Best Audio Interface for Shure SM7B [2023 Reviewed]

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All text and image links lead to Amazon unless stated otherwise. All product scores are based on ProRec’s in-house scoring model

Thumbnail	Audio Interfaces for SM7B	ProRec Score	Price
	RME BabyFace Pro FS	9.2	Check Price on Amazon
	Audient iD14 MKII	9	Check Price on Amazon
	MOTU M2	8.1	Check Price on Amazon

Introduction

The SM7B is known for being a gain hungry mic, and it works best with a louder source. When you turn up the gain on an audio interface, you’re increasing the signal from the mic as well as the inherent noise that’s coming from your interface. More sensitive microphones such as the Blue Yeti or AT-2020 do not need a lot of gain (opposite of the SM7B), and as a result there is less self-noise.

The truth is that there will always be some self-noise, however, it will not always be audible. If you’re in a professionally treated studio, then it will be a lot quieter than if you’re sitting in your living room.

When choosing an audio interface for an SM7B, the first thing you want to focus on is a spec labeled EIN (Equivalent Input Noise). This is a measure of self-noise that is comparable across different interfaces measured in dB/dBu. For an SM7B, you want an EIN of -128 dBu or below. -130 dBu is what you get from an external device called a Cloudlifter, often used with gain hungry mics (-133dBu is the best EIN possible with a 150-ohm mic such as the SM7B).

The second thing you want to be sure of is that your interface has a mic input with around 60 dB of gain. Most modern interfaces have that covered, and some good ones go as high as 70 dB. Cheaper ones usually offer something in the neighborhood of 50dB, which means you’ll require additional amplification. As long as you have the right EIN and gain, your interface will be able to drive an SM7B without any issues!

So you now have two options, either get a cheap interface where you’ll also have to get an inline preamp such as a FetHead or a Cloudlifter (these help older gear with gain and noise issues) OR you can go for a modern interface that has built in preamps, strong enough to handle an SM7B. The smarter way to go here is to invest in a better interface so you don’t have to buy a bunch of equipment and make your life harder.

Other things to look for in an interface include the Input/Output configuration, which basically dictates how many mics/instruments you can plug in and record at once. If you are podcasting, then you need at least two mic inputs (one for you and the other for a guest). If you’re a singer songwriter, then you would also want at least two inputs (one for a mic and the other for an instrument). Similarly, if you’re recording a live band or a full drum kit then you want several inputs to cover everything simultaneously.

You also want to make sure that your interface is compatible with your PC/laptop ports. Most modern interfaces either use a USB or a Thunderbolt port. Speaking of compatibility, get an interface that is either plug and play (most are with Macs) or the manufacturer has a reputation for good drivers. Poor drivers will cause latency issues which you really do not want to have at any point.

Finally, have a budget in mind! For an SM7B, you need to spend a bit more and get an interface with solid preamps so you do not need to make any additional purchases. We recommend staying away from interfaces in the sub $200 category since those are unlikely to have the right EIN and gain combination that you need.

Best Audio Interface for Shure SM7B Reviews

All text and image links lead to Amazon unless stated otherwise. All product scores are based on ProRec’s in-house scoring model

The RME Babyface Pro FS is a highly versatile unit, capable of delivering up to 76 dB of gain. It offers USB 2.0 connectivity, and can be powered via a 12V power supply present on the back or through your computer (bus powered). The interface operates at different sampling rates; from 44.1 kHz up to 192 kHz, and offers a recording resolution of 24-bit.

The unit offers an I/O configuration of 12×12, with options to expand digitally. At 94 kHz/24-bit, the digital I/O can manage 4 ADAT channels or 8 channels at 48 kHz/24-bit. The optical I/O can also be used as S/PDIF channels. The Babyface offers MIDI connectivity as well and features the highly accurate SteadyClock FS that reduces jitter on all inputs by keeping the signals and converters in sync (up to femtoseconds).

The top panel of the interface features an LED display and the main controls which include 6 push buttons (labeled IN, (SET) A, (MIX) B, OUT, DIM and SELECT), a large encoder that is used for different functions determined by selecting the push buttons, and 4 LED bands that indicate I/O levels, phantom power status, preamp gain or current selected channel.

The rear of the unit houses two mic inputs and two line (balanced) inputs. The other I/O are present on the sides i.e. the optical channels, a MIDI connector, two headphone outputs and two line/instrument inputs. A Kensington lock, the USB socket, and power jack are present on the sides as well.

Physically speaking, the chassis of the instrument is aluminum, molded into a rather distinct and interesting shape. The upper panel tilts towards the user, making it easier to work the controls. The build quality is excellent, and everything, from the knobs to the cables, feels nice and stable.

The interface was pretty straightforward with the setup. We hooked it up to an iMac and loaded Logic Pro after installing the drivers. To test the advertised 76 dB of gain, we plugged in an SM7B without an external preamp or Cloudlifter. The unit features a relay-driven Pad feature that helps keep EIN values low by allowing gain adjustments in 1 dB increments, allowing for easy gain control. We found a sweet spot at 55 dB, a point at which the gain was enough to boost the mic signal without adding any noise.

The ultra quiet preamps on the interface attested to the quoted EIN values of -128.5 dB (at 65 dB max gain). We laid some vocal tracks, and the audio from the interface was amazingly transparent and the noiselessness and clarity were apparent in our recordings. As for the converters, they sounded crystal clear, and we could detect no perceptible latency in playback.

Since the Babyface features RME’s patented SteadyClock FS, the interface’s internal clocking is exceptionally accurate, without any jitter whatsoever. The software included with the interface is TotalMix FX which allowed us numerous FX possibilities; reverb, EQ, boost, cut, loopback etc, without any input from our computer’s CPU. The latency on this unit is incredible; we ran reverb, EQ and compressors all at once, using 128 samples at 48 kHz, without any noticeable lag. Even at 96 kHz, the unit performed nicely but we had to sacrifice some plugins.

The drivers on the Babyface are extremely stable and are compatible with both iOS and Windows. We were also able to record on the go, and use TotalMix with GarageBand on our iPad without any issues at all. Another thing worth mentioning would be the speed of the interface’s drivers, converters and the USB 2.0 port. They compete with, and even leave behind, many TB3 interfaces!

The Babyface Pro FS is part of RME’s Babyface series. Its direct predecessor is the Babyface Pro, and the newer model has undergone significant improvements. For one, the SteadyClock FS has been added to the Pro FS. Along with an 8 dB reduction in THD (Total Harmonic Distortion), the SNR on the mic inputs has been increased from 112.2 dB to 113.7 dB and that on the line/instrument inputs is improved from 114 dB to 116.3 dB. Other upgrades include an increase in the power of TRS outputs, from 70 mW to 90 mW and a +19/+14 dB switch that decreases output levels.

Even though the interface worked perfectly fine, there is some room for improvement in certain areas. The TotalMix FX software isn’t the easiest to use; it is somewhat unintuitive. We had to go through the manual to understand the functions properly, however, once we got the hang of it, there weren’t any issues and overall, we were pretty satisfied with the level of control it offered. Also, the XLR cables don’t lock properly onto the interface and can snap off while you’re recording.

All in all, the RME Babyface has a great I/O offering and comes with the amazing TotalMix FX software. Coupled with incredible EIN and a gain range that can easily drive the demanding SM7B, the preamps on the interface take the cake. The sound quality from the interface is unparalleled, making it a fantastic option as a studio investment.

RME Babyface Pro FS Benefits

The build of the unit is premium quality and the 12×12 I/O configuration offers great flexibility.

The preamps are noiseless and transparent, and provide 76 dB of gain which is enough to drive an SM7b mic without a Cloudlifter.

The TotalMix FX software has a lot of plugins and offers you extensive control over your mix.

RME Babyface Pro FS Drawbacks

The TotalMix FX software is relatively unintuitive and takes some time to get used to.

XLR cables do not lock onto the interface.

All text and image links lead to Amazon unless stated otherwise. All product scores are based on ProRec’s in-house scoring model

The iD14 MKII features a 10×2 I/O configuration and a USB-C connection. The unit offers a max sampling rate of 96 kHz and a 24-bit resolution, and is part of Audient’s iD series. The iD14 is bus powered which means that it can operate via your computer’s USB port, without requiring any other form of external power.

The unit has a pretty intuitive design and features all controls on the top panel, making them easily navigable. The main volume knob sits atop three function keys; the headphone and main output selectors and the iD button. It can be used to control headphone or output volume levels or as a controller (for slider DAW controls etc), by selecting various function keys.

The top panel features two smaller gain knobs for mic/line inputs, and individual phantom power switches for both inputs as well. An LED indicator with 9 different gain levels, situated between the gain knobs and the volume encoder, helps detect clipping and prevent audio distortion.

The rear of the interface houses the main I/O i.e. two combo XLR/TRS jacks, four line outputs and a digital I/O connection (which can be used as S/PDIF or ADAT). The USB-C port, which acts as the unit’s power supply, is also present on the back. The front panel is simple and features an instrument input as well as dual headphone outputs.

Physically, the unit is encased in a solid metal covering with a metal finish, which gives the unit a sleek, high end feel. The controls on the interface, especially the gain knobs, are smooth and responsive, however, we found the large volume encoder to be a bit wobbly for our taste.

Setting up the interface was as easy as anything, and it took us about 5 minutes to understand the basics as we followed the online tutorials. The iD mixer is a great software, really neat and we got the hang of it pretty quickly. To get started, we plugged in the SM7B (no pop filter) and a pair of Beyerdynamic 990 DT Pro, and began recording some vocals.

The preamps on the iD14 offer about 58 dB of clean gain, and have a low EIN of 129 dB; they were able to power the mic easily and our recordings came out incredibly detailed yet clean. The AD/DA converters on the unit offered great dynamic range, the resulting audio had fantastic highs and lows; the sound was smooth yet transparent. The interface also adds a slight bit of warmth and color to your recordings, which is pleasing to listen to and it flatters just about any voice, a bonus point if you want to buy it exclusively for vocals!

Apart from that, the iD14 also offers the highly useful Loopback feature that allows you to record audio from your computer directly into your DAW and process it in real time. You can also live stream on YouTube while you’re playing games, without worrying about having a dedicated set up. This is a very useful feature for podcasters, OBS users and content creators.

Even though the interface is bus powered, the headphone out was easily able to power the 250 ohms DT990s. If you’re interested in recording a live event or tracking some drums, the ADAT expansion will let you add up to 8 inputs via the optical I/O.

The iD14 was released by Audient as part of the iD series (MKII generation) with the iD4 in 2021. Although both interfaces are bus powered and have a a few other similarities such as 126 dB of dynamic range on DAC/ADC, the iD14 offers better options and more detailed specs. It has two additional headphone outputs, a pair of extra line outputs as well as options for I/O expansion via ADAT. The iD14 also lets you separate (hardware) controls over the headphone and main output levels, whereas the iD4 shares both.

All the hype, though, around the iD14 doesn’t mean that there are no downsides to the unit. For instance, we found that the initial 90% of gain on the interface had a slow, smooth transition, however, on the final 10%, things start getting noisy, especially if the phantom power is engaged. Also, everytime you turn the interface on, the computer makes a loud pop sound which can be avoided by switching your monitors off, however, this gets a bit annoying.

To conclude, however, the Audient iD14 MKII is one of the best budget interfaces that gives you enough gain to power the SM7B while also offering great additional features such as Loopback control and options to expand inputs via ADAT. If you want a good interface at a decent price without making any compromises on sound quality, the iD14 is definitely the unit you are looking for!

Audient iD14 MKII Benefits

The preamps offer 58 dB of clean gain, enough to power the least sensitive mics.

The Loopback feature has great usability for live streaming and podcasting.

ADAT I/O expansion is great for expanding inputs, especially helpful in live scenarios.

Audient iD14 MKII Drawbacks

The initial 90% of gain transition is smooth, but at the last 10%, the interface starts to get noisy.

Everytime you power on the device, the computer makes a loud pop sound if it is connected to the interface.

All text and image links lead to Amazon unless stated otherwise. All product scores are based on ProRec’s in-house scoring model

The Motu M2 is an entry-level interface from Motu’s M series yet it offers a level of versatility hard to come by with similarly priced interfaces. The M2 is class compliant and features 2×2 recording/playback channels, a USB-C port and MIDI connectivity while also offering a recording resolution of up to 24-bit/192 kHz.

The unit has a compact yet aesthetic design, housing all of its channels and ports on the front and back. The front panel features two combo mic/line inputs, each with its own gain knob, 48V toggle and monitoring switch. A large monitor volume knob and a headphone out with dedicated volume control sits on the front as well, beside a fully colored LCD screen that indicates input/output levels. On the back, the interface features a power switch, a Kensington lock, MIDI I/O, the USB-C port and four (two RCA and two TRS) outputs.

In terms of build quality, the M2 is built like a tank. It has a robust body and the knobs are smooth yet have adequate weight to them. The screen is highly responsive and shows the headroom on the signal instead of a mere light indicator for clipping, which is really thoughtful.

Setting up the interface was hassle free and since it is class compliant, we were able to use it without installing the drivers. However, once we installed the MacOS drivers on our iMac following the instructions in the manual, the driver shaved off a few seconds from the interface’s total delay time, resulting in really low latency! We also got some extra features in our DAW.

The preamps on the interface offer a 60 dB gain range, incredible for a unit this cheap. The EIN value is also 129 dBu, which makes it easy to power sensitive mics like the SM7B. We had to keep gain levels at 60-80% to boost the signal for the SM7B; our recordings were clean and noise free (no cracks or hiss), although without any sterile characteristic, or heavy color. The ADC and DAC on the M2 sound incredible; the unit captured all the nuances and details from our sound yet the audio was crystal clear. It sounded more open than what you will hear with most interfaces, and the highs were very loud and obvious.

The interface offers incredible round trip latency which was almost imperceptible and made real time monitoring very easy. The headphone outs are also pretty powerful; they drove the Sennheiser HD650s (300 Ω) without any issues. Despite being a budget interface, it was nice to see the loopback functionality on the M2, so you can also use it for podcasting and live streaming.

The M2 was released along with the M4 in 2019 as part of MOTU’s M series of entry level interfaces. The M4 had a 4×4 I/O configuration, featuring an extra pair of line inputs as well as two extra RCA outs, in comparison to the M2. It also had an Input Monitor Mix knob and a switch for direct monitoring on inputs 3 and 4. However, in 2022, MOTU launched the M6, which was a significant upgrade over the M2 and M4. It offers 6 inputs (4 mic/line and 2 1/4″ analog inputs) and an additional headphone jack but lacks the unbalanced RCA outputs present on both older models. On the other hand, it comes with 15v DC support as well as an A/B switch for comparing mixes from (different pairs of) studio monitors, which were both absent on the previous models.

Although the M2 is a great interface, there are some downsides we would like to go over. The USB cable included with the unit is almost too short, however, when we tried using a longer (6ft) USB-C cable for our setup (or various other cables for that matter), they wouldn’t work with the interface. Only the included cable seems to work which is really inconvenient.

Although we used the interface mainly with our Mac and the unit worked perfectly fine, using it on Windows was a pretty bad experience i.e. the audio would stop working and we would have to restart the interface or change the sample rate to resolve the issue. The audio was also generally corrupted and had a lot of cracks so, if you are a Windows user, you may face some of these problems.

Overall, the MOTU M2 is a killer interface in this price range. It has ample I/O for a basic setup, clean and powerful preamps, low latency, powerful headphone amps and most importantly, incredible sound quality. If you are just starting out with the classic SM7B and don’t know which interface to go with, the M2 is one of the safest bets you can take!

MOTU M2 Benefits

The body is sturdy and aesthetic, the screen is responsive and helpful.

Offers great gain range for its price.

The headphone amps are sufficiently powerful to drive high imped headphones.

MOTU M2 Drawbacks

The included USB cable is a little too short and other cables don’t seem compatible with the interface.

The interface works fine on MacOS but presents problems when used with Windows.

Verdict

Based on our scoring model, you will find the highest variance in the Input/Output category followed by Sound Quality. As you can see, the MOTU M2 scores low in comparison to the Babyface and iD14, both of which offer a lot more I/O. In the Sound Quality category, however, the Babyface takes the lead followed by iD14 and finally the MOTU M2. Whereas the M2 and the iD14 go head to head in connectivity.

Although there is a difference of 1.1 points between the highest and lowest scoring units, you will find that each of the interfaces excels in different categories, and there isn’t one definitive interface that takes a substantial lead throughout.

The Babyface tops the charts in three categories, offering an I/O configuration of 12×12 and the incredible flexibility and ease of recording that comes with it. The high quality preamps on the unit offer 76 dB of gain producing really clean and transparent recordings. The interface comes with great additional features such as the SteadyClock FS, optical I/O which can be used as ADAT or S/PDIF and of course, the amazing TotalMix FX software. In Price to Performance, it shares second place with MOTU M2 as it is pricier than the other interfaces on our list. In Connectivity, it scores the lowest due to an older USB 2.0 port, however, this port is a lot faster than TB3 on most interfaces, so don’t take the Babyface’s connectivity at face value!

The Audient iD14 follows the most stable trend in this scoring model, securing second place in all categories except Price to Performance where it takes the cake. Offering an I/O config of 10×2, it falls behind the Babyface by a mere 0.5 points. Regarding Sound Quality, it scores an 8 owing to its clear yet detailed audio recordings and great EIN values which translate to a very clean audio output. It comes with Loopback functionality, and the great iD14 mixer software as well as ADAT expansion options. Since it offers a lot for a really affordable price, it overshadows the Babyface and MOTU in the P2P category.

Based on our analysis, with an incredible average of 9.2 points, the Babyface Pro FS ends up being the best interface for Shure SM7B, offering the best gain range as well as an EIN value that is low enough to produce super clean recordings. If you are looking for an all rounder interface that will give you a good I/O configuration, supreme sound quality and excellent additional features while still being able to power your SM7B, you cannot go wrong with the Babyface Pro FS! Highly recommended.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a Shure SM7B need an Audio Interface?

Yes! you absolutely need an audio interface for an SM7B. The soundcard on your computer is just not going to cut it, since it’s not meant to record professional mics. Audio Interfaces are meant to drive mics and external instruments, they serve as the intermediary between your computer/DAW and your mic.

Which Audio Interface is best for Shure SM7B?

Any audio interface that has enough gain (around 60db) as well as good preamps will do well with SM7B. This is a gain hungry mic, so you want something that will help drive the mic properly.

Does a Shure SM7B need a Cloudlifter and an Audio Interface?

It depends. If your interface offers enough gain then you will not need an external device such as a Cloudlifter or a Fethead. However, if you use older equipment or if the preamps on your interface aren't as strong then you’re going to need something external to trackle gain and noise issues.

How do I connect my Shure SM7B to an Audio Interface?

You’re going to need an XLR cable to connect the Shure SM7B to your interface. The process is really simple, just plug one end of the cable behind the mic and the other to the XLR input on your interface. the next step would be to turn up the gain and then you’re all set!