MV7i

[This](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MV7I--shure-mv7i-smart-mic-and-interface?cond=MV7Id2&dhla=1&mrkgadid=&mrkgcl=28&mrkgen=&mrkgbflag=&mrkgcat=&acctid=21700000001645388&dskeywordid=92700080545189986&lid=92700080545189986&ds_s_kwgid=58700008752923992&ds_s_inventory_feed_id=97700000007215323&dsproductgroupid=2332284544969&product_id=MV7Id2&prodctry=US&prodlang=en&channel=online&storeid=&device=m&network=g&matchtype=&adpos=largenumber&locationid=9191238&creative=708042360187&targetid=aud-297527862170:pla-2332284544969&campaignid=21517650372&awsearchcpc=1&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21517650372&gclsrc=ds) Is the new model that has the interface built in. It's an option. Personally, I do music stuff with separate lines in and MIDI and all that so I like having a whole external interface

I'd get the Shure MV7. USB and XLR output so you can flex if your needs change. And you can get it with a boom arm and a good set of headphones for half your budget.

Big fan of the Shure MV7! Myself and lots of friends use them. They have a new one now that has an on board interface, haven't used it though. My old Focusrite Solo interface started acting weird after about 7 years, so I just replaced it with a Behringer UMC204HD that I've been happy with so far

I'm a big fan of the Shure MV7. I've had mine for about 5 years now and it's grown with me from USB to full XLR with an interface. A little cheaper than the SM7B, though I'm not as familiar with the new models

You'll want a dynamic mic, it will be better at rejecting mouth and room sounds and constrain the volume range somewhat naturally. The tradeoff is you'll most likely need to set it near your mouth and be aware to keep your mouth near it when streaming, off-axis sound will fall off fast. I use a Shure MV7 as another commenter suggested and it's been great. I use a large foam filter off an SM7B to break up plosives and such a little bit more. It can kind of upgrade with you because it is both USB and XLR. So I started on USB and then moved up to an XLR interface. I've been streaming 3 years and I'm only now looking to upgrade from the MV7 because I make my streams into long-form videos that people put on in the background or even sleep to so I'm looking to squeeze the last bit of smoothness out of a nicer mic

The Shure MV7 over USB did everything I ever needed. But I have a very specific audio profile in my head that I am constantly chasing. Running it through XLR and learning to treat it got me another few %. Then recently, I bought an SM7DB. That had its own learning curve and then got me another few more % towards the sound in my head. Your content only *needs* a decent USB mic and the knowledge to use it. If you enjoy chasing particular parts of audio and have the funds and time to spend doing that instead of other stream things, and fancier mics help you do that, then yes it's worth it in that sense. I make videos that are hours long from my streams, with the intention that people can listen all day or as they're falling to sleep, and I want it to sound the way I would want to listen to. Much like a $300-500 guitar will perform perfectly at what 99% of musicians will ever need to do, but high-dollar instruments can be justified - but lack of one is not reason to not get started, and buying one can't replace skill and education. IMO

Shure MV7i and MV7+ combo The “i” will be the interface for the “+”, and eliminate the issue with echo and cancellation since there is only one input to the computer. The correct solution is the cheapest solution.

I use SM7b’s and I would recommend the MV7i if you ever plan to use a second mic, or the MV7+ for direct to computer use. They connect directly with USB-C cables. If you have the budget then yes an interface like a Shure MVX2u or focusright into the SM7bd will sound about 20% better at twice the cost. The SM7b will need a cloudlifter between the interface and mic, whereas the SM7db has it already built into the mic. And just for fun check out Colorware.com where they can customize which ever Shure Mic you go with.

I started with the AT2020. The biggest hurdle will be room treatment. This mic will pick up EVERYTHING. "XLR is better" people are silly. This IS the regular cardioid AT2020 with a basic interface built in. Its D-tier, but it's a start. From experience, I would suggest that you save your money and buy something higher quality that will last you longer into your career. I personally like dynamic mics. The Shure MV6 or MV7i would be slightly better in my opinion.

Oh yes.. I was going to say the same this as Remote. Look at the MV7i or MV7+ instead. It's got USB-C so it hooks up directly. If you don't know what you need, you probably don't need a mixer etc etc. MV7i gives you an XLR \*input\* into the microphone, so you could hook up a second mic, or an instrument. The MV7+ is a regular mic with USB-C and XLR \*output\*, so you can use it directly with the mac or eventually hook it up to a mixer.

OK, I see from previous replies that you're really a gamer with $500 burning a hole in his pocket and don't plan to record anything. What your AI assistant doesn't know is that Shure has released a bunch of modern versions of their classic SM7B because the original was kind of a hothouse flower that required a ton of gain. The MV7x you mentioned is one of those, but it has an XLR output and requires an audio interface and then you have to get the gain structure set correctly. The MV7+ doesn't need an interface because it can connect via USB. For an extra $100, you can get a MV7i, which has an extra combo input on the back in case you ever do want to do an interview or record a guitar solo. All of these MV7 versions are voiced a little more forward than a SM7B, and they have a more aggressive bass roll-off to compensate for proximity effect. Shure assumed that podcasters wouldn't know how to use EQ productively, and they were probably correct. Everyone who suggested entry-level recording mics missed the use case. It's voice-over in a completely untreated room. This is the right tool for that. (I actually use a RE20 for the same purpose, but it's another hothouse flower that needs a great preamp/interface. Leave it for the pros.)

You could go for a mic with a built-in audio interface. For example: Shure MV7 – it has a USB output and is based on the legendary SM7B, the favorite mic of many podcasters. The sound is a bit different but still very similar. It’s a dynamic mic, so it’ll cut out a lot of background noise. You mentioned that noise isn’t a problem for you, BUT even if the room is quiet, an untreated space will still have nasty echo and reverb. Dynamic mics help reduce that. Rode NT-USB – this one’s condenser, not top-tier but still miles ahead of the mics you listed. AT2020USB – also a solid condenser option. If you’re okay with having a few more devices on your desk, getting a mic + external audio interface combo will give you noticeably better quality. Some good budget interfaces: Focusrite Scarlett Solo – some people say it’s overrated, but I wouldn’t agree UAD Volt – nice SSL 2 – from the company behind the mixing consoles used on half the hit records ever made And for mics to pair with them: - Audio-Technica AT2020 - sE Electronics X1s (i personally very like it🙃) - Rode NT1 --- No mic should ever be right up to your mouth. Even stage vocal mics are meant to have a bit of distance. For all the ones I mentioned, keep roughly 20 cm (about 8 inches) away. Personally, I don’t even pay attention to how far mine is — it’s on a boom arm, sometimes ends up half a meter (around 20 inches) away, and I just don’t care. It still sounds fine, since most apps for calls and stuff already do some loudness leveling. But if you actually want better sound — stay around 20–30 cm (8–12 inches).

You’re better off spending that money on a dynamic mic. A budget choice would be the FiFine K688. If you have the budget, the Shure MV7 is the best sounding usb mic I’ve heard. And as a podcast editor, I’ve heard most of them. Here’s video where I compare those two against a Shure SM7B. https://youtu.be/8Y3nWLmwqNw Here’s a video showing why condenser mics are not great choices for most podcasters. It compares a condenser to a dynamic mic. https://youtu.be/8h2LUw4_c-0

The connector type really has no impact on the audio quality. There are some killer usb mics and some really bad XLR mics. I’ve done blind tests and no one can conclusively pick out whether a mic is usb or XLR. Since podcasts are generally rendered as mp3s, any subtle differences are mostly lost. My advice is to keep your set up as simple as possible. If you aren’t recording in person with others, go with a good usb/XLR mic. The Shure MV7 is my #1 pick. In the budget range, you can my go wrong with the Samson Q2U or the FiFine K688.

Yes, the MV7 is worth the extra money. To my ears, it's a much better sounding mic. Think about it this way, the PodMic is a $99 mic. You pay an extra $100 for them to make it USB. The MV7 is a $200 mic and you pay another $100 for them to add USB. The Shure mic is the mic I recommend to all of my clients because it just sounds good and I haven't heard a voice it doesn't work with. I've easily edited at least 20 different people using the MV7. The Podmic sounds fine in the video comparisons,. It will get the job done, but,a gain, to my ears, I prefer the sound of the MV7 by a wide margin.

Honestly, I haven’t been a fan of the Podmic recordings I’ve heard in comparisons. I’ve used the MV7 across several dozen voices and have one myself. It is simply a good sounding microphone on every voice I’ve used it with. You can’t go wrong with it.

Don’t overthink things. The mic generally doesn’t matter as long as it works for your space. There isn’t a better mic between the MV7 and SM7B. They are both good mics. Many people might find the USB connectivity of the MV7+ makes it a better mic for their situation. The way I look at it, the SM7B doesn’t sound $150 better than the MV7. It also needs a decent audio interface, which further adds to the cost of ownership.