AudioBox USB, AudioBox Stereo and AudioBox Studio
Music Creation Suite (PS-49 Keyboard, Studio One, Notion, Nimbit, XLR cable, M7 Mic, Headphones and USB 2.0 Hub)
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Hi there guys,
I'm looking for advise for a new microphone considering the gear that I have. I currently own a Presonus Audiobox 96 and a CL-1 Cloudlifter. I've been saving for a long time to buy a Shure SM7B, and that moment has finally arrived.
However, I am unsere if the Audibox 96 will have enough juice for this mic?
For this interface, maybe I should get a different mic despite buying the cloudlifter that I bought in preparation for the SM7B?
Thanks in advance for whoever replies or has any experience with this interface and this mic.

Desktop (PC)
Windows 10 (64 bits)
Intel Core Duo i5 7400 @ 3.00 GHz
Memory(RAM): 16 GB
HD: 931GB
Studio One Professional
Yamaha YPT 330
M-Audio keystation 61 MK3
Korg padKontrol
AudioBox 96
Presonus Eris E3.5
Shure SM7B
User avatar
by darrenporter1 on Thu Mar 07, 2019 12:21 pm
Well the AB96 has a pretty pathetic max gain of only 35dB. The Cloudlifter would get you up to 60 but that's running the AB at max gain. I'm not familiar with how the AB performs at max gain. Is it noisy? I am going to guess it is.

Whether or not you need all 60dB of that gain of course depends on the source material you are recording.


Studio One Professional 5.whatever, Harrison MixBus 32c v.6
i5-8400, 16GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, 2TB HD, Win10 Pro
UA Apollo QUAD, QUAD Satellite, PCIe DUO
FaderPort 8, Softube Console 1, JBL 306P Mk.II Monitors
User avatar
by nicolasfalcon on Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:57 am
Hey Darren,
Thanks for the reply.
And yeah, the AB96 at max gain is super noisy. I currently have a dynamic Chinesse underground mic and when I raise the gain to max all you get is hizz and noise basically.
My intention for the mic is to record vocals only with better quality since my current mic isn't helping much, despite using good cables.
Does the Shure SM7B needs more than 60db to run?

Desktop (PC)
Windows 10 (64 bits)
Intel Core Duo i5 7400 @ 3.00 GHz
Memory(RAM): 16 GB
HD: 931GB
Studio One Professional
Yamaha YPT 330
M-Audio keystation 61 MK3
Korg padKontrol
AudioBox 96
Presonus Eris E3.5
Shure SM7B
User avatar
by darrenporter1 on Fri Mar 08, 2019 11:17 am
take a look at this...
https://www.soundonsound.com/sound-advi ... microphone

My gut feeling is that it won't be enough. You will be running your AB gain pretty high. That article mentions using the makeup gain control of a compressor but if the compressor is after the AB that will just make the noise even worse.

Caveat: I do not own the mic or the interface. This is all based on the numbers.


Studio One Professional 5.whatever, Harrison MixBus 32c v.6
i5-8400, 16GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, 2TB HD, Win10 Pro
UA Apollo QUAD, QUAD Satellite, PCIe DUO
FaderPort 8, Softube Console 1, JBL 306P Mk.II Monitors
User avatar
by nicolasfalcon on Fri Mar 08, 2019 12:22 pm
Damn! I am stressed by this. See a collegue will bring the mic from the US for me so I can't return it after.
Maybe there is another dynamic mic that has lower input gain that I can use?
This one seems excellent:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003H ... _qh_dp_hza
I feel so dumb for wasting money with the Cloudlifter without having a proper mic or Audio interface :/

Desktop (PC)
Windows 10 (64 bits)
Intel Core Duo i5 7400 @ 3.00 GHz
Memory(RAM): 16 GB
HD: 931GB
Studio One Professional
Yamaha YPT 330
M-Audio keystation 61 MK3
Korg padKontrol
AudioBox 96
Presonus Eris E3.5
Shure SM7B
User avatar
by darrenporter1 on Fri Mar 08, 2019 12:26 pm
it still may work out ok if you are going to record loud vocals with it. if not then hang onto it and upgrade your interface when you can... that will be the weakest link in your chain.


Studio One Professional 5.whatever, Harrison MixBus 32c v.6
i5-8400, 16GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, 2TB HD, Win10 Pro
UA Apollo QUAD, QUAD Satellite, PCIe DUO
FaderPort 8, Softube Console 1, JBL 306P Mk.II Monitors
User avatar
by nicolasfalcon on Fri Mar 08, 2019 12:30 pm
I did find this though...
Which is this Speechwriter, journalist, audiobook narrator, who has the same equipment as I. And seems he get a pretty decent job from the AI and mic.
https://www.quora.com/Are-you-able-to-w ... ing-studio
There is a pic of his set-up.

Desktop (PC)
Windows 10 (64 bits)
Intel Core Duo i5 7400 @ 3.00 GHz
Memory(RAM): 16 GB
HD: 931GB
Studio One Professional
Yamaha YPT 330
M-Audio keystation 61 MK3
Korg padKontrol
AudioBox 96
Presonus Eris E3.5
Shure SM7B
User avatar
by nicolasfalcon on Fri Mar 08, 2019 12:31 pm
darrenporter1 wroteit still may work out ok if you are going to record loud vocals with it. if not then hang onto it and upgrade your interface when you can... that will be the weakest link in your chain.

Defo! Upgrading this AI is in my list! thanks for helping me out man!

Desktop (PC)
Windows 10 (64 bits)
Intel Core Duo i5 7400 @ 3.00 GHz
Memory(RAM): 16 GB
HD: 931GB
Studio One Professional
Yamaha YPT 330
M-Audio keystation 61 MK3
Korg padKontrol
AudioBox 96
Presonus Eris E3.5
Shure SM7B
User avatar
by nicolasfalcon on Sun Jun 23, 2019 10:37 am
For whoever is wondering. I did buy the Shure Sm7b and a Cloudlifter and I am getting a great clean signal from the audiobox 96! Yeah, sure I bet this microphone could perform so much more with a non-entry level interface. But hopefully one day I'll have the money to upgrade!

Desktop (PC)
Windows 10 (64 bits)
Intel Core Duo i5 7400 @ 3.00 GHz
Memory(RAM): 16 GB
HD: 931GB
Studio One Professional
Yamaha YPT 330
M-Audio keystation 61 MK3
Korg padKontrol
AudioBox 96
Presonus Eris E3.5
Shure SM7B
User avatar
by darrenporter1 on Sun Jun 23, 2019 8:19 pm
Awesome! Glad that is working out for you! That mic is absolutely a classic for a reason.


Studio One Professional 5.whatever, Harrison MixBus 32c v.6
i5-8400, 16GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, 2TB HD, Win10 Pro
UA Apollo QUAD, QUAD Satellite, PCIe DUO
FaderPort 8, Softube Console 1, JBL 306P Mk.II Monitors

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