Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
Itrack dock with Shure sm7b
Anyone have any personal experience using the sm7b with Focusrite itrack dock? Does it work well? Do the preamps provide enough gain to push the mic? I'm having trouble with untreated rooms and was thinking of going with a dynamic to cut some of the bad reflections out. I've read reviews that may suggest the itrack doesn't provide enough power, but those reviews I found are at least five years old. If someone with experience could help me out on this before I drop 3-4 hundred on a mic I can't use it would be great. Thanks.
Comments
Main use would be vocals.
I think Tim Webb of Discchord uses a Shure SM7, or I might be mistaken.
the SM7b is a low output mic because the capsule is at least 1" behind the windscreen and does not use a transformer.
It's not as close adressed as an SM57/58, but (indeed) shares the same capsule.
The sound is more balanced for it's sophisticated housing construction.
With an interface you should add a Triton Audio FetHead (about $80) or a Cloudlifter (about twice the amount).
The FetHead got good reviews everywhere, the Cloudlifter is top quality (considering records with Cloud microphones that use the same electronic).
Those devices to a twin job: they buffer the input stage for impedance and provide 20 dB of very low noise gain.
An SM7 directly connected to such an interface is a waste of money - the mic isn't cheapo
Sadly the sm7 seems to need a pro, hi gain (>60 dB), low noise preamp to get a good level. People that don't have one can use the inline preamps like @Telefunky mentioned. Most built in mic pre's in audio interfaces don't have the gain, or if they do, they are noisy, from self-noise, when they are cranked.
If you do much recording, a pro quality 2 channel mic pre is a good investment!
Side note, the engineer I bought mine from had a good tip for the sm7: don't be afraid to get right on it.
Had to train myself to get right on it after years of learning the right distance with a 57. Makes a noticeable difference with the sm7 to get closer.
They all get louder if you get right on it but it just sounds 'right' on the SM7.
If you live near one, you could take the mic to a music store and just try it out. I don't own the Focusrite so take this with 5 grains of salt: presuming it's similar to other interfaces in its price range, it probably has enough gain to work just fine if you're recording louder sources. The problems will appear when recording speech, quiet vocals, picked acoustic guitar....
You can often find those tabletop pres like Bellari MP105 or ART Tube MP on the cheap. They're not boutique but will get you 35-45db of clean gain. They generally offer 60+db but like most budget pres start to get noisy after about 75%. I sold my MP105 in a GAS fit and still find myself wishing I hadn't on occasion. The form factor makes them very handy for all sorts of stuff.
imho a lot of noise is introduced not by the preamp stages of interfaces but their silly powersupplies, often spiced with some USB noise.
It's a pity that such a clever device like the iConnectAudio 4+ suffers severely from things like this.
I really like my Audient ID22 for it's flawless powersupply design.
The itrack dock bundle I got has been a great, cheap, way to learn some chops. The mic and especially the headphones that came with it aren't bad at all. I got an extra bundle through Kraft Music that even came with a stand and extra cords for $299. After almost a year I'm starting to hit some limitations with the design of the interface. It was still money well spent, though. Looks like I'll pick up the sm7 and that gain booster like Telefunky advised. Thanks.