Shure SM7B Review // Mic shootout: Rode NTG3, Shure SM57, Blue Bluebird, Videomic Pro Plus

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I recently purchased the Shure SM7B and WOW I'm already head over heels in love with this mic!! The main reason I'm in love with it, other than it's iconic status, beautifully classic design, and great sound, is that it's a high-quality dynamic microphone.  The reason that is so important to me is in the nature of a dynamic mic.  The coils that vibrate in response to audio sound waves are tough and durable, making these mics able to pick up loud sounds quite cleanly, which also lends it NOT to pick up much far away from the mic.  This helps the SM7B shine as a Voiceover or broadcast use microphone as it really zeros in on picking up the human voice right in front of it, not the reflections off the walls or anything else going on in the room.  

Pair this thing with a clean boost like a Cloudlifter mic activator, and/or analog mic preamplifier, and BOOM you've got a solid gain, low noise, high quality mic signal for your enjoyment.  Great purchase, 10/10 on this mic.  I'm in love.

[OliverJHughes]

LIST EVERY MICROPHONE IN YOUR ARSENAL!!

[kimeriksson]

I will never be able to use my Videomic Pro+ anymore after hearing it next to your NTG 3. Never imagined the difference was that massive.
The sound of that NTG 3 is so smooth and nice.

[SuperNicktendo]

Upgraded to the SM7B from a Blue Yeti which meant that I needed the extra hardware to power it as well. It was a bit challenging, but I now have enough gain to have microphone just outside of the frame and it picks up my voice very well. I also like that since I'm in a tiny apartment, my wife can watch TV with no headphones and this will not pick it up at all.

[mahmud-ahsan]

Great comparison thank you. I have and use SM7B for long time, previously I used to use Rode NT-USB but it picks up lots of sound coming from other source beside my room, that was painful. SM7B solved this problem dramatically.

[misterniceshoes]

Wow, the SM57 with that foam on sounds really close to the SM7B!

[MrFSTQ]

i wish you did the same step away from the mic in 3:04 with SM7B, because i have noisy AC and i wan't great mic with noise isolation.

[OscarRatcliffe]

Just started getting into filmmaking and plan to buy a second hand ntg4 for my first short film

[olivertruswell]

This channel deserves way more views and subs. Great job man.

[MyManDan]

just picked up some HD 280 Pros a couple weeks ago. So good for the price.

[CincinnatiCharity]

As a streamer, I use the Shure SM7B, but I can't stand how it is SO close to my face. Would it be practical to try out the Rode NTG3?

[edtechii]

Thanks Oliver for a extremely helpful review and comparison.

[top_tech.k]

*Thanks great informative review 👍 ✨ ✨ ✨*
*What is the mic chain for this test?*

[ketzbook]

What's the best setup for the sm7b if I want to record audio to my computer? What else should I buy?

[JimmySlacksack]

which mic would you reccomend for doing a Jack Nicholson imitation voice?

[puzzleaudio]

Interesting comparison. Great to hear the variety. I like the NTG3 for voice over, Foley, ENG and Video. The SM7B is a workhorse but leans more in the broadcast/podcast space. Your vocal track was a good example of how the SM7B can shine "under pressure." Thanks for the vid!

[unevenpictures]

i was looking into the spark but i got a scarlet 2i2 and a cloudlifter cl1 and now im not sure what mic i should get . i want it for twitch streaming

[ChrisStenberg]

This is the best mic test I have watched so far. Thank you for the super useful info and comparison!

[Matthew_Raymond]

If you need a shotgun, might want to try the NTG5 instead of the NTG3. It sounds about the same, but it’s $200 cheaper.

[TheMavShow]

The quality of your videos are fantastic! Keep it up!

[NormanXY]

Make a comparison between shure sm7b and audio technica at4040 please