In this article, we’ll set up and demo the Shure SM7B with the Rode PSA1+ boom arm.
Quick Answer: The Rode PSA1+ is our favourite boom arm to use with the Shure SM7B Microphone. It’s easy to setup up and offers plenty of options for you to comfortable position your microphone.
Price & Specs
- Shure SM7B Dynamic Microphone: https://currentprice.io/shure_sm7b
- Rode PSA1+ Boom Arm: https://currentprice.io/psa1_plus
Clamps
You have two options here:
The standard clamp is padded with rubber at the top and bottom.
The benefit of this is:
- It takes the resonance out of the table
- It prevents scratches on the table
- Nice and easy to use
- Faster to set up
The other clamp is a sandwich clamp.
The benefit of this is:
- It can be used in different ways, including as an off-the-side desk lamp
- It complements the cable management system built into corporate desks
- It is sturdy, looks good, and is easy to use
One disadvantage of this clamp is:
- There is no rubber protection to prevent scratches on polished tables. The solution could be to place microfiber clothing between the table and the clamp.
This threaded clamp tends to be put in a built-in cable management hole. You can also drill in about a 1 ¼’ hole for it.
Both of these clamps can be fastened to the edge of the table if you are always working on different projects.
Boom Arm
Mount the boom arm by dropping it into the slot of the standard clamp.
The Rode PSA1+ boom arm comes with branded sleeves. There are a couple of ways you can customize it with your branding:
- Remove the logo with industrial solvent. It is tedious and can take about 5 hours to scrub the Rode logos out.
- Cover up using 3” gaff tape and add a vinyl decal of your logo.
Install Shure SM7B
Mount the Shure SM7B by screwing it into the boom arm. No adapters or extra tools are required.
XLR Cable Contact
Connect the XLR cable to the Shure SM7B.
We prefer having the Shure SM7B pointed up towards our mouth.
However, the microphone has some limitations, with some stands when connecting with the XLR cable.
One issue is that the tail of the XLR cable can hit the bolts on the microphone end of the boom arm as you move it around.
If you are always switching the microphone’s position from one angle to another, Shure has 3” extension tubes that will give you more distance to move around comfortably without obstructing your XLR connections.
Cable Management
Clip the XLR cable along the tracks of the boom arm.
It is really easy to manage the XLR connections by putting them in the clips that come with the Rode PSA 1+ boom arm.
For transparency’s sake, we have worked with about 20 of these boom arms since they came out. However, one of the clips broke on the day we got them out of the box. This is not a big issue for us to send back to the manufacturer nor of a common problem that we’ve heard many people complain about. We just found it frustrating every time we run cables on the defective clip.
Rode PSA1+ Orientation
The Rode PSA1+ boom arm is comfortable to use.
If you leave a bit of cable slack, you can orient the microphone however you want.
You can have it up high or on its side. No matter how you position, pretzel or adjust the stand, it will hold the Shure SM7B even though the mic is quite heavy.
Compared to stands from other expensive manufacturers which are always moving around, the Rode PSA 1+boom does not drop nor droop or float.
Rode PSA1+ & Shure SM7B | Setup & Demo | Price & Specs
- Shure SM7B Dynamic Microphone: https://currentprice.io/shure_sm7b
- Rode PSA1+ Boom Arm: https://currentprice.io/psa1_plus
- 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
- Mic Stand: https://currentprice.io/desk_stand
