🎙️ Should You Buy? -- MV7 USB Microphone with Tripod The Shure MV7 microphone is a great choice whether you're just getting started with live streaming on Twitch or you're an experienced podcaster who wants to update your sound setup. The Shure MV7 Podcast Microphone will be available in late 2020. It is a small device that is designed to make audio ready for broadcast right out of the box, so content creators can spend less time editing. This podcast equipment, which includes a dynamic mic and an interface in a durable, studio-quality housing with built-in leveling, volume control, and equalization, is ready to be the center of any personal recording, live streaming, gaming, or vocal production rig. -- Design -- The MV7, which has a metal case that is either black or silver, is based on the SM7B, but they are not the same. The MV7 doesn't have the SM7B's distinctive rectangular grille. The basic shape of the front-facing mic is the same, but the capsule is covered by a screw-on foam pop filter. When you take this off, you can see the real dynamic capsule. The filter can be taken off so that it can be changed to a different color, and the capsule needs the filter to work right. The MV7's capsule has a cardioid pattern with a frequency range of 50Hz to 16kHz. The A/D converter can record 16-bit or 24-bit audio at 44.1kHz or 48kHz sample rates. Touch Panel: On top, there is a control strip with touch-sensitive buttons and a slider for changing settings. The mute button is to the left of the touch panel bar, and the headphone volume/mic gain control is to the right. It is possible to change the headphone volume and the mic gain (green LED) (orange LED). You can also lock or unlock the control panel by holding down the Mute and Level buttons at the same time. This keeps the settings from being changed by accident while the microphone is being used. You can only get to these settings through USB; you can't use them with the XLR out. -- Connectivity -- One of the best things about the Shure MV7 is that you don't have to choose between XLR and USB connectivity. The device has both an XLR port and a micro-USB port on the bottom, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack for monitoring. This is great for the future because it lets people who are just starting out connect via USB and then upgrade to an XLR system later. But it does much more than that. It lets you record in both XLR and USB at the same time. The USB file is low-resolution, while the XLR file is high-resolution. This is not only a backup system in case the XLR system doesn't work, but if you get a great take, it's already compressed digitally and ready to share. The Shure MV7 works with PCs and Macs, but it also works with iOS and Android devices. The box says "Made for iPhone & iPad" and there is a special version of the ShurePlus MOTIV software for iOS and Android. This makes the Shure MV7 a very flexible recorder that lets you record on your phone or tablet if you don't have a desktop or laptop handy. This is great for podcasters who want to do interviews on the road. -- Audio Quality -- The Shure MV7 has a single cardioid pickup pattern and voice isolation technology that gets rid of noises that aren't coming from the direction of the mic. It can be used for a lot of different things and can take a lot of damage. This mic's sound quality is just as good as the best podcast microphones and even some more expensive studio microphones. Compared to the SM7B, which had a smoother tone, the MV7's sound in automatic mode was clear and sharp, but my voice made it sound a bit brittle. Still, the auto compression and leveling settings made a voice recording that was pretty good and wouldn't need much editing to be used in a podcast or vlog. Manual mode, as expected, needs more tweaking right away to get a sound that is ready to record. This microphone is tuned to record spoken words and voices at a production-level quality, with a large presence bump in the upper midrange and a gradual decrease in response at the low end. When you use the built-in EQ and compression settings, you may be able to record a fairly bright sound that sounds a lot like a professionally made voice recording. But because of this, the MV7 isn't good for recording instruments like basses, drums, and guitars that have complex low- and low-midrange sounds. In a pinch, it will work with sources that don't talk. -- Software -- The Shure Plus Motiv software is easy to use and understand, which makes it simple to find the sound you want. The Motiv software leaves nothing to chance. The user has direct control through manual mode, or they can choose auto mode to set it and forget it, letting the smart software find the best balance of settings and take care of everything. You can also choose between the "near" and "far" settings, which let you be a close-up podcaster or a happy, constantly moving streamer. Using the program, you can change the mic gain, the level of the headphone monitor, or even put the device to sleep. You can also choose from four EQ profiles: Flat, High Pass, Presence Boost, and a mix of High Pass and Presence Boost. You can also change how sensitive the mic's compressor is. The software for the Shure Plus Motive is easy to use. -- Takeaway -- The Shure MV7 is a great high-end dynamic microphone with a cardioid recording pattern that makes it perfect for podcasting and streaming. It picks up sound from in front of it but not from behind it, and the results are usually very clean. Touch controls aren't as easy to use as knobs and buttons, but the ShurePlus MOTIV software for PCs, laptops, and even smartphones gives you access to most audio recording features, including an auto mode for beginners that works surprisingly well. If you use a lot of different platforms and devices, the MV7 gives you a unique experience. -- PROS & CONS -- - Great audio quality - XLR and USB connections, but not many touch controls - Expensive - Built-in output for headphones - A little hard to get used to
Show more