Chiff and Fipple Forums

Need your advice

I have an Sm7b like this one and I would like to improve the sound. What kind of preamp For sm7b me need to put in to make them sound better. I've already looked at a few options, I like the first one better, but can you advise me on something too?

You have two factors to consider.

Preamps basically break down between transparent and color. All transparent pres are alike. Probably no one can listen to one and tell you what it is. On the color side you have a few options but the 1073 is the most well known.

Aside from that choice the main factor is gain. The 7b, like the 57, needs a lot of gain. You can either get a pre with like 70db of gain, or you can get any pre and add a pre-pre, like the Cloudlifter.

I recently bought a Warm Audio 1073 EQ. It doesn't make nearly as much difference as I was thinking. If you really hit the gain stage hard you can hear it. Obviously the EQ section serves it's purpose.

Something to consider is the JHS pedals Colors. It's a 1073 in a pedal format. It has 48v phantom power. It seems to offer a wider variety of tonal color than most.

What would be the best way to connect that preamp to a macbook? Is there a best preamp with digital output? To USB-C or Thunderbolt? A separate thrad here mentions the Scarlett series.

I am also considering the SM7B.
Thanks,
L