Preamp For Shure SM7B

[LightAndFire7]

Hey, everybody. I have a question.

I looking to improvemy sound without spending more than budget allows. I want buy preamp for my shure Sm7b. I known, Preamplifiers make a significant difference, but still, I don't want to overpay.

I've already looked at some options:

Art Tube MPSTV3
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2

Could you give me some advice? What to choose for me?
Maybe you have some kind of preamplifier and you can write its name?

I found an article with the right topic, good preamp for sm7b.

[Herbie]

Sorry, I do not have any experience with those preamps. But there is more mini sized budget alternatives: Triton Audio FetHead amp.

FetHead - TRITONAUDIO

I spoke to Shure SM7Bs for over a quarter century in one radio program. Since then I have thought to buy one for my current radio setup but I was afraid of that preamp. So I bought an Oktava condenser mic MK319 and have been happy with it for about 15 years. Then I read about FetHead and now I am thinking again...

I was amazed to find out that the SM7B is popular mic nowadays. The podcast world?

[marcwhy]

Hey Light -- welcome to the Forum!

What do you mean by "improve your sound:" for recording, live (mic'd) performance, your bedroom practicing, or what?? What are you using a mic for?

Thanks,

Marc

[Matt Milton]

SM7B can be a great vocal mic for certain voices. It's particularly good for thickening up a weedy voice. Overall I prefer the mic it is often compared to, the Electrovoice RE20. The RE20 and SM7B actually sound very dissimilar, but they are often compared because they are both high-quality dynamic vocal mics at a similar price point. I prefer the RE20 because it is brighter and clearer (although neither are exactly 'bright mics', they are both good at giving a voice a certain thickness, fatness, but require EQ in order to get people expect today from a condenser-mic type upfront cutting vocal tone)

None of that really has anything to do with jazz guitar though. Are you using an SM7B to record jazz guitar? I'd say that's a slightly unusual choice, but it could work - I have no idea what your guitar amp is of course. I don't even know if you are using an amplified hollowbody archtop for that matter, you might be using a classical or a semi-hollow... so can't really help you there.

A preamp won't make a huge difference to the mic sound. A difference, yes, but not a massive one. If you want a make a truly big difference, change to a different mic to address whatever shortcoming you have identified.

Do you have an audio interface already, for recording? I mean, the preamps on my RME FireFace are great.

[Gilpy]

"Cloudlifter" I have one of these. It's very clean and it works.

Cloud Microphones CL-Z Cloudlifter 1-channel Mic Activator w/Variable Impedance | Sweetwater

They make some less fancy models that are cheaper but do essentially the same thing. They work on dynamic or ribbon mics (not condensers) and are supposed to be great for boosting an SM-7.

[feet]

He has other videos where he demos various preamps with an sm7b, as well. Worth a look.

[patshep]

what are you using it for? jazz guitar? I'd sell the sm7b and get a better dynamic suited to jazz guitar
if it's for vocals, the Great River ME1-NV is great... The Daking are good
cloudlifter is cheap and works well too