Shure SM7B & female voices

[Danielle's Dad]

I'm looking to invest in a nice mic for my daughter to use with her recording. I've seen lots of recommendations for the Shure SM7B, but nearly every review I have read seems to have been written by male singers, and several even referred to it as an ideal mic for males, leaving me to only wonder how it handles a female voice.

I'm assuming it would work just fine, but want a little more reassurance before dropping the $350.

Any female vocalists out there using this mic?

If it helps, she has a very rich alto voice, and her music has been described as Norah Jones-ish.

Thanks!

Jim

[ernstinen]

Hey Jim,

I've used a lot of mics on female vocals, starting with the "tried and true" Shure SM57 and SM58. Those are really "stage" microphones, tuned to have an upper midrange "bump" for male vocals.

I haven't heard the SM7B, BUT if male vocalists like it, you should be cautious! Look at the frequency response chart of the microphone, and if it has this "bump" around 5 to 7 kilohertz, I might go with a "flatter" microphone in this frequency range.

When I started recording "seriously" in the 80's, I had a lady bring in her own Shure mic, which was a "lower end" Shure (can't remember if it was a 56 or a 59) that didn't have that fequency bump for male vocalists. With my primitive equipment at the time, it worked perfectly!

Now, if your daughter has a "smoky alto" voice, my recommendation is for her to go to a really good music store and try out microphones with headphones on. You DON'T want that upper midrange boost, but MAYBE for her voice, it may work! But I believe that the SM7B is a dynamic microphone, and most studio vocal recordings are done on condenser microphones. They get more detail, and if she's not a rock "screamer," you might want to see about condensers in your price range.

Good Luck,

Ern

[watksco]

Now I don't own one, but it does seem the SM7B is predominantly used for males vocals - I'd consider a good inexpensive condenser mic (NOTE: they require phantom power). You'll get plenty of recomendations on those around here.

Cheers,

Scott

[feaker66]

Hi

Just from experience.

I use a AKG 414 and it has the frequency boost. Not a good thing for a gal singer. Low notes were fine, say under "G". Expensive too. I think I might have paid $1500 for it.

I don't have a recommendation. sorry

Paul

[billg1]

I'll actually be trying one on a female singer in a couple of days, I'll post up what I find. I know that Bonnie Raitt uses the Sm7b in the studio, but she's the only gal I've heard of that uses one on a regular basis. IMO if you're going for intimate soft/sultry vocals OR screaming rock vocals it should be great for females. Don't think it would be my choice for a clean modern pop singer male or female (although John Mayer has used one on some songs).

[mojobone]

If the singer's voice could be described as scratchy, grainy or gravelly, the SM7B is a great choice for a male or female. (think Amanda Overmyer) Michael Jackson used one, but he also made a lot of noises with his mouth that weren't singing, heh. ( a condenser mic would have exaggerated all the hee-hees and sh'a mons) The SM7B is a large diaphragm dynamic-dynamics have less reach than condensers, which can help 'take out' the sound of an untreated room; when it comes to mic choice, 'where' can be as important as 'who'. It'll smooth out rough edges, rather than highlight them, as a condenser might. You and the singer will have to figure out whether that's appropriate for the song, the room and the situation.

[ernstinen]

Another alternative is to find a mic that works on the lady's voice, and purchase it for normal demos.

I live in L.A., so this may not apply elsewhere, but when I'm doing a SERIOUS vocal, I go to a rental place. 414s don't sound good on my voice, but, for me, a Neumann U-87 is the best mic on the planet! Rental places in L.A. charge about $35/day for a U-87.

At the last Road Rally, the Gauge company had a booth where you could A/B their large dynamic condenser mics and compare them to Neumanns. A $300 mic can't really compete with a $4000 mic, but it DID sound pretty good.

My 2 pesos,

Ernesto

[billg1]

Here's a girl using a SM7b, sounds pretty good-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIQT98Z_ ... r_embedded


I had the good fortune to have use of a vintage U-87 for a cd project I did about 10 yrs. ago. A great mic & worth checking out for sure if you can rent one. Beware though, it can sound pretty bad in an untreated or poorly treated room whereas the room won't really matter with the Sm7b. There's a statement worth looking at from the legendary engineer Bob Olhsson (motown, etc). Scroll down to #17
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/low-end- ... nsers.html

You really can't choose the perfect mic without trying some, but there have been a lot of hit records made with a U-87 (expensive!) and a lot of hits made withthe Sm7 and Sm7b ($350). I can't think of any hits where a $300 -$500 LDC was used for the lead vocal! Must be a reason for that.

[mazz]

For the record, most of Michael Jackson's Thriller vocals were recorded with him holding a Shure SM57 (yes, I said SM57 not SM7) and dancing in the control room with the speakers CRANKED.

My wife had Ronan Chris Murphy produce her last album, and they ended up deciding on a Shure SM58 through some excellent preamps. They had their pick of ultra nice mics and they did a shoot out, and for her voice on the music they were recording, the 58 was the best mic for the job.

So the moral of the story is: The mic and the voice need to be compatible (and compatible with the style of music), so I would seriously try to test out a few in your price range before you buy. If you have to rent some studio time at a local studio and try out the mics they have, I think that would be a good idea. Bring along your preamps and record in a dry room so you only hear the sound of the mics and the preamps. Then you can burn a CD of all the mics, go home and listen and compare before you put down your cash.

Specs and reputation are one thing, actually hearing the mic on the vocalist is a whole other thing altogether!

[Danielle's Dad]

Thanks for the great feedback, everyone!

I have to admit one of the potential selling points that I have heard here and elsewhere is that the SM7B is a good choice for use in untreated rooms. My daughter is relatively young (17) and is currently recording out of a bedroom. So even if it is simply decent with her voice (she is currently singing into the built-in mic on her Mac, so this can't help but be an upgrade), it will more than likely improve the quality of her work. She has impressed me with her drive and her raw creative energy, so I figured the least I could do was equip her so she was capable of achieving "broadcast quality" if she continues to pour her heart into it.

I hadn't heard that Bonnie Raitt used one. Last year Danielle did a version of I Can't Make You Love Me that you can hear here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be-slpQk6is. The acoustics are typical of a high school gymnasium, but it will give you an idea of the range she sings in. I'm still hoping that is a suitable range for this mic.

Jim