Do Streamers Actually Need the Shure SM7B?
The Shure SM7B is a fantastic dynamic mic, but is it worth the investment for streaming? Many streamers shell out $400 for the mic and many hundreds more on their audio setup, when a $99 dynamic mic might be more than good enough for similar quality.
Do You Need the Shure SM7B for Live-Streaming?
A $400 microphone like theShure SM7Bis surely four times the quality of a $99 mic like the Rode PodMic, right? Not necessarily. The SM7B is arguably one of the best mics out there, but live-streaming and most other online content creation substantially compress audio quality.
The extra nuance and quality of a $400 studio-grade mic are generally lost when your audio is compressed to, at most, a bitrate of 320 kbps (if you’re lucky). This is especially the case when game audio or music is playing simultaneously with your speech.
As such, in the case of live-streaming, if you use your gear correctly, a much less expensive mic with a similar sound and usage will more than suffice for your audio quality needs. Whether using a dynamic mic like the Shure SM7B or a condenser mic (dynamics and condensers capture audio differently), you might want to stick with a less expensive option.
Most Streamers Don’t Use the SM7B Correctly
In many cases, when a creator sees a flaw they’d like to fix in their audio or video quality, they focus on upgrading their gear. However, most streamers would benefit a lot more from upgrading their skills and using their gear more effectively. A poorly lit video will look better on a fancy full-frame camera, but you’d improve your video quality a lot more by learning to use lighting properly.
The same applies to using microphones. Streamers and other creators frequently make mistakes with how they use their mics, such as theproper mic techniqueof 6-12 inch placement from the mouth, incorrect gain settings (usually too much), and poor usage of filters like EQ and compression.
The biggest way streamers improperly use their Shure SM7B is with low-quality XLR interfaces with either insufficient gain range or high background noise at high gain.
The Shure SM7B is a gain-hungry microphone that, depending on your voice, will require 48–60 dB of gain. Low-quality XLR interfaces introduce a lot of static background noise at higher gain, and aside from when music and game audio drown it out, it can be noticeable and highly jarring for viewers. This can be alleviated using a clean gain pad such as aCloudlifter, though.
As a studio-grade mic, the Shure SM7B comes with studio-grade baggage to be used properly, and common improper usage has tarnished the reputation of this fantastic mic!
Quality Microphone Alternatives for Streaming
Because the Shure SM7B is overkill for most streamers, here are a few alternatives.
First, we recommend theLogitech Blue Sona. It is a premium dynamic XLR mic similar to the Shure SM7B, but it has a built-in clean, noise-free gain pad to be more accessibly used—it’ll sound good even on low-quality XLR interfaces. At $349.99, it is pricey, but it’s a lot cheaper than upgrading both your mic and your XLR interface!
More affordable options in the $99 range include theRøde PodMic, which has a great podcast-like sound, or theElgato Wave DX, which has a brighter, crisper sound by default.
We also recommend theSamson Q9U, which can operate over XLR or USB. In fact, you might decide you don’t need an XLR interface at all and want a purely USB audio experience, though there are perks to both methods of connectivity.
You can also consider theShure SM58, which sounds very similar to its cousin the SM7B at a quarter of the price. If you’re still undecided, compare moremics for podcastingand streaming.
When You Should Go Premium
All this said, you may still really want the Shure SM7B. If you don’t mind the price, are able to use it correctly, and haven’t been convinced by alternatives, here are some low-guilt purchase scenarios:
If you still really want it, go for it, but if you are only a streamer, you can spend a lot less money on alternatives of similar quality.
Improve Your Skills Before Your Gear
Our main point through all this is that you should take a step back to see how you can improve the way you use your gear before you improve the gear itself. There are times when you need an upgrade for a particular project, and there are times when you may want an overkill upgrade like the Shure SM7B.
Whether you make that upgrade or not, it’s important to make the best use of the gear you have first!
Ensure your microphone is stable and in the correct position for streaming with a microphone stand.
It saves me hours and keeps my sanity intact.
Now, I actually finish the books I start.
Tor spoiled me forever.
Don’t let aging hardware force you into buying expensive upgrades.
I plugged random USB devices into my phone and was pleasantly surprised by how many actually worked.
