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Shure SM7B: the interface, preamp and boom arm it needs

By OneProGear · Published · Updated

The SM7B is a quiet (low-output) mic that needs about 60 dB of clean gain. Get it from the SM7dB's built-in preamp, an interface with enough gain, or an inline booster in front of a basic interface. Then mount its 850 g on an arm that can really hold it.

sm7b-interface-preamp-arm guide cover

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  1. Know the mic's output before you buy an interface

    On a spec sheet, the SM7B's sensitivity is −59 dBV/Pa. In plain terms, it sends a very small signal, so it needs a lot of clean gain: about 60 dB. Gain is how much your interface boosts the mic.

    This is not a flavour setting. It is why an SM7B plugged into an interface with only 45 dB of gain sounds thin and hissy. You turn the knob all the way up and mostly hear the interface's own noise.

    The SM7B also has a bass-cut switch and a presence switch that lifts the upper voice. Both lower the level a little when switched on, so allow for that.

    When you compare interfaces, look for the preamp gain in dB on the spec sheet. If the figure is not there, do not assume it is enough. "Works with XLR mics" is not a gain figure.

  2. Option A: the SM7dB, with the preamp built in

    The SM7dB is the same mic with a small preamp inside. A switch on the back sets it to +18 dB, +28 dB or bypass (off). In bypass it behaves exactly like a normal SM7B. With the preamp on, it sends a much stronger signal, so an ordinary interface can handle it.

    The preamp runs on 48 V phantom power, which almost every interface supplies through its XLR input. Switch phantom power on and the boost works, with no extra box and no extra cable joint to fail.

    Use +18 dB into a decent interface. Use +28 dB into a basic USB interface that runs out of gain. Bypass is handy for comparing it with a standard SM7B.

    If you already own an SM7B, remember the SM7dB is a whole second microphone, not an add-on. Options B and C below keep the SM7B you have.

  3. Option B: an interface that already has the gain

    The RØDECaster Duo and RØDECaster Pro II both offer up to 76 dB of gain with very low background hiss. That covers the SM7B with no booster. The Duo has two mic inputs and the Pro II has four. The Rode Streamer X uses the same preamp design for one mic and adds HDMI video capture, which suits a one-person streaming desk.

    The Rode AI-1 is a small one-input USB-C interface with 60 dB of gain, which matches Shure's recommendation. It runs on USB power. Two SM7Bs would need two of them, or a two-input interface with the same gain.

    The Shure MVX2U Gen 2 is a small adapter that turns any XLR mic into a USB mic. Check its gain figure before you rely on it with a plain SM7B, and test it; the SM7dB into an MVX2U is the safer pairing.

    For any other interface, look for at least 60 dB of gain on each input.

  4. Option C: an inline booster in front of a quiet interface

    An inline booster is a small tube that plugs in between the mic cable and your interface. It adds about 20–25 dB of clean gain, powered by the interface's 48 V phantom power.

    What to look for:

    • XLR in and XLR out
    • No battery; powered by phantom power
    • Around +25 dB of gain
    • Low self-noise, so it does not add the hiss you are trying to avoid

    Plug the booster in at the interface end of the cable, not at the mic. You do not need a booster with an SM7dB, and never put one in front of an SM7dB already set to +28 dB. A booster keeps the SM7B you own working with a quiet USB interface; buying a second SM7B will not.

  5. Put 850 grams on an arm that can hold it

    The SM7B weighs about 850 g. A cheap scissor arm rated for 800 g will droop and then bounce. These three arms handle the weight:

    • SmallRig Microphone Boom Arm Desk Mount: holds up to 1.5 kg, with thread adapters in the box.
    • Rode PSA1: holds about 700 g to 1.1 kg, with about 82 cm of reach. The SM7B fits with little room to spare, so do not clip anything heavy onto it.
    • Shure Gator Low Profile Boom Arm: about 84 cm of reach, clamps to desks up to 55 mm thick, turns all the way round, and has an extender so the cable clears the SM7B body. Shure also offers it in SM7B bundles.

    Run the XLR cable along the arm so it does not pull on the mic. Use the thread adapter that comes in the SM7B box rather than a random one that leaves the mic loose. The arm is not optional.

  6. Fit the A7WS windscreen and set the switches

    The SM7B comes with the A7WS foam windscreen for close talking, the RK345 windscreen, and the RPM602 plate that covers the switches on the back. The A7WS is also sold on its own and fits the SM7, SM7A and SM7B.

    Use the A7WS for podcasting. It stops the bursts of air from "p" and "b" sounds that make a recording pop, and it is the part people most often leave in the box.

    Turn the bass-cut switch on if table thumps or AC hum are in your recording. Turn presence on only if your voice sounds dull on headphones in the room you actually record in, not because a video told you to.

    Once the switches are set, fit the cover plate so a guest cannot knock them by accident.

  7. Headphones, distance, done

    Listen on closed-back headphones such as the Shure SRH440A, or the SRH840A if you also edit on them. Sit with the mic about a fist's width from your mouth, slightly to one side. Set the gain so your normal speaking peaks sit around −12 on the meter. If you cannot reach that, your preamp path is the problem, and a second mic will not fix it.

    Quick recap: about 60 dB of clean gain (or an SM7dB at +18 or +28 dB), an arm that holds more than 850 g, and the A7WS fitted.

    Record 30 seconds and listen back on the same headphones you will edit on. If the hiss rises as you turn up the gain, you still do not have the roughly 60 dB of clean gain Shure recommends.

What you need

  • A Shure SM7B, or the SM7dB if you want the preamp built in
  • An interface or preamp with enough gain (see below), not just any XLR interface
  • A boom arm that holds more than about 850 g
  • The A7WS foam windscreen (it comes in the SM7B box and is also sold on its own)
  • Closed-back headphones
  • One XLR cable, long enough to run neatly along the arm

The SM7B is a dynamic mic with a cardioid pattern, which means it hears what is in front of it and ignores the back. It is also a quiet mic, so your interface has to boost it a lot: Shure recommends about 60 dB of gain, which many first interfaces cannot give cleanly. This guide covers three ways to feed it enough gain, and the arm that keeps desk noise out.

Know the mic's output before you buy an interface

On a spec sheet, the SM7B's sensitivity is −59 dBV/Pa. In plain terms, it sends a very small signal, so it needs a lot of clean gain: about 60 dB. Gain is how much your interface boosts the mic.

This is not a flavour setting. It is why an SM7B plugged into an interface with only 45 dB of gain sounds thin and hissy. You turn the knob all the way up and mostly hear the interface's own noise.

The SM7B also has a bass-cut switch and a presence switch that lifts the upper voice. Both lower the level a little when switched on, so allow for that.

When you compare interfaces, look for the preamp gain in dB on the spec sheet. If the figure is not there, do not assume it is enough. "Works with XLR mics" is not a gain figure.

Option A: the SM7dB, with the preamp built in

The SM7dB is the same mic with a small preamp inside. A switch on the back sets it to +18 dB, +28 dB or bypass (off). In bypass it behaves exactly like a normal SM7B. With the preamp on, it sends a much stronger signal, so an ordinary interface can handle it.

The preamp runs on 48 V phantom power, which almost every interface supplies through its XLR input. Switch phantom power on and the boost works, with no extra box and no extra cable joint to fail.

Use +18 dB into a decent interface. Use +28 dB into a basic USB interface that runs out of gain. Bypass is handy for comparing it with a standard SM7B.

If you already own an SM7B, remember the SM7dB is a whole second microphone, not an add-on. Options B and C below keep the SM7B you have.

Option B: an interface that already has the gain

The RØDECaster Duo and RØDECaster Pro II both offer up to 76 dB of gain with very low background hiss. That covers the SM7B with no booster. The Duo has two mic inputs and the Pro II has four. The Rode Streamer X uses the same preamp design for one mic and adds HDMI video capture, which suits a one-person streaming desk.

The Rode AI-1 is a small one-input USB-C interface with 60 dB of gain, which matches Shure's recommendation. It runs on USB power. Two SM7Bs would need two of them, or a two-input interface with the same gain.

The Shure MVX2U Gen 2 is a small adapter that turns any XLR mic into a USB mic. Check its gain figure before you rely on it with a plain SM7B, and test it; the SM7dB into an MVX2U is the safer pairing.

For any other interface, look for at least 60 dB of gain on each input.

Option C: an inline booster in front of a quiet interface

An inline booster is a small tube that plugs in between the mic cable and your interface. It adds about 20–25 dB of clean gain, powered by the interface's 48 V phantom power.

What to look for:

  • XLR in and XLR out
  • No battery; powered by phantom power
  • Around +25 dB of gain
  • Low self-noise, so it does not add the hiss you are trying to avoid

Plug the booster in at the interface end of the cable, not at the mic. You do not need a booster with an SM7dB, and never put one in front of an SM7dB already set to +28 dB. A booster keeps the SM7B you own working with a quiet USB interface; buying a second SM7B will not.

Put 850 grams on an arm that can hold it

The SM7B weighs about 850 g. A cheap scissor arm rated for 800 g will droop and then bounce. These three arms handle the weight:

  • SmallRig Microphone Boom Arm Desk Mount: holds up to 1.5 kg, with thread adapters in the box.
  • Rode PSA1: holds about 700 g to 1.1 kg, with about 82 cm of reach. The SM7B fits with little room to spare, so do not clip anything heavy onto it.
  • Shure Gator Low Profile Boom Arm: about 84 cm of reach, clamps to desks up to 55 mm thick, turns all the way round, and has an extender so the cable clears the SM7B body. Shure also offers it in SM7B bundles.

Run the XLR cable along the arm so it does not pull on the mic. Use the thread adapter that comes in the SM7B box rather than a random one that leaves the mic loose. The arm is not optional.

Fit the A7WS windscreen and set the switches

The SM7B comes with the A7WS foam windscreen for close talking, the RK345 windscreen, and the RPM602 plate that covers the switches on the back. The A7WS is also sold on its own and fits the SM7, SM7A and SM7B.

Use the A7WS for podcasting. It stops the bursts of air from "p" and "b" sounds that make a recording pop, and it is the part people most often leave in the box.

Turn the bass-cut switch on if table thumps or AC hum are in your recording. Turn presence on only if your voice sounds dull on headphones in the room you actually record in, not because a video told you to.

Once the switches are set, fit the cover plate so a guest cannot knock them by accident.

Headphones, distance, done

Listen on closed-back headphones such as the Shure SRH440A, or the SRH840A if you also edit on them. Sit with the mic about a fist's width from your mouth, slightly to one side. Set the gain so your normal speaking peaks sit around −12 on the meter. If you cannot reach that, your preamp path is the problem, and a second mic will not fix it.

Quick recap: about 60 dB of clean gain (or an SM7dB at +18 or +28 dB), an arm that holds more than 850 g, and the A7WS fitted.

Record 30 seconds and listen back on the same headphones you will edit on. If the hiss rises as you turn up the gain, you still do not have the roughly 60 dB of clean gain Shure recommends.

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Buy this as a kit

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