You need a precise microphone for voice over work and it needs to be able to pick up on your voice and tone, while being easy to set up in your studio. The Shure SM7B is well loved as one of the best microphones for voiceovers and it’s perfect for your studio equipment range.
Designed for usage in close proximity, this is a high-end microphone that is often used by radio stations, for podcasting, and in studios—and it’s not exceptionally expensive either. Keep readying to find out more about the Shure SM7B.
Shure SM7B For Voice Overs
You might think that to have a good voice over session, you need the most expensive microphone out there. An expensive mic might have some good features to it, but with the Shure SM7B, you’ll find that a less expensive microphone might work just as well for you. This Shure option is three times cheaper than some of your other mics out there, after all, but the price doesn’t matter if the features aren’t all there.
Sound Quality
One thing that stands out about this Shure SM7B mic is the sound. It has a flat, wide frequency response, which gives it a natural sound reproduction. For you, this will mean that your voice will come through very cleanly and clearly whether you’re singing or just recording yourself. You won’t hear any distortion or boom in your mic when you listen back.
This is a mic that won’t have you worrying about having too much of a bass or too thin of a sound. If you have a low-pitched voice, it will pick you up without a problem, but even those of you that have voices pitched a little higher won’t have anything to worry about with how the Shure SM7B picks you up. There’s no graininess, edginess, or harshness to the noise, and with a frequency response of up to 20,000 Hz.
Thanks to the advanced electromagnetic shielding too, you won’t have a problem with electromagnetic hum interfering with your sound. You won’t have to worry about that hum from computer monitors or other studio equipment in the room. Just mount it and get to work, since you shouldn’t have an issue with the sound.
It has a presence boost feature that helps to amplify high and mid frequencies beautifully in a gentle manner. If you want to, you can also combine presence boost filters with bass roll off.
What about a condenser or pop filter?
This is just our opinion, but after listening to this Shure SM7B mic, we would say that you don’t need either of these with this mic. The Shure SM7B actually sounds better than a flatter condenser which can still have some harshness to it.
You don’t need a pop filter either since the Shure SM7B comes with one. The pop filter eliminate both mechanical sounds and breathiness.
Additionally, if you do speak close to the Shure SM7B, or when you’re trying to get just the right sound, the Shure SM7B also has a windscreen. This means that you don’t need to worry about any unclear hissing or lisping noises.
Problems with Sound
The Shure SM7B dynamic microphone isn’t necessarily as crispy as condensers, and doesn’t go up to 20 kHz, but this is something that’s common and expected with a dynamic microphone. You should be fine with noise for anything up to 12 kHz, and while you might not be able to capture absolutely everything, you will still get a good range of sound as you speak.
Additional Features
The Shure SM7B has an internal shock mount that will absorb sound and that won’t be as bulky as the external shock mounts you might find on other mics. So, this Shure does look a little large when you take it out to set it up, but it’s a lot smaller than other options with the external mounts.
It also includes something called presence boost, which will compensate for some of the lack of brightness in sound and give you overall better results. Presence boost makes the transition smooth as you do your work.
Pros
Sound
The sound on the SM7B is always consistent. That makes it a reliable microphone, since you won’t need to worry about your sound suddenly being distorted. Every time you record, your sound will always be clear and well-balanced across a range of frequencies. The sound is additionally clear and rich for low sounds and includes smooth highs as well, making the sound very natural overall.
Versatility
You might be using the Shure SM7B for the purpose of voice overs, but you can also make usage of the Shure in multiple other ways. Thanks to the sound and the included features, you might also decide to use it later for broadcasting and singing as well.
Additional Components
One of the best things about the Shure SM7B is the fact that it will work simply without external shock mounts or pop filters, all of which helps reduce the electromagnetic hum from computer monitors that a lot of other dynamic mics have trouble with. You also have a pop filter and a windscreen that’s all ready to go.
Cons
Cost
While the Shure SM7B isn’t overtly expensive compared to some higher end mics, it still does come with a price tag. The Shure SM7B is a professional microphone, after all, and it will require you to invest in it. It might also require a mixer or preamp to really boost the sound, which will cost more for you in the end.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the Shure SM7B is a solid microphone for recording vocals for your voice over work. It picks up sound clearly, doesn’t have any hum or pops thanks to advanced electromagnetic shielding, and works well with both low and high pitches. You might need some additional hardware to really make the sound work for you, but the Shure SM7B is a good option for a professional sounding mic.
