Sure SM7 - What do you like it on & why?

Eric Rottmayer · Post by **Eric Rottmayer** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:23 am

I've been using this mic for my main vocals lately. I started using it for backing vox
tracks because it sits right into a mix at low levels and doubles super easy. but for
a single vocal track I almost always start with my sm7b. haven't tried it on acoustic
but I love Jeff Lynne so I guess I'll be trying that! I find it to be very forgiving with
my vocal style (i'm not a great singer) and my dynamics and it works really well
with my FMR limiter. It's not an intimidating mic for vocals; sometimes I get
behind a ribbon or a really nice tube mic and I don't want to spit, curse & moan on
them and the performance can suffer. but the sm7b is a tank. I recommend removing
the foam pop filter and getting/making a round pop filter for this mic. the foam
ones that come with it don't really do much except make that scratchy, squeeky
sound when you touch them. ghhha.

jx · Post by jx » Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:04 am

logey wrote:
jx wrote:... mine's served time on kick, snare, overhead, acoustic guitar (the jeff lynne trick),
ok JX...I'll bite. Whats the "jeff lynne trick"? I read your post and then searched this and a couple other forums and can't find a thing...related to acoustic guitar recording anyway! Can you point me to somewhere I can read about it?

Thanks!

hi Logey

for the ELO stuff Lynne produced, one of his 'things' was recording acoustic guitars (the more stummy parts anyway) with a dynamic mic, so it's less detailed- more rhythmic, like a shaker. i don't think it's just Lynne; phil spector used to do the same thing, crowding a bunch of guitarists (all playing the same part) around a dynamic or ribbon (see 'My Sweet Lord"). i've seen daniel lanois record acoustics with a 57 too...

Jeff also used to record drums down a long corridor, or at the bottom of a lift shaft, to get the 'cement mixer behind the beat' stylings of Bev Bevan. or maybe he just wanted him far far away...

RoyMatthews · Post by **RoyMatthews** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:34 am

Do you guys tend to leave it flat or do you use the roll-off and/or mid boost?

Eric Rottmayer · Post by **Eric Rottmayer** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:51 am

RoyM wrote:Do you guys tend to leave it flat or do you use the roll-off and/or mid boost?

I use mine flat with my voice. I've used the mid/roll switches on other things
though. like on kick I would roll & mid boost but I don't love the sm7 on kick.
I may apply some eq on it if needed, before or after, depending on the mix.

biasvoltage · Post by **biasvoltage** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 2:07 pm

My SM7b makes my voice sound the way my voice sounds in my head. For that I am eternally grateful.

mcmurrich · Post by **mcmurrich** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:55 pm

bass gtr. when a bass has to compete and needs some punch but i don't want to hear the strings/fret slides etc. it always seems to work.

some of the best vocal tracks i've ever recorded. big and clear.

i love that i can roll off or boost if called for.

compresses well

parlormusic · Post by **parlormusic** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:10 am

Wow, I knew people liked the SM7, but I had no idea that it was this well liked. Makes me glad that I own one!

Anybody try it on banjo or violin?

tiger vomitt · Post by **tiger vomitt** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:38 am

i use it on everything too. i do a lot of recordings for myself, one track at a time, where the only mic i use is the sm7b. i just leave it up and aim it at whatever im playing. my only complaint is that it does need a ton of gain, much moreso than an sm58.

sometimes i use the low cut, not the presence boost really. usually it's flat. and, no, it doesnt need a shockmount haha. you can hold it in your hand and it's fine. it doesnt sound too good without the poofy attachment. not the super poofy one, i mean the regular more conical one. the big one's ok too though.

i also use it on vocals a lot.

Derrick · Post by **Derrick** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:17 pm

Awe man... I love mine too! I have an early one (SM-7) prolly from late 70s. It is so thick and yet has the right detail. Sounds stupid to say this, but I hear "quality" in it. Whatever. I love it and I've used it on acustic guitars for a long time now as my weapon to get the late 60s/early 70s thick acoustic sounds I was never able to get. Doesn't suprise me that Jeff Lynn did the same thing. It sounds gorgious on vox too! Best $30 I ever spent.

Kasey · Post by **Kasey** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:12 pm

$30???? how'd you pull that off?

Derrick · Post by **Derrick** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:50 am

The same way the Professor got his vintage Neumann condensor mics free... I was just in the right place at the right time. Actually, I spotted it in a pile of odds and sods. I knew it looked like a mic and then saw it said "Sure". I looked up the number sm-7 and realised that the reason it looked wierd to me was that the foam screen was rotted off and that I had actually seen these mics many times (this was before my education in recording). I saw that these go for a lot of $$$ on eBay and looked at Sure's site and found that the screens are still available cheap. I gave the guy $30 even after he said I could just have it, and ordered the screen. It's now one of my absolute favorite mics... period! If you all don't have one, get one!

It's a MUST HAVE.

This is what is looked like when I first saw it...

And now...

DupleMeter · Post by **DupleMeter** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 5:53 pm

parlormusic wrote:Wow, I knew people liked the SM7, but I had no idea that it was this well liked. Makes me glad that I own one!

Anybody try it on banjo or violin?

No...but love it on mandolin & acoustic guitar - makes them sound fat & clear. Other than that, it is my go to vocal mic because it just sounds so good on almost everyone's voice. Takes EQ & compression so well and has a texture that is just so organic which adds a lot when recording in the digital world.

tonejunkee · Post by **tonejunkee** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 8:37 pm

Hey Folks, I used the SM7a through a Great RiverMP-1NV /Neve 1073----->mbox1/PC Laptop/PTLE7 for much of the vocals in my new album. Also borrowed a C12a for some vocals. I just had it mastered and packaged

Here is a link to the recording process

http://benlongmusic.com/Recording%20the%20CD.htm

Ben
http://www.myspace.com/benlong

tonewoods · Post by **tonewoods** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 2:05 pm

I like mine on vocals of both genders a lot...

I toured a few studios in the UK a couple years ago, and every studio had a SM7 set up on the high-hat...

Seems to be a big fad over there....

Haven't tried it yet, but it seems like a good choice.....

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Sure SM7 - What do you like it on & why?

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