Heil PR-40 vs Shure SM7B

i have not tried the heil but i do use the sm7b on a daily basis, my favorite mic for a bunch of different sources


vocals
hi hat
bass cabs
guitar cabs
snare drums
rack toms if you have the room there awesome
kick drums


sm7b is a great all around mic and every professional studio should have 1 imo
 
Bump. Was about to post the same question. Was going to spring for the SM7b but then the bastard sales rep made me second guess my purchase. I would be mainly using it for Voice Overs and Male Vocals, although not limited to of course.
 
I don't own a PR40, but the Heil PR30 is pretty much my go to mic for vocals and guitars. I have a pair, and I use them for overheads too. Ryan Harvey, Seth Munson and I were just discussing this on Twitter yesterday. The PR30 has a very similar character to an SM7B for $100 less.

The PR30 was used for vocals, overheads, and guitars (also with a 57 and a 421) on this song

http://www.btkphoto.com/music/btm_song2_mix3.mp3

It's currently being quantized by dwdrums :)
 
The PR-40 is brighter than the SM7b for vocals and has more of a proximity effect, its a good sounding mic! I wouldn't say one is better than the other, to my ears the SM7b sounds "softer" if that makes sense, not quieter just smooths out the sound. The PR-30 is a good mic that pretty much sounds a lot like your amp and cab. I'd take the PR-30 for micing guitars, but the PR-40 and SM7b for vox. However, I will say that the SM7b is found on many great records, and its a no lose mic. I'd personally get that mic first then work your way to purchasing the others, only because of its proven track record.
 
I might have to pick up a PR40. I really love Heil mics.. I have 3 of their tom mics too. My buddy has a PR22 that is killer on snare.
 
Both mics sound great on all of the same things.

The SM7B is a bit smoother and darker, while the PR40 has more brightness and presence. The SM7B tends to be a bit more flattering on certain sources, and it has an internal shockmount, while the PR40 gets a few extra brownie points for being easier to position and having a better mounting system.

Either mic should suit you well for most applications.
 
I don't own a PR40, but the Heil PR30 is pretty much my go to mic for vocals and guitars. I have a pair, and I use them for overheads too. Ryan Harvey, Seth Munson and I were just discussing this on Twitter yesterday. The PR30 has a very similar character to an SM7B for $100 less.

The PR30 was used for vocals, overheads, and guitars (also with a 57 and a 421) on this song

http://www.btkphoto.com/music/btm_song2_mix3.mp3

It's currently being quantized by dwdrums :)

yea, I was considering the PR30, but I found an SM7b for $200 on Craigslist and I couldnt pass it up.
 
wow, how can anyone think the PR30 sounds similar to an sm7?
at least on guitar it's one of the fizziest mics I've used so far...it's cool as a blend-in flavor but as a single mic?
I don't know.
I'm gonna try it on a china soon, should be pretty cool for that
 
wow, how can anyone think the PR30 sounds similar to an sm7?
at least on guitar it's one of the fizziest mics I've used so far...it's cool as a blend-in flavor but as a single mic?
I don't know.
I'm gonna try it on a china soon, should be pretty cool for that

Hey Lasse, any chance you could post a clip of a PR30 on a cab if you have one? I'm seriously considering picking one up.

edit: just saw your other thread haha! What's your opinion of them on snares though?
 
wow, how can anyone think the PR30 sounds similar to an sm7?
at least on guitar it's one of the fizziest mics I've used so far...it's cool as a blend-in flavor but as a single mic?
I don't know.
I'm gonna try it on a china soon, should be pretty cool for that

I always blend. I never use just one mic. If it's too fizzy I've found you need to just play with the placement a little. It does have a 4k bump that can sound really nasty in the wrong position.