Can't get my SM7b to work....

[MegaMustaine]

So I just got my SM7b in the mail, and it looks pretty sweet. Problem is...I can't get it to work...wtf?

So, I'm running it through an alesis firewire mixer. I know everything is fine, because I plugin my condenser mic to the mixer, and it records fine. I put in the SM7B, and i get no sound/signal.

I know this is probably something really dumb, like an on button or something, but I've scoured the manual and it's pretty useless, haha.

 

[Machinated]

Never used one, but I know that you need a LOT of gain to drive this badboy. Tried going nuts with the input gain?

 

[eken]

have you turned off phantom power on the mixer?

 

[Wolfeman]

Shouldn't the SM7 run regardless if phantom power is on? That's how most dynamics with a transformer are.....

 

[nuclearass]

Hmm. You actually don't need that much gain with the sm7B... I guess your mic must be broken.

 

[eken]

dunno if it'll make any different. got a sm7b myself and have never tried running it with phantom power on. but i've had a friend having the same problem with his, thinking it was broken but then realizing he had phantom power on. dunno what actually was the problem though...

 

[MegaMustaine]

I'll try without phantom power. The thing seems to be working, just needs a RIDICULOUS amount of gain at this point. Which is causing intense feedback and weird sounds.

And my voice is shot.....excellent

 

[egan.]

I'll try without phantom power. The thing seems to be working, just needs a RIDICULOUS amount of gain at this point. Which is causing intense feedback and weird sounds.

And my voice is shot.....excellent

1. It doesn't need phantom but there should be no negative effect unless something is wired wrong.

2. The sm7 requires lots of gain b/c it has a low output. The gain being higher won't make it any more prone to feedback than any other (similarly pattered) mic at the same volume (volume as in the actual amplified sound, not where some knob is pointing). Intense feedback and weird sounds are symptomatic of something else entirely.

For starters, what are you getting feedback from? Is it running through (and sitting right in front of) you monitors? My sm7 is whisper quiet. It's possible that you have a bad cable or that the pre's in the alesis are noisy. You may also have a bum mic.

 

[Metaltastic]

Yeah, +1 to everything Egan said, phantom power shouldn't make a difference on a dynamic mic (I mean, it might do some damage, but it certainly wouldn't stop any sound from coming through), and the SM7 is an inherently super-quiet mic IME

 

[matt youwin]

Slightly off-topic..

Have been recording drums all week and noticed a few pop/click/jitter type sounds that were only present on the kick track (AKG D112>Digimax FS>M-Audio 1814>Pro Tools M-Powered). Since the FS has banked phantom power the mic is getting 48v's - could that be causing it????

 

[AudioGeekZine]

phantom power makes no difference to dynamic mics.

If its jitter you're hearing I'd check that lightpipe cable.

 

[PostMortem1666]

Hmm. You actually don't need that much gain with the sm7B... I guess your mic must be broken.

Man my SM7B takes a TON of gain. I have to run it at 80 to 90% volume on my Profire2626 when doing screaming vocals.

 

[AdamWathan]

Sort of off topic but how much gain does an RE20 need in comparison? Been considering picking one of those up instead of an SM7B because I heard it's good on a lot of other sources as well (ie. Necrophagist - Epitaph kick drum was RE20 and SM57 if I recall...)

 

[greyskull]

yeah sm7 needs LOADS of gain, i mean, its pretty much the only thing in the world where you get to turn the pad OFF on an api pre, and that really is saying something

 

[ArtGarceau]

yeah sm7 needs LOADS of gain, i mean, its pretty much the only thing in the world where you get to turn the pad OFF on an api pre, and that really is saying something

Seriously. I sold my API pres for that reason. I had to pad the input and output to keep from clipping and I didn't like the idea of having to do that.

 

[Metaltastic]

yeah sm7 needs LOADS of gain, i mean, its pretty much the only thing in the world where you get to turn the pad OFF on an api pre, and that really is saying something

Seriously. I sold my API pres for that reason. I had to pad the input and output to keep from clipping and I didn't like the idea of having to do that.

Strange, I didn't have that problem at all when using the A2D at my school on a variety of sources with a variety of mics - maybe they remedied the issue in that model...

 

[greyskull]

nah its fairly standard in the 3124+!!!

 

[The spark]

If its jitter you're hearing I'd check that lightpipe cable.

Or how you have it clocked.

 

[if6was9]

Sounds very much to me like a broken microphone

 

[greyskull]

nab, that's just the sm7! Crank the gain, and compress the shit out of it!