one!) and the SM7B does seem fairly pricey for a dynamic mic. I guess what I'm looking for right now is what you might describe as a 'Swiss Army Knife' microphone! Something that's gonna give me decent, useable results on the sources I'll be using it on (eg: Vox/Acoustic Guitars/mic'ing an E Gtr Amp/a minimal Drum Kit /Percussion/Double Bass/Kazoo/etc...) I record in isolation and build stuff up to sound like a band I guess via multi-tracking & right now I'm seriously toying with just investing in ONE tried & tested 'decent' mic. That said, I have also been reading a lot of stuff saying that the SM7B is effectively a glorified SM57 just in a bigger casing (not that there's anything wrong with the humble SM57 mind!) I'm just wondering if it warrants almost four times the price (£) of a SM57. PS: Care to tell me why this model is your 'Desert Island Mic' Rikard? I'm intrigued ....
 
gentlejohn said:
Cheers Folks! I'm very interested to hear opinions on the venerable SM7B. I especially like Rikard's comment about it above as I'm thinking of doing just that ie: investing in ONE perceived-to-be 'good' mic. As flippin' always (!) budget is a big issue this end (or lack of one!) and the SM7B does seem fairly pricey for a dynamic mic. I guess what I'm looking for right now is what you might describe as a 'Swiss Army Knife' microphone! Something that's gonna give me decent, useable results on the sources I'll be using it on (eg: Vox/Acoustic Guitars/mic'ing an E Gtr Amp/a minimal Drum Kit /Percussion/Double Bass/Kazoo/etc...) I record in isolation and build stuff up to sound like a band I guess via multi-tracking & right now I'm seriously toying with just investing in ONE tried & tested 'decent' mic. That said, I have also been reading a lot of stuff saying that the SM7B is effectively a glorified SM57 just in a bigger casing (not that there's anything wrong with the humble SM57 mind!) I'm just wondering if it warrants almost four times the price (£) of a SM57. PS: Care to tell me why this model is your 'Desert Island Mic' Rikard? I'm intrigued ....
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Well, my other desert island mic is a sm57. I have plenty of higher end, pricier mics, tube mics, a couple ribbons, plenty of condensers......I use the sm7b more then any other mic, and on any source. It kind of is a glorified 57, but a much fuller sound, deeper low, and more extended high end. Many great recordings have this mic all over them. Works great on any drum, including for a one mic over the top setup (really great actually). Great on a bass amp, guitar amp, and it does amazing things on vocals (Vox on MJ Thriller, most vocals on Wilco records, Kings of Leon),.. However, if you are looking for a lower budget mic, you can do just about anything with a 57. Highly recommend listening to anything by Kelley Stoltz, but particularly Below the Branches. He did everything on a 388, and at the time of this record, he only used SM-57's, and the stock pre's on the 388. He has many other great mics now, but this record, that's all he used. He may have only had one. He plays all the instruments, similar to what you are doing, ( I also do this). It's a great sounding record. You can also do the transformer mod on the 57, which is pretty easy, by removing the transformer, it sounds much more like a SM-7b, in my opinion. There are many tutorials on line for doing this. I have 2 57's with transformers, and two without, and I really like the ones without(just don't use phantom power after you remove the transformer)

Black Keys, Thick Freakness was recorded on a 388, and I believe they only used 57's as well. So if you want to just get rockin, grab one or two 57's(if you don't have any), and just start making music with the 388. Or spend $300 and get a Sm7, and you won't regret that either. Seriously, it's such a wonderful microphone. So many people spend so much time lusting after all of these expensive pieces of gear, thinking it is going to get the "pro sound". But some of the great studio wizards, are recording vocals on Sm-57's, and recording there drums on portastudios with two microphones.

In summation, it is THEE swiss army knife of microphones, works on anything/everything, and it can sound almost as good as any "High End" vocal mic(different, but very good). This is all my opinion, and I'm just a hack who likes recording, and has been put-zing around with it for 20 years, with mostly cheap equipment, and in no way is this a professional opinion. Anyway, that's my two cents, hope that helps!
Cheers!
 
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This is a rough mix of a demo, I recently did (can't wait to record there full record, cool band). But I did the basic tracks on a 388(my last recording on my 388, as I recently sold it, and picked up better console, and a Tascam 42 YAY!). But the vocals were recorded on the 388, with my SM 7B. Granted I used my UA Solo 610 mic pre. I also recorded the lead guitar with the Sm7, with the mic pre on the 388. The mix is kind of crappy, as it was just for reference as we just tracked the Organ. I tracked the bass with the 7B but there is some bad phase cancelling, so that doesn't do it much justice. I have another song we did, with the Sm7b on the bass, with the 388 mic pre, and it sounds awesome, I just don't have it posted. But anyway, humble home studio recording, with the SM-7b all over it.

https://soundcloud.com/richard-meade/be-kind-rough-mix-with-organ
 
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Is a 388 preamp close to a Teac 3 preamp? I have a Teac 3 mixer that blew my mind when I plugged in some very old ribbon mics (40's-era Altec birdcage mics). Plenty of gain and good sound. Works with my RE20 as well.
 
leddy said:
Is a 388 preamp close to a Teac 3 preamp? I have a Teac 3 mixer that blew my mind when I plugged in some very old ribbon mics (40's-era Altec birdcage mics). Plenty of gain and good sound. Works with my RE20 as well.
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Nah...very different. I believe the 3 is transformer coupled and I would guess uses a 4558. Could be wrong. 388 is transformer less and is based on the TL072.
 
I've not used the SM7 but if I could only have one general purpose mike, my choice would be an EV 635a ... the good thing is they are common, and regularly sell for around $50 on eBay (including vintage). This is the most condenser-like dynamic I've heard. You may need a little low-end (bass) boost ... but then again, if you're hitting the tape hard, you'll probably be cutting some lows anyway due to head-bump.

Don't be fooled by the cheap price -- these are bullet-proof, studio-grade mikes. Lots of vocalists used these on '60s TV shows, and they even cut some leads at Motown on a 635a. The SM7 may look more impressive, but I wouldn't be surprised if a 635a beat it on lots of sources in a shootout.

I think one of the problems we run into is basing the quality on price. I had been on the hunt for an EV 666 for a long time, but always avoided them because they routinely sell for $300+. I thought there must be some magic there. I finally broke down and bought one, and ... my worn-down looking EV RE-11 ($5 at a yard sale), 635a and Shure 545 all work WAY better for everything I tested it on !

I think a good budget all-rounder condenser is the Audio Technica AT-4033. Not great on everything, but really hits the spot for some things. You do need phantom for this one though. I don't imagine there's much that can't be done with an AT4033, EV 635a, and a Shure 545/SM-57.

(PS -- I'm not down on the SM7 by the way ... just never tried it, and thought I would throw in my experience with other mikes).

Rikard, glad to see you mentioned Kelley Stoltz -- he's a friend of mine from SF and a super guy. Best songwriter I've ever known !
 
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Wow, I'll have to check out the ev mic, I have seen them around and been curious, so I may just pick one up. There really some gems out there, I'm always on the look out. Kelley Stoltz is such fantastic writer, cool that you know him, and to hear he is a good dude. Was so happy to discover his music, he's pretty high up there for me.
 
Thanks SO much for the insights folks - really helpful! PS: Got to see Kelley Stoltz in Glasgow on his last UK tour. He's got it going on ... PPS: Check out Troun Records as there's some pretty magical stuff going down there too!!
 
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