Pricing and availability
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Price
Average Price: $408
High-end/Boutique
$75
$201+
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Budget
Standard
High-end
Price History
Based on price data from 8 merchants for "Shure SM7". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 2, 2026.
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Description
Unleash your inner music maestro with the Shure SM7, a dynamic cardioid microphone that has etched its place in the annals of music history. Renowned for its usage by Michael Jackson on the iconic "Thriller," this mic stands as a testament to its superior sound quality. Without a humbucking coil, the Shure SM7 provides a brighter sound, often preferred by musicians over the SM7A and SM7B models. It's a piece of gear that doesn't just record music, it crafts an authentic sonic experience.
Key Features:
- Dynamic cardioid microphone
- No humbucking coil for brighter sound
- Used by Michael Jackson on "Thriller"
- Preferred by many over the SM7A and SM7B models
- Ideal for studio recording and live performances
Product specs
| Brand | Shure |
| Model | SM7 Cardioid Dynamic Microphone |
| Finish | Black |
| Year | 1980s |
| Categories | Microphones |
| Electronics | Passive |
| Microphone Type | Dynamic |
| Polar Pattern | Cardioid |
| Wired/Wireless | Wired |
FAQs
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What is the primary application for the Shure SM7 microphone?
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The Shure SM7 is primarily used for vocals and speech, providing a warm, smooth tone ideal for broadcasting, studio recording, and voiceovers.
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How does the Shure SM7 reduce unwanted noise during recordings?
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The Shure SM7 features an internal shockmount to reduce vibrations and a built-in pop filter to eliminate plosives, ensuring clean, professional-grade recordings.
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What is the polar pattern of the Shure SM7, and how does it affect recording?
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The Shure SM7 has a cardioid polar pattern, which isolates sound by focusing on the source directly in front of the microphone while minimizing background noise.
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Is the Shure SM7 suitable for recording loud instruments?
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Yes, the Shure SM7 can handle high sound pressure levels up to 180dB, making it suitable for recording loud sources without distortion.
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Does the Shure SM7 require an external pop filter?
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No, the Shure SM7 includes an integrated pop filter that effectively eliminates plosives, so an external pop filter is not necessary.
Videos
Obscure Mics
Original Shure SM7 Dynamic Microphone Demo - Vintage Shure Mic
Original Shure SM7 Dynamic Microphone Demo - Vintage Shure Mic
Obscure Mics
Reviews
PROS
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Original design offers more high-end fidelity for sung vocals
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Provides a unique sound with more low-mid presence
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Legendary status as Michael Jackson's preferred mic adds unique appeal
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Versatile for both screaming and alternative vocals
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Offers excellent sound rejection for studio use
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Performs well on amplifiers and various instruments
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Comparable to a condenser mic in aggression and clarity
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Superior to SM57 and SM58 in cleanliness and size
CONS
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Requires significant gain, potentially needing additional equipment like a CloudLifter
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The SM7b may have a slightly bigger bottom end and sound more open
Critic Reviews
5.0 out of 5
Based on 2 Reviews and 6 Ratings
1822
Best Dynamic Vocal Mic All Rounder
Best Dynamic Vocal Mic All Rounder
Needs a lot of Gain but I only use the Best PreAmps with plenty Gain so no issue for me - but you might want a CloudLifter if you on a cheap interface...
Want a Dynamic Mic that sounds like a Condenser?
Yeah its Aggressive & Not a Soft Mic like a U47 but are you Rap Rock Hard Pop or Voiceover? Are you a Man (Screeching Banshee Woman) or a Mouse?
This is your Mic! - You know? - The one Michael Jackson used on Lead Vocals on Billie Jean, Beat It, Thriller, The Way You Make Me Feel & Bad (Bruce Swedien my Mentor RIP)
Excellent Rejection you can have it on in the Studio in front of your Monitors doing a Scratch Vocal
Works well on Amps & other stuff
Clean as a SM57 & Bigger & Cleaner than a SM58 on Acid!
Stop reading this silly review & get this MOFO in front of your Talent! - If you've got any?
Artist usage
Add artist
Used on the album 'Lazarettto'. "I recorded Jack’s vocals mainly with a Shure SM57. Sometimes we used a Neumann U47, as well as an RCA 77D and a Shure SM7, and I often pushed his vocals hard through an 1176(...)"
Used on Gilmour's Yamaha RA-200R for The Endless River, as is visible in this photo from this February 10, 2015 Music Radar interview with guitar tech Phil Taylor about the contents of Astoria.
this photo from the book: back to the front, you can see hetfields rig from the ride the lightning era mic’d up with a shure sm 7
"Mic-wise, when it came to recording Alex Turner’s vocals (and the backing vocals sung by Matt Helders), Abbiss moved between a Shure SM7 and a Neumann U67 and U87. “If Alex was doing a vocal live, we used the SM7, ‘cause it’s really good at rejecting spill from anything else. The U67 they’ve got there is good and middly sounding. Matt never did his BVs as part of the live takes, he concentrated on his drumming. The 87 was there for the BVs.”- Jim Abbiss, producer of "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor".
Visible in this photo of Yorke. According to the King of Gear, it is an original SM7, rather than the reissue SM7B.
the Shure SM7 is listed in this blog
In the video "Nicky Romero Studio Tour | Part 1: Production & Live Room," Nicky Romero mentions at the 5:05 mark that he uses the Shure SM7 vocal microphone in the vocal room, alongside several other types of microphones.
According to the "Q and A" section with Butch Vig, producer of the "Siamese Dream", Billy used a Shure SM7 to record his vocals.
Chris uses this to mic up his distorted rig
This article says Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) recorded vocals with an SM7 for his last album 22, A Million
"For the more rocking songs we used a Shure SM7, which is one of my favourite mics. It’s not fussy. You put it in front of someone and they sound great. I usually used the Neve board mic pres."
Used for vocals on Because of the Times and Only by the Night, as featured in this June 1, 2007 Mix Online interview and as visible in the "Only by the Night Home Videos" series by Kings of Leon (particularly "Day 14" at 1:49 and "Day 18" at 1:04).
As on the band's previous recordings, Caleb Followill sang into a Shure SM7 live during tracking.
Album Usage
The Shure SM7 has been featured on the following albums:
Madvillainy Demos
Madvillain & Madlib & MF Doom & King Geedorah (2025)
Pray For Rain (20th Anniversary Steve Albini Remix)
The Ergs! & Steve Albini (2023)
Letter To You
Bruce Springsteen (2020)
Socrates Nightmare
Sebastien Grainger (2020)
Xoxo
Jayhawks (2020)
Fu Chronicles
Antibalas (2020)
Black Pumas
Black Pumas (2019)
Don't Start Now
Dua Lipa (2019)
Two Parts Viper
'68 (2018)
Black Labyrinth
Jonathan Davis (2018)
Lust For Life
Lana Del Rey (2017)
Soul of a Woman
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (2017)
Pictures In My Head
MJ Cole (2017)
22, A Million
Bon Iver (2016)
Oh No
Jessy Lanza (2016)
Hasta la Raíz (Edición Especial)
Natalia Lafourcade (2015)
The Endless River
Pink Floyd (2014)
Lazaretto
Jack White & Jack White (2014)
40 Acres and a Mule
Superwolf (2013)
Helplessness Blues
Fleet Foxes (2011)
No Line On The Horizon
U2 (2009)
Seeing Things
Jakob Dylan (2008)
Sleep Through The Static
Jack Johnson (2008)
Only By The Night
Kings of Leon (2008)
Because Of The Times
Kings of Leon (2007)
Straight To Hell
Hank Williams III (2006)
I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
Arctic Monkeys (2005)
Madvillainy
Madvillain & Madlib & MF Doom & King Geedorah (2004)
Champion Sound
Jaylib & Madlib & J Dilla (2003)
Siamese Dream (Deluxe Edition)
The Smashing Pumpkins (1993)
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against the Machine (1992)
Core (Super Deluxe Edition)
Stone Temple Pilots (1992)
Reckoning - Deluxe Edition
R.E.M. (1984)
Ride The Lightning (Remastered)
Metallica (1984)
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Shure SM7, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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Community setups
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Produced for only two years, the SM7A was the successor of the SM7: https://service.shure.com/s/article/sm7-sm7a-sm7b-differences
SM7 - Introduced 1973 with a U.S. retail price of $256.80.
SM7A - Humbucking coil improved; design of the mic mounting yoke also improved. Introduced 1999.
SM7B - Larger foam windscreen added. Introduced 2001.
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