Bigsnake00
New member
Part I
I just wanted to post yet another "review"/ song of praise for this microphone. My recording setup has been extremely varied over the last ten years as it has typically been dictated by the amount of space/time I've had. I've owned lots of different gear from full blown 1" 16 track Tascam analog machines to strictly computer based DAW, but I have ALWAYS struggled with finding "that" mic with vocals (specifically MY vocals). It reached a point to where I was becoming so obsessed and frustrated that I basically gave up recording for the last 3 years (that and law school has taken up, oh just a smidge of my time).
At some point in this process, I decided to find out what all the fuss was about regarding the SM7. I acquired one off ebay and was greeted by that nasty box with the red lining (must have been an old version). The mic itself was absolutely unimpressive to me - it was just blah! I chalked it up to my ears being used to the sensitivity of a LDC, but even after extensive testing, I just could not get what I wanted --- I think I actually sold it to someone on these boards. Maybe it was just my ability - I mean if I couldn't get that mic to sound good?!?!
Fast forward 5 years. As I said, all recording has essentially ceased. I am in a 750 square foot space with no room for any real equipment, but I am just DYING to do some sort of recording. I start researching setups that would suit me and decided that something small and simple was a must. The Yamaha AW1600 seemed like a good fit - USB connectivity, 24 bit, powerful, etc. Find one on Craigslist locally for $250. Get it home and realize that the CD drive is dead (probably the reason for the cheap sell, but then further realize that I can get a replacement for $10 - thanks douchebag).
My goal is simple, just me laying down some vocal and acoustic versions of songs I have written, doing the final editing in Logic. BUT, the one thing looming in the back of my mind, is how the HELL am I going to get decent vocals. I start thinking about mics, and what my needs are: 1) that small space is pretty noisy (traffic, air-conditioner, etc) - a LDC is going to pic up all that sound....so a dynamic mic would be better right? Wrong, the only dynamic I could think of that could handle this task is the SM7. 45 minutes later I am in the store holding one asking myself - "do you really want to get involved with this mic again?"
My heart tells me "no", but my brain knows better. You see, my first experience with the SM7 was sans preamp - I think it was going into a firepod, not near enough juice. Recent research on my part has uncovered the fact that I need a preamp with PLENTY OF GAIN. How I missed that before is beyond me, but I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice....
Now that I have decided on the mic, I have to find a preamp that 1) doesn't sound like shit and 2) can put out at least 60db of gain. Well friends, the fine Guitar Center stocks NOTHING that fits that bill, or at least nothing that is under $1000, which currently, would not be a good idea for me. You see, I still have one year of school left, and I don't think that my lovely, working wife would understand my need for the preamp of that magnitude. Somehow, standing in that store, I convince myself that a UA 710 Twin-finity was within reach. I'm starting my internship next month - I will be able to afford it.
So there I was about $1100 poorer, but dammit I was going to have beautiful vocal tracks
To be continued.....
I just wanted to post yet another "review"/ song of praise for this microphone. My recording setup has been extremely varied over the last ten years as it has typically been dictated by the amount of space/time I've had. I've owned lots of different gear from full blown 1" 16 track Tascam analog machines to strictly computer based DAW, but I have ALWAYS struggled with finding "that" mic with vocals (specifically MY vocals). It reached a point to where I was becoming so obsessed and frustrated that I basically gave up recording for the last 3 years (that and law school has taken up, oh just a smidge of my time).
At some point in this process, I decided to find out what all the fuss was about regarding the SM7. I acquired one off ebay and was greeted by that nasty box with the red lining (must have been an old version). The mic itself was absolutely unimpressive to me - it was just blah! I chalked it up to my ears being used to the sensitivity of a LDC, but even after extensive testing, I just could not get what I wanted --- I think I actually sold it to someone on these boards. Maybe it was just my ability - I mean if I couldn't get that mic to sound good?!?!
Fast forward 5 years. As I said, all recording has essentially ceased. I am in a 750 square foot space with no room for any real equipment, but I am just DYING to do some sort of recording. I start researching setups that would suit me and decided that something small and simple was a must. The Yamaha AW1600 seemed like a good fit - USB connectivity, 24 bit, powerful, etc. Find one on Craigslist locally for $250. Get it home and realize that the CD drive is dead (probably the reason for the cheap sell, but then further realize that I can get a replacement for $10 - thanks douchebag).
My goal is simple, just me laying down some vocal and acoustic versions of songs I have written, doing the final editing in Logic. BUT, the one thing looming in the back of my mind, is how the HELL am I going to get decent vocals. I start thinking about mics, and what my needs are: 1) that small space is pretty noisy (traffic, air-conditioner, etc) - a LDC is going to pic up all that sound....so a dynamic mic would be better right? Wrong, the only dynamic I could think of that could handle this task is the SM7. 45 minutes later I am in the store holding one asking myself - "do you really want to get involved with this mic again?"
My heart tells me "no", but my brain knows better. You see, my first experience with the SM7 was sans preamp - I think it was going into a firepod, not near enough juice. Recent research on my part has uncovered the fact that I need a preamp with PLENTY OF GAIN. How I missed that before is beyond me, but I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice....
Now that I have decided on the mic, I have to find a preamp that 1) doesn't sound like shit and 2) can put out at least 60db of gain. Well friends, the fine Guitar Center stocks NOTHING that fits that bill, or at least nothing that is under $1000, which currently, would not be a good idea for me. You see, I still have one year of school left, and I don't think that my lovely, working wife would understand my need for the preamp of that magnitude. Somehow, standing in that store, I convince myself that a UA 710 Twin-finity was within reach. I'm starting my internship next month - I will be able to afford it.
So there I was about $1100 poorer, but dammit I was going to have beautiful vocal tracks
To be continued.....
)
