Shure SM7dB: A Great Mic That I Won't Be Keeping

The Shure SM7dB is a fantastic update to the legendary SM7B, but before you buy it it’s important to be "shure" that it’s the right mic for you. This video takes a looks at the SM7dB’s performance and breaks down who I think it IS for and who it is NOT for.

I also quickly want to point out that I never buy gear with the intent to return it for a refund after making a review. I’m returning the SM7dB because it’s an expensive mic that adds no benefit to my specific setup that the original SM7B doesn’t already cover. I had hoped that it would allow me to have that “SM7B Sound™” with a cleaner signal and less gain, but as the video shows, there’s no discernible difference with my equipment.

⚙️ Gear featured in this video:

🎤 Mics used for comparison:

⏱️ Chapter Markers:
0:00 - Basics of the SM7dB
3:20 - The Conclusion: Why I’m Returning the Mic
4:39 - Who Should NOT Buy the SM7dB
5:47 - Who SHOULD Buy the SM7dB
7:45 - Running the Mic Directly Into a Camera
8:47 - What About Other Boosted Dynamic Mics?
10:09 - A Brief History of the SM7B
11:49 - What’s Included with the SM7dB
12:59 - Sound Comparison: vs. Original SM7B
15:00 - Noise Floor Comparison
19:31 - vs. Logitech Blue Sona
22:47 - vs. Shure MV7/MV7X
24:54 - vs. Shure SM58
26:24 - vs. ElectroVoice RE20
28:00 - vs. Samson Q9u
28:56 - vs. Rode PodMic USB
30:09 - vs. Rode Procaster
31:19 - vs. Rode NT1 5th Generation
32:46 - vs. Lewis LCT 240 Pro
33:30 - vs. Earthworks ICON Pro
34:14 - vs. Earthworks ETHOS
35:26 - Final Thoughts

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– Who Am I? –

Hi! My name is Tom Buck, a lifelong A/V nerd and former high school Digital Media teacher. I started this channel in 2017 as a project to share my enthusiasm for everything related to audio and video production.

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Episode 375: Shure SM7dB: A Great Mic That I Won't Be Keeping

[fullnelsontecmo]

Just wanted to thank you up front for not making this baity. Your content is always great. I respect content creators a ton more when they don't do the obnoxious thumbnails or video titles with unclosed loops. Again, I thank you. Great video as always.

[Slipsch]

This mic is a clear discrepancy of what consumer actually want vs what brands wants and what brands thought consumers want:
1) Brand thought with so many podcast using the SM7B, if they add the Shure logo, it will be free advertising for them. The only reason I'm not upgrading to 6 of the SM7dB and bought 6 Lauten Audio LS-208 is purely because of the logo that Shure added. If I don't use it hang down, the logo will be upside down unless I open the screw and rotate it and screw it back.
2) They beauty of the SM7B is how subtle it was, the black plate makes it look so clean, now they no longer gives you the back plate
3) It's nice that they make the switch easier to access, but what's the point if no one even uses the switches in the first place?
4) Build in Pre-amp 5 years too late, now entry level audio interfaces already have 69 db of gain like the latest generation Scarlett, 76 db of gain with the Rodecaster pro II/duo, 80 db of gain with mackie DLZ creator. How about studios? People will studio already have preamp like the 1073 which already have more than enough gain to power the SM7B.
5) The mic color (shiny) and proportion just looks wrong and camera, the elongated design with the taper, just make the mic looks weird, the original SM7B already look perfect, why mess with that?
6)Here's what people actually want, we want the next generation of SM7B
-Better sound so we can upgrade our current SM7B to the next generation SM7C. Maybe neodymium magnet? Improved capsule? Better internals? Lower Noise Floor with the same sound signature?
-The wire coming out from the side, we want it to be internal so it will look cleaner on camera
-Better yok mount so it's easier to screw
-Built in wire mesh pop filter inside the cage for the capsule, perhaps something like the JZ-PF pop filter
-We want the rest to be the same, because of the MAYA effect - Most Advanced, Yet Acceptable - To sell something familiar, you must make it surprising and to sell something surprising, you must make it familiar.

[McKadeTV]

Alot of work went into this video I can't thank you enough for it It's been very informative

[aaroncobeng]

Thanks for the time to make this. Yeah if you have a good enough setup you won't need the added benefits of the db, since it is exactly the same mic as the older version, I didn't expect any sonic difference anyway since micboosters are not known to color the sound too much. You can buy many types of mic boosters for less than 100usd like the fethead nowadays anyway.

[Underhills]

I haven't slept much since I discovered this channel.

[Ashragi]

I came across this video cause I'm looking to upgrade from a cheaper XLR mic. I laughed out loud at "The only time I really recommend it is if you're using an audio interface like this one" and you hold up my exact audio interface.

Noted, dB it is, thank you!

[MickSupper]

I wanted to buy the SM7B and went with the SM58 and glad that I did. Being my first mic for voice over, I'm happy with it.

[ArturZygmunt]

You become my new GodGuru in 5 minutes. Absolutely love the conclusions and the presentation. Especially that you listed some hardwares that have enough gain for standard sm7b. THANK YOU!

[moesaurenman]

Thx for the distance demonstration, that was exactly the information I was looking for. SM7dB it is for me! First time stumbling across your channel. Great content! Much appreciated!

[stevenishizu]

$500 is *wild* for what it is. I’ve found myself specing the Blue Sona in a lot of new builds these days, and the fact that it’s like 30% cheaper is a big question mark for Shure and this Sm7dB… like, who is gonna buy this?

[onocoffee]

I definitely thing the dB is a potentially good mic for the new YouTuber who's just starting to get their own gear, has heard so many people say they "must" buy a booster and has gear that is not properly capable. But it is good to know that the same sound people have come to depend upon is still present in the dB.

Video Idea: Booster Alternatives - there are a few affordable mic preamps that can help deliver better quality sound and do more than simply boost the signal. ART Tube MP is a great little tube preamp whose V3 costs in the same range as a CloudLifter and the used V2 can be had for $40 or less. I've been playing with my old v2 lately (as I've been thinking more on outboard gear) with the RE20 and AM30 and have been enjoying the exploration.

[evangelistadrianjones]

Thank you Tom for your knowledge and honesty …..You have really helped me out over the years with my equipment….Blessings to you…..😎

[TMade]

Honestly my biggest problem is the logo on the side. I use an mv7 for streaming and I gaff tape the logo. The big appeal of the sm7b for me was not making every stream an ad for shure

[bhgemini]

Loved these comparisons. I'm happy with my CAD E100S and MV7. After switching the MV7's screen to the SM7b's one has helped so much with plosives. Also, I totally forgot about the handheld mic being an emoji since I always use the vintage one that looks like a Shure 55.

[CatharticGuitar]

This was perfect for me. I just got the dB from Sweetwater because my old set up with the B and Cloudlifter going into older Scarlet Focusrite was hassle enough that I’d usually just use a Shure M58 to avoid the hassle of the Cloudlifter. I just sold the SM7B for $260 on Reverb and hope to sell the Cloudlifter to help pay for the SM7dB.

[Alphagosney]

This is the best review of the shure mics out. Thank you!

[donbullock-techihound]

Tom, another excellent microphone review. I always enjoy hearing your prospective on new microphones.

You mentioned the difficulty of mounting the Rode Procaster. I too was having problems. B&H included a shock mount with the Procaster that was similar to the Rode model free with the microphone. Because the Procaster is so heavy I had problems getting the microphone stay in my set position. Because of that problem I purchased a Gator Frameworks Universal Shockmount for 18-55mm Studio Condenser Microphones from B&H and placed it toward the middle of the Procaster. I did my best to find where the microphone’s balance point was. This new shock mount has solved my problems. I can now set the Procaster in almost any position and it will stay. This shock mount sort of mimics the “cradle” style mount on the SM7B and it does a much better job of isolating “handling noise” as well.

[GwallahGwallah]

Thanks for your honest input on this item m8

[robertwells]

I just found you, your video is amazing bro 😊 I’m 8 minutes in and I got the info I needed. I’ve been looking at videos for 3 hours now.. Thanks 🙏🏽 back to the video.

[stephansagmiller]

Your voice sounds perfect on the procaster. I miss it as your main mic. If you can believe it, I suspect you sound even better on the Broadcaster!