Voiceover advice needed - Shure MV7 vs. SM7B for Windows PC

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DenverGuy

New member
Damn, I have been researching this but haven't gotten far. I have an MV7 attached with a USB cable. I keep hearing that that's not the best. I should be using an SM7B with an XLR cable for more low end. Hooking up the MV7 with an XLR-to-USB connector doesn't work well.

Then I saw that Shure also sells a Motiv MVI interface for the SM7B, but do you also need a Cloudlifter? Or is it used in place of one?

Is it worth it to switch to the SM7B with just a cloudlifter?
 
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"I keep hearing that that's not the best." And this is making you question using your MV7? Is the MV7 not working well for you? What seems to be the problem? If it's just other people online telling you that SM7B > MV7, then... who cares? Maybe it is... maybe it isn't. The only reason it should bother you is if the MV7 isn't actually working for your use case.
 
I agree with Ujn. People tend to say stupid thing when it comes to audio equipment. Of course, the SM7b is a great mic, but it is not the only choice. If you can and want to buy that Shure SM7b, a Cloudlifter (which is probably going to be needed because I've heard that the mic has a really low output) and an interface...go for it. But dont just do it because some people told you to.
 
I hated the SM7B for years, now I like it. Tastes change, and without doubt the human voice is more connected to different mics than instruments are by far. An SM7B might suit some voices perfectly, and even help people with gaps in their teeth so they sound a bit cutting - the SM7B tends to be good with sibilant HF. A condenser makes the gappy teeth noise sound horrible. Other people have bassy or trebly voices, and need a sympathetic mic partnership.

One thing - you said XLR to USB? the MV7 has a USB connector and an XLR - XLR to an interface, USB to a computer. The mic sounds like a dynamic and is quite pleasant. If you have the MV7 - what don't you like? You keep hearing it's not the best??? What does yours sound like.
If you want an honest opinion - slap a clip on soundcloud or similar and we will tell you what it sounds like. Typical comments are usually - it sounds fine. That means your voice comes through properly - you don;t sound boom, sibilant or poppy. Some people have great VO voices, others don't. If you want we'll tell you that too - mics great, but your diction is bad, or you're talking through your nose, or youre just too close, too far - but the most common comment is 'your room is bad'. Far more than the mic or the voice is bad.

People who say X mic is rubbish, or Z is so much better rarely live in the real world. There are few awful mics and the Shure is not one of those. A bit pointless swapping it for an SM7B, pre-amp and interface if your mic, via USB works fine.
 
100% agree with the above.
Trust your ears. If you like what the mic is doing then there's no problem.

You mentioned trying with an XLR to USB adapter.
Just so you know those aren't really suitable for 'proper' recording.
Any microphone with XLR connector is going to be much happier seeing a decent audio interface.
Not saying that's what you need...Just pointing out that the cheap adapters are more or less junk.
 
Shure also makes the SM7dB with the integrated booster amp, no Cloudlifter needed. For someone spending $400 or more on a mic shouldn't be even thinking about going cheap on an adapter. Get a proper interface if you feel like the MV7 isn't doing the job, but don't just take some random person's opinion on the MV7. There are lots of people who will simply bad mouth anything.
 
Well, I have heard actual A/B comparisons of the two mics and the SM7B has better low end. I like the sound a lot better and think that an XLR connection is better. I will keep my MV7 for Google Meet, Zoom, etc., but I am going roll with the Behringer U-Phoria UM2 interface and the SM7B for voiceover.

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DenverGuy said:
Well, I have heard actual A/B comparisons of the two mics and the SM7B has better low end. I like the sound a lot better and think that an XLR connection is better. I will keep my MV7 for Google Meet, Zoom, etc., but I am going roll with the Behringer U-Phoria UM2 interface and the SM7B for voiceover.

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I had the UMC204HD, several steps up from the UM2 and the mic pres were er, 'OK'. Flat out they had enough gain for an SM57 on speech and reasonably low noise. The SM7b is even less sensitive than a 57 and I am not sure the mic pre in that most basic of all interfaces is AS good as the 204? Seems a rather daft combination if I might say so? I would bet the MOTU M2 would meet the need.

Dave.
 
DenverGuy said:
The Sweetwater rep, a sound engineer, recommended the UM2. Okay, though, I will look at the one you mentioned.
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Well OK but I am willing to bet that chap has never put those two together. Maybe he has a voice like a foghorn!

Even the M2 will need to be nearly flat out at maximum gain but that is something many folks don't realize about VO work on dynamic mics and the vast majority of interfaces, they only JUST have enough gain.

Dave.
 
Every mic records. Only you can determine what you like. I don't really care what the conventional wisdom about a piece of gear is. I do care if the gear I have does what I want it to do.
DenverGuy said:
I keep hearing that that's not the best
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I keep hearing that Bob Dylan couldn't sing. Been hearing it for 4 or 5 decades now.
But I love his singing {well, up to 1983, anyway}.
 
If you're looking for 'low end', have you tried getting a bit closer to the mic? It's something called 'proximity effect' and is typical for mics that have a cardioid type polar pattern. The closer you get to the mic the more the low end is pronounced. The MV7 also appears to have an app from which the mics response can be tweaked. In the app there is a 'high pass' filter setting. If it is enabled, some of the low end will be cut/lost. There is also a 'Tone' adjustment which may affect the sound. Play/experiment with the compressor setting as well. If you do try getting closer to the mic, you may want to use a 'pop filter' to avoid 'plosives'.
I do have an SM7b that I've using alot lately for vocals. I also have a UMC204HD which I don't use with the SM7b, but if I did, it would need a Cloudlifter or similar (I use a FetHead when I do need a boost for the SM7b).

https://www.shure.com/en-US/docs/guide/MV7

 
Do bear in mind that gaining "low end" has the corresponding effect of a lack of clarity* I am especially sensitive to this on speech because I have next to bugger all above 1.5kHz!

I mean, back in the day of 80's disco did anybody understand a *****ing word the DJ said through those massive speakers?

*Capacitor mics, which generally have a flatter response down to say 40Hz compared with dynamics often incorporate a high pass (bass cut) filter mainly for this reason.

Dave.
 
DenverGuy said:
Damn, I have been researching this but haven't gotten far. I have an MV7 attached with a USB cable. I keep hearing that that's not the best. I should be using an SM7B with an XLR cable for more low end. Hooking up the MV7 with an XLR-to-USB connector doesn't work well.

Then I saw that Shure also sells a Motiv MVI interface for the SM7B, but do you also need a Cloudlifter? Or is it used in place of one?

Is it worth it to switch to the SM7B with just a cloudlifter?
Click to expand...

Quite frankly I find the industry solution for this mic adapting to regular recording equipment is a kludge. I adapted my SM7b for recording and going on the road plugging it into whatever mic pre is at the venue over 20 years ago. I shared that info and I guess that it was lost over time. The filters it has don't work very well on other mic pre. So I remove that out of the circuit and install a dynamic mic transformer. I used a TAB t-58 transformer but any sure sm58 transformer works.

But the sm7 wouldn't be the mic I would recommend for modern pro audio mic preamp and voice over applications. An EV RE20 would be better.
 
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