Shure MV7i assessment: An all-in-one mic for podcasts and music

Greatest Costs Right now: Shure MV7i

£329

I’ve by no means had a microphone just like the Shure MV7i in my hand or on my desk. It combines the simplicity of a USB-C reference to the necessities of high-quality microphones and devices. Significantly sensible: the MV7i additionally serves as an interface for an extra XLR microphone or a guitar by way of the 6.3 mm jack enter. It may be an thrilling resolution for travelling as a result of if you need solely to file two voices or a voice with a guitar, you don’t want a separate interface.

As quickly as I unpack it, I realise that the MV7i is designed for skilled customers, or those that need to change into one. You may neither maintain it simply in your hand just like the Shure SM58 vocal microphone, (which I’ll use later for comparability) nor place it on a desk. As an alternative, you screw it onto a microphone stand or growth, which you’ll want to present.

There are three connections on the again of the microphone: a USB-C socket, a 3.5 mm jack for headphones, and a mixed XLR and line-in socket (6.3 mm jack). Plug the equipped three-meter USB-C cable into the microphone and into ta Mac, headphones into the socket, acoustic guitar related, GarageBand began with a brand new mission, two tracks chosen, configured for simultaneous recording–oops, the identical mixture of voice and guitar comes out on each channels. How’s that?

After all, I’ve as soon as once more fallen sufferer to my impatience. The key lies within the producer’s Motiv Combine app, which you’ll obtain to your laptop from the Shure web site by coming into your private particulars. Step one is to pick out that I need to ship extra tracks to the digital audio workstation (DAW)–on this case, GarageBand–and never combine each channels to mono. I may even use the stereo sign for the second enter and break up the enter of the primary one to each channels.

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I’ve already outlined the promise of the MV7i: recording two voices concurrently with out an extra interface, both two audio system or a singer with guitar. That is simply achieved with the proper settings. How properly does the microphone separate the 2 inputs from one another? The producer guarantees that the principle microphone on channel 1 reduces ambient noise as quickly as you communicate or sing into it.

It does an honest job, however I can nonetheless hear the sound of the acoustic guitar fairly clearly within the background, even within the passages of the recording the place I’m talking. The electrical guitar is much less audible, it is usually a lot quieter with out amplification, which was to be anticipated. Conversely, on channel 2 by way of the 6.3mm jack cable, not one of the voice will get by means of to the recording.

Ideally fitted to reside conditions

The MV7i is appropriate to be used in a reside efficiency with a small quantity of kit. The little little bit of echo that you simply hear by means of the microphone is totally misplaced within the combine. With skilled studio recordings, you often work in another way and file in separate rooms, at totally different occasions or each.

In my second small sequence of exams, I used the Shure SM58 as my second microphone. This can be a traditional, dynamic microphone with a cardioid attribute that has been appreciated by audio system and singers on stage and in studios for many years. This makes it a superb benchmark for the brand new MV7i. Right here, too, the separation of the 2 channels is great, albeit not excellent, so you’ll be able to at all times hear slightly of the sign recorded with the opposite microphone on one channel–so long as just one individual is talking. I simulated simultaneous talking by holding the SM58 straight subsequent to the MV7i and talking into each microphones. Lo and behold, the MV71 now has clear precedence, with virtually nothing coming by means of the second channel on the audio observe. Good.

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Management by way of “touchbar” and app

If you wish to fully silence the opposite individual, the touch-sensitive LED bar on the highest of the microphone might help. That is the one management possibility, because the microphone has no buttons or controls. An important operate is undoubtedly mute: a fast faucet on the aspect, the LED adjustments from inexperienced to crimson, and the field is quiet. What can occur, nevertheless, is that you simply faucet the bar unintentionally and are stunned when you may have extra sign in your headphones or the output of the DAW.

This bar, which is paying homage to Apple’s Contact Bar of the previous, can be used to manage the microphone achieve and headphone quantity; within the Motiv Combine app, you cannot solely make additional settings, but additionally change the color gradients of the bar.

Additional settings are doable and can be adjusted straight on the microphone, the place the presets are additionally saved. For instance, you’ll be able to select from three sorts of reverb, regulate the sound color from “Darkish” to “Pure” to “Vivid” or set the high-pass filter (Off, 75Hz, 150Hz) and compressor (Off, Vivid, Medium, Robust). When recording at house with Shure SM58 and guitar by way of an audio interface (I’ve one from M-Audio), that is finished within the software program on the Mac.

However the settings saved on the microphone itself have the benefit that they’re instantly accessible on any laptop, smartphone, or pill in any software, and also you don’t have to spend so much of time making changes, no less than should you ignore totally different room acoustics.

The sound is convincing

However how does the Shure MV7i sound in observe? I recorded myself with none additional changes, and instantly seen clear variations from the Shure SM58. The MV7i sounds more energizing, extra pure, and undistorted. That is because of a number of sensible options: The clever popper stopper minimizes plosive sounds, whereas the real-time denoiser filters out distracting noises. As well as, the Smartgate computerized quantity management adjusts the recording to the room and distance with out sounding unnatural. The achieve robotically adjusts as much as 60 dB; I didn’t discover any clipping in testing.

One other fascinating characteristic is what the Motiv Combine app data: Along with the combination from each tracks, it additionally data the separate indicators, with out having to fiddle round in Logic, GarageBand, or another software program. This additionally makes issues rather a lot simpler in recording conditions the place issues must be finished rapidly.

Do you have to purchase the Shure MV7i?

The value of the MV71 is honest contemplating its audio high quality, as first rate audio interfaces for 2 microphones or a microphone plus instrument additionally value extra. When you solely file sometimes and don’t have such excessive calls for by way of high quality, you will get away with cheaper. However then it additionally sounds low cost.