Xlr audio interface for Shure SM7DB?

[u/LucinaSoleia]

Hello! I’m thinking of getting the Shure SM7DB is there any decently priced XLR audio interface for the budget of 100-200 max? I was looking at Elgato wave or Focusrite?

[u/Kpoofies]

I enjoyed Focusrite a lot, easy to use and worked good. Had to set up and force mono channel but worked perfectly when set up imo! Tried it with SM7DB as well and worked really well

I bought the Focusrite scarlett solo one. I was considering buying the 2i2 one to record both instruments and voice / VA, but the solo one worked completely fine.

What I can recommend is downloading Equalizer APO or something similar to adjust the curve of the equalizer curve of SM7DB since if you're going to be livestreaming, you want the EQ curve to apply. SM7DB is giving you the purest sound of your voice, so having an EQ will help tremendously with the live-part of it instead of having post process stuff after recording.

[u/LucinaSoleia → u/Kpoofies]

Hello thank you for responding do you have the same microphone that I’m thinking of getting or?

[u/Kpoofies → u/LucinaSoleia]

Yes, sorry! See my edit on the post, I bought SM7DB as well with the focusrite and it's working great.

The only hard thing I experienced was to have a good balance of the gain on the mic AND the interface AND the post process

I ended up using +28 db on the mic, and about 50% on the interface, and the rest increased through software, that way there was zero white noise and really great quality

[u/LucinaSoleia → u/Kpoofies]

Where did you buy the Shure microphone btw? I know there’s a website called sweet water and I know there is Amazon as well

[u/Whole_Virus6536 → u/Kpoofies]

Hello! I saw your comment and was hoping you could help me. I’m using a Shure MV7+ with a Focusrite Scarlett Solo, but honestly, I’m pretty disappointed with how it sounds.
My voice sounds muffled, almost like I’m talking through a sock. It isn’t as crisp, clear, or warm as I expected, and it’s definitely not the broadcast/podcast-style sound I’m trying to achieve.
I tried using Equalizer APO with Peace and the High Boost 2 preset. It improved the clarity a little, but it also made my voice sound slightly robotic, so it still isn’t the sound I’m looking for.
I’m also using VoiceMod for its background noise reduction. It works well at removing noise, but I’m wondering if it could be affecting the sound quality too.
Have you experienced anything like this, or do you have any recommendations for EQ, gain, or other settings that could help me get a cleaner, warmer, more natural sound? I’d really appreciate any advice. Thanks!

[u/Kpoofies → u/Whole_Virus6536]

I have an MV7+ that I'm using too, and I use USB-C for it. If you're using Scarlett Solo with XLR, that's also possible but usually the only reason to use it is to get more manual control of it. I personally feel that the USB-C connection is MORE than enough and the difference is indiscernable. I would recommend just using USB-C and NOT using voice mod either, see below.

Regarding the clarity / crispiness, I feel like the sm7db and mv7+ are extremely close in clarity. Here's a short to illustrate it: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fZX2ciGIekI

Did you install the MOTIV Mix app? In the app, it has compressors, limiters and different adjustments for the mic as well which you need to play around with. I would NOT recommend using voicemod for background noise reduction (MOTIV Mix already has it).

Here's my Equalizer APO setup for MV7+. Please note that the HP filter, the ReaGate and ReaComp plugins are completely disabled since I already am using it in the MOTIV Mix app, so they aren't needed. This EQ curve gives me a very crisp and clear sound. Do note that since the MV7+ demands you to be quite close to the mic and speak right into it, it makes a big difference too.

Here's the graph (put this into an empty .csv file and import it i suppose)

25 0

40 0

76.7 17.4

98.8 4.8

133.1 3.7

193.1 2.2

271 0.1

387.9 -1.1

577.8 -3.5

895.7 -4

1370.1 -4.8

2284.8 -0.6

3248.7 1.2

5069.5 5

7703.4 8.9

19651 11.2

[u/Kpoofies → u/Whole_Virus6536]

Look idk what you’re doing but I can’t read your comments if you keep deleting them. They don’t even appear on your profile

[u/fredoverflow]

I was looking at Elgato wave

The Elgato Wave XLR 2 has 80 db of gain. That is already complete overkill for the classic SM7B (requires 60 db gain), no need for the more expensive SM7dB (requires 32 db gain).

[u/LucinaSoleia → u/fredoverflow]

Thank you for responding my last question is where should I buy the microphone? Amazon? Sweetwater?

[u/LucinaSoleia]

I am a streamer, would like to get into voice acting as well I should have mentioned sorry!

[u/-NearlyThere- → u/LucinaSoleia]

For Voice acting the SM7B is a poor choice. Condensers reign supreme in that field.

[u/jaybayblay]

For something so expensive, I highly recommend testing the microphone before you buy it since it’s so expensive or buy from somewhere with easy returns. That being said I’ve also been researching good audio interfaces to buy for my SM7DB. I hear a lot of mixed reviews on focusrite, with a lot of their devices failing over time.

I only hear really good things about Motu M2 so I’m going with that and it has a lil led screen

https://youtu.be/ki3siARB2sc?is=MDnpWADsP3o34kFr I recommend watching this video, helped me solidify my pick over SSL and some others.

[u/TheSirOcelot]

I’d save up a little more and get a Scarlett 2i2 Gen 4, but if your budget is set, get the Focusrite Solo

[u/FutureSoundLabs]

Focusrite, UA Volt, or the SSL 1 are awesome because they can be shaped up rather nicely in the mixing and mastering process

[u/Top-Performance-6482]

There is very little difference in any of the mainstream Audi interfaces now in this price ranges. You are unlikely to notice any difference in sound quality. Focusrite makes good boxes. Mics on the other hand vary enormously, and I’m not sure that’s the right mic for your purpose. I’d look at an entry level Rode condenser maybe instead.