Shure MV88 – The Content Creator’s Best Friend

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Fast Facts

Shure MV88 USB-C Stereo Microphone

Compact
USB-C Connectivity
Android & iPhone Compatible
Companion App
Travel Case & Pop Filter
Customisable Presets
Website: https://www.shure.com
RRP: £145

The product was provided for review purposes

Sounds Good to Me

Here I am, back again with some more audio tech (surprise surprise) and this time, I’ve got my hands on the MV88 by Shure. I’ve worked with Shure many times over the years with all kinds of products, so I was very excited to try something a little different.

The MV88 is a compact Stereo Microphone that you can connect straight to your phone. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Michael, why would I bother with that when my phone has a mic?”. Well little Timmy, this small but mighty mic is so much better than whatever your phone can do. It’s got incredible tech packed in with things like 4 different polar patterns (stereo, mono cardioid, raw mid-side and mono bi-directional) for all the different scenarios, rotating casing and hinges for all sorts of angles, a removable pop filter and real-time Denoising for real clarity. With a frequency response range of 20Hz to 20kHz, you can be sure to capture anything you like in great quality.

When I tested this out, I tried a few things. I recorded some short videos of my motorbike maintenance, both electric and acoustic guitar sessions, and a general chat with the wife in a podcast style. It was brilliant in all situations but one – the electric guitar. The smart features to block out audio were too good and it dulled the sound from my amplifier. It’s worth remembering though that you wouldn’t normally use it for that. The mic has several customisable presets that I made sure to test out (singing, flat, acoustic, loud and speech). I found each one of these had elements that were great, but I made some small tweaks within the MOTIV app to get the best out of it.

Who’s it for?

While I will never tell someone they can’t get something, I often find it useful to know which audience a product is aimed at. In this case, it’s content creators.

The Shure MV88 is perfect if you’re looking to record TikTok’s, YouTube Videos or even interviews and podcasts with great but compact audio. The device is plug and play – no setup is required, and comes in a handy hard travel case so you can throw it in your pocket or bag. One thing I love is that it works with most phone cases. I tested with my VERY THICK Quadlock case and there were no issues at all. As long as your case is 2.1mm thick or less, you’re all good (else you might need an extension adapter). It’s compact form factor makes it super easy and handy on the go.

Now if I was going on holiday and was planning to maybe record a few videos here or there, I wouldn’t spend the money on this. If this isn’t something you’d use on a regular basis, I’d suggest continuing with your built in phone mic. While I love the MV88, I do think that it’s a completely optional purchase for pretty much any scenario – it’s more of a “good to have” than a “must have” for any kind of content creation. With compatibility for Android, iPhone, Mac, Windows and more, you can make use of this in all your USB-C devices.

Shure or nah?

I absolutely loved this product as a concept, and it was executed perfectly. I think the audio that the MV88 captures is incredible. It’s clear and bright, but also can be warm and full sounding at the flick of a button in the app. While I wouldn’t recommend it to every person, it has endless possibilities in the right hands. I love what Shure has put out here and I can’t want to do more with it in the future. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to go and record some mediocre guitar!

Rapid Reviews Rating

4.5 out of 5

4.5

You can buy the Shure MV88 on their website

If you like the look of the Shure MV88, why not check out our other tech reviews here?