The SM7B is a great mic. Having said that, my rule of thumb is: You only need a Cloudlifter/FEThead on that mic IF the sound you're capturing through it is real quiet (speech-like podcasts, radio interviews, etc.) Why? Simple. The mic without the add-on has a 10db loss in volume as-is. When you plug it into your audio interface (USB-type or mixer or whatever) you'll have to turn the GAIN/TRIM knob up to compensate. This adds more noise floor to your recordings or live performance in the form of hiss and/or buzz. Using without a preamp add-on may be fine if you're capturing DJs or vocals or instruments that are loud on their own. If they're quiet, however, you'll want that preamp. It adds the right amount of gain BEFORE the noise floor. Your signal will remain clean and loud enough before feedback.
@@AudioHaze Thanks. Having been mixing live and recorded sound for over 25 years has taught me a lot. Incidently, the SM7B is actually an SM57...on steroids. Think of the SM7B is the capsule part of the 57 without the bottom half that contains the audio transformer. That missing transformer is why the 7B is 10 decibels softer in gain. The transformer also adds some midrange frequency boost by 3db. Some engineers will "modify" their 57s to remove or replace the transformer entirely to match or exceed the 7B sound. But that's all for music purposes.
I have done some research and i am pretty sure that the fethead can be made easily at home, no need to spend so much money. I am designing the pcb and ordering parts. My idea is to build the circuit (double sided pcb) inside the male xlr plug.
@@tawmifm No, I stopped using my rode pro caster. Using my synco D2 shotgun microphone, works well enough for me. If you want to make the gethead you will need to order like 200 the JFETs and test them to find some with extremely low noise. You will need an oscilloscope and a signal generator. This is how they make them , by sifting out better JFETs from a lot, the PCB and circuit are very simple. If you can house them in metal tube you won't even need a PCB.
Keep keeping it real bro!! You and Bandrew spoke the flat out truth about this issue! This makes the world of difference in the gear planet! Definetly not against the cloudlifter and fethead believers but to my ears it's excellent with 50-55db and some post processing....i guess the lifters provide that comfort zone of more volume with less gain...that may help the noise..tnks again for this..
Over the last couple of years I have put together my “ideal” V.O. Kit (bearing in mind my in room computer, and my voice etc). I have landed on a Sure SM7B with an Audient ID4, which I E.Q. with Audacity (hey! It works for me 😊). It works well like that. But even though I was happy with this. Adding a coda stealth to the set up brought it to a whole new level.
Ricky….clearly, the aesthetic that is being exhibited is what is referred to in Japanese culture as, Wabi Sabi. Perfection through reality of the beauty of imperfections. 🙏😇😆😆
I've tried my hardest to get the SM7B to work without hiss and I've given up. Cloudlifter on the way. AudioHaze must be magician, whatever he's doing I can't emulate. The noise gate trick just doesn't 'cut it' for me.
His version does not even cut it for me either. I can hear the white noise in the background as he is talking. I am using head phones though. But shouldn't we create a signal which can be listened to by head phone users without any noise? I think we should.
This is an awesome demonstration. I have the cloudlifter, but even with my audient ID14 interface, I was able to power the shure sm7b pretty comfortably without the cloudlifter. I specifically got the cloudlifter because people told me that I needed it. 🤷🏻Maybe I can go back to simply using the ID14 interface on it's own. Btw, I found that when using the cloudlifter, it picks up noise from your interface, computer and other devices, so be sure to check your noise levels by arming your shure sm7b with the cloudlifter and moving the cloudlifter around until you notice that the background noise mostly goes away. Hope that helps someone. :] Also, as far as using a gate, I record raw without processing then use RX 10 Spectral De-noise for instruments and RX 10 Vocal De-noise for vocals in my signal chain first instead of using a gate. I guess it depends on what you prefer to use.
the ID series just has amazing preamps in their respective price range, no need for a cloudlifter as you’ve already said. I can turn up the preamp of my ID22 to about 90-95 percent before getting any preamp noise at all. If i would record into a focusrite or something with a higher noise floor the cloudlifter would come in handy though, but nothing you can’t solve in post.
Better sound with more gain. The best solution for good sounds is physical compressor. With virtual compressor it's sounds just "ok". Cl1 is too expensive. Triton Fethead is fine for me (not expensive and easy to use) and voice meeter bana potato's + scarlett 2i2. No white noise and easy again
Like you mentioned in the video, a gate isn't gonna take the noise away while the vocals are active. Right now, I'm trying to lay down some fairly quiet vocals for a song, but I'm dealing with an issue where there's some source of noise that's literally exactly in the range of the presence of my voice, so I can't boost it without also boosting really gritty noise. Unfortunately a gate isn't gonna help that much in this scenario. Likely I need to record in a better treated room, or maybe switch to a different mic.
I've faces this issue so found the best solution is actually a downward expander it's like a gate but when set correctly it also eliminates the noise when you speak, it also is less manipulative to the sound of your voice than other methods.
@@via_negativa6183 the expander works more like a gate. and a gate doesnt take of that noise. try using a noise suppression like waves ns1. it really takes out that noise when speaking or not
@@JEBJOSH when I said "other methods" I was also talking about noise supression. To me it just manipulated the quality of the voice to much where a correctly configured downward expander resolved my issues out right, you get the benefits of a noise gate but the background noise below a certain threshold is just simply compressed into oblivion even when speaking. Recommend people trying this it may surprise you.
Our radio stations all target an average of -20dBfs (usually -16dB on peaks on regular speech)on speech which means that around 50-55dB of gain is usually enough which is something literally every consumer pre amp can do VERY easily. This is on ALL their speech mics (Rode Broadcaster, TLM102, SM7b) While I really don't have a problem with maxing out the gain, if you don't have to do it. Just don't do it.
Another thing to think about is whether the audio mixer is analog or digital. If it's digital, you shouldn't boost the gain above -15dB (on the VU meter) for all voices. Going "into the red" on a digital mixer will add noise in the form of crackling, which is too loud. So, if using an SM7B with a Cloudlifter CL-1, set the trim on the channel(s) so that there's a max of around -15dB on the loudest passage. It's okay if there are occasional transient peaks above -15, as that is normal, but just don't always max out steadily. If it's an analog mixer, it's a bit more forgiving, but you'll still distort at max volume. The distortion is because the mixer's built-in mic preamp exceeds its limit and the signal goes from sine wave into a square wave, which is not what you want. Nowadays, you can have the transient peaks go almost "into the red" and you're still good.
I'll say based on my last year with the sm7b; 1. It needs 70 db of gain to push it effectively. 60 db won't cut it. These issues truly only exist in the live broadcast or livestream application. 2. In post, the audio can be boosted so keep the gain medial and adjust as needed. This would reduce and almost eliminate the hiss. 3. It's not the best mic for most people. The cost is unjustified for the non professional. I have regrets and true buyers remorse. I should've bought the 57 or 58.
You don't think in live radio we could just run it through a chain such as the one here and then out into the broadcast world? That would bypass the need for the 60dB of gain. And sorry to hear about the buyers remorse! A 57 or 58 isn't hard to come by though :)
Your suggestion for radio use would be fantastic. Thanks for the reply. Btw I’m totally going to buy the 57 and if it performs as well or nearly as well as the 7b I’m selling the 7b.
Just a heads up. 7:23 "You can download this for free" is a false statement. It's only free for 90 days after which you need to pay up. No matter how you look at this, most people don't know what you mean by processing, let alone have access to tools for "free" to mange this. The Cloud Lifter hence might be a great permanent solution.
Amazing video bro u answered sooo many questions I had with this video, sadly I realized I guess the best choice for me is to not go with a dynamic until I find a great preamp bc I use loootssss of layers in my rockish/rappish vocals :,) which probably means that the noise floor is probably gonna multiply even more lol
To me it's so strange that everybody used to buy those well sought out class A preamps that cost a fortune to eliminate all that a cheap preamp "offers" because of its cheapness, yet a cloudlifter is THE solution.. it's small, it's lighweight, it's cheap, yet it's making your chain BETTER. Cannot believe it...
"Works" for me, after hours of test, in mi case, i put up to 90 gain on zoom r16, with b2 pro mic, plugin free OBS, Noise door, Expander, and a plug ing commercial OZONE compresors al limiters, and, works generally, but works only in the PC with installed software and plugins, but, somethimes a need record outdoor or other room without PC, and sometimes no have time to post-process, maybe in especific cases need some hardware real time process, great video, i learn some new, thanks
You're basically saying that as a singer that I can Use my newly bought shure sm7b with just my focusrite 2in2out and it'll be giving me professional sounds as a recording artist without any cloud lifter or fethead?
You but the drawback is you would have to crank your gain all the way up that will introduce a lot of noise in your recording and if your room isnt treated you will end up with noisy recordings...
This is probably going to be a very ignorant question but, can you use an EQ while being live on stream or is this more oriented to post-production of your recordings?
I'm still having so many issues with keyboard clicks and I have done everything in my power to reduce this. I heard a fethead could fix this as it would allow me to reduce the gain in my goxlr.
Borrow one first and try it out, every room is different so there’s no simple answer. Audiohaze has a great video about positioning in an untreated room, which can make a crazy difference. But if you wanna play it safe go for a dynamic one.
@@AudioHaze its a unit that have mic pre amp, compressor, de esser, EQ and noise gate all in one unit. Perfect for streaming. Pair with a normal USB interface and its amazing.
I am already sorry for this wall of text, but I watched your video a second time, with my noise nerd fully in charge. And I realized a possible misconception of yours, when it comes down to preamp noise. We need to make one thing very clear: No, you don't get more input noise, relative to the signal with more gain. I recommend to watch a video named "USE YOUR GAIN!" by Julian Krause, where he pointed out, that not using the gain, that you have will actually give you a lower and thus *WORSE* Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). Trust me, when I watched the video, at first I was like: "Okay, now he's full of it." But then he explained and blew my mind. So I sat down and did a series of tests with different gain settings myself, to see it for myself, back then with my Steinberg UR22 Mk II and a RODE Procaster. And he was right. now I repeated the same series of tests again. As a disclaimer: My Interface for this test is a MOTU M4, my Microphone is a Shure Beta 58A. All I need for it was a white noise or tone generator on my smart phone and a DMX Terminator Plug. I need the white noise generator to create a sound, that I want to record. I chose a generator to make sure that the sound does not change its loudness, so I get usable results. I use the DMX Terminator Plug to make my audio interface react like there was a microphone plugged in, but without recording any noise from the room itself. With this I did 9 recordings, 3 at 100% gain, 3 at 50% gain and 3 at 0% gain. Recording 1) The signal. Recording 2) The room noise. Recording 3) The Input Noise with the DMX Plug instead of a microphone connected to the interface. These are my measurement results: Gain -> Signal -> Room Noise -> Input Noise =100% -> -9.1dBFS -> -57.5dBFS -> 63.3dBFS ~50% -> -40.8dBFS -> -88.1dBFS -> -94.4dBFS ~33% -> -50.1dBFS -> -97.9dBFS -> 102.4dbFS =0% -> -69.6dBFS -> -108,4dBFS -> -108,4dBFS And in terms of SNR vs Room and Input, it goes like this: =100% -> 48.4dB vs Room -> 54.2dB vs Input ~050% -> 47.3dB vs Room -> 53.6dB vs Input ~033% -> 47.8dB vs Room -> 52.3dB vs Input =000% -> 38.8dB vs Room -> 38.8dB vs Input As one can see: The lower the Gain, the lower the SNR. There is a little fluctuation in the SNR vs room, but that will most likely be due to fluctuations in the noise of my room. Also, as one can see with the test at 0 gain: If you are too close to the noise floor, the SNR completely falls apart. Also, the values for the input noise prove, how much more apparent the room noise will be in literally 99% of all rooms you record in. Mind you: I already use a microphone which is really good at not picking up the room noise, a dynamic one with a Super Cardioid Pickup Pattern. It destroyed my old RODE Procaster in terms of noise rejection, and the Procaster already bests the Shure SM7B in terms of room noise rejection. Not by much, but still. And now, just for sh**s and giggles compare this to a condenser microphone. A RODE NT1 again will be completely annihilated by the Shure SM7B, just because condenser microphones are so much worse for noise rejection. But then again, a condenser microphone gives you a much louder output. But if you had a really, REALLY quiet recording room, this would be a completely different story. Think about it. My interface gave me -88.1dBFS input noise at ~50% gain, which is fine, if not too much for many condenser microphones. And if a condenser like said NT1 microphone adds only 4dB on top of that, you could have a SNR up to 76dB for recording a human voice, which would be completely nuts. This is why people recommend to use condenser microphones for quiet environments and dynamic microphones for loud environments.
Wow! Interesting, I can always count on you to not only do the most thorough research of anyone on the channel, but to also inform me on any misinformation, thank! So, if this is true, what causes this excess of noise for the Sm7B? Since it certainly does require a bit more gain to bring up to "proper" levels (which again I'm trying to dispel in this video the misunderstanding that you must fall in this dB range, but still), and doing so does increase an amount of hiss to a certain degree, where is this noise coming from?
Well, as you can see, the difference isn’t that big. 1 to 2dB (until the dynamic range starts to break down) doesn’t make much of a difference. That being said, reducing the dynamic range (i.e. with a compressor) does and quite dramatically so. I actually doesn’t use that much and I still easily raise my noise floor by about 10dB. You showed even more ways to make the noise in the recording more apparent. I don’t know about your current audio interface, but generally speaking, there is the possibility that an interface simply is more noisy. And in that case, the Fethead, Cloudlifter and others have their merit. Because the way they work is to replace parts the noise of the Audio input with their own noise, which usually is quite a lot lower. But that depends on the audio interface in use. On my MOTU M4, it would result in just 2dBFS less self-noise, which is neglect able. On my Steinberg UR22 Mk. II, the difference is quite dramatic. There the input noise at full gain is like -57dBFS, but can be reduced to -65dBFS using my Fethead. Also, adding gain will always result in a raised noise floor. And since the SM7B is a notorious low output microphone, you get a lower input level, relative to the gain setting. I can only guess, but I’d say The SM7B is like 8dBFS quieter than my Beta 58A. Because of that, you already have a 8dBFS lower SNR. So guess what happens if you use that with a noisy interface like my Steinberg without a Fethead? The noise floor is raised by 14dB vs my MOTU M4, 16dB, if I use my Fethead. And adding gain always ends up raising the noise, no matter if you add hardware or software gain. The point I made before was simply this: Hardware gain is preferable to software gain. In the end, you simply have a lower SNR to work with, just by the SM7B being roughly 8dB quieter than my Beta 58A. Remember, I got 54.2 dB of SNR vs input. That’s actually decent. But with the SM7B I would have a SNR as low as 46.2dB. And up to 10dB more due to an reasonable amount of dynamic range reduction, by whatever means will reduce the SNR to 36.2dB, which obviously will render it borderline unusable.
Hi there I'm genuinely confused about your noise floor test. You boosted both signals equally by 15db so of course the one with more preamp gain will be louder! In order to accurately match the volume you need to know the difference in db between the 80% and the 100% first otherwise you are literally just showing us the pure difference in noise level instead of signal to noise ratio. It should be the case that the preamps get unproportionally more noisy at higher levels as well as boosting the signal strength in regards to the static noise level of the ADC and other factors as well (though I know this isn't always the case). You can measure the pure interface noise by sending a line-out of the interface into the line in of your preamp and then recording that instead of doing a vocal recording.
Great content. One question. Sorry for the ignorance, but would I need a cloudlifter if I'm using the microphone for on stage live performance? Everything would be connected to an amplifier.
@@AudioHaze Thanks for the info. would it be possible to use a condenser microphone for live performances? Also, will you be doing a review on the TZ Stellar X2 Large Diaphragm Cardioid Condenser XLR Microphone?
Yeah! I'm not sure if google has a way to patch in Ableton actually but I think through some clever routing its possible. Definitely on discord and I believe zoom as well.
@@AudioHaze I might be able to patch from ableton out from my interface and back in 😂 since I have an 18i20 but the audio chain makes such a difference and I have to crank the preamp to max right now with some background noise
Your audio sounds like mine. I use zoom f6 and the sound character is dry. A little bit brittle and edgy. When I use zoom f6 with sennheiser e945, the result is totally mess. Lol
I have a presonus 24c with 50db gain range and a Procaster. I use a fethead to help it out, so I don't need as much filtering or badically full gain. If I get a 56/58db interface (looking for a quad input xlr interface), that would help as well, right?
not related to video but I guess still helps the algorithm… I ordered an AT2020 and I was wondering whether to get a foam windscreen or a pop filter, I record in a room with a lot of low frequency bg noise and some fan noise. Thanks for the awesome content btw, i’ll show you all that you’ve taught me in a cover that i’ll link soon :>>
Can't wait to hear! Honestly, the foam windscreen may cut out more noise but its going to be such a little amount, not sure the filter will have much impact on the audio rejection within the room :/
So I recently got the rode pod mic with the Behringer UM2. Do I need an inline preamp to make the podmic have more gain? Will it make the audio have more quality?
Mr. Haze what are your thoughts on using at Shure SM7b versus a TLM 102 in home studios with ambient noises? Can you really treat a room in your home well enough to create the conditions for a TLM 102 will give you all of its bonuses as opposed to a Shure SM7b which has a narrower pickup pattern but maybe doesn't sound as rich?
Oh gosh, well to be fair I’ve never gotten the chance to try a 102, but I know they’re pretty sensitive. I think sonically they’re just so different I’m not sure if I could even compare them. If you’re workin in an untreated reflective room doing voiceover, I would say SM7B, but if you’ve got an untreated room and doing acoustic guitar and vocals, the 102 has a lot to offer in that regard, even with the room reflections. Not sure I can make a definitive decision…
I'm interested in the whether dynamics do have less room noise. I think people just tend to be closer to dynamic mics when they record. I recently tested an MXLv89 to the SM 57, and the amount of room noise once I matched the gain was about the same, but the pre-amp noise was louder with the 57. I do have a somewhat treated room. You can always try using moving blankets as quick forms of room treatment. I think the 102 might be more versatile. That's actually a mic I am thinking of upgrading to.
Condenser mics have that laser high end that really draws the ear... crumpling a bag of chips a few feet away from a condenser is an audio event as compared to through a dynamic whereby it's almost in another room :)
@@seanwebb605 Personally, I would try to borrow a condensor mic to try in your room, doesn't have to be the tlm102. That'll give you an idea of how much additional ambient noise will be picked up. Personally, I prefer the sound of condensor mics enough that I still use one in an untreated room. Having said that, I record music as a hobby.
I have an audient id4 interface and it l me enough gain to record this microphone at a good level, but having the knob to the maximum could damage it or force it in the future?
@@Pantojandidefinetly not, preamps work for ages even at full power. Also the id14 has a low enough noise floor to comfortably record an sm7b. Just stay under 95% gain and the noise is practically inaudible.
The solution is simple- talk or sing louder. If someone can’t figure out the SM7B, I would question if this mic is out of your league. This is not a novice friendly mic and there are a lot of things to think about when using it; noise floor, interface preamp, headroom, how quiet it is, etc. etc. A lot of people using this mic aren’t taking advantage of its capabilities and a easier to use mic would work just as well.
The problem is it's a mic that looks good. A Shure SM57 and SM58 are more novice friendly but they don't look like you're an "official". It's ironic because the president of the US uses SM57 microphones.
@@nerdyneedsalife8315 it does look good, but so does the 55. That’s more novice appropriate. Who doesn’t want to be like Elvis? Believe the SM57 has been used as a presidential mic since it was released for its noise rejection, two are used for one backup. There’s the MV7 which looks like a SM7B but has a USB interface. Shure just needs to make a mic that looks identical to the SM7B but with a usb interface or make their own XLR interface for the SM7B, they are leaving a bunch of sales on the table with people going to 3rd party options for the SM7B.
@@jakp8777 The 55 looks good but in a different way. I do think Shure should have a plug n' play solution but it would probably cost more than what people would prefer.
Honestly I think if another company came out with a mic that looks as sleek as the SM7 but with the budget friendly nature of a 57 of MV7, it would sell like crazy. I think they tried to do that with the MV7 but the design just doesn't do it for me. Looks too stocky.
@@AudioHaze that sounds like something Behringer would do- call it the SM7USB and make it look identical. A lot of the SM7Bs popularity with entry level users is image and name recognition.
I’ve seen that Podcastage Deus video you referenced on starting yours. I think It’s even worse actually. You have a very high chance of being left with a slightly distorted signal. Especially entry level audio interfaces, like the Steinberg UR22 Mk Give only you an optimal signal in terms of distortion levels, if you NEVER surpass -10dBFS recording level. Even on my MOTU M4, which I consider to be lower mid range, I don’t really feel comfortable, to go higher then that. Oh well… Once again a great video of yours! And it’s an interesting way to a similar goal to mine. I’m much more severe in post processing my signal. currently using a) A High Pass 90 Hz at 72dB/oct. b) a noise reduction plugin, manually set to my individual background noise floor c) a noise gate, to deal with things louder than the noise floor and d) LoudMax, a maximizer to reach my desired level including a brick wall limiter.
oh wow thats a ton of noise suppression going on there!! I can't imagine your signal is that noisy is it?? Would be interested to know what sort of processing you do beyond all these measures to cut out noise ;) and thanks for the donation as always my friend :)
Considering I have my PC roughly 60 cm / 2 ft below the microphone, (very close, I know) with only the desk to block parts of the worst, my noise floor is actually half decent. At least with my Super Cardioid dynamic microphone, my source signal is like -20dB(FS) and its noise floor is -78dB(FS). The noise gate is not needed just to deal with background noise. My Expander Gate (I wrote noise gate by mistake before) actually used to deal with breathing. I need to explain the post processing after the noise suppression and gating. My maximizer raises the signal by 20dB(FS) and adds a brick wall limiter at -4dB(FS), to give me something similar to a slight compression effect. My noise floor now would be at -58dB(FS) without the noise management beforehand. But still, my noise suppression manages it on its own, actually. (Additional effects are the usual suspects on live streaming. Reverb, voice modulation, stuff like that.) So why dealing with breathing? Well, I use my microphone mostly for live streaming, where I don't bother with controlling my breathing all of the time, naturally. Because of this, my breathing, which at quiet phases is coming in at -50dB(FS) sometimes can become pretty loud, up to -30 dB(FS), which to my ears is unbearable. I'm Using my expander gate, to raise the dynamic range between breathing and voice, effectively lowering the breathing by 20 dB(FS), so even at worst times, I never hit above -50dB(FS) with my breathing.
The SM7B is a great mic. Having said that, my rule of thumb is: You only need a Cloudlifter/FEThead on that mic IF the sound you're capturing through it is real quiet (speech-like podcasts, radio interviews, etc.) Why? Simple. The mic without the add-on has a 10db loss in volume as-is. When you plug it into your audio interface (USB-type or mixer or whatever) you'll have to turn the GAIN/TRIM knob up to compensate. This adds more noise floor to your recordings or live performance in the form of hiss and/or buzz. Using without a preamp add-on may be fine if you're capturing DJs or vocals or instruments that are loud on their own. If they're quiet, however, you'll want that preamp. It adds the right amount of gain BEFORE the noise floor. Your signal will remain clean and loud enough before feedback.
Nice feedback!
@@AudioHaze Thanks. Having been mixing live and recorded sound for over 25 years has taught me a lot. Incidently, the SM7B is actually an SM57...on steroids. Think of the SM7B is the capsule part of the 57 without the bottom half that contains the audio transformer. That missing transformer is why the 7B is 10 decibels softer in gain. The transformer also adds some midrange frequency boost by 3db. Some engineers will "modify" their 57s to remove or replace the transformer entirely to match or exceed the 7B sound. But that's all for music purposes.
Julian kraus pretty much debunked this notion, recommend going and watching his signal to noise ratio video
I got a cloud lifter 2 days ago and I'm in awe of how much better my stuff sounds. It's more clear and the background hiss/noise is gone completely.
i'll get one thanks for letting me know
I laughed out loud when you played the Radio DJ sounding sample. Great video Ricky.
I feel like this is the voiceover sound we hear on every bad car radio advertisement on the 90s rock FM channel right??
I have done some research and i am pretty sure that the fethead can be made easily at home, no need to spend so much money. I am designing the pcb and ordering parts. My idea is to build the circuit (double sided pcb) inside the male xlr plug.
That is so cool, so happy people like you who do cool stuff like this watch the channel.
how was it bro?
@@nideabroder69probably blew up in his face
Any updates?
@@tawmifm No, I stopped using my rode pro caster. Using my synco D2 shotgun microphone, works well enough for me. If you want to make the gethead you will need to order like 200 the JFETs and test them to find some with extremely low noise. You will need an oscilloscope and a signal generator. This is how they make them , by sifting out better JFETs from a lot, the PCB and circuit are very simple. If you can house them in metal tube you won't even need a PCB.
Keep keeping it real bro!! You and Bandrew spoke the flat out truth about this issue! This makes the world of difference in the gear planet! Definetly not against the cloudlifter and fethead believers but to my ears it's excellent with 50-55db and some post processing....i guess the lifters provide that comfort zone of more volume with less gain...that may help the noise..tnks again for this..
Yeah, I think the lifters also just are the simpler solution at the cost of $150 or whatever it is now
@@AudioHaze just enough to add a lewitt 240..😎
So I'm good to go with just my shure sm7b and my focusrite 2in2out?
Exactly what I was looking for! After watching multiple other videos talking about this, yours cleared up all the questions I had. Thanks so much!!
wow thanks glad I could help!
Over the last couple of years I have put together my “ideal” V.O. Kit (bearing in mind my in room computer, and my voice etc). I have landed on a Sure SM7B with an Audient ID4, which I E.Q. with Audacity (hey! It works for me 😊). It works well like that. But even though I was happy with this. Adding a coda stealth to the set up brought it to a whole new level.
I have that same interface, you noticed a big change with the pre amplifier?..... for me the interface alone gives me a good volume 🤔
Ricky….clearly, the aesthetic that is being exhibited is what is referred to in Japanese culture as, Wabi Sabi. Perfection through reality of the beauty of imperfections. 🙏😇😆😆
Kintsugi :)
Yes clearly I can't believe I forgot to leave this out of the script, you took the words right out of my mouth haha
I've tried my hardest to get the SM7B to work without hiss and I've given up. Cloudlifter on the way. AudioHaze must be magician, whatever he's doing I can't emulate. The noise gate trick just doesn't 'cut it' for me.
His version does not even cut it for me either.
I can hear the white noise in the background as he is talking. I am using head phones though.
But shouldn't we create a signal which can be listened to by head phone users without any noise? I think we should.
same here .. did the cloudlifter fixed the hiss problem for you?
@@b.z9940 yeah it fixed it
This is an awesome demonstration. I have the cloudlifter, but even with my audient ID14 interface, I was able to power the shure sm7b pretty comfortably without the cloudlifter. I specifically got the cloudlifter because people told me that I needed it. 🤷🏻Maybe I can go back to simply using the ID14 interface on it's own. Btw, I found that when using the cloudlifter, it picks up noise from your interface, computer and other devices, so be sure to check your noise levels by arming your shure sm7b with the cloudlifter and moving the cloudlifter around until you notice that the background noise mostly goes away. Hope that helps someone. :]
Also, as far as using a gate, I record raw without processing then use RX 10 Spectral De-noise for instruments and RX 10 Vocal De-noise for vocals in my signal chain first instead of using a gate. I guess it depends on what you prefer to use.
the ID series just has amazing preamps in their respective price range, no need for a cloudlifter as you’ve already said. I can turn up the preamp of my ID22 to about 90-95 percent before getting any preamp noise at all. If i would record into a focusrite or something with a higher noise floor the cloudlifter would come in handy though, but nothing you can’t solve in post.
this video is gold I swear to God
Better sound with more gain. The best solution for good sounds is physical compressor. With virtual compressor it's sounds just "ok". Cl1 is too expensive. Triton Fethead is fine for me (not expensive and easy to use) and voice meeter bana potato's + scarlett 2i2. No white noise and easy again
Fethead seems to be good option. Clean enough and also adding some clarity. I would not run sm7b without preamp if it’s not must.
Like you mentioned in the video, a gate isn't gonna take the noise away while the vocals are active. Right now, I'm trying to lay down some fairly quiet vocals for a song, but I'm dealing with an issue where there's some source of noise that's literally exactly in the range of the presence of my voice, so I can't boost it without also boosting really gritty noise. Unfortunately a gate isn't gonna help that much in this scenario. Likely I need to record in a better treated room, or maybe switch to a different mic.
Yep different mic. Go for a condenser. You can get mics that are clones of an ELAM 251. They are tube. AMAZING mics though.
You can use a noise suppressor like the waves ns1
I've faces this issue so found the best solution is actually a downward expander it's like a gate but when set correctly it also eliminates the noise when you speak, it also is less manipulative to the sound of your voice than other methods.
@@via_negativa6183 the expander works more like a gate. and a gate doesnt take of that noise. try using a noise suppression like waves ns1. it really takes out that noise when speaking or not
@@JEBJOSH when I said "other methods" I was also talking about noise supression. To me it just manipulated the quality of the voice to much where a correctly configured downward expander resolved my issues out right, you get the benefits of a noise gate but the background noise below a certain threshold is just simply compressed into oblivion even when speaking. Recommend people trying this it may surprise you.
Our radio stations all target an average of -20dBfs (usually -16dB on peaks on regular speech)on speech which means that around 50-55dB of gain is usually enough which is something literally every consumer pre amp can do VERY easily.
This is on ALL their speech mics (Rode Broadcaster, TLM102, SM7b)
While I really don't have a problem with maxing out the gain, if you don't have to do it. Just don't do it.
Words that should be written in scripture :)
Another thing to think about is whether the audio mixer is analog or digital. If it's digital, you shouldn't boost the gain above -15dB (on the VU meter) for all voices. Going "into the red" on a digital mixer will add noise in the form of crackling, which is too loud. So, if using an SM7B with a Cloudlifter CL-1, set the trim on the channel(s) so that there's a max of around -15dB on the loudest passage. It's okay if there are occasional transient peaks above -15, as that is normal, but just don't always max out steadily. If it's an analog mixer, it's a bit more forgiving, but you'll still distort at max volume. The distortion is because the mixer's built-in mic preamp exceeds its limit and the signal goes from sine wave into a square wave, which is not what you want. Nowadays, you can have the transient peaks go almost "into the red" and you're still good.
I bought a wave xlr and the cloud lifter and holy shit zero noise and perfect gain👌
Nice!! Yeah that sounds like a sick set up :)
THIS GUY ONLY HAS 3K SUBS?
you're joking... this is so professional...
Haha thank you so much! The channel is only about a year old though, so plenty of time to grow :)
@@AudioHaze looking at your videos, you’ll definitely be growing! they’re really well made dude, keep it up
What about live audio with no post processing? Is that where my MGx12 comes in to play?
I'll say based on my last year with the sm7b;
1. It needs 70 db of gain to push it effectively. 60 db won't cut it. These issues truly only exist in the live broadcast or livestream application.
2. In post, the audio can be boosted so keep the gain medial and adjust as needed. This would reduce and almost eliminate the hiss.
3. It's not the best mic for most people. The cost is unjustified for the non professional.
I have regrets and true buyers remorse. I should've bought the 57 or 58.
You don't think in live radio we could just run it through a chain such as the one here and then out into the broadcast world? That would bypass the need for the 60dB of gain. And sorry to hear about the buyers remorse! A 57 or 58 isn't hard to come by though :)
Your suggestion for radio use would be fantastic. Thanks for the reply. Btw I’m totally going to buy the 57 and if it performs as well or nearly as well as the 7b I’m selling the 7b.
Thanks for this video brotha! Helped a lot, and made me feel better about my purchase and decision to not buy a cloudlifter alongside the sm7b.
Glad I could help my friend!
I tested an SM7B tonight and I was shocked how bad the plosives are.
Just a heads up. 7:23 "You can download this for free" is a false statement. It's only free for 90 days after which you need to pay up. No matter how you look at this, most people don't know what you mean by processing, let alone have access to tools for "free" to mange this. The Cloud Lifter hence might be a great permanent solution.
Ableton had Ableton Live lite, this is totally free, although it’s heavily limited. Everything else I mentioned is also 100% free
What about using it for calls like google meet or zoom where you can't run any plugins?
Cloudlifter + dbx 286s. It gives you the possibility to not rely on application settings to have decent sound.
Fantastic video! This is going to be really helpful I believe as my recording is coming at -30db with the SM7B connected to the Shure MVi.
Amazing video bro u answered sooo many questions I had with this video, sadly I realized I guess the best choice for me is to not go with a dynamic until I find a great preamp bc I use loootssss of layers in my rockish/rappish vocals :,) which probably means that the noise floor is probably gonna multiply even more lol
Best of luck dude! And would love to hear the music at some point, you should link it :)
It's easy for you to manage this but most of people this process is headache and take time I prefer to buy cloud lifter to save time and time is money
To me it's so strange that everybody used to buy those well sought out class A preamps that cost a fortune to eliminate all that a cheap preamp "offers" because of its cheapness, yet a cloudlifter is THE solution.. it's small, it's lighweight, it's cheap, yet it's making your chain BETTER. Cannot believe it...
"Works" for me, after hours of test, in mi case, i put up to 90 gain on zoom r16, with b2 pro mic, plugin free OBS, Noise door, Expander, and a plug ing commercial OZONE compresors al limiters, and, works generally, but works only in the PC with installed software and plugins, but, somethimes a need record outdoor or other room without PC, and sometimes no have time to post-process, maybe in especific cases need some hardware real time process, great video, i learn some new, thanks
I love your channel! Its helping me a lot. By the way, which camera you re using to record your videos? Great quality!
Thank you so much!! Glad I could help :) and its a Canon M50
hiss is cool...sounds vintage
Yeah true, I think I’m certain scenarios the hiss is welcome, but I would say it’s not great for voiceover and podcasting ya know
You're basically saying that as a singer that I can Use my newly bought shure sm7b with just my focusrite 2in2out and it'll be giving me professional sounds as a recording artist without any cloud lifter or fethead?
You but the drawback is you would have to crank your gain all the way up that will introduce a lot of noise in your recording and if your room isnt treated you will end up with noisy recordings...
0:14 Did You tried discord/skype with sm7B?
This is probably going to be a very ignorant question but, can you use an EQ while being live on stream or is this more oriented to post-production of your recordings?
You can use an EQ everywhere and anytime.
I'm still having so many issues with keyboard clicks and I have done everything in my power to reduce this. I heard a fethead could fix this as it would allow me to reduce the gain in my goxlr.
Whats your signal chain like? You could always run a gate to cut out any volume below a certain threshold
@@AudioHaze signal chain? Is that the same as a connection lineup? I Have my SM7B to xlr to goxlr to usb to pc. Already have a gate as well :(
Use a downward expander imo it's better than a noise gate too. Put it on a ratio of about 2:1 and threshold until the clicks disappear
Is it recommended to get a condenser mic in a untreated bedroom? like an earthworks ethos?
Borrow one first and try it out, every room is different so there’s no simple answer. Audiohaze has a great video about positioning in an untreated room, which can make a crazy difference. But if you wanna play it safe go for a dynamic one.
@@rukibeats Thank you so much for your help!
Everyone out here in radio-land thanks you for your service. >Finger guns/wink/tongue click
Eyyyyy, thanks ;)
You should do a video on how to setup a DBX 286S. Great piece of hardware for live/streaming
Ah I see, it's a channel strip? So its like completely outboard vocal processing then?
@@AudioHaze its a unit that have mic pre amp, compressor, de esser, EQ and noise gate all in one unit. Perfect for streaming. Pair with a normal USB interface and its amazing.
@@Fidalgodev Nice! Definitely not a setup I'm used to, but it sounds like it would yield good results :)
I am already sorry for this wall of text, but I watched your video a second time, with my noise nerd fully in charge. And I realized a possible misconception of yours, when it comes down to preamp noise. We need to make one thing very clear: No, you don't get more input noise, relative to the signal with more gain. I recommend to watch a video named "USE YOUR GAIN!" by Julian Krause, where he pointed out, that not using the gain, that you have will actually give you a lower and thus *WORSE* Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). Trust me, when I watched the video, at first I was like: "Okay, now he's full of it." But then he explained and blew my mind. So I sat down and did a series of tests with different gain settings myself, to see it for myself, back then with my Steinberg UR22 Mk II and a RODE Procaster. And he was right. now I repeated the same series of tests again. As a disclaimer: My Interface for this test is a MOTU M4, my Microphone is a Shure Beta 58A.
All I need for it was a white noise or tone generator on my smart phone and a DMX Terminator Plug. I need the white noise generator to create a sound, that I want to record. I chose a generator to make sure that the sound does not change its loudness, so I get usable results. I use the DMX Terminator Plug to make my audio interface react like there was a microphone plugged in, but without recording any noise from the room itself. With this I did 9 recordings, 3 at 100% gain, 3 at 50% gain and 3 at 0% gain. Recording 1) The signal. Recording 2) The room noise. Recording 3) The Input Noise with the DMX Plug instead of a microphone connected to the interface.
These are my measurement results:
Gain -> Signal -> Room Noise -> Input Noise
=100% -> -9.1dBFS -> -57.5dBFS -> 63.3dBFS
~50% -> -40.8dBFS -> -88.1dBFS -> -94.4dBFS
~33% -> -50.1dBFS -> -97.9dBFS -> 102.4dbFS
=0% -> -69.6dBFS -> -108,4dBFS -> -108,4dBFS
And in terms of SNR vs Room and Input, it goes like this:
=100% -> 48.4dB vs Room -> 54.2dB vs Input
~050% -> 47.3dB vs Room -> 53.6dB vs Input
~033% -> 47.8dB vs Room -> 52.3dB vs Input
=000% -> 38.8dB vs Room -> 38.8dB vs Input
As one can see: The lower the Gain, the lower the SNR. There is a little fluctuation in the SNR vs room, but that will most likely be due to fluctuations in the noise of my room. Also, as one can see with the test at 0 gain: If you are too close to the noise floor, the SNR completely falls apart. Also, the values for the input noise prove, how much more apparent the room noise will be in literally 99% of all rooms you record in. Mind you: I already use a microphone which is really good at not picking up the room noise, a dynamic one with a Super Cardioid Pickup Pattern. It destroyed my old RODE Procaster in terms of noise rejection, and the Procaster already bests the Shure SM7B in terms of room noise rejection. Not by much, but still. And now, just for sh**s and giggles compare this to a condenser microphone. A RODE NT1 again will be completely annihilated by the Shure SM7B, just because condenser microphones are so much worse for noise rejection. But then again, a condenser microphone gives you a much louder output.
But if you had a really, REALLY quiet recording room, this would be a completely different story. Think about it. My interface gave me -88.1dBFS input noise at ~50% gain, which is fine, if not too much for many condenser microphones. And if a condenser like said NT1 microphone adds only 4dB on top of that, you could have a SNR up to 76dB for recording a human voice, which would be completely nuts. This is why people recommend to use condenser microphones for quiet environments and dynamic microphones for loud environments.
Wow! Interesting, I can always count on you to not only do the most thorough research of anyone on the channel, but to also inform me on any misinformation, thank! So, if this is true, what causes this excess of noise for the Sm7B? Since it certainly does require a bit more gain to bring up to "proper" levels (which again I'm trying to dispel in this video the misunderstanding that you must fall in this dB range, but still), and doing so does increase an amount of hiss to a certain degree, where is this noise coming from?
Well, as you can see, the difference isn’t that big. 1 to 2dB (until the dynamic range starts to break down) doesn’t make much of a difference. That being said, reducing the dynamic range (i.e. with a compressor) does and quite dramatically so. I actually doesn’t use that much and I still easily raise my noise floor by about 10dB. You showed even more ways to make the noise in the recording more apparent. I don’t know about your current audio interface, but generally speaking, there is the possibility that an interface simply is more noisy. And in that case, the Fethead, Cloudlifter and others have their merit. Because the way they work is to replace parts the noise of the Audio input with their own noise, which usually is quite a lot lower. But that depends on the audio interface in use. On my MOTU M4, it would result in just 2dBFS less self-noise, which is neglect able. On my Steinberg UR22 Mk. II, the difference is quite dramatic. There the input noise at full gain is like -57dBFS, but can be reduced to -65dBFS using my Fethead. Also, adding gain will always result in a raised noise floor. And since the SM7B is a notorious low output microphone, you get a lower input level, relative to the gain setting. I can only guess, but I’d say The SM7B is like 8dBFS quieter than my Beta 58A. Because of that, you already have a 8dBFS lower SNR. So guess what happens if you use that with a noisy interface like my Steinberg without a Fethead? The noise floor is raised by 14dB vs my MOTU M4, 16dB, if I use my Fethead. And adding gain always ends up raising the noise, no matter if you add hardware or software gain. The point I made before was simply this: Hardware gain is preferable to software gain. In the end, you simply have a lower SNR to work with, just by the SM7B being roughly 8dB quieter than my Beta 58A. Remember, I got 54.2 dB of SNR vs input. That’s actually decent. But with the SM7B I would have a SNR as low as 46.2dB. And up to 10dB more due to an reasonable amount of dynamic range reduction, by whatever means will reduce the SNR to 36.2dB, which obviously will render it borderline unusable.
Well damn... Watching uour videos makes me regret buying my shure sm7b sometimes hahaha.
hahaha I'm so sorry my friend, its just not my fav mic, but I know loads of people who disagree
Hi there I'm genuinely confused about your noise floor test.
You boosted both signals equally by 15db so of course the one with more preamp gain will be louder!
In order to accurately match the volume you need to know the difference in db between the 80% and the 100% first otherwise you are literally just showing us the pure difference in noise level instead of signal to noise ratio.
It should be the case that the preamps get unproportionally more noisy at higher levels as well as boosting the signal strength in regards to the static noise level of the ADC and other factors as well (though I know this isn't always the case).
You can measure the pure interface noise by sending a line-out of the interface into the line in of your preamp and then recording that instead of doing a vocal recording.
Great content. One question. Sorry for the ignorance, but would I need a cloudlifter if I'm using the microphone for on stage live performance? Everything would be connected to an amplifier.
It depends on the board you’re running it into! Very often these live rigs will have plenty of gain though
@@AudioHaze Thanks for the info. would it be possible to use a condenser microphone for live performances? Also, will you be doing a review on the TZ Stellar X2 Large Diaphragm Cardioid Condenser XLR Microphone?
Wow can I use that vocal chain live ? Like from ableton into google meet for instance
Yeah! I'm not sure if google has a way to patch in Ableton actually but I think through some clever routing its possible. Definitely on discord and I believe zoom as well.
@@AudioHaze I might be able to patch from ableton out from my interface and back in 😂 since I have an 18i20 but the audio chain makes such a difference and I have to crank the preamp to max right now with some background noise
Your audio sounds like mine. I use zoom f6 and the sound character is dry. A little bit brittle and edgy.
When I use zoom f6 with sennheiser e945, the result is totally mess. Lol
I agree with you on just using the microphone and a vocal chain that includes a gate awesome
Thanks so much! Glad you're in my team lol
I have a presonus 24c with 50db gain range and a Procaster.
I use a fethead to help it out, so I don't need as much filtering or badically full gain.
If I get a 56/58db interface (looking for a quad input xlr interface), that would help as well, right?
not related to video but I guess still helps the algorithm… I ordered an AT2020 and I was wondering whether to get a foam windscreen or a pop filter, I record in a room with a lot of low frequency bg noise and some fan noise. Thanks for the awesome content btw, i’ll show you all that you’ve taught me in a cover that i’ll link soon :>>
Can't wait to hear! Honestly, the foam windscreen may cut out more noise but its going to be such a little amount, not sure the filter will have much impact on the audio rejection within the room :/
Good wrap. Why add extra noise?
Well, with most vocals chains that high shelf and compression will natural add more noise, whether you want to or not. Which is why the gate helps :)
This was a really helpful video for sure! Thank you.
Glad I could help!
Nice vid! Btw What camera do you use? Thanks!
Thanks dude! Its a Canon M50 :)
This may sound odd, since you might not be a retile person like me, but the boas could have been emotional support animals.
Great video once again man! What camera do you use?
Thanks! And its a Canon M50 :)
So I recently got the rode pod mic with the Behringer UM2. Do I need an inline preamp to make the podmic have more gain? Will it make the audio have more quality?
Loved this.
Thanks :)
if your using it for singing and i mean as in loud male strong vocals, none of this even matters, so there's that...
Love these videos! you are amazing!
Thank you my friend :)
So this chain is not working for me on ableton 10 says cannot load preset probably broken ? Any chance you can make a 10 version
Sorry it's 11 and up! You could perhaps mimic it based upon the presets in the video though :)
@@AudioHaze whelp ended up grading lol it was on sale anyways
@@mastermachetier5594 NICE now you have take lanes haha
@@AudioHaze ya lol that’s 85% of why I wanted to upgrade
6:02 I bet U you swore at the fly that came into the room lol
Dude no joke that little guy was bothering me and my cat that whole day >:(
@@AudioHaze lol, they are so friguing annoying
Mr. Haze what are your thoughts on using at Shure SM7b versus a TLM 102 in home studios with ambient noises? Can you really treat a room in your home well enough to create the conditions for a TLM 102 will give you all of its bonuses as opposed to a Shure SM7b which has a narrower pickup pattern but maybe doesn't sound as rich?
Oh gosh, well to be fair I’ve never gotten the chance to try a 102, but I know they’re pretty sensitive. I think sonically they’re just so different I’m not sure if I could even compare them. If you’re workin in an untreated reflective room doing voiceover, I would say SM7B, but if you’ve got an untreated room and doing acoustic guitar and vocals, the 102 has a lot to offer in that regard, even with the room reflections. Not sure I can make a definitive decision…
I'm interested in the whether dynamics do have less room noise. I think people just tend to be closer to dynamic mics when they record. I recently tested an MXLv89 to the SM 57, and the amount of room noise once I matched the gain was about the same, but the pre-amp noise was louder with the 57. I do have a somewhat treated room. You can always try using moving blankets as quick forms of room treatment. I think the 102 might be more versatile. That's actually a mic I am thinking of upgrading to.
Condenser mics have that laser high end that really draws the ear... crumpling a bag of chips a few feet away from a condenser is an audio event as compared to through a dynamic whereby it's almost in another room :)
@@MrKarlGP Well I do love chips.
@@seanwebb605 Personally, I would try to borrow a condensor mic to try in your room, doesn't have to be the tlm102. That'll give you an idea of how much additional ambient noise will be picked up. Personally, I prefer the sound of condensor mics enough that I still use one in an untreated room. Having said that, I record music as a hobby.
I have an audient id4 interface and it l me enough gain to record this microphone at a good level, but having the knob to the maximum could damage it or force it in the future?
Certainly not! The knob at maximum will not damage the mic :)
@AudioHaze I was referring to the audio interface, for working all the time to the maximum. sorry for English
@@Pantojandidefinetly not, preamps work for ages even at full power. Also the id14 has a low enough noise floor to comfortably record an sm7b. Just stay under 95% gain and the noise is practically inaudible.
I can't get my SM7B to give any audio into the Zoom H6N
Ooh gosh I don't know, sounds like there may be something happening in the Zoom?
The solution is simple- talk or sing louder. If someone can’t figure out the SM7B, I would question if this mic is out of your league. This is not a novice friendly mic and there are a lot of things to think about when using it; noise floor, interface preamp, headroom, how quiet it is, etc. etc. A lot of people using this mic aren’t taking advantage of its capabilities and a easier to use mic would work just as well.
The problem is it's a mic that looks good. A Shure SM57 and SM58 are more novice friendly but they don't look like you're an "official". It's ironic because the president of the US uses SM57 microphones.
@@nerdyneedsalife8315 it does look good, but so does the 55. That’s more novice appropriate. Who doesn’t want to be like Elvis? Believe the SM57 has been used as a presidential mic since it was released for its noise rejection, two are used for one backup. There’s the MV7 which looks like a SM7B but has a USB interface. Shure just needs to make a mic that looks identical to the SM7B but with a usb interface or make their own XLR interface for the SM7B, they are leaving a bunch of sales on the table with people going to 3rd party options for the SM7B.
@@jakp8777 The 55 looks good but in a different way. I do think Shure should have a plug n' play solution but it would probably cost more than what people would prefer.
Honestly I think if another company came out with a mic that looks as sleek as the SM7 but with the budget friendly nature of a 57 of MV7, it would sell like crazy. I think they tried to do that with the MV7 but the design just doesn't do it for me. Looks too stocky.
@@AudioHaze that sounds like something Behringer would do- call it the SM7USB and make it look identical. A lot of the SM7Bs popularity with entry level users is image and name recognition.
* signature whistle laugh *
*chefs kiss*
Great video, as always!
Thank you good sir!
thank you bro
do i need popfilter to this mic, like we use on kodensator mic?
The black foam on the mic is a pop filter
Thanks
I’ve seen that Podcastage Deus video you referenced on starting yours. I think It’s even worse actually. You have a very high chance of being left with a slightly distorted signal. Especially entry level audio interfaces, like the Steinberg UR22 Mk Give only you an optimal signal in terms of distortion levels, if you NEVER surpass -10dBFS recording level. Even on my MOTU M4, which I consider to be lower mid range, I don’t really feel comfortable, to go higher then that. Oh well… Once again a great video of yours! And it’s an interesting way to a similar goal to mine. I’m much more severe in post processing my signal. currently using a) A High Pass 90 Hz at 72dB/oct. b) a noise reduction plugin, manually set to my individual background noise floor c) a noise gate, to deal with things louder than the noise floor and d) LoudMax, a maximizer to reach my desired level including a brick wall limiter.
oh wow thats a ton of noise suppression going on there!! I can't imagine your signal is that noisy is it?? Would be interested to know what sort of processing you do beyond all these measures to cut out noise ;) and thanks for the donation as always my friend :)
Considering I have my PC roughly 60 cm / 2 ft below the microphone, (very close, I know) with only the desk to block parts of the worst, my noise floor is actually half decent. At least with my Super Cardioid dynamic microphone, my source signal is like -20dB(FS) and its noise floor is -78dB(FS). The noise gate is not needed just to deal with background noise. My Expander Gate (I wrote noise gate by mistake before) actually used to deal with breathing.
I need to explain the post processing after the noise suppression and gating. My maximizer raises the signal by 20dB(FS) and adds a brick wall limiter at -4dB(FS), to give me something similar to a slight compression effect. My noise floor now would be at -58dB(FS) without the noise management beforehand. But still, my noise suppression manages it on its own, actually. (Additional effects are the usual suspects on live streaming. Reverb, voice modulation, stuff like that.)
So why dealing with breathing? Well, I use my microphone mostly for live streaming, where I don't bother with controlling my breathing all of the time, naturally. Because of this, my breathing, which at quiet phases is coming in at -50dB(FS) sometimes can become pretty loud, up to -30 dB(FS), which to my ears is unbearable. I'm Using my expander gate, to raise the dynamic range between breathing and voice, effectively lowering the breathing by 20 dB(FS), so even at worst times, I never hit above -50dB(FS) with my breathing.
just dont use it with a cloudlifter if you get a shure mic for 400 dollars then get all the equipment you need
I curse everywhere.
"Let's hear the noise floor on that..."
*click* No-one cares
Lololol
(Oh, if only there was something I could do to add an extra few dB of gain...)
Hahaha yes I heard that edit and though it was so funny I left it in
The scarlet audio interface is super noisy so no matter what I do there's still going to be noise floor and humming and hissing