The Shure SM7B can be intimidating at first and many people are wanting to set up their mic correctly. One of the first questions that people have, when they set up their Shure SM7B, is “Does the SM7B need 48v of Phantom Power?” Find out below.
There are two different answers to this question, depending on your setup.
Quick Answer: You do not need 48v of phantom power for the Shure SM7B unless you are using an inline preamp like a CloudLifter, Fethead, Dynamite, etc.
Phantom Power For Shure SM7B
The Shure SM7B is a dynamic microphone. Dynamic microphones use a magnet and a coil to generate electrical signal from the diaphragm of the microphone.
Adding 48v of phantom power will not improve the performance of the magnet and coil in any way whatsoever.
With most modern dynamic microphones, phantom power will not hurt them, but they also will not improve them. It is best practice to leave phantom power (48v) turned off, unless you need it turned on for a specific reason.
Shure SM7B Pricing: https://currentprice.io/shure_sm7b
Phantom Power With An Inline Preamp
If you’re using an inline preamp with your Shure SM7B, you will need to power the inline preamp with 48v of phantom power.
Popular InLine Preamps include:
- Cloudlifter CL-1: https://currentprice.io/cloudlifter
- Triton Audio Fethead: https://currentprice.io/fethead
- sE Electronics Dynamite: https://currentprice.io/dynamite
Shure SM7B Pricing
- Shure SM7B Microphone: https://currentprice.io/shure_sm7b
- SSL2+ Audio Interface: https://currentprice.io/ssl2_plus
- Cloudlifter CL-1 Inline Preamp: https://currentprice.io/cloudlifter
- XLR Cable: https://currentprice.io/xlr_cable
- Mic Stand: https://currentprice.io/desk_stand
Shure SM7B 48v Phantom Power Topics
- 0:00 – Introduction
- 0:15 – Pricing & Specs
- 0:40 – What Is Phantom Power
- 1:29 – Phantom Power For Shure SM7B
- 2:41 – Phantom Power For Inline Preamp (Cloudlifter)
- 4:08 – Summary
- 4:25 – Final Thoughts
