Shure SM7B or Aston Stealth?

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

There's a long Gearslutz thread on the topic here:

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much ... ifter.html

The guy from Cloud Microphones appears and talks about his product and how they differ and I don't think he's out bashing the competition or anything. Worth a read.

[Roman Empire]

There's a long Gearslutz thread on the topic here:

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much ... ifter.html

The guy from Cloud Microphones appears and talks about his product and how they differ and I don't think he's out bashing the competition or anything. Worth a read.

Funny, I just found the same thread and was gonna post it

I only went through the first 2-3 pages, and yeah - the cloudlifter guy is being very gentle.
However, it´s a bit unfair since the fethead guys are not there also to defend their product.
From the comments of people that had a chance to compare them, I understand that it´s basically a question of price, and the 5db extra that cloudfilter offers - which people rarely need. Then of course it´s also about the design: Fethead is cheaper not least due to how it´s constructed. For some people it´s amazing to just plug it into your mic amp and then the mic into the fethead (what I´m doing) but other people may prefer to have a separate box and more cables for the job.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

There's a long Gearslutz thread on the topic here:

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much ... ifter.html

The guy from Cloud Microphones appears and talks about his product and how they differ and I don't think he's out bashing the competition or anything. Worth a read.

Funny, I just found the same thread and was gonna post it

I only went through the first 2-3 pages, and yeah - the cloudlifter guy is being very gentle.
However, it´s a bit unfair since the fethead guys are not there also to defend their product.
From the comments of people that had a chance to compare them, I understand that it´s basically a question of price, and the 5db extra that cloudfilter offers - which people rarely need. Then of course it´s also about the design: Fethead is cheaper not least due to how it´s constructed. For some people it´s amazing to just plug it into your mic amp and then the mic into the fethead (what I´m doing) but other people may prefer to have a separate box and more cables for the job.

Yeah, seems like the differences were:

1. A bit more gain on the Cloudlifter - but after +20db of gain, doubt the extra 5 or 7db really matters

2. The Cloudlifter may sound a little more neutral, the FetHead may offer more of a tonal shift

3. The Cloudlifter will perform better if your phantom power supply is noisy - but doubt this is a big difference with most setups

4. The Cloudlifter is more expensive, made in the USA and also comes with a better warranty

5. The FetHead plugs right into the microphone if you'd like and doesn't require an extra cable - which is a nice selling point IMO

It honestly doesn't seem like you'd go wrong with either one. Both will get the job done.

[Roman Empire]

.. and then there´s the newest fethead germanium that I haven´t tried but would love to:

https://www.tritonaudio.com/fethead-germanium

[elxsound]

Just for using with the SM7B, I picked up an ART Pro MPA II. Below this price point, and just above the cloud lifter, there's another option (I just can't remember which one at the moment). I have the cloud lifter and I'll keep it for a semi-mobile rig. I'm only mentioning this because I would have preferred to just buy this than getting the cloud lifter, but when I got the SM7B its easy to have the idea that its only a battle between fathead and cloud lifter. The Pro MPAII is good for when you don't need or want to do the GODMode thing. You can use the SM7B with distance between you and the mic while still keeping it very clean. I have no idea about the tubes on the thing as I followed sheeply with replacing them with Tungsten tubes and I like the results when overdriven (even with synths run through the unit).

[MissOptimyst]

Wow thank you all for all of this information! I appreciate the leads a lot. That’s why I’m enjoying so much being a part of this community.

[byewave223]

Hey just stumbled upon this thread and wanted to add in something and ask a question if anyone is still here! I originally bought an sm7b as an upgrade from my usb mic. The salesperson sold me a focusrite solo and said it would work out of the box (i was clueless back then), obviously negating to explain the whole needing 60db of gain thing. Anyways, obviously I returned it at the time because I could barely get a recording and I was uneducated. I ended up getting an Aston stealth to pair with the focusrite and here's my two cents. The aston confuses the hell out of me, plosives are crazy, so you cant get too close, but too far away and you don't get enough volume. You turn up the gain to compensate and all of a sudden a silent room has alot of noise. I regret almost every day not having the SM7B because it looks so easy to use had I set it up correctly. Seriously, I watch podcasts all the time where they use them and I see how you can just move around the SM7B and it still picks up a good sound, and you never really hear the room. I just cant seem to get the stealth to work properly unless the artists singing really isn't dynamic at all (i gain stage of course). I was really sold on the idea of an aston stealth being essentially being an sm7b with a built in preamp but I cant really argue its anything of the sort. I've worked with artists as a vocal producer who send me raw takes from their sm7b and their recordings sound heavenly clear and workable. I've used the stealth in two moved, with phantom power on and a small amount of gain, and phantom power off and gain about 80% of the way. Neither is better or worse they just have a different tonal shape, but the inconvenience of the microphones design prevails. Does anyone have a different perspective? I need to get some advice to snap me out of this, cause who knows it could just be my thinking, and the mic sounds perfectly fine. I just find it less than user friendly and it basically discourages me from even recording anymore (not to sound dramatic) just because of all the work I know I'll have to do mixing.

[SparkySpark]

I need to get some advice to snap me out of this, cause who knows it could just be my thinking, and the mic sounds perfectly fine. I just find it less than user friendly and it basically discourages me from even recording anymore (not to sound dramatic) just because of all the work I know I'll have to do mixing.

Well, Aston got a lot of recognition went they started selling those Origins, Spirits etc, and I was looking into buying one of them eighteen months ago. Then I started to see complaints about harshness and so on, so maybe they're not that fantastic after all. I also feel their advertising is cool but a bit hyped. I can't really say whether it's good or bad, but I can say this: if you don't trust your mic, you should probably try to sell it and get something else.

After all, there are many great mics out there, so there shouldn't be a problem getting one you like, as long as you stick to the most common ones.

[andymcbain]

I need to get some advice to snap me out of this, cause who knows it could just be my thinking, and the mic sounds perfectly fine. I just find it less than user friendly and it basically discourages me from even recording anymore (not to sound dramatic) just because of all the work I know I'll have to do mixing.

From a purely non technical sense, sometimes you just don't vibe with your gear. Maybe sell it and pick up another SM7B In-line amplification is cheap and effective with the Klark Teknik CT1.

[SparkySpark]

From a purely non technical sense, sometimes you just don't vibe with your gear.

Well put!

Actually, I think the same of a lot of the VST stuff I demo. I know they're supposed to be awesome (and sure they indeed are), but still, sometimes they just leave me uninspired.

[blackwatermoon]

Shure SM7B all the way IMHO, grab a Cloudlifter or similar to beef up the output.