Shure SMb7

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songsj

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Looking for advice from those who have used the SM7b, how is it as compared to a SM58, AKG C214, AKG C3000B.

Looking for something clean and clear with not quite the bite/sibilance of most condenser mics. Of course for male vocals. country/pop. Not metal or screaming vocals.
 
If have one and never use it. Sounds fine, works fine too despite the doom and gloom stories about its low output, BUT I choose others depending on the voices. Akg 414, Shure 58 or 58 beta, Ev 320 often come out of the mic box more often and yesterday my wife on lockdown discovered a box on a shelf. A Chinese ribbon I bought five years ago and forgot about. This sounds quite warm so I think I might start using this, but the sm7b just isn't special enough and is probably the only mic I consider a waste of money. Nothing at all wrong with them, and some people love them but it's just not got the sound I like or the versatility. The 414 has multiple patterns is quite small and it's predictable. Do I get the sm7b out to try on that bass trombone, or just use the 414? If I get the occasional screamer, they get the 58
 
I have one that I bought for voiceover, but it doesn't flatter my voice. I have heard other VOs use it to great effect. I use the 414 for broadcast (with the foam on it), but I should have gone with the cardioid version instead. You might like the EV RE20 better than the Shure.
 
I think its the SM58 with miniscule differences, and once you chop off the low freq as normal ...it gets even closer....assuming the SM58 is the same distance away.

But SM7b is a great mic design and has the whole case and metal screen and little eq thing built in too. Its a classic mic, and the price was better at $250 new not long ago, but its gone up a lot.
 
Well, I like mine. And I've never really been a fan of the 58. I'd actually rather sing into a 57 with it's factory foam windscreen. Somehow I know better how to 'work it'. Habit, I guess.
 
Now, there is a guy who used to hang here that said the 3000B was just about his favorite mic ever. I've always thought I should get one of those to see. He said it was one of those Swiss Army-type mics, good for all kinds of stuff.
 
You might also look into a Sennheiser 421. Or a 441 if you've got the cash.

And weirdly, a guy told me once that the Audix i5 makes a pretty good substitute for an SM-7b, and a whole lot cheaper.
 
There are so many mics that actually really decent for particular voices. Some you'd never guess and the only way to know is to have a bunch of em and just do some experimenting.

One of the 'flattest' full-bodied mics for vocals I have ever used is an SM81. They used to have a vocal screen as an add-on. That one and the Shure SM59 if you can find one. They used both of these on television stages for years.
 
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