I’ve been recording vocals with a Shure SM7B, but I’m running into some issues. The recordings often sound peaky, jumpy, and uneven in dynamics, and the frequency balance feels inconsistent from take to take.
Even when I try to fix things in mixing, I run into more problems—for example, if I EQ and cut around 100–200 Hz (even just 2–3 dB), the vocal starts to sound thin very quickly. It’s been pretty frustrating to deal with.
I’ve also tried clip gain, volume automation, and even EQ automation/dynamic EQ, but it still doesn’t sound right or consistent.
I’m wondering if switching to a condenser microphone would improve the overall sound quality and consistency. Would a condenser mic help produce smoother dynamics and a more stable frequency response, or are these issues more likely related to my recording technique, room acoustics, or signal chain?
It's impossible to say without knowing your exact setup but it's very unlikely gear is your problem.
There's nothing overly dynamic about an SM7B. If anything, a condenser would just exacerbate the problem.
Make sure you're not moving your head around too much, ensure you're not changing your intensity from take to take, measure your distance from the mic (~6in is an ok starting place if you're unsure).
I agree with JK that technique beats gear. In addition to the things he mentioned the position of the mic within the room can make a difference, particularly if the room is not well treated. Take the time to record from different positions and find the position that minimizes the issues you are experiencing. Having said that, I used to record with the Shure SM7B and didn't experience any of what you are reporting hearing, but upgraded to the Shure KSM32, a condenser mic, and got a much better sound.
I do have some experience editing and mixing vocals that were produced with the SM7B, they seem to be quite popular. And, as a disclaimer, I didn't record or produce the content, so my opinion is skewed.
As mentioned above, your room and recording techniques are a big part of the equation. However, I do find that they are gain hoggers, and your pre amp does play a big part of getting the best sound out of them. What interface are you running? And how much pre amp gain does the input channel offer? Does the preamp offer a suitable amount of gain to match the nominal levels the SM7B user manual suggests? Not all pres are the same. And a pit fall I have experienced a client of mine run into, is how high they have to jack up the preamp gain. In this scenario, a lot of unwanted noise was introduced into the recording. Part of the issue is the budget amazon interface, but I strongly believe these are considerations to take into account.
Hey Live Sound engineers...topic for debate. Waves PSE and X- Feedback Back (either with Dante or a Super Rack Server ) vs the Neve 5045 Primary Source Enhancer. What your experience and take aways? Sidenote...has anyone checked out the Alpha Labs Audio De-Feedback AI plugin? Love to hear your thoughts!!
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