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Shure states that its older SM7B operates best with 60dB of gain. I still use an older Focusrite Scarlett (Gen 2) at home, and its preamp maxes out around +50db of gain, so this new boost is a welcome feature for my current setup. If you were in this situation with the older model, you were left to spend more money to purchase an outboard booster like the Cloud Microphones CL-1 Cloudlifter to get optimal levels into your interface and take full advantage of the sound the microphone offers.

As a real-world example, in our recent SM7dB overview video, we kept our audio chain simple by running the SM7dB conveniently into the camera directly.

What’s it like to use the Shure SM7dB?

There is something special about holding a Shure SM7-series dynamic microphone in your hand. Its weight comes from the robust, all-metal construction, and the yoke design makes it easy to position in front of you on a mic stand or boom arm. After your XLR cable is connected and you set levels, speaking into the mic, you’ll immediately notice how great the SM7dB makes your voice sound. Once you’re happy with your settings, you can sit back, focus on performance, and let the mic do the rest of the work.

The quality pop filter incorporated into the mic deals with plosives and fricatives. Its classic cardioid pattern holds back any off-axis pickup, allowing you to get a decent sound in just about any room, treated or not. Speaking of noise, there is also an internal air suspension shock system that helps keep mechanical noises down, like the bumps and brushes of handling the microphone if you have to make a quick adjustment on the fly. Lastly, to ensure a low-noise electrical performance, the SM7dB is designed with top-notch shielding to keep any electromagnetic hum from computer monitors or other electrical devices at bay. All these desirable quality characteristics contribute to the sound and status of the Shure SM7dB microphone.

How do you control the Shure SM7dB?

You’ll find access to the new +18 and +28dB preamp boost feature on the rear control plate. To activate, simply slide the ‘bypass’ switch to the right and slide the ‘preamp’ switch to your desired gain boost setting. Remember that you’ll need to engage phantom power on your preamp or audio interface to use this boost feature. When in bypassed mode, you’re effectively holding a good old-fashioned SM7B, complete with traditional bass roll-off and presence boost toggles. These eq options are available to use with or without the gain boost engaged.

How does the Shure SM7dB connect?

As with the original, the SM7dB connects to your audio input via an industry-standard locking, balanced 3-pin XLR connector next to the threaded stand mount.

What pickup pattern does the Shure SM7dB have?

The Shure SM7dB features the classic cardioid polar pattern, and it helps you get a decent recording with this microphone in almost any room. This pattern means it captures sound primarily from in front of the microphone and rejects sound 180° behind the capsule, attenuating any unwanted background noises and ensuring you’re left to hear the performance you want to capture. The cardioid pattern does offer some forgiveness from the sides, and while you’ll always get the best results speaking directly into the capsule, this does allow you to speak a bit more freely while in front of the mic.

How does the Shure SM7dB sound?

Thanks to its wide frequency response, getting a clear and full-sounding vocal performance out of this microphone is incredibly easy. For the following recordings, I ran the SM7dB into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (Gen 2) recording interface wit