I think the PodMic actually sounds more natural. If you're someone who just really wants to sound manly, the SM7B is a beast. Heck, it's a beast period, but if you're comparing the two, I like the sound of the PodMic better. I need to get the wind screen, though. Great video!
The PodMic is going to sound great on the Rodecaster since they’re both from the same company and designed for each other. In any other situation, it needs to be tweaked a bit to get the most out of it, whereas the SM7b consistently sounds great if it has enough clean gain. It’s still one of the best values though because it can be made to sound so good.
@@tombuck On my very neutral monitors the SM7b sounds muddy, I like the more natural sound of the Rode PodMic as well a lot better never liked the sound of the SM7b regardless of all it's hype and praise, even if it was $100 it has way to much mid base in my opin, and don't feel it's worth $300 over a PodMic if were going to talk about pro broadcast mics then I think the Classic EV RE20 or More Modern version the RE27 sound better then the SM7b and is the way to go in a price class around the SM7b if sticking with dynamics ... thats my 2 cents :-)
PodMic to me is for clarity. So for gaming/streaming/discord/skype style speech. SM7B is for bringing that rich, warm sound with the boosted lows for maybe radio or podcasts where the the room is sound treated and background noise is minimized so intelligibility is not an issue, and you just want a relaxed tone for long-form listenability. Also the lows travel better over radio waves.
Funny story, someone actually accused me of using EQ or a bass boost in my mic to sound deeper when the reality is, I actually used a treble boost and a high pass filter in an attempt to eliminate some of the bass :-P My voice + a deeper sounding mic + proximity effect = incoherent mud.
@@GadesChannel 1. This video is literally about the windscreen 2. The shure literally has a windscreen on it as well You're really proving my point here
120 mic sounds almost as good as 400 . Sorry but it’s a clear answer for most people! I recently bought the pod mic and it’s a great sounding little mic. You can’t really beat it for its price of $100!
You talked about the insane bass on the SM7b, which I do agree with, but you didn't mention or test the built in high-pass filter on the back of the SM7b under the cover. I would have liked to hear the comparison between the two with that high-pass filter turned on, and maybe with the presence boost built in turned on as well, I just find that stuff interesting
SM7B got 2 switches on the back under the back cover (protected by 2 screws), one is a high frequency boost, and high-pass filter that helps tame the low end. those should help make all the options you mentioned
Based on your videos and recommendations I purchased two Podmics when starting my podcast and couldn’t be happier. From what I have heard here on TH-cam I actually prefer the slightly less boomy sound of the Rode. I think the next purchase will definitely be a couple of these windscreens to deal with plosives. I appreciate your reviews and leading me to the Podmic, especially considering I purchased two of these for less than the price of one Shure SM7B.
I don't know. To me the PodMic sounds more natural. The Shure SM7B sounds muffled with the lows turned way up and highs/mids way down. But I'm certainly no audio expert.
The reason for that is that the SM7B was/is intended to be used with a preamp that can handle its higher impedance and deliver higher gain with a lower noise floor. The higher impedance being driven by a not-so-pro preamp will result in exactly what you're describing. This is the point of the cloud lifter and things like it; To provide better impedance matching and more gain, resulting in a much more natural sound. I do agree though; For applications like this, the Podmic is much better suited. It sounds great, it's much cheaper, and it's pretty much plug and play. Modern solutions targeted toward the specific application of podcasters and content creators win out in my opinion. Yes the SM7B is classic, and it isn't going anywhere, but I think it's suffering from trendicitus right now, and people don't invest the energy into learning how to use it correctly. I think a lot of people use it for the looks and sideline learning about what is required to drive it, then complain when it doesn't sound quite like they expected.
Thanks, Tom! Love your work. Grew up with a dad who would say things like; " I'd call you son...but you're really not that bright!" Puts a grin on my face to hear you go all corny humor. It's most certainly YOUR thing! Keep rockin' it!
wow sm7b has huge portions of the base! I was willing to buy Podmic for a tight budget and now so confirmed about it btw cause both are dynamic, basically it supposed to be a more based-sound no matter if we compare or not
Whenever it comes to speaking, the podmic brings out the mid range and highs so it’s very clear and good for use in “pod”casts. Don’t get me wrong the sm7b is a beast but when it comes to speaking and clarity, it has way more lower end making it harder to understand. Both still very useable. Podmic is a steal!
I thought the SM7B has been legendary in talk show / broadcast for years precisely because fudging the response to have more low end actually adds clarity and makes it more understandable... Will have to go double check and re-research that now
Considering that podcasts may be hours long having a very annoying boomy mic is an absolute no-no for me. I very much prefer of the Podmic with the nice windscreen.
Wow, awesome review. I had scratched the Podmic off my list, but the WS2 does two things: besides helping with plosives it gives a "rounder", fuller and richer sound with less harshness up top. I am now a potential fan of this $99 dynamic. Thanks!
Funny thing is, RØDE market that Windscreen for pretty much ALL their top address mics except the PodMic. I think they made such a big noise about the inbuilt pop filter that they don’t want to muddy that message by promoting the WS as an accessory, but I agree - it makes a huge difference. By the way - I think the Podmic suits your voice much better than the Shure anyway.
I definitely prefer the PodMic for my weird voice. And I think you're right- there was a lot of hoopla about the built in windscreen, that maybe they didn't want to market a separate one as well.
Love my RODE which was already TOO expensive for me and my dear friend carried it from Scotland all the way here to EGYPT :) Thanks for the great video.
I came across this channel a while back when I thought I was in the market for a new mic and/or mixer, I still am very interested in all the tech, the breakdowns and opinions, but I'm mostly here for the puns and dad jokes. Please keep doing what you're doing!
I agree 100% with the windscreen on the PodMic transforming it into an amazing mic. It’s amazing how much better it sounds, but unfortunately loses all of the aesthetic of the design. I tried a clip-on windscreen, but it’s not even close in what the foam ones deliver.
No way the SM7B is actually naturally getting a rolling vibrato sound when you talk into it. Must be the Rodecaster Pro making it do that. I have never heard that sound before and it's not pleasant to hear at all.
100% Agree, not sure if its just the proximity effect, the rodecaster, or whatever post-correction is being applied but the sm7b should never sound like that, cloudlifter absent or present.
It’s about the sound you’ll get from the mics. The SM7B has much more details. U have to process a record to get the max out of it. But for the fast task the rode got this.
I had the SM7b but to my ears, it made my voice sound unnatural, way too much bass. I’m not an audiophile but I know what sounds better and more natural to me. The Rode Podmic sounds brighter, more natural and I prefer that for podcasts. I retuned the SM7b and I also tried the Electrovoice RE20 - WOW. IF I am going to pay in the range of $400, I’ll spend that extra bit for a mic that sounds really good but in a natural way. I couldn’t hear that proximity effect or that very deep unnatural sound on the RE20, much better for my voice and ears. So, I settled on an RE20 and Podmics for my guests with the wind screen not the pop filter. 🤗
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head here: it’s important to get what works best for your voice. There’s no right or wrong and personal preference is 100% valid.
Listening through Sony's MDR7506's and there is a noticable difference between the final tuning of both. There is more bass on the Sure aswell as the sure seems to be more booming. These have never let me down as far as true sound goes so just a tip from an audiophile
Yeah I had a similar experience with my JBL 305p's. With the Podmic and WS2 it sounds just like a beautiful mic should sound, no complaints at all, maybe a bit of a nasaly sound to it but still something I could listen to for hours on end. With the SM7B tho it sounds like someone attached a subwoofer to my monitors and used it exclusively to reproduce the sound from that microphone. Absolutely ruined the intelligibility and is very unsuited for any application longer than 20min. Kinda felt like he shook all my windows in my room just by speaking in the microphone. Quite a disappointment considering the uncharge.
I'd like to see you do the same test with the HPF and presence boost switched on the Sm7b. It seems like those two things would make the two sound more similar.
I found a return goxlr on Amazon for 180$ two days ago and bought it and then got rode podmic with the wind screen and now my audio is 1000% better! Just couldn’t see me spending 1000$ on audio right now and ended up getting lucky !
@@tombuck yeah man it was someone’s return I bought on Amazon it said their was a scratch on the front panel but when it got here the scratch was on the plastic peel off sticker that was never removed lol I peeled it off and no more scratch haha it was literally scratched plastic peel 😂
RODE all the way. To all the SM7B maxis out there. Be honest with yourself. Is your content really providing so much value to justify a 400$+ purchase? Rode is the way to go if you’re starting out. Great buy in point that won’t break the bank. Great quality. Easy to use. When ur making the TH-cam/Twitch $$$ then consider the big boy mics. 0.02c
Tom, have you tested the ProCaster Pro mic? I do not own a PodMic, but one Procaster mic; the second one comes soon - love them. I recently bought the RodeCaster setup. Then I use a Shure SM58Beta as well. Once settings are done it is difficult to hear a difference. I am glad that you highlighted an important aspect about the RodeCaster qualities, namely that the settings can make many mics sounding good. Look, I am a huge supporter of both Rode and Shure mics. Shure stood the test of time and Rode is built extremely well with personal touches. I like the look and feel and audio from Rode for specific purposes. Previously I focused on video mics from Rode. I am equally impressed by these broadcasting mics from Rode. However, I probably will buy my SM7B soon. Keep up with the good work. Worthwhile to mention that the Soyuz booster can contribute to the warmth enhancement of any dynamic mic. Imagine what it will do in combination with the RØDECaster
We’ve had more than pleasing results with the podmic + some compressor added. We also have a Shure SM7B, but the sound is a bit too bassy to be used together with podcmics, if not using the eq to match the sound.
Nice! I think you mentioned the windscreen on your podcast, so ordered one (backordered!) from B&H. Bummer to hide the good looks of the PodMic, but sounds lots better. Thanks for another solution that doesn't cost lots of money.
I was really happy to see that the windscreens aren't too expensive. I've found other ones for smaller audio recorders that aren't nearly as nice and cost twice ads much (or more).
straight up the standard dynamic setting on that rodecaster is already boosting presence as is so it makes the sm7b sound like big muddy crap to my headphones and the pod mic sound perfect where as a normal flat eq input will show the sm7b be perfect and the podmic be really bright and almost shrieky but add some low cut some high and little mid and its spot on with the sm7b. Was hoping for a better comparison here but i cant blame you for your gear. I also hate the way the podmic looks with a windscreen lol as dumb as it sounds it is like looking at a dog with two legs its just not right.
I briefly put a windscreen on my PodMic but it's just too aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. All I did was angle the mic and worked on my voice techniques. I could increase the gain to keep the mic out of the camera view but nah. I like the way the mic looks and I seem to be dealing with plosives a lot better when I angle it slightly off from the sound source (my mouth). Overall, this is a keeper mic. I don't feel comfortable traveling with my SM7B. At least with the PodMic, if my luggage gets lost or the mic gets damaged, $99 is an easier loss to stomach vs. $399
@@tombuck First of all, thanks for responding to me! I really enjoy your channel! You, Booth Junkie, Bandrew (PodCastage), and Harris Heller are my go-to channels for audio equipment! I caved. My wife said "I can still hear your plosives. Why not throw a windscreen on your PodMic? Just try it!" - And yep, I sound a heck of a lot better with a windscreen (better plosive elimination!) and I can actually talk directly to the PodMic for better audio quality. So yeah. I'm still bummed that I have to put this thing and cover an aesthetically pleasing looking mic but I prefer sound over looks. The point you made in this video is legit! Anyways, thank you for the awesome TH-cam content!
I think that windscreen on the Podmic completes it! To my untrained ear, I would say that the Shure changes your voice too much. The way we have gotten used to your voice (and your vids) is with the "Røde sound". The Shure changes your voice too much. Since your voice on the Røde sounds more how it does in the other videos, the Røde wins in my book. But then again, you also use Røde as a boom. So it makes sense they sound more alike. I heard you said on the last video (or was it the podcast?) that someone twittered you and said they bought the rodecaster due to you. Well, if Røde reading this, I will buy the Rødecaster Pro + 2 ProdMics w/Windscreens (and colored XLR's) due to Tom. The cap is cool, but send him some more cool swag Røde. Fair dinkum!
Yes! Send me free gear! haha Honestly, I didn't realize how much Rode stuff I had until I started making videos about it. I guess it's always sat at the sweet spot of price/functionality/reliability for me. They make good stuff!
The shure sounds like more clear but muffled and makes your voice a bit deeper and the podmic sounds clear and is softer on your voice my preference I think the podmic will be better for me
@@tombuck Love your content man keep it up you have some of the best reviews and your making me wanna get the PodMic so much now thanks for the tests and reviews
PodMic for the win! Definitely sounds nice for voice. The SM7B will sound nicer in your headphones because it adds to the bine conduction you are already experiencing. But record both and play them back and I think you'll notice the clarity of the PodMic over the SM7B. BUT, the magic of the SM7B are the switches on the back which no one seems to really discuss - which make a huge difference. Plus you really need to EQ mics to balance the mic response to the sound source.
There's no perfect mic. Every mic depends on your voice and the ears of the listener. Just note with the Shure sm7b you'll need something to boost your gain. The Shure sm7b also has some switches to improve presence and bass roll off.
It comes down to performance to dollar spend AND the application. If you are just a streamer on Twitch I see no reason to invest in a $400 mic. But the Rode Podmic, and take the savings and spend it on a stream deck or some graphics for your channel or towards a mixer (GoXLR etc). Great reviews. I love my Rode Podmic.
The SM7B is just too bassy, boomy and muffled. Almost like there is a blanket on it that needs to be removed. The PodMic sounds much clearer and better, especially on smaller devices with poor speakers, or earbuds. The SM7B works well with really good speakers and in optimal scenarios, but the podmic sounds better for spoken words in less optimal scenarios.
I don't think this is an unpopular opinion to say the backwards hat looks good on you! I also chuckled when you said you look exactly like your wife and then your facial hair became that more prominent in my mind lol. What a good sport 😁
Haha the end was funny 😄👌 Yo that was a very nice video man! I actually enjoyed watching it.. just wanted to skip to the sound but ended up eatching every damn second without noticing 😂❤️ Keep this up! PS: Im on thr market to buy myself a setup and oh boy.. actually your voice sounds much better on the PodMic than on the SM7B.. idk why but you're right... makes your voice sound more natural.
Thanks Pascal! I really appreciate the kind words. I will say, this video is sort of an oddity because I think the SM7B normally sounds quite a bit better, but both mics are great. The PodMic works really well on specific voices (it can REALLY shine), while the SM7B is easier to work with a wider variety of voices.
I may be way off with this one, but I prefer the sound of the PodMic. The SM7B sounds more can-ey to me or like it was recorded in a box. My preference is a more natural sound and to me, the PodMic gets the nod.
pod have a bit up in mid range frequencies, 7b have more boost on 90hz and cut on 1khz, so on pod should cut the mid frequencies with 3dB, and boost on 80hz with 2dB
Honestly, I think the Shure muffles/suppresses a lot of the high end and takes the brightness and clarity out of your vocals. What you lose in low end on the PodMic, you make up for with its "realism". Maybe not as "smooth" across the spectrum, but more honest?
I can definitely say that PodMic is the most accurate for my voice. It’s pretty much exactly how I sound in real life 👍 Whether that’s good or not, I don’t know...😁
@@tombuck Depends who you ask I'm sure. :) I just purchased a PodMic for myself. Seems like a good return on investment, and if my podcasting aspirations crash and burn, I can always pursue my mid-life rap career Thanks for the reply, Tom. I've found your videos well-produced, clearly written and most importantly… informative.
I watched a YT clip about putting the WS2 on until the bottom gril, so leaving that bottom gril exposed, I tried it and like it + the mic still looks awesome.
You got a point Tom - I have a Shure SM7B and a Rode Procaster as my microphones and your video gives good reason to think about your hardware purchases - Thanks You should use that wig a bit more in your videos 😃😄😁😆
It’s a weird test, but with AirPods, the SM7B sounds super muffled and bassy. The PodMic sounds significantly better on this setup. (As a PodMic owner/user as well, I might be biased but I think it’s pretty clear here).
The Shure sounded exceptionally bassy here, but I don't know why. I didn't adjust the sound at all and double checked that all processing was turned off.
Thanks so much man, I've started creating content last year and sound+mic thingy have been my biggest issue so far... gonna order it now and see how it turns out
To me, the SM7B on your voice with these settings sound muddy. There is just too much boom in your bass frequencies. Did you try to use the low cut switch and maybe the presence boost switch on the SM7B? I mean, that SM7B doesn't have to make your voice boom so much.
The pod mic in the video sounds awesome. For the life of me I cannot get mine set up right. If I have the gain at 35db it just crackles when I talk. Tried everything. Even purchased a cloud lifter see if it would help but to no avail. I'm also using a go xlr.
@Gaz try check the output volume of the mixer on your computer settings. If it’s too low you need to boost the mic too much which puts it into trouble.
The pod mic actually sounds a lot clearer. The Shure sounds good but it sounds a little too low mid heavy for my liking. $120 Rode mic takes the cake for me.
Auditon’s noise floor isn’t nearly as good as Logic and ProTools. Also, the plosives will always be worse when you are taking off square on the Rode. The SM7B was designed for big voices and is very angle forgiving. Shure also makes a similar windscreen for the SM7. You have to pull the thin stock screen to put that on and it really changes the mic.
I like the sound of the PodMic with bass boost better than the Sure as standard. I like bass, but the Sure sounds... muddy. And you CAN have bass without muddy sound.
Not sure if it's your voice but on the podmic there is some sound almost like phasing, metallic and nasally sound at times. You hear it also? I do think the Shure have way too much bass going on, I want to have more of my natural IRL voice and the podmic is closer to that I think. However both can be EQ:ed and then the Shure can sound like the Rode and vice versa.
Both the Rode & Shure sound very bass heavy to me. I think you would sound better with more 2.5 -5 kc added to your voice. The very first mic you were on, probably a shotgun, sounded best to me. Also, the now 'ancient' Fletcher-Munson studies are still applicable to any discussion on microphones and audio. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal-loudness_contour Their work adds needed perspective to issues that arise out of adding too much bass to audio. Great work on your videos!
You don't clarify what settings you have the Shure SM7B on. Under the faceplate at the back of the mic, are two switches, one to bump high frequencies called presence boost, and one to roll off low bass frequencies. You are supposed to set each of those in the proper orientation to adjust to your voice before doing any other EQing. Since you did not show these settings, I'm assuming you don't know they're there? Changing those two settings alone would most likely solve your lack of high frequency, and heavy low end. When you get the SM7B new, it doesn't' come with the backplate installed, but usually, you only have to set it up once, since the backplate is there for aesthetics. Feel free to try it and retest. After setup, you should always EQ your mic, regardless of expensive or not it is. EQing alone can make very inexpensive mics sound amazing.
Yes. I was hoping someone would bring this up. I found out about the back switches and have flipped them both up to "Presence" so now it sounds - more natural to my voice and.... more like my podmic LOL
Are you able to go back and check the comparisons of the PodMic to the SM7B when they're raw? They don't sound raw to me... There are phasing artifacts that are actually boosting the lower frequencies sympathetically. I'm not sure this is wholly accurate to the true sonic signature of each mic.
@@tombuck Thanks so much for the reply.... Are you able to do some tests on another interface other than the RodeCaster? I simply wonder if you would get different results. Thanks again for taking the time to chat.
after owning the SM7B with a cloudlifter to use for gameplay voiceovers for a gaming youtube channel, i found that it is way too dark and dull sounding and muddy, even after trying to save it with EQ. using a rode NT1 at the moment and was looking into another dynamic microphone for my use, and the podmic sounds like the one, since it doesn't go too heavily into those low ends
thats nice and all.. the pocMic knocks it out of the park... BUT i bought the Shure PGA58.... You have to test that! its the best preis leistung microphone imo
You really should try the Procaster Mic which is the big brother to the PodMic. I love Shure Mic’s but the SM7B has to much low end the Pod is lacking and the Pro is just right (It big and heavy so no cheap Mic Stands!) about twice the price of the PodMic (and about twice as big).
Thanks mate. I was keen to see the 20 hack. ..... had to have a laugh as I already do that. I record other people and it it is great insurance against poor mic technique. I thoroughly recommend this. 🤘
"if you're not SHURE which RODE to go down" LOL. nice one.
he made this whole video just for this pun
I almost closed out the video after that 😂
Fantastic channel and never misses
I liked the video only for this line!! :D
I think the PodMic actually sounds more natural. If you're someone who just really wants to sound manly, the SM7B is a beast. Heck, it's a beast period, but if you're comparing the two, I like the sound of the PodMic better. I need to get the wind screen, though. Great video!
I really like the sound of the PodMic and it’s the closes to how I sound in real life, for better or worse.
The PodMic is going to sound great on the Rodecaster since they’re both from the same company and designed for each other. In any other situation, it needs to be tweaked a bit to get the most out of it, whereas the SM7b consistently sounds great if it has enough clean gain. It’s still one of the best values though because it can be made to sound so good.
@@tombuck On my very neutral monitors the SM7b sounds muddy, I like the more natural sound of the Rode PodMic as well a lot better never liked the sound of the SM7b regardless of all it's hype and praise, even if it was $100 it has way to much mid base in my opin, and don't feel it's worth $300 over a PodMic if were going to talk about pro broadcast mics then I think the Classic EV RE20 or More Modern version the RE27 sound better then the SM7b and is the way to go in a price class around the SM7b if sticking with dynamics ... thats my 2 cents :-)
PodMic to me is for clarity. So for gaming/streaming/discord/skype style speech.
SM7B is for bringing that rich, warm sound with the boosted lows for maybe radio or podcasts where the the room is sound treated and background noise is minimized so intelligibility is not an issue, and you just want a relaxed tone for long-form listenability. Also the lows travel better over radio waves.
Funny story, someone actually accused me of using EQ or a bass boost in my mic to sound deeper when the reality is, I actually used a treble boost and a high pass filter in an attempt to eliminate some of the bass :-P My voice + a deeper sounding mic + proximity effect = incoherent mud.
Podmic with windscreen sounds very natural. Shure SM7B is very boomy, hurts my ears.
I've felt the same. The SM7B has just a touch too much bass for me.
Agreed. Shure SM7B is so bassy that it just sounds muddled.
@@GadesChannel this is supposed to be a comparison on the raw sound. You can make almost anything sound good with post processing
@@GadesChannel 1. This video is literally about the windscreen
2. The shure literally has a windscreen on it as well
You're really proving my point here
@@GadesChannel are you done?
120 mic sounds almost as good as 400 . Sorry but it’s a clear answer for most people!
I recently bought the pod mic and it’s a great sounding little mic. You can’t really beat it for its price of $100!
And then you also add on all the add ons you'll probably have to get if this is your first xlr AND dynamic mic and it becomes even more clear lol.
@@ItsLynkedYo fax
You can make an XM8500 sound like a $400 mic too. It’s all about EQ and post work.
You talked about the insane bass on the SM7b, which I do agree with, but you didn't mention or test the built in high-pass filter on the back of the SM7b under the cover. I would have liked to hear the comparison between the two with that high-pass filter turned on, and maybe with the presence boost built in turned on as well, I just find that stuff interesting
SM7B got 2 switches on the back under the back cover (protected by 2 screws), one is a high frequency boost, and high-pass filter that helps tame the low end. those should help make all the options you mentioned
Based on your videos and recommendations I purchased two Podmics when starting my podcast and couldn’t be happier. From what I have heard here on TH-cam I actually prefer the slightly less boomy sound of the Rode. I think the next purchase will definitely be a couple of these windscreens to deal with plosives. I appreciate your reviews and leading me to the Podmic, especially considering I purchased two of these for less than the price of one Shure SM7B.
I’m so glad to hear it! I really like the PodMic’s tone too- I’ve found it to be very accurate/natural. 👍
I don't know. To me the PodMic sounds more natural. The Shure SM7B sounds muffled with the lows turned way up and highs/mids way down. But I'm certainly no audio expert.
I don’t think you need to be an “expert” to know which sound you prefer. There’s nothing wrong with just going off of personal preference 👍
The reason for that is that the SM7B was/is intended to be used with a preamp that can handle its higher impedance and deliver higher gain with a lower noise floor. The higher impedance being driven by a not-so-pro preamp will result in exactly what you're describing. This is the point of the cloud lifter and things like it; To provide better impedance matching and more gain, resulting in a much more natural sound. I do agree though; For applications like this, the Podmic is much better suited. It sounds great, it's much cheaper, and it's pretty much plug and play. Modern solutions targeted toward the specific application of podcasters and content creators win out in my opinion. Yes the SM7B is classic, and it isn't going anywhere, but I think it's suffering from trendicitus right now, and people don't invest the energy into learning how to use it correctly. I think a lot of people use it for the looks and sideline learning about what is required to drive it, then complain when it doesn't sound quite like they expected.
Thanks, Tom! Love your work. Grew up with a dad who would say things like; " I'd call you son...but you're really not that bright!" Puts a grin on my face to hear you go all corny humor. It's most certainly YOUR thing! Keep rockin' it!
Thank you sir! Just gotta go with what comes naturally 😁
wow
sm7b has huge portions of the base! I was willing to buy Podmic for a tight budget and now so confirmed about it
btw cause both are dynamic, basically it supposed to be a more based-sound no matter if we compare or not
Whenever it comes to speaking, the podmic brings out the mid range and highs so it’s very clear and good for use in “pod”casts. Don’t get me wrong the sm7b is a beast but when it comes to speaking and clarity, it has way more lower end making it harder to understand. Both still very useable. Podmic is a steal!
I thought the SM7B has been legendary in talk show / broadcast for years precisely because fudging the response to have more low end actually adds clarity and makes it more understandable... Will have to go double check and re-research that now
Considering that podcasts may be hours long having a very annoying boomy mic is an absolute no-no for me. I very much prefer of the Podmic with the nice windscreen.
Wow, awesome review. I had scratched the Podmic off my list, but the WS2 does two things: besides helping with plosives it gives a "rounder", fuller and richer sound with less harshness up top. I am now a potential fan of this $99 dynamic. Thanks!
It’s a great mic! I know I say it in the review, but it’s really been my go-to for a long time.
Funny thing is, RØDE market that Windscreen for pretty much ALL their top address mics except the PodMic. I think they made such a big noise about the inbuilt pop filter that they don’t want to muddy that message by promoting the WS as an accessory, but I agree - it makes a huge difference.
By the way - I think the Podmic suits your voice much better than the Shure anyway.
I definitely prefer the PodMic for my weird voice. And I think you're right- there was a lot of hoopla about the built in windscreen, that maybe they didn't want to market a separate one as well.
Love my RODE which was already TOO expensive for me and my dear friend carried it from Scotland all the way here to EGYPT :) Thanks for the great video.
Wow! Sounds like you've got quite a dedicated friend 😁
I came across this channel a while back when I thought I was in the market for a new mic and/or mixer, I still am very interested in all the tech, the breakdowns and opinions, but I'm mostly here for the puns and dad jokes. Please keep doing what you're doing!
I agree 100% with the windscreen on the PodMic transforming it into an amazing mic. It’s amazing how much better it sounds, but unfortunately loses all of the aesthetic of the design. I tried a clip-on windscreen, but it’s not even close in what the foam ones deliver.
That’s what I figured about the clip on ones 🤔
The 1 billion Dollar question is why can‘t they build great mics with great pop filter?
No way the SM7B is actually naturally getting a rolling vibrato sound when you talk into it. Must be the Rodecaster Pro making it do that. I have never heard that sound before and it's not pleasant to hear at all.
100% Agree, not sure if its just the proximity effect, the rodecaster, or whatever post-correction is being applied but the sm7b should never sound like that, cloudlifter absent or present.
It’s about the sound you’ll get from the mics. The SM7B has much more details. U have to process a record to get the max out of it. But for the fast task the rode got this.
I had the SM7b but to my ears, it made my voice sound unnatural, way too much bass. I’m not an audiophile but I know what sounds better and more natural to me. The Rode Podmic sounds brighter, more natural and I prefer that for podcasts. I retuned the SM7b and I also tried the Electrovoice RE20 - WOW. IF I am going to pay in the range of $400, I’ll spend that extra bit for a mic that sounds really good but in a natural way. I couldn’t hear that proximity effect or that very deep unnatural sound on the RE20, much better for my voice and ears. So, I settled on an RE20 and Podmics for my guests with the wind screen not the pop filter. 🤗
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head here: it’s important to get what works best for your voice. There’s no right or wrong and personal preference is 100% valid.
Listening through Sony's MDR7506's and there is a noticable difference between the final tuning of both. There is more bass on the Sure aswell as the sure seems to be more booming. These have never let me down as far as true sound goes so just a tip from an audiophile
Yeah I had a similar experience with my JBL 305p's. With the Podmic and WS2 it sounds just like a beautiful mic should sound, no complaints at all, maybe a bit of a nasaly sound to it but still something I could listen to for hours on end. With the SM7B tho it sounds like someone attached a subwoofer to my monitors and used it exclusively to reproduce the sound from that microphone. Absolutely ruined the intelligibility and is very unsuited for any application longer than 20min. Kinda felt like he shook all my windows in my room just by speaking in the microphone. Quite a disappointment considering the uncharge.
I'd like to see you do the same test with the HPF and presence boost switched on the Sm7b. It seems like those two things would make the two sound more similar.
I found a return goxlr on Amazon for 180$ two days ago and bought it and then got rode podmic with the wind screen and now my audio is 1000% better! Just couldn’t see me spending 1000$ on audio right now and ended up getting lucky !
That’s a great deal!
@@tombuck yeah man it was someone’s return I bought on Amazon it said their was a scratch on the front panel but when it got here the scratch was on the plastic peel off sticker that was never removed lol I peeled it off and no more scratch haha it was literally scratched plastic peel 😂
I like how compact the podmic is. I wish they made an all black version (matte black grill).
Oh that'd be awesome!
RODE all the way.
To all the SM7B maxis out there. Be honest with yourself.
Is your content really providing so much value to justify a 400$+ purchase?
Rode is the way to go if you’re starting out. Great buy in point that won’t break the bank. Great quality. Easy to use.
When ur making the TH-cam/Twitch $$$ then consider the big boy mics.
0.02c
This is great! By the way, I've added a Fethead to my podmic (going into a 2i2) and the improvement is insane.
I bet it really gives you room to play with the levels!
Same here. Made a huge difference in noise floor.
Tom, have you tested the ProCaster Pro mic? I do not own a PodMic, but one Procaster mic; the second one comes soon - love them. I recently bought the RodeCaster setup. Then I use a Shure SM58Beta as well. Once settings are done it is difficult to hear a difference. I am glad that you highlighted an important aspect about the RodeCaster qualities, namely that the settings can make many mics sounding good. Look, I am a huge supporter of both Rode and Shure mics. Shure stood the test of time and Rode is built extremely well with personal touches. I like the look and feel and audio from Rode for specific purposes. Previously I focused on video mics from Rode. I am equally impressed by these broadcasting mics from Rode. However, I probably will buy my SM7B soon. Keep up with the good work. Worthwhile to mention that the Soyuz booster can contribute to the warmth enhancement of any dynamic mic. Imagine what it will do in combination with the RØDECaster
I just love that there are so many great options out there. I haven’t used a Procaster before, but they always sound nice to my ears.
We’ve had more than pleasing results with the podmic + some compressor added. We also have a Shure SM7B, but the sound is a bit too bassy to be used together with podcmics, if not using the eq to match the sound.
Nice! I think you mentioned the windscreen on your podcast, so ordered one (backordered!) from B&H. Bummer to hide the good looks of the PodMic, but sounds lots better. Thanks for another solution that doesn't cost lots of money.
I was really happy to see that the windscreens aren't too expensive. I've found other ones for smaller audio recorders that aren't nearly as nice and cost twice ads much (or more).
straight up the standard dynamic setting on that rodecaster is already boosting presence as is so it makes the sm7b sound like big muddy crap to my headphones and the pod mic sound perfect where as a normal flat eq input will show the sm7b be perfect and the podmic be really bright and almost shrieky but add some low cut some high and little mid and its spot on with the sm7b. Was hoping for a better comparison here but i cant blame you for your gear. I also hate the way the podmic looks with a windscreen lol as dumb as it sounds it is like looking at a dog with two legs its just not right.
I briefly put a windscreen on my PodMic but it's just too aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. All I did was angle the mic and worked on my voice techniques. I could increase the gain to keep the mic out of the camera view but nah. I like the way the mic looks and I seem to be dealing with plosives a lot better when I angle it slightly off from the sound source (my mouth). Overall, this is a keeper mic. I don't feel comfortable traveling with my SM7B. At least with the PodMic, if my luggage gets lost or the mic gets damaged, $99 is an easier loss to stomach vs. $399
These are all great points- especially the durability for the price. 👍
@@tombuck First of all, thanks for responding to me! I really enjoy your channel! You, Booth Junkie, Bandrew (PodCastage), and Harris Heller are my go-to channels for audio equipment! I caved. My wife said "I can still hear your plosives. Why not throw a windscreen on your PodMic? Just try it!" - And yep, I sound a heck of a lot better with a windscreen (better plosive elimination!) and I can actually talk directly to the PodMic for better audio quality. So yeah. I'm still bummed that I have to put this thing and cover an aesthetically pleasing looking mic but I prefer sound over looks. The point you made in this video is legit! Anyways, thank you for the awesome TH-cam content!
I was not ready for the hat/wig combo. Lol! Loved this video, thank you!
The world was not ready for that.
I wish you had done the triple P's directly facing the mic with the added windscreen. Still an invaluable analysis. Thank you.
Right now I’m using the sm 57 I think I will be upgrading to the sm7b. I like the tone and warmth of the sm7b
That's a great combo too- the SM57 will work really well as a guest mic or a backup for the SM7B.
@@tombuck I agree , awesome review 👍👍
The pun at the beginning got me. haha Nice video!
I was very proud of the one 😁
it sounds like you were recording the microphones with monitoring enabled
Not just me thinking this apperently it was so trippy
I think that windscreen on the Podmic completes it!
To my untrained ear, I would say that the Shure changes your voice too much. The way we have gotten used to your voice (and your vids) is with the "Røde sound". The Shure changes your voice too much. Since your voice on the Røde sounds more how it does in the other videos, the Røde wins in my book. But then again, you also use Røde as a boom. So it makes sense they sound more alike.
I heard you said on the last video (or was it the podcast?) that someone twittered you and said they bought the rodecaster due to you. Well, if Røde reading this, I will buy the Rødecaster Pro + 2 ProdMics w/Windscreens (and colored XLR's) due to Tom. The cap is cool, but send him some more cool swag Røde. Fair dinkum!
Yes! Send me free gear! haha
Honestly, I didn't realize how much Rode stuff I had until I started making videos about it. I guess it's always sat at the sweet spot of price/functionality/reliability for me. They make good stuff!
The shure sounds like more clear but muffled and makes your voice a bit deeper and the podmic sounds clear and is softer on your voice my preference I think the podmic will be better for me
For me, the PodMic is the most accurate. It's what I sound like in real life.
@@tombuck Love your content man keep it up you have some of the best reviews and your making me wanna get the PodMic so much now thanks for the tests and reviews
@@tombuck super underrated youtuber
PodMic for the win! Definitely sounds nice for voice. The SM7B will sound nicer in your headphones because it adds to the bine conduction you are already experiencing. But record both and play them back and I think you'll notice the clarity of the PodMic over the SM7B. BUT, the magic of the SM7B are the switches on the back which no one seems to really discuss - which make a huge difference. Plus you really need to EQ mics to balance the mic response to the sound source.
There's no perfect mic. Every mic depends on your voice and the ears of the listener. Just note with the Shure sm7b you'll need something to boost your gain. The Shure sm7b also has some switches to improve presence and bass roll off.
It comes down to performance to dollar spend AND the application. If you are just a streamer on Twitch I see no reason to invest in a $400 mic. But the Rode Podmic, and take the savings and spend it on a stream deck or some graphics for your channel or towards a mixer (GoXLR etc). Great reviews. I love my Rode Podmic.
Being practical and realistic is _definitely_ important 👍
The SM7B is just too bassy, boomy and muffled. Almost like there is a blanket on it that needs to be removed. The PodMic sounds much clearer and better, especially on smaller devices with poor speakers, or earbuds. The SM7B works well with really good speakers and in optimal scenarios, but the podmic sounds better for spoken words in less optimal scenarios.
I don't think this is an unpopular opinion to say the backwards hat looks good on you! I also chuckled when you said you look exactly like your wife and then your facial hair became that more prominent in my mind lol. What a good sport 😁
Haha, I mean there's no way I could hope to be even 1/10th as gorgeous as she is, so I had to work with what I've got.
Still love the sound of my Rode podmic. I may pick up the windshield
The PodMic is truly terrific.
This video is very useful but the ending about the wife is brilliant 🤣
Congrats on taking the leap on your channel name. Found the podcast episode you were talking about it full of food for thought.
Thanks Scott! Hopefully there was helpful info in there 😁
Haha the end was funny 😄👌
Yo that was a very nice video man! I actually enjoyed watching it.. just wanted to skip to the sound but ended up eatching every damn second without noticing 😂❤️ Keep this up!
PS: Im on thr market to buy myself a setup and oh boy.. actually your voice sounds much better on the PodMic than on the SM7B.. idk why but you're right... makes your voice sound more natural.
Thanks Pascal! I really appreciate the kind words. I will say, this video is sort of an oddity because I think the SM7B normally sounds quite a bit better, but both mics are great.
The PodMic works really well on specific voices (it can REALLY shine), while the SM7B is easier to work with a wider variety of voices.
I may be way off with this one, but I prefer the sound of the PodMic. The SM7B sounds more can-ey to me or like it was recorded in a box. My preference is a more natural sound and to me, the PodMic gets the nod.
The cool thing about microphones is most of it just comes down to personal preference, so whatever YOU like is the best one. 👍
Your puns and one liners are epic everytime I hear them.
I love this.
SM7B sounds good, but needs EQing, but the Rode sounds good with just a filter out of the box
pod have a bit up in mid range frequencies, 7b have more boost on 90hz and cut on 1khz, so on pod should cut the mid frequencies with 3dB, and boost on 80hz with 2dB
I like my Podmic. I thought about the Shure mic. But I’ll rock with what I have.
Honestly, I think the Shure muffles/suppresses a lot of the high end and takes the brightness and clarity out of your vocals. What you lose in low end on the PodMic, you make up for with its "realism". Maybe not as "smooth" across the spectrum, but more honest?
I can definitely say that PodMic is the most accurate for my voice. It’s pretty much exactly how I sound in real life 👍
Whether that’s good or not, I don’t know...😁
@@tombuck Depends who you ask I'm sure. :) I just purchased a PodMic for myself. Seems like a good return on investment, and if my podcasting aspirations crash and burn, I can always pursue my mid-life rap career Thanks for the reply, Tom. I've found your videos well-produced, clearly written and most importantly… informative.
I’ll definitely be ordering WS2. Thanks for the tip.
Just like Harry Potter.
Wand chooses a wizard.
Mic chooses speaker.
Thank you Buck! You have helped me make up my mind for my mic for my BraodCast. Going the Rode way!! Cheers from Costa Rica!!
Woo hoo! so glad to hear it, best of luck with your show!
In my studio monitors(Mackie MR5 mk2) the SM7B sounds like mud. A bit surprising, but that's how much different monitors can colour the sound!
I watched a YT clip about putting the WS2 on until the bottom gril, so leaving that bottom gril exposed, I tried it and like it + the mic still looks awesome.
How interesting 🤔
You got a point Tom - I have a Shure SM7B and a Rode Procaster as my microphones and your video gives good reason to think about your hardware purchases - Thanks
You should use that wig a bit more in your videos 😃😄😁😆
Haha, the wig definitely has a vibe 😁
I just found ur videos...WOW...superior stufff..both your video and audio presentation so refreshingly professional.
Thank you! I really appreciate that 🙏
Whoa. I’m officially convinced that rode Can be sound matched with shure. if you want that sound, you can get it
It’s definitely possible. But- I like the PodMic’s sound on its own as well.
You are the culprit that I am going to buy rodecaster pro and the shure sm7b microphone, my wife's going to kill me 🤣😂😬
Well if you record it, at least it'll sound incredible! 😁
It’s a weird test, but with AirPods, the SM7B sounds super muffled and bassy. The PodMic sounds significantly better on this setup. (As a PodMic owner/user as well, I might be biased but I think it’s pretty clear here).
The Shure sounded exceptionally bassy here, but I don't know why. I didn't adjust the sound at all and double checked that all processing was turned off.
This video quality and lighting is INSANEly crisp...would love to hear what is used to get this quality of a visual product, as well!
Thank you! This was filmed with the Canon EOS R and Sigma 24 1.4 lens, and lots of different lights 😁
I’ve actually bought both the pod mic and the exact $20 pop filter you said thanks to you.
Thanks so much man, I've started creating content last year and sound+mic thingy have been my biggest issue so far... gonna order it now and see how it turns out
btw I'm using focusrite scarlett solo... sometimes when i'm editting... the sound quality makes me wanna cry dunno how to get the best out of it
To me, the SM7B on your voice with these settings sound muddy. There is just too much boom in your bass frequencies. Did you try to use the low cut switch and maybe the presence boost switch on the SM7B? I mean, that SM7B doesn't have to make your voice boom so much.
this dudes a dad fo sho 0:30
The pod mic in the video sounds awesome. For the life of me I cannot get mine set up right. If I have the gain at 35db it just crackles when I talk. Tried everything. Even purchased a cloud lifter see if it would help but to no avail. I'm also using a go xlr.
I’m guessing the go xlr has different gain settings than the Rodecaster, so more trial and error is probably in order 🤔
@Gaz try check the output volume of the mixer on your computer settings. If it’s too low you need to boost the mic too much which puts it into trouble.
The pod mic actually sounds a lot clearer. The Shure sounds good but it sounds a little too low mid heavy for my liking. $120 Rode mic takes the cake for me.
It’s a really great mic. 👍
Auditon’s noise floor isn’t nearly as good as Logic and ProTools. Also, the plosives will always be worse when you are taking off square on the Rode. The SM7B was designed for big voices and is very angle forgiving. Shure also makes a similar windscreen for the SM7. You have to pull the thin stock screen to put that on and it really changes the mic.
I like the sound of the PodMic with bass boost better than the Sure as standard. I like bass, but the Sure sounds... muddy. And you CAN have bass without muddy sound.
Looks very similar to the one that came with my procaster… going to try it out,
I think it might be the same one to be honest 🤔
No, you are not dumb saying 'looks matter'. It's a valid consideration. Podmic got that vintage kind of look and windscreen sort of ruined it.
Thank you for the validation 😁
As far as i can hear the Rode sounds better, the Shure sounds too much muffling, it has too much lows / midlows, and poor highs / midhighs.
I don't think that's how it normally sounds. I think he did something that's making it sound like ass in this video
Need the Podmic to go back on Amazon, and Sweetwater, and B and H
Amazon isn’t an authentic seller got my from Best Buy yesterday ... setup notifications
SM7B steel the winner but it was a good try! I love your hair from the end ;)
SM7B sound more pleasant. The only problem is with the SM7B at the end will cost you 8 times More. Lol
Not sure if it's your voice but on the podmic there is some sound almost like phasing, metallic and nasally sound at times. You hear it also? I do think the Shure have way too much bass going on, I want to have more of my natural IRL voice and the podmic is closer to that I think. However both can be EQ:ed and then the Shure can sound like the Rode and vice versa.
The only problem with the sm7b is it sounds too muddy but that can be fixed by bumping up the highs
It's such an easy mic to EQ, I think that's definitely one of its strengths.
Both the Rode & Shure sound very bass heavy to me. I think you would sound better with more 2.5 -5 kc added to your voice. The very first mic you were on, probably a shotgun, sounded best to me. Also, the now 'ancient' Fletcher-Munson studies are still applicable to any discussion on microphones and audio. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal-loudness_contour Their work adds needed perspective to issues that arise out of adding too much bass to audio. Great work on your videos!
Thanks Peter, and thanks for the link too!
Great Video Tom. You can also actually use the larger SM7B filter on the podmic. Its a little tighter fit but thats what i use and it works great!
Also you can get a great pop filter here www.amazon.com/PodMic-Pop-Filter-Foam-Cover/dp/B088B66LJY
That’s good to know! This SM7B isn’t mine, otherwise I’d definitely use it 👍
Accurate video title - "Use a pop filter to tame plosives"
With the hat and hair, you are BASICALLY Peter McKinnon from 2018
You don't clarify what settings you have the Shure SM7B on. Under the faceplate at the back of the mic, are two switches, one to bump high frequencies called presence boost, and one to roll off low bass frequencies. You are supposed to set each of those in the proper orientation to adjust to your voice before doing any other EQing. Since you did not show these settings, I'm assuming you don't know they're there? Changing those two settings alone would most likely solve your lack of high frequency, and heavy low end. When you get the SM7B new, it doesn't' come with the backplate installed, but usually, you only have to set it up once, since the backplate is there for aesthetics. Feel free to try it and retest. After setup, you should always EQ your mic, regardless of expensive or not it is. EQing alone can make very inexpensive mics sound amazing.
Yes. I was hoping someone would bring this up. I found out about the back switches and have flipped them both up to "Presence" so now it sounds - more natural to my voice and.... more like my podmic LOL
Depends on what you using for if it’s podcast both mics get job done that’s being picky
I'd pay $400 for the sound of the Rode and $120 for the SM7B. That eq curve on the SM7 is wayyyy too bass heavy.
Are you able to go back and check the comparisons of the PodMic to the SM7B when they're raw? They don't sound raw to me... There are phasing artifacts that are actually boosting the lower frequencies sympathetically. I'm not sure this is wholly accurate to the true sonic signature of each mic.
I think this is as “raw” as the Rodecaster can do.
@@tombuck Thanks so much for the reply.... Are you able to do some tests on another interface other than the RodeCaster? I simply wonder if you would get different results. Thanks again for taking the time to chat.
Ya rode is coming through so well
It's a very clear mic that definitely cuts through the mix without a lot of additional EQ.
Good call from the wife (i guess whats news). Fantastic video! Loved the comparison. Nice job!
Sometimes it sounds like the voice was like doubled with a like 2-3 ms delay
after owning the SM7B with a cloudlifter to use for gameplay voiceovers for a gaming youtube channel, i found that it is way too dark and dull sounding and muddy, even after trying to save it with EQ. using a rode NT1 at the moment and was looking into another dynamic microphone for my use, and the podmic sounds like the one, since it doesn't go too heavily into those low ends
Looking good is all that matters! LOL Great info on the Pod Mic, Thank you.
Podmic much better for your voice. The clarity is better. Microphone should be picked for the voice.
thats nice and all.. the pocMic knocks it out of the park... BUT i bought the Shure PGA58.... You have to test that! its the best preis leistung microphone imo
You really should try the Procaster Mic which is the big brother to the PodMic. I love Shure Mic’s but the SM7B has to much low end the Pod is lacking and the Pro is just right (It big and heavy so no cheap Mic Stands!) about twice the price of the PodMic (and about twice as big).
I love the way that one sounds but have never used it 👍
Thanks mate. I was keen to see the 20 hack. ..... had to have a laugh as I already do that. I record other people and it it is great insurance against poor mic technique. I thoroughly recommend this. 🤘
The SM7B sounds really muffled. I would have to EQ the mess out it.
The SM7B makes your voice sound muffled and harder to understand.
depends how you use it
Romeo Mariano Agreed.
dude the rode sounds like so much better
It's a great mic, especially for the price 👍
they both work well. Thanks for the video.