Pricing and availability
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Price
Average Price: $417
High-end/Boutique
$75
$201+
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Budget
Standard
High-end
Price History
Based on price data from 7 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
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
1824
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
Jessy Lanza: “It works for my voice...I had this other mic, an Apex microphone with a cap on it, but it sounded like shit so for ‘Oh No’ we used the SM 7.”
"the main vocal was the Shure SM7- another mic that’s not terrifically expensive. It’s very directional and will take EQ really well."
The Shure SM7 was used for all of Jakob’s vocals on his record “Seeing Things”.
Used for vocals on Straight to Hell, as stated in this May 1, 2006 Mix Online interview.
The room where the vocals, guitars and bass were recorded for disc one was a relatively large one, with 15-foot ceilings. While there was no official baffling, Hank III reports that they recorded the vocals and acoustic guitars tucked in a corner. In keeping with the minimalist approach, few microphones were used during those tracking dates and just three kinds: Shure SM7, SM57 and KSM32. Hank III sang into the SM7, used the 57 on his acoustic guitar and kept a KSM32 going at all times to capture room vocal and guitar tracks that were later blended in.
Used for vocals on XOXO, as stated by engineer Nick Tveitbakk in this October 28, 2020 Mix Online interview.
Acoustic guitars were miked with an AKG C414EB and a Coles 4038 side by side, and vocals went into Neumann U47 and Shure SM7 mics, also side by side, to provide a range of textures. Acoustic guitars were miked with an AKG C414EB and a Coles 4038 side by side, and vocals went into Neumann U47 and Shure SM7 mics, also side by side, to provide a range of textures. “We’re always going for keeper vocals, so the option is there,” Tveitbakk says.
Used for vocals on Black Pumas, as shared in this January 16, 2020 Instagram post by the band.
#tbt to the beginning of Black Pumas, an early recording session in 2017 at Electric Deluxe Recorders in Austin, TX. 📷: @cristian.sigler #blackpumas #ericburton #adrianquesada #electricdeluxerecorders
According to a list of equipment which is used in his studio, Crowdspacer, Joakim is also a user of Shure SM7.
One of three mics used for his feature on Pete Rock's "Verbal Murder 2", as is visible in Soul Survivor's documentary at 17:54.
In an article from Sound on Sound titled "Bruce Swedien: Recording Michael Jackson," it is revealed that Bruce Swedien consistently used the Shure SM7, an original 1980s model, for Michael Jackson's vocals. Swedien owned several of these microphones, but one, in particular, was his favorite and was used for capturing Jackson's lead vocals on iconic tracks such as "Billie Jean," "Thriller," "Beat It," "Bad," and "The Way You Make Me Feel."
"I use a Royer R-121 and Shure SM7 and sometimes a Sennheiser MD 421 on my cab. That’s going through a Retro compressor, a Burl Mothership [analog to digital converter], an Empirical Labs Fatso compressor, and a Dangerous Music BAX EQ. That signal chain’s amazing, but everything else is just coming through my pedalboard."
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.
Community setups
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Add recommendation2 alternative and related items for Shure SM7, curated by the Equipboard community.
$399.00
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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