Recording vocals with SM7b

[heisleyamor]

How do you approach according vocals with an SM7b? Do you keep midrange presence off and the bass rolloff off? Keep the windscreen on? Aim mic directly into mouth? any angle or any distance away from the mic? let me know what you think...thank you

[heisleyamor]

anyone? have any input or have recorded with an SM7b?

[johnwayne]

I keep the EQ curve flat. I've used it without the windscreen, and used a stedman pop filter with good results. But, one singer I used it on sounded better with the windscreen on. My point is to try everything until yo hear the sound you're looking for. Try it with the mic very close to the singer, further away, windscreen on, off, and without but with another popscreen.

Also try solid state, and tube pre's if you got them. I find the 610 to give you a very thick, warm vocal. Good Luck

[broadway252]

I just tracked a vocal with my SM7b today. It's a great mic for loud singers that project well, not the greatest for quiet, Elliott Smith-style singers.

Today I had the bass rolloff on and the midrange booster off. Depends on the vocalist really. You can get fairly close without experiencing proximity effect, but you'll need a Popper Stopper if your vocalist isn't skilled at controlling plosives. It's not like an RE20, which is nearly impossible to "pop." Generally when I use my SM7 I tell the vocalist to stay 3-5 inches off the mic.

[heisleyamor]

i want the vocals to be really clear...they sound a lil muffled with the windscreen they provide on the mic...hopefully my other windscreen will do the trick

[Flying_Dutchman]

i often record vocals with the sm7b, mostely with manley voxbox,
i got some nice much more expensive mics, but i often choose the sm7b.
Espacially on rock/metal shouter/singer vocals. If the artist got a huge dynamic range, the sm7b can handle this very good, i think.
On female rnb/pop vocals i like other mics more...

[upinflames]

I just got one of these and a UA M610, can't wait to give it a try!

[slick0]

I was playing with all these options yesterday on a friends and my own voice. For vocals with music I'll probably be keeping the roll-off on, but the midrange boost certainly will depend on the source. I had the mic positioned about 5-10" right in front pointing at the mouth with the windscreen on and with a pop filter with good results. Of course, as with any mic, positioning varies all the time for source, room, style, etc.

[pebis]

usually use it with the stock windscreen and all of the EQ settings on. . I usually try to get the singer to forget everything about being careful with the microphones. . i encourage them to get as on it as possible, to lip it, i love the proximity effect from that mic, it's so intimate and in your face. .

[severe]

My .02:

No bass rolloff and no presence boost. Keep it flat.

Windscreen off. Use a pop filter.

Experiment with proximity.

Use a pre with plenty of gain.

I've used this approach, through an API, with great results on rock vocals.

[doorknocker]

I always leave the EQ curve flat and also leave the SM7 popscreen on. The singer I'm currently recording has very good mic technique (though it's his first ever time in a studio) and he practically touches the mic for 'normal' parts but backs off a bit for louder bits.

On the last session we went with an out-of-phase monitor setup instead of headphones and it worked great, the SM7 has such amazing rejection.

Pre was a Chandler LTD-1 (EQ in with just a tiny bit of boost at 110Hz/5.6k and 12k) with both LA-3A and 1176 comps in the chain, 1176 was set to 4:1. But I also got good results with the UA 2108 and Brent Averill 312A pres.

I love the SM7b, what a great mic!!