Join us for an in-depth review of the Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP and Shure SM7B setup. We’ll tell you what we like and dislike about this combination and offer our opinion on whether or not you need the Shure 3″ extension to make this setup usable.
Quick Answer: We think the Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP is an excellent option if you want a low-profile boom arm for the Shure SM7B. It has a clever cable management system, a solid clamp, and it functions well with no need for a 3″ extension tube.
Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP – What’s In The Box?
The low-profile Elgato Wave Mic Arm ships in modest, zero plastic packaging. Inside the box, you will find:
- The boom arm.
- Desk clamp.
- Allen key.
- 2 x microphone thread adapters.
Required Tools
We always cringe when we find an Allen key packaged with a product like the Wave Mic Arm, as we know it’s going to be a hassle every time we want to make adjustments.
And when you inevitably lose the tiny Allen key that comes with it, you’ll have to stop what you’re doing to find one in your toolset if you want to adjust something.
Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP Desk Clamp
The Wave Mic Arm ships with a traditional, crank-down desk clamp. There is no tabletop flange or recessed hole mount that you generally find bundled with competing boom arms. The base of the boom arm is bigger than other brands, so you’re forced to use the Elgato clamp.
That said, the supplied desk clamp is really well built, with a heavy-duty feel. Here are some of the features we love and a couple of things we weren’t so impressed by.
What we like
- Foam padding on the top and bottom jaws of the clamp to protect the mounting surface.
- Sturdy, heavy-gauge metal construction.
- Ratchet handle tightening system for working in confined spaces.
- Large lever arm for getting the clamp done up nice and tight.
What we don’t like
- To tighten the 3 internal bolts that firm up the base, you’ll need 2 different sized Allen keys (none of which match the tool supplied).
- Allen key fastener at the boom/clamp join prevents quick adjustment.
Installing The Elgato Wave Mic Arm In The Desk Clamp
With the desk clamp firmly secured to a desk, the base of the mic arm drops into the opening in the clamp. Before you tighten the set screw on the back of the clamp, you’ll notice that the boom arm has some vertical play.
Tightening the set screw will reduce this, but it will also add tension to the horizontal swing of the boom arm in the base. So, you’ll have to find a compromise between the two.
Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP Cable Management System
Elgato has employed a magnetic cover system to conceal cable trays that run within the structure of each boom arm. There is an opening at either end of the boom arm where the cable enters and exits the tray.
It’s a clever, easy-to-use idea. Our one criticism is that we wish the cable tray was on the underside of the boom arm instead of the top. It would be more discreet and work better with how the cable naturally falls from the SM7B.
Elgato Wave Mic Arm Boom Adjustability
The Elgato Wave Mic Arm has a tension knob on its middle joint that controls the elevation of the second boom section. We’ve found we don’t have to touch this much as the boom doesn’t tend to sag or droop.
On the mic end of the boom, there is a 360° yoke system with a ball joint that allows you to orient the mic however you need to. One tension knob locks off all of the axes, so it’s quick and easy to use.
Shure SM7B Positioning With The Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP
Before you do anything else, you’ll need to install the supplied 1/4″ to 5/8″ thread adapter to mount the SM7B on the Wave Mic Arm. This screws into place, so it’s not a big job.
We were able to get the SM7B into comfortable sitting and standing positions without obstructing the camera, blocking our view of the screen, limiting our access to the desk, or casting unwanted shadows.
The Shure SM7B is quite a heavy microphone, but we didn’t find that we had to tighten any of the Mic Arm’s joints down excessively to keep it held in position.
Do You Need An Extension Tube With The Shure SM7B & Elgato Wave Mic Arm?
The Shure SM7B’s integrated cable management system causes problems with many boom arms. So much so that Shure sells a 3″ extension tube as a workaround.
The SM7B’s XLR cable does hit the tension screw on the top of the Wave Mic Arm, but the 360° yoke system allows you to quickly flip this screw to the opposite side of the boom arm.
Based on the above, we don’t think you need to use the 3″ extension tube with the SM7B and Elgato Wave Mic Arm.
Shure SM7B & Elgato Wave Mic Arm Cable Management
Watch the relevant section of the accompanying video, and you’ll see that we found routing the cable between the user and the boom arm was the cleanest solution from the camera’s point of view.
You might also notice how the cable naturally falls to the underside of the boom arm, reinforcing our earlier comment that the cable trays would be better off situated on the bottom of the boom.
In use, we have had the cable trays pop open when the cable is under tension, so consider taping the tray covers down if you have a more permanent setup.
Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP Pros & Cons
Why do we recommend this setup over many other boom arms for the Shure SM7B?
Pros
- Clean, simple, attractive solution.
- Less expensive than competing products.
- Camera-friendly matte black finish.
- A well-built product that we think will endure for years.
- Can support the weight of the SM7B.
- Lightweight and easy to manage.
- Well thought out clamp design.
Cons
- Allen key fasteners on some components.
- Additional tools are required to tighten internal clamp stem screws.
- Magnetic cable tray plates could pop off if cables flex.
Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP + Shure SM7B Pricing & Specs
- Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP: https://currentprice.io/mic_arm_lp
- Shure SM7B: https://currentprice.io/shure_sm7b
- Shure 3″ Extention Tube: https://currentprice.io/shure_3in
- Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro Headphones: https://currentprice.io/beyer_dt_990
- XLR Cable: https://currentprice.io/xlr_cable
- TRS Cable: https://currentprice.io/trs_cable
- Mic Stand: https://currentprice.io/desk_stand
- Rode PSA1 Boom Arm: https://currentprice.io/boom_arm
Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP + Shure SM7B | Setup & Review Topics
- 0:00 – Introduction
- 1:05 – Pricing & Specs
- 1:20 – What’s In The Box
- 1:51 – Required Tools
- 2:28 – Desk Clamp
- 4:52 – Clamping To Desk
- 5:10 – Installing Boom Arm In Clamp
- 6:10 – Cable Management System
- 7:15 – Boom Adjustability
- 7:45 – Shure SM7B & Mic Arm LP
- 8:45 – Mic Positioning
- 10:00 – XLR Cable Hitting Stand?
- 11:05 – SM7B + Cable Management
- 13:25 – 3″ Extention Tube
- 14:32 – Pros
- 15:13 – Cons
- 15:41 – Summary
- 15:51 – Final Thoughts
