Shure SM7 vs SM7B vs Neumann TLM 103

[Urgul]

I'll be using SM7B with Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56 preamps. Hope it'll be a good combination

 

[colonel kurtz]

Neumann TLM 103... it's a legend

uke:

 

[refreshingapathy]

For sure, the SM7B. I use these for radio mics and they kick the RE20's ass for making me sound like a radio god. Good presence, and you really have to work the fuck out of it to get nailed by too much proximity effect... which good for capturing lower growls as well as the pig-squealing highs

 

[Metaltastic]

For sure, the SM7B. I use these for radio mics and they kick the RE20's ass for making me sound like a radio god. Good presence, and you really have to work the fuck out of it to get nailed by too much proximity effect... which good for capturing lower growls as well as the pig-squealing highs

BREE BREE NIGGA!!!

 

[MetalWorks]

Am I the only one who isnt happy with the SM7B?

I feel its overrated. It gets pushed here all the time because Sneap uses it. I thought that would work in my favor like some gear tends to but in this case I was severely dissappointed with how lifeless this mic was. It has a dark dead sound that I really have to push to get life out of.

I ended up using it as a highhat mic based on others comments here which works great.

I have pulled it out for people who wanted to try holding a mic several times and always go back to the AT4060 on a mic stand.

No comparison for me.

 

[CatharsisStudios]

i worship my sm7 when it comes to br00taL AS FUCK VOCALS it is the best, it is so sick hell its not even a bad singing mic either but man it kills for heavy vocals

 

[MetalWorks]

i worship my sm7 when it comes to br00taL AS FUCK VOCALS it is the best, it is so sick hell its not even a bad singing mic either but man it kills for heavy vocals

What have you compared it to?

For me going from an SM58 to an SM7B I might have such a reaction but if I hadn't compared it to Nuemann, Lawson, Audio Technica, AKG then I might not know what I am missing.

I actually thought I lost the defination in heavy vocals. It masked the bad singers that had poor growling skills which was a benefit for them but for the gutteral lows or shrieking highs the detail wasn't close to the 4060.

To me, it sounds like a $379 microphone.

Its better than the $99 mic but not as good as the $999 mic.

Maybe I can dig up some comparisons. I know i have tracked a band with the SM7B.

Must be something wrong with me or my mic

 

[KeithTidd]

^ maybe there's something wrong, or maybe you just prefer condensers on vocals. I've shot out sm7's against a ton of way more expensive mics, and the sm7 has always been equally as good if not always better. U87's, tlm 147/149, tlm103, rode classic, Mojave's, etc. The sm7 is like a 57, in the way that it will give you good results on anything.

 

[MetalWorks]

^ maybe there's something wrong, or maybe you just prefer condensers on vocals. I've shot out sm7's against a ton of way more expensive mics, and the sm7 has always been equally as good if not always better. U87's, tlm 147/149, tlm103, rode classic, Mojave's, etc. The sm7 is like a 57, in the way that it will give you good results on anything.

Yeah, thats why I am so lost when people say its SOOOO AMAZING or SOOO Brutal and couldnt live without it.

I bought it for the hype and to have other options that may work suitedly well for metal vocals.

In the one situation I used it for I had to use all 5 plugin slots on the protools channel insert plus an additional set of EQ plugins on an AUX bus to manipulate a good sound out of it since the singer had already tracked vocals on it and left town.

I should just try to do a test and share my results to see if its comparable to what other users get or if I truly have an oddball.

 

[coldthrn]

I use a TLM103 on all my vox. I think its good. 999 dollars good compared to 400? Ehhh I dont know. Ryan we should do a shoot out between a 57 SM7 and the TLM103, sometime.

 

[greyskull]

it does sound very different to how a condenser sounds on vocals; but its the vibe and performance that it enables singers to give; especially those who are bit lacking in the cojones department... makes em sound like satan himself... That is the best thing about the sm7

 

[doclegion]

Get the SM7B
Michael Jackson recorded the thriller album with it lol

 

[xconnyx]

sm7

amazing mic for everything i did with it.

-hihat
-snare
-vocals (speaking, screaming, singing)
-guitars (not metal dist. more rock and clean)
-accustic guitars
-----------------
=great mic

but it needs a very good built in pre or an extra pre amplifier

 

[Urgul]

Thanks, dudes!

 

[evolutions_end]

All this is IMO, but...

I own both the TLM and SM7 and they are 2 very different creatures. At the end of the day, one is a dynamic, and one is a condenser. The SM7 is shit hot with anything agressive. The TLM doesnt really like that.

Since this is a metal forum, most of the vox are obviously yelling/screaming/growling ect, so the SM7 (with a pre with fvck loads of gain) cannot be beaten. Although for nice, clean pristine singing, the TLM is the better of the pair. I did a recording for a killswitch-esqe band, mixing both of them up was an awsome result!

The SM7 is grouse for a bass cab or hats/ride, the TLM makes a good room mic and goes alright accompanied with an SM57 on a guitar cab.

 

[ThomasParadigm]

Hi Guys,

I am the vocalist for Paradigm from Sydney, Australia.
We have just completed what is going to be our second full length album "Mind Is Key". Here is the behind the scenes footage for the recording of the latest album with my band. I tracked the entire album on an SM7B. I think it works really well for Distorted low, high, chest and clean vocals. Very warm sound which works very well with the rawness of metal vocals. Check out the vocal section on this video.

I would love to hear your feedback! Feel free to rate comment, and 'like' the facebook page. I would be really appreciative to have some of you awesome forum guys 'like' the page, as you guys know quality if anyone does. Enjoy!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOdzJcAgES4&feature=related[/ame]

Thomas Arcadi
Email: thomas_arcadi@yahoo.com
www.facebook.com/thomas.arcadi
www.facebook.com/paradigm.australia
www.myspace.com/paradigmband2
Vocalist/Session/Recording Artist/
Music Theory/Vocal Coach.

 

[BLUElightCory]

I personally HATE the TLM103, but I've heard some good vocal tracks that were done with it (Imogen Heap!) - It probably just depends on the source, but I've never liked it on anything.

The SM7/SM7B would definitely be my choice, I can't make mine sound bad. Just a great all-around mic.

 

[BLUElightCory]

There are good and bad Neumanns, and in my opinion the only thing consistent about them is that they're overpriced.

TRUUUUUTTTTHHHHHHH. I'm not really a fan of the U87 either, it sounds thin and kind of honky/brittle to my ears. I can imagine it being just right on the right source though - I just always end up using something else.

 

[Josh Burgess]

Yeah, thats why I am so lost when people say its SOOOO AMAZING or SOOO Brutal and couldnt live without it.

I bought it for the hype and to have other options that may work suitedly well for metal vocals.

In the one situation I used it for I had to use all 5 plugin slots on the protools channel insert plus an additional set of EQ plugins on an AUX bus to manipulate a good sound out of it since the singer had already tracked vocals on it and left town.

I should just try to do a test and share my results to see if its comparable to what other users get or if I truly have an oddball.

From your posts, it sounds like you equate being bright and trebly to being better. I don't really think that's the right way to look at it. The SM7B is a nice quality dynamic mic. It's not going to be as bright as a condenser..... but many different styles of music don't need vocals to be as bright as a condenser. I think the SM7B captures most voices in a warm, pleasing, but still present way. It's clear, but not raspy or screechy... With a good bit of compression, vocals tracked through it usually don't even need much EQ, but it's really easy to boost some highs if you're after that really crisp sound.

It's really all in the vocalist and the compression. The mic has been used by so many pro artists you really can't blame it for not getting good results. It's been used in death metal, rock, pop, rap, country... and it can work well with many voices in each of them.......

 

[_Protoss_]

TLM 103 was used on Chimaira's Resurrection vocals right??? I think the 103 can handle a good amount of SPL level (138 dB) and can sound really good on screams and clean vocals. It's great in AC guitars too, so i think it's a safe bet.
The thing about Shure SM7B is that you need a very nice preamp whit a lot of gain and preferably a nice coloration too to make it sound right. Andy recorded Exhibit B with an SM7B + API A2D and the results are quite amazing.