Fifty years after its introduction in 1973, Shure has launched a new member of its iconic SM7 family. Designed for podcasters, streamers, and vocalists, the new SM7dB XLR dynamic vocal microphone delivers the sound of the SM7B with the addition of a custom designed, built-in active preamp, which removes the need for inline amplification.
The SM7dB provides creators and audio engineers with the same construction and audio quality of the SM7B, with the addition of a custom designed built-in preamp with technology licensed from Cloud, tuned by Shure engineers specifically for the SM7dB.
This integrated preamp provides a supplementary +18 or +28 decibels (dB) of clean gain, eliminating the need for a separate preamp, and freeing users from the hiss and noise introduced by many audio interfaces when their preamps are driven to the levels necessary to provide enough gain for the SM7B.
“Ideal for users of all experience levels, the SM7dB’s additional gain brings the microphone’s sensitivity up to a level optimized for typical audio interfaces. This guarantees users enough gain on hand for their audio to be heard with maximum clarity in a recording, on a broadcast, or while streaming, regardless of their audio interface. For situations not requiring additional gain, users can simply set the integrated preamp to “bypass” to revert to original SM7B performance,” the announcement states.
Delivering the controlled sound of the SM7B, the SM7dB’s wide-range frequency response is suited to capture singing, spoken word, and podcasting, as well as loud sound sources, including drums, loud vocals, and amplifiers. Sporting the same EQ controls as the SM7B, the SM7dB’s bass roll-off and presence boost can be applied to best fit the sound source and recording environment.
A dynamic microphone with a cardioid polar pattern, the SM7dB is designed to reject off-axis audio, so voice is heard clearly, without distractions. The microphone has air suspension shock isolation technology and pop filter designed to eliminate unwanted noises and breathiness, while advanced electromagnetic shielding defeats hum from computer monitors and other audio equipment.
“Over the last 50 years, the SM7 microphone family has been adopted by the world’s best recording and broadcast studios, entertainers, artists, and creators,” says Eduardo Valdes, Associate Vice President of Global Marketing & Product Management at Shure. “The SM7dB removes the need to buy an additional preamp, making it even easier to achieve the remarkable Shure sound that has come to define the last five decades of audio.”
Pricing and Availability
The SM7dB is available today in a sleek, black-on-black finish at Shure.com and at select retailers starting at USD $499.
