Overview
Traditional mic processors can be intimidating. That’s because they’re built to accommodate not just your mic, but any mic. Well, if you’ve ever shopped for clothes, you know that one size never really fits all. Different mics have vastly different characteristics, and even with an expert tuning your mic processor, the sound you dream of may remain elusive.
We took a different approach. Why try to make all mics sound “okay” when you can make a chosen mic sound amazing?
Meet SMooth, the world’s first microphone processor designed exclusively for the iconic Shure SM7. We spent months measuring, analyzing and listening until we knew this microphone inside and out. Then we went to work, creating DSP algorithms that perfectly enhance the SM7’s unique characteristics. After that, we defined adjustments carefully designed to give you only the range you need to tailor the sound of your SM7 to your voice, and nothing more. This makes setup a breeze. In fact, it’s almost impossible to get a bad sound from SMooth.
Features
SMooth’s microphone preamp stage is ultra-high gain and low-noise. Being a very insensitive mic, the SM7 requires more clean gain than many preamps can provide. Some have attempted to fix this with inline boosters, but we eliminated the need for these with mic preamp circuitry capable of 70dB of gain, with a noise figure only 1.5dB higher than theoretical minimum. Plenty of pure you, without the hiss.
Voice artists everywhere have a love-hate relationship with noise gates. They’re great for eliminating background noise, but sometimes they go too far and clip off the beginning or end of words; dialing them back lets in too much background. Corny Gould (our resident processing genius) decided to invent a new approach: the Room control. It acts like a mixer; turn it clockwise to add more room tone (environment) to the signal, counterclockwise for room suppression. It couldn’t be easier.
The compressor is really special. Adjustable from “natural” to “massive”, but always clear and silky. We’ve created the optimal frequency-shaping contours, so again, just plug in your SM7 and it sounds amazing. Plus we give you just enough adjustment range to finesse the sound, but never enough to mess it up. Oh, and wait until you hear (or should we say don’t hear) the de-esser. It reduces sibilance without giving you a lithp.
Finally, there’s a little bit of magic we call Sparkle. If you love the darker sound of your SM7A or SM7B, plug it in and leave Sparkle disabled. But if you’d like to emulate the sound of the original SM7 or even the legendary SM5, turn Sparkle on. Voila! Transmutation complete.
SMooth is the perfect companion for your beloved SM7 (or SM5) mic. Everything you love about the SM7 is right there — but warmer, punchier, more articulate and consistent. And yes — bigger.
You love the SM7. So do we. Which is the entire idea behind SMooth, the first mic preamp and processor (channel strip) designed exclusively for this wonderful mic. Every feature is carefully crafted to enhance its unique sonic signature. SMooth is going to make you fall in love with your SM7 all over again. We are so confident that we offer the industry’s only 30 day “love it or return it for a full refund” guarantee.
The lens can be removed to expose the controls for fine tuning. Here you can set everything from pre-amp gain to compression drive to how much environment (room tone) you want. You can decide how much de-essing to engage, trim the EQ settings, and select meter behavior. Oh, and here’s where you’ll find that magical Sparkle switch that can make your SM7B sound more like the classic SM7 and SM5B. Once you’ve got everything perfect, snap the lens back on and enjoy.
But wait, there’s more! SMooth has a remote control connector so you can mute and unmute the microphone. This is perfect for guest positions in a talkshow environment. Each guest can have his or her own “cough” button. Or give them even more control by configuring their button for On/Off/Cough. Wire your own pushbutton or purchase the optional Remote Gizmo, an illuminated pushbutton mounted in an elegant machined aluminum enclosure.
Like all Angry Audio products, SMooth is designed for the rough realities of broadcasters and podcasters. The powder-coated steel enclosure is guaranteed RFI immune. Premium components and generous design margins translate to years of reliable 24/7 operation. Set it and forget it. And though, we love the look just sitting there on the desktop, you might want to tuck it away out of reach somewhere. Explore the optional accessories for mounting SMooth in the rack, on a wall, under a counter, etc.
SMooth shown in the optional rack mount kit. You can fit two in 1RU.
