Turn your Shure SM57 into an SM7B with EQ!!!

[@roninenlightened6350]

The audio engineering world must protect this man.

[@ben-benedict]

Legend says shure try to localise him 🤣😂

[@vmtz2001]

We need to take out a collective life insurance policy on him. Does he have adequate healthcare?

[@thiagoribeiro9789]

I definetly agree!! Eheh!

[@mmhutchinson]

Assumed a lot

[@mmhutchinson]

This remind May of Al Gore’s speech she gave in order to win the Nobel peace prize it was about global warming and had no credential data is back it up

[@fjk1138]

I can't give a thumbs up high enough for this video. No stupid music, no lame comedy, just pure science and a very detailed, yet easy to understand explanation.

[@JulianKrause]

Thanks, much appreciated!

[@pure3185]

good looking as well

[@ytb917]

this guy is probably one of the smartest reviewers on youtube. he seems like an electronics engineer.

Yeah, great video! I will try this method with Shure SM58 :) Edit: I checked these EQ parameters with SM58 and it sounds great too

[@azauwrathkiing4103]

Yup!

[@timotheusmiller]

This works well. With the a81 windscreen the high end needs slight adjustment, but this is fantastic and I very much appreciate it!

[@dantezero5404]

Actually he is an android.

[@CLCyber]

@@dantezero5404 LOL

[@beatdiabetes3]

One solution to dealing with plosives on the sm57: Before attaching the Shure pop filter on the sm57, cut up an old, cheap standard mic windscreen into a couple of small circles about the size of the end of the Shure pop filter. Stuff those circular pieces into the end of the sm57 pop filter and then attach it. This will slightly lower the high frequencies (making it sound more like the sm7b, and it will make the sm57 much more resistant to plosives. It's a cheap, simple hack, but it works pretty well.

[@Symba_Lysm]

This is a good solution if you want it to sound like the SM7B, personally though I like the brighter output.

[@modvind]

I agree with Symbra_Lysm. Though the SM7 has that boomy "radio" low-end, the presence of the 57 is nice and help a lot with speech intelligibility.

[@ben-benedict]

Macgiver ✌️👌👍

[@yeahyeah3206]

You could also go with a different wind screen, such as the Shure A81WS, instead of the Shure A2WS shown in this video. It's much bigger, ensuring a wider distance between your mouth and the grille at all times, as well as reducing more plosives due to being much thicker.

[@---pp7tq]

@@yeahyeah3206 actually when I entered Shure A81WS in Google it showed me Matt Rygelski video with SM57 with it vs SM7B. It's also a good solution.

[@jonathan7219]

Julian, most studios would take this to the grave. you're a true modern Robinhood, man. thank you.

[@WackorMiki]

Damn! My secret of using SM57 instead of SM7B and getting almost identical result has been revealed. A myth was busted. I must change profession :D Some sort of other-way-around, about a decade ago I started to remove the windshield from the SM7B I had around and played with distances and different popfilters, comparing to the higher output SM57 that I used for recording guitar amps and drums only at the time. The reason of experimenting was to reach a better noise level. Also, the SM7B rotating mount drove me crazy at times. Some taming with EQ-s brought the same result with the SM57 as you have here, I'm just not an "engineer" (I can't count without mistakes from 1 to 10 without using the fingers but what the hell, I can mix albums anyway), just set it by a lot of A/B ear tests. I started to prefer the SM57 because of the higher output (hence the better compatibility with wider range of preamps), it is just easier to live with and whenever those differences come handy (recording brass or certain guitar amps, even certain voice characters), they are still there when the EQ is off. And I prefer the simple fix mount vastly better. Great video, mate. From now on, if any "Dr-All-Know" starts to splash his brain content against this, I can link your video and there are all the solid facts. End of debate :)

[@xthestrings5210]

That's crazy how similar you got them to sound. I only picked up one difference and it was that the sm57 had a few pops on the low end but with a hi pass filter it wouldn't have that. Couldn't tell a $300 difference.

[@FlockofAngels]

The SM57 had more plosives in the blind test, that is what gave it away. 😊 You are right, they do have the same color and tone. Maybe I will take mine out of storage and try it out again. I always think of the SM57 as a stage mic. You have enlightened me to other possible uses, thanks! 🎶

[@jaedaens]

I just got an sm57 with the a81ws windshield and the shock mount, and it sounded fine out of the box, but adding this EQ takes it to another level. It's smooth as silk, and I've never liked the sound of my voice much, but I don't hate it coming out of this. Thank you so much for your work in doing this, Julian, it is much appreciated on this end. I respect your scientific approach rather than tuning by gut.

[@alakazaam4292]

Were you able to get it to sound exactly the same as his results with your a81ws, or did it sounds slightly different (better or worse)? Thank you!

[@jaedaens]

@@alakazaam4292 Sounds pretty spot on to me. I use the eq in voicemeeter, personally, but it should be fine no matter how you do it.

[@kdawgin]

Hey! I'm glad you got the output you needed. I'm currently in the market for a new mic and was wondering how you set it up in voicemeeter. I want to do the same but I'm extremely new to audio stuff and was wondering if you can give out a helping hand! Maybe even a screenshot of your voicemeeter if you want to go above and beyond.

[@ronittiwari5689]

@@jaedaens what do you use to eq your vocals? Thanks

[@israelc0605]

I got them too. With live Silk Vocals, deesser and reverb plugins produce the best vocals I have ever heard.

[@Synesthetic_Frequency]

I am very happy with the result of my experiment! I used equalization on a cheaper and similar microphone to the Beta 57A. The microphone I used was a Parquer SN-57B, and I was amazed by the sound quality. It was like having a sm-7b in my hands!

[@jmillanoff]

You, sir, are some freakin' genius! This review was mind-blowing... Can't thank you enough.

[@JulianKrause]

Glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@Diveson]

@@JulianKrause What computer and daw do you use? Can you do this with the sm58 too? Your videos are great. Thank you for them and in advance for your answers.

[@Frank-in-NY]

Amazing! Yesterday I was ready to purchase a Mic Pre-amp for a SM7B I was ready to purchase. Because of your analysis I found out my Motu M4 could do a decent job without one. Today you saved me $400, finding out I could pretty much make the SM57 which I owned already get pretty darn close to a SM7B with some EQ and a Windscreen. I didn't realize a Windscreen was available from Shure. I ordered one this morning. $15 is a heck of a lot better than $400. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.

You are a humble genius sharing knowledge and saving home studio guys' lives.

[@victoriaprieto8845]

Hahaha trueee!

[@LeBeautiful]

This man is a legend. Protect him at all costs..this hack will save a lot of peoples lives, and pockets.

[@lanierje]

I love this video. I would argue that EQ could easily make the SM57 sound much better than the SM7B. The SM7B sounds like a decent mic coupled to an underdamped Helmholtz resonator on the low end (very boxy). A little experimentation with EQ to copy the response while avoiding high Qs could certainly be beneficial. Thanks for the great video.

[@Maverick128]

Yes! I also used a paragraph from the Hitchhiker's Guide to show the difference between my Blue Yeti and my XLR AT2035 to friends.

[@CarlOlsonArt]

I love the SM7B, SM57, and SM58 family of mics. For podcasters - I think the SM57 or SM58 are fantastic budget choices. As for the cool look of the SM7B vs the utilitarian looks of the SM57/58 - well, there are no visuals in an audio-only podcast so it doesn't really matter to listeners :) I enjoy your videos very much - very enlightening and educational.

[@KenTeel]

Your scientific approach is what separates you from the other reviewers, etc. on KZbin. You do a great job.

[@chrishopkin9273]

I closed my eyes and heard a slight difference, yet prefered the 57 with EQ, wow!

[@sevchyk]

Is it me, or Shure58 and Shure57 sound clearer and more open in high frequencies than the boxy Sm7B, despite the opposite and big price difference?

[@Alex-bl8uh]

​@@sevchykI feel the same way!

[@nikolasnavarro4161]

The biggest difference is definitely on the plosives. Also, the SM57 has a slightly harsher top end, even with the EQ applied.

[@satorizero5448]

I found this out asking my gf to listen to sound tests over discord I wonder if there's an extra eq curve to add to fix it. It seems in his graphs the sm57 has a db or 2 higher high end... maybe thats what we hear.

[@NamFlow]

Great job, Julian! :-) This will help a lot of people who can't afford to buy expensive mics like SM7B. btw. do you even blink??

[@JulianKrause]

Blinking is for the weak!!!

[@aaronchew3102]

NamFlow [CZ/SK] o

[@tompparmp9928]

Replicants don't blink.

[@AJRadaza]

Reptilians do not blink

[@artysanmobile]

NamFlow [CZ/SK] That’s what edits are for.

[@davidofpiano423]

Mesmerizing. Not only for the depth of knowledge on display here, but the fact that he didn't blink once in the entire friggin' video.

[@thegreatsiberianitch]

I could tell on the A/B. The SM7B has a relaxed tone in the high mids and better/cleaner dynamic response. Those qualities make it easier on your ears for longer duration than the 57. 57s have a harshness up top that's basically baked into the sound and deadened dynamic response in comparison.

[@googlacco]

are you joking, its obvious because the sm7b sounds so muddy and bloated compared to something with high end

[@nuanceatnoon]

What makes it crazier is that to my ears the sm57 handled plosives just ever so slightly better.

[@brockola]

Perfect! I started using my 57 for my vocals. Condensers are a bit too bright and never warm enough for my voice. Was just yesterday considering purchasing a SM7B, but you know the cost...right? I happened upon your video just as I was mixing and wow! Exactly what I needed without shelling out $400 bucks. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@1313akash]

Brock How does the 57 sound on your vocals with the EQ?

[@IsidorSynthwave]

This is not how you should think. I have both sm57 an sm7b. sm57 is a bit harsh when you compare it with sm7b which has a more natural sound. In my opinion sm57 and sm7b are both all around mics, but sm7b is 3x better. I would always recommend sm57 for a beginner (mainly because of the price). There is always pros and cons with every single mic and personal preference. And I don't get why would you want to make sm57 sound like sm7b? I love how sm57 sounds by itself. First try sm7b and then judge if you can use it or not because sm7b is one of the best dynamic mics I tried if not the best. It's ok to watch reviews etc., but don't let someone on yt make a decision instead of you, the best way is to try it. Also, try it out with preamp just to see how awesome sm7b actually is. Cheers :)

[@AnonAlmostDelivers]

I can hear some minimal differences but telling which is which is totally impossible. Good job.

[@redrobbosworkshop]

Superb video with perfect explanation and demonstration. I find both mics in stock form slightly 'wrong' subjectively - SM7B is a little dark and SM57 a lightly too crunchy in the presence area. There is a larger foam windshield option for the SM57 if the smaller shield isn't sufficient to prevent plosives. With the standard foam shield it's important to leave a gap between capsule and foam. Also its more prone to plosives from the side of the capsule than the front when using the foam shield so important to stay on axis. Another advantage of the 57 is size and weight - it's a lighter load for boom arms and less visually intrusive when the mic is in camera shot in front of the user's face.

[@JulianKrause]

I also thought about using an A81WS but it might muffle the SM57 a bit to much. Haven't tested it though. Thanks for your input!

[@noou]

@@JulianKrause It would be great to see a similar test with the SM57 + A81WS.

[@gh0stwrit3r]

I stumbled upon your channel Julian and you have amazing content. This video convinced me to save money and don't buy the SM7B, but to EQ my SM57 which I love so much. It sounds truly awesome now! Less harsh, more full. Thanks m8!

[@mikepang123]

I'm guessing that "B" is the SM57. When jumping from the "A" sample to the "B" sample I immediately heard more pronounced high-frequency 'crunch' in Sample "B".

[@MorningNapalm]

Same guess here, same reason.

[@Sadlander2]

Great video, as always!! About the "audio experts"... There will always be people who will claim _"I heard a huge difference!!"_ ... First, I doubt if it's really such a big difference. Now, about the different tones, in this kind of videos, we're only hearing one microphone, one audio source and not a whole band or a whole mix. Then, we know what to look for, we're paying close attention to that and even then, it's hard, if not impossible, to hear a difference! I guess that what I'm trying to say is that I never heard anyone listening to the radio and say "Wait, is this guy singing through a Shure SM57?! WTF?!".

[@greenhound]

a is sm57, there's more brilliance and sharpness and b is a full sound. still impressive though. edit: oh shit i was wrong

[@LOVRemy]

Broo i know right!!!

[@deiwar2994]

I got it

[@St0RM33]

same but he cheated;p he didn't match them exactly that's why sm57 had "better" lower response

[@moristar]

same here :D

[@moristar]

He made it even better than SM7b!

[@DanLiveOnUTube]

I've been meaning to buy the A81WS I was told that the distance and the foam brought the 57 closer to 7b without EQ. Well done. I wish more streamer would just buy a 57 instead of condensers.

[@ollonelycat]

Hard to justify the huge price difference when the sm57 sounds so good for $90. And it looks so cool with that wind screen.

[@androidgameplays4every13]

The A2WS sucks for plosives, but it makes the SM57 look really cool! 😄

[@literallyjeff]

I was considering buying an SM7B until I remembered I have an old SM57 from back when I recorded guitar. Never thought to use it as a vocal mic, thanks so much for doing this work and sharing the results.

[@pip5528]

I am using the A81WS with my SM57. It is hilariously large compared to the mic. It sounds quite nice on vocals in this configuration despite being intended for instruments and even though I talk off-axis anyway, it's nice to have a beefy windscreen to protect against plosives if I do want to talk directly into it or right on top of it.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

I couldn't tell. Thank you for this, and thank you for reading the same passage with the exact same intonation. So many audio comparisons don't even try to isolate variables this way.

[@majahanson311]

Lately I've been seeing people say that attaching the A81WS windscreen makes an SM57 sound very close to an SM7B. It would be interesting to see this experiment repeated with an SM57 with the A81WS attached vs. the SM7B with the larger of its two windscreens attached.

[@FrancescLlull]

I must say SM7B changes a lot its sound depending on the impedance of your preamps. I use it with an audient 880, which has a specific switch for impedance. The results with high impedance are super clean. Good job with the video!

[@SoundSpeeds]

I could hear a difference between the SM7B and the SM57 immediately and picked them out within 2 seconds of you switching to mic 2 the first time. Matching frequency responses isn't enough to make two mics sound the same, at least to me. It's easier to hear on condensers because the extended frequency response, increased sensitivity, lower noise, etc allows you to hear what specs don't tell you. In this case the frequency responses aren't an exact match and the SM57 has noticeably more sibilance probably due to the dip. What are those things exactly? The body and fullness of the signal - richness or fatness if you will. It may not be as present unless you're listening on tuned studio monitors in a quiet listening room or high quality closed ear headphones but it's there. When you start layering your vocal tracks in post, that depth in the signal will come right now. You'll hear it much better it if you pulled both foam windscreens off. Another thing to listen for in a quiet environment like your studio is... for lack of a better way of wording it, the way your words stand out against the background. If words were a picture, it would have an outline around it. In the case of the SM7B and SM57, the sound is shaped differently. As I'm sure you know, higher frequencies are directional and low frequencies are more omnidirectional so when you speak, your highs and mids go directly into the microphone while the low end goes in all directions. The SM57 sounds thinner to me and lacks that fullness of the SM7B. It sounds like the SM7B is picking up more off axis low end from your voice than the SM57 and is probably "hearing" more of those frequencies going sideways out of your mouth. In fairness, if I weren't A/B comparing the two, I don't think I'd miss what the SM57 lacks to the SM7B. In case anyone is wondering... at 4:46 Julian shows the SM7B and then the SM57 in front of his test speaker and it looks like they are at different distances which would slightly skew the results. That's not the case. Julian compensated for the diaphragm depth underneath the foam wind cover which is the right thing to do. 10:04 I'm going to disagree with the one sentence "There is really no useful content in human voices at very low frequencies anyways" but not anything else surrounding it or your overall message. Those are the fundamental vocal frequencies that are core to building the harmonics and overtones of your voice at higher frequencies. I know what you're saying though and your message is correct though. Most vocal shaping is done in the higher frequencies thru harmonics and overtones and that's mainly due to our natural A-weighted human hearing curve. Consider how different a human voice can be changed in the harmonics and overtones with a fundamental vocal frequency shift of only 1-2 dB or 2-3 Hz. In your tests and comparisons, it matters not and I may only be nit picking that one phrase to death because it's 5AM and I've been up for 23 hours so don't read into this. You know I know, acknowledge and respect how smart you are. All of your conclusions are spot on. Great video! I would be curious as to how similar the two mics would be in a reflective room.

[@JulianKrause]

That's actually a very good question. I guess I have to do some more testing!

[@SoundSpeeds]

@@JulianKrause And I know just the dude to do it! ;-)

[@czdot]

I've heard a few videos addressing similarities between SM57, SM58, and SM7b concluding that no one needs SM7b for streaming. It looks good in a video for no one cares what mic is used as long as it sounds good. Great video, man!

[@Qwervy]

Yes I could tell, the plosives I could hear behaved differently (the ones on the sm57 reverberated a bit more) and the upper treble on the sm57 was also a bit grainer and less smooth in comparison to the sm7b even though they were at the same volume.

[@jlexon]

I agree with your analysis. I like the EQ'd 57 sound more for live performance (just a tiny bit more BITE), and the SM7b for studio capture. But honestly, I'm very impressed with the 57's performance.

[@JustinHeaverin]

The EQ settings worked so well for me. Made the SM57 sound very similar to the SM7b when I A/B tested them. Thanks for this!!

[@jackrydler2655]

Thank you so much Julian! The whole review was very meticulous and spot on! Works wonderfully on an SM58 as well :)

[@JohannesWiberg]

I could certainly hear a difference even after the EQ. But I still guessed wrong, so it's clearly not a "sm57 vs sm7b" difference. The one I _thought_ was the sm57 had more high mids - low highs, sounded slightly compressed in that area. The other one sounded slightly warmer perhaps, but I liked that bump/compression. And then it turned out that it was the sm7b that had the bump/compression... that surprised me. Great video! BTW even if I heard the voice clips several times, I might not pick them out blindly... it might just be my imagining, that's always a possibility.

[@sevchyk]

Is it me, or Shure58 and Shure57 sound clearer and more open in high frequencies than the boxy Sm7B, despite the opposite and big price difference?

[@gregwx]

You are a genuis Julian!. Out of curiosity I tried this EQ with the sE V7 mic and it gives me a SM7b with a subtle yet clear increase on sensitivity and supercardioid pattern. Amazing.

[@keith3915]

I've never been a huge fan of the crazy low end of the SM7B personally. It sounds great in certain applications but I feel it also sounds kinda muffled sometimes. Less sharp.

[@sevchyk]

Is it me, or Shure58 and Shure57 sound clearer and more open in high frequencies than the boxy Sm7B, despite the opposite and big price difference?

[@SilkJester]

I got it right, even though I didn't write my guesses. What gave it away for mw was that SM57 was more prone to plosives. You can hear a loud plosive at the end of the first mic B rec. Also, damn JK, you're a thorough reviewer, my dude, the kind of reviewer we need, haha!

[@flyboy_463]

Dude you are the man! I'm getting back into recording as a small hobby and have a sm57 on the way, but of course I've been reading reviews online that say the 7b is the way to go and all that but I couldn't justify the price tag. This makes me feel alot better about my 57 purchase now!

[@Tinchokamil]

I'm impressed about the fact that he doesn't blink even once throughout the video!!!

[@JulianKrause]

Maybe I blink every time you blink? ;)

[@Tinchokamil]

@@JulianKrause I doubt it, since I don't blink either :-)

[@MonsieurVersatile]

Love to see this done with an SM58 too. How different are the 58 and 57 in practice? Great, great vid, thanks.

[@LaurynasMilinis]

They are almost the same. They use the same capsule, just the grill is different.

[@nabeelakbarofficial3433]

Yes Julian please do an sm58 to sm7b video.

[@legacyShredder1]

@@LaurynasMilinis SM58 has an eq lift in the upper mids that the 57 doesn't.

[@LaurynasMilinis]

@@legacyShredder1 which is because of the grills.

[@legacyShredder1]

@@LaurynasMilinis Eh, no. The lift is there with or without the mesh.

[@gh00al]

Neat video. The EQ works fairly well. But I have to say there are so many more differences between the 57 and the 7... • The 7 has a humbucker which is pretty handy if you have an EM field in your vicinity that you can't fix. • The 7's grill enforces proper mouth-to-capsule distance (for both proximity effect and plosives) in a way that's not obtrusive like a pop screen and is easy to use--which can be essential if you are recording guests who aren't technically oriented and don't have perfect mic technique (you could 3D print a 7 body for the 57 but by the time you've spent the time and money to do that you may as well buy a 7, plus the 3D print design is far from perfect). • Much of the 7's seemingly lower output is due to that enforced distance, meaning if you're using the 57 at a proper distance for spoken word or singing it won't actually have that much more output than the 7 (there are plenty of videos out there on using the 7 with sub 60 dB gain preamps). • The 7 has internal damping which prevents undue handling noise. • If you can get the sound you want without EQ, that's better than with EQ. • Even the EQ'ed sound of the 57 isn't quite right and the difference matters, especially when listening to it for an hour straight. • And more... All these things add up to: just buy a 7. Shure know what they're doing with their prices and you get what you pay for.

[@_kn0xy]

This probably made little to no difference in the result, but the SM7B is better at rejecting off-axis sound than the 57 is. This means that the lower frequencies bouncing off the room will sound differently through the two mics, which means you can't assume the room's effect on the frequency response was identical for both mics. You do actually need to eliminate reflections to ensure 100% accuracy. Though I'm sure the results were still very accurate as you got the two mics to sound basically the same.

[@PEPPERMINT606]

For his voice the eq is AMAZING! I could NOT tell a one from another. I want the same thing done with 2 different female voices going. Lets hear that!!! Btw there is a difference in clarity for some words.

[@joshzaring]

I tried this with the waves linear phase eq and it sounds pretty great on both the sm57 and the beta 57

[@amplifier2]

That dip of the SM7B takes the sibliances away almost completely. That and its insensitivity for the room sound plus the proximity effect made it the perfect radio mic.

[@dukebozikowski3801]

10:22 is what you came for :)

[@sertaysakizoglu5553]

Dein Video gab meiner Vocalproduction den absolut nötigen Kick. Tausend Dank!!

[@ayeapprove]

I think a matchEQ like Ozone has built in would also work - but you need to have a SM7b to compare it to.

[@OnlineMD]

I bought an SM57 about 15 years ago and still works. Even then, we were told that the SM57 is for *instruments* and NOT for vocal use...that is for the SM58 to do!

[@alexharper5660]

I got it right, though I was extremely uncertain in my answer. I had made my decision based on the low end, if the 57 was given a stronger low end presence than the 7b, I would have been really lost. Although I have a stronger need for real time use of my microphone, my computer simply cannot produce a real time playback. Time to see what you did... Edit: Wait... looking at these curves, did I just get lucky in my guess? Did I really hear what I think I heard... time to go back, this is messing with me a little...

[@caes9231]

I thought that Microphone B was ever so slightly boxy in the mid low end and assumed that it was the SM57 trying to mimic the SM7B. Sounds a little neater through mic A. Coolest experiment either way. Really glad I watched!!!

[@caes9231]

that peak eq filter method was gold. pure gold.

This is great video, Julian thanks a lot. Just a question, is it possible to see the pictures of the EQ for SM57? I know you showed us the detailed values but the picture from your daw would be also cool. Thanks

[@czaszi]

Great comparison! Thanks for doing it. The sound was close but I managed to tell the difference thanks to very flat mids on the 7B. That being said, I needed to listen very closely to hear the difference and I doubt I would distinguish them if I was listening more casually.

[@Tech128]

thank you for this video. Have you considered repeating this procedure with a low cost SM57 clone like the $13 Pyle PDMIC78? It would be cool to see if you could get the SM7B sound for $13. Anyone else reading the have suggestions for other cheap SM57 clones?

[@mercedesescobarmusic]

Behringer just released the SL 75C. Check it out! i'm ordering one now. It's like $20, and according to youtube, it's pretty dead on

[@Lasloon]

I own a couple of the Behringer XM8500, which sounds surprisingly good, and costs around $20 - I’d love to see how close that could get to the sm7b, too! I produce for a singer/songwriter who just ordered the 7b, so I will definitely try and compare the two on the exact same take. Tempted to just do what you did, but it seems like alot of work 😅 but the results might be useful to others, since this mic is getting increasingly popular, so I’d love to see your vid on it.

[@SaintElvardielSHMD]

Incredible. What a talent. Subscribed. Now the SM57 looks even more attractive

[@aniketbele1808]

hey Julian, MAD respect for you bro for this video!! you've done such an amazing job of figuring out the details and helping us with this man! Appreciate it!!! I had a question though, would the same be possible with an SM58? a friend of mine has a 58, so really wanted to try it out before buying! hope you see this. Cheers!!

[@Leonidas909]

Abslutely perfect, you should do some more blind tests so people take knowledge of their misconceptions and biases. For those who picked the right mic, try to take such a randomized test 10 or 20 times on different sources and see if you actually manage to get it right most of the times, things should look a little bit differrent

[@Timflan]

This is VERY helpful, Julian.

[@mawo1096]

Well, to me they are completelly diferent in sound, even sharing similar capsules. Sm57 is a great mic, but it needs a nice preamp to get a usable sound. Cheap interface preamps aren't good to push them. The diference is so audible that you'll think you changed the mic.

[@stillpist]

Yes, eq the Sm57 to sound more like the sm7b then EQ the Sm57 back to sounding like a sm57 so it sits in the mix better. It's a very efficient method.

[@JesseWWPCo]

Shure marketing department would like to know your location

[@IvanJoel]

The clip in the end with the mics in front of the speaker left me speechless

[@slvrcross]

Hey Julian! Great video. On the Shure SM57 with windscreen I was curious, could someone essentially use a pop filter with the windscreen to control or get rid of plosives or would that be redundant having both? Looking for advice on a dedicated budget studio mic and this tutorial gave me ideas. Thanks for the content! 😍

[@JulianKrause]

Yes, you can of course double up on the pop screen. This way you really eliminate the plosives. For the most part I don't think that is necessary, the SM7B does already do a decent job rejecting plosives. That said, a dedicated pop filter is going to be more effective than a simple foam cover. Btw, removing the foam and only using a pop filter slightly changes the sound of the SM7B. Creative Sound Lab made an interesting video on that topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2iYkpWiarCreLs Cheers!

[@billytanglewood5665]

At first I thought mic A was the SM57, but when I heard mic B it has an upper midrange peak that is clearly different than the SM7. You can always eq the bottom end, but there is a masking effect in the upper lows so it's a more difficult place to look for differences.

[@MateuszZych]

oh crap, I'm good - I recognized!

[@Redzircon]

You could easily lecture in this. Very clear and thorough explanation, and given you are, I think a German speaker -- even more impressive. Ausgezeichnet. Gans klar.

[@marcuskruse1]

The Q value will be different with every EQ plugin used. I'm in Logic, I'm guessing you are EQ'ing in Adobe Audition?

[@obabrown8443]

They will be close enough though. No need for surgical accuracy since it's going to be prosessed and put in a mix. But if you're talking about plugins that use Bandwidth in octaves instead of Q factor, then there is a helpful calculator at sengpielaudio. It converts Q factor value to Bandwith in octaves and vice versa. I use reaEQ in Reaper (which uses BW in octaves) and downloaded the free demo version of audition just for comparison. The shapes look as identical as human eyes can detect. I'll be looking for an sm57 to test the sound next week :D cheers

[@marcuskruse1]

@@obabrown8443 thanks. Hey you should try a null test.

[@obabrown8443]

@@marcuskruse1 Oh yeah, now it's getting spicey :D thanks for the suggestion :)

[@USPoliticsAr]

Bro this EQ settings were the most helpful tip I found this year. Thank you sir

[@Pentti_Hilkuri]

The plosives in the sample betrayed the SM57.

[@rafael_guerra]

What a great job, man!!!! Subscribed, Let the bell to ring and Liked!!!! The most impressive thing, to me, was listening to the overdriven guitar at the end and see how close did they match. Voices were already pretty close, but the guitar at the end was definitive, they generally show differences clearly, but not in this case! Awesome!

[@bryanmmusic]

The "s"s bug me when using the sm57

[@thomasfokas]

Thank you so much for saving me 300 bucks. By the way, your channel is fucking brilliant and very informative. Your channel is the one that swayed me towards getting the MOTU audio interface. I went with the M6 over the M2/M4 bc I wanted 6 inputs for a desktop synth setup, plus you can also use it as a 6:2 mixer without a daw hooked up. Lower latency was the selling point.

[@wildboar1911A1]

Yo. I also got a Motu and the 57. Just curious, where do you actually EQ it and put those settings on? Im beyond lost

[@zezesilver]

The A81WS windscreen does the same trick without requiring any EQ

[@JulianKrause]

I guess the A81WS will get the SM57 to sound more like an SM7B as it attenuates high frequencies. But a big foam cover on the mic will usually attenate all high frequencies and the main difference between the SM7B and the SM57 is around 7kHz and 12kHz. I think that using an A81WS is a valid method, but EQing the SM57 can get it even closer to the SM7B.

[@h00b00]

I agree with Julian. The A81WS makes the mic sound muffled. Even after you take out the inner black mesh, the sound is not as "clear". For my dark voice, the default freq. response of the SM57 is ideal. I only have to reduce the 4.5-5.2K frequency (the area where I get those harsh T and S sounds) and rest is great! The windscreen is great for podcast use but not for voiceovers imo.

[@johnfordahl4723]

Great work on this!!! You deserve some kind of Research Tech Award for this!!!

[@Saphir__]

I swear I'll never understand how to read a graph for this stuff...

[@dancegod1691]

If you use the graphic EQ in your DAW enough you get a feel for what different frequency ranges sound like.

[@benfindlay6280]

Jinto117 if you use an RTA it’ll give you a good visualisation on how the graph can be interpreted.

[@ChocoStream]

I could not tell... I can't lie... WOW, I am for sure getting an SM57!!!

[@videodude5337]

I think a is sm57 and B is sm7b

[@ericsplicer]

Interesting study and I can't tell the difference between the mic from the test. Good job.

[@Rs2006REMAKEVids]

SM57 is just harsher on my one functioning iPhone speaker.

[@bthemedia]

Lost In Translation same here, do all iPhones only have one functioning speaker? 🤷‍♂️📱🔊

[@Rs2006REMAKEVids]

Every iPhone I’ve ever had (which is 4) has only ever worked on one of the speakers, so...

There is nother thing you can do: Put both mics exactly in the right position in front of a fullrange speaker. Play pink noise and record this in preferably 96kHz. Then use Izotpe Ozone to do a Match EQ. Import a Sine sweep from Voxengo deconvolver into this track and convert it to a Impulse Response. now you have a IR you can use in a IR loader like Wall of Sound oder Lancaster Audio Pulse or in a hardware Impulse loader Like the Two Notes Cab M or the AMT Pangaea. This means you can use that live too!

[@jasonmccarty9]

I could hear your “p” sounds more on Microphone B when listening to the comparison.

[@NintendoCade]

Julian, a big thank you to your scientific method for EQ an SM57 to sound similar to SM7B. It works perfectly for my use via OBS with Equalizer APO.

[@David-sw6lo]

How do you put these settings into equalizer apo? That is exactly what I am trying to do and I have no idea how to go about it. Like where do I put any of these values? I followed another youtube tutorial and have all the plugins and such I just don't know how to use it lol

[@Willy_Lema]

Genius man, going to buy the sm57 because of the money and because now thanks to this guys and can make it sound similar to the sm7b 👌👌

[@oumarh.gassama8063]

Great content! This is the second video I see in this topic, and it covers all the tech details I wanted to know! Currently I am using a simple and cheap lav mike, but will definitely invest in a Shure SM57 for the longer run. Also, it is nice to see the humble but awesome little Behringer U-Phoria UMC204HD in your background ;-) I have the same interface, originally brought as a cheap but good MIDI interface solution for my e-drum, then I realized how useful this device is overall :-)

[@maikuirock8015]

The plosives gave it away in the first test , but sonically. NICE!

[@andrewsanchez4988]

They really do sound the same its crazy i have listened to them bout 30 times but i stll feel like the 7B has an ever so slightly "creamier?" tone if you will...like everything just seems smoother but if you didnt reveal them im not sure i could blindly tell. Great video dude!

[@peteralbert9805]

Yes, you are right. Frequency response is only one parameter of how we hear them. Transients can be smoother for one mic and also don't forget all the little phase distortions that the post EQ introduces.

[@MelloMattTech]

Running your EQ settings with the EQ on voicemeter banana and it sounds so good.

[@AndyPanda9]

I'm still at the first quarter of your video where I'm blind listening to mic A and mic B. At first listen, I thought mic A must be the 57 because it sounded crisper and I know the SM57 has that presence peak. But I stopped the video and backed up and listened a few more times to the blind test. And instead of trying to guess which mic I was hearing, I just listened to what I liked and didn't like about each. Mic A sounded crisp and clear and natural. Mic A also had the same high frequencies but it didn't sound as crisp and clean AND the big thing I started to notice, now, was that Mic B had a little rumble in the low frequency. I guessed that Mic B had a rumble in the Lows because it was probably the SM57 with the bass EQ boosted. Overall, however, the sound of both mics is very good and I have always found an SM57 with a little EQ can deliver way beyond what its modest price would suggest. Good video!

[@threepe0]

I guessed them right, the bass response on the SM7b seemed a bit different even when EQ'd. In this comparison though, the SM57 eq'd seemed to have a less busy low end.