Shure MV88 USB-C Stereo Condenser Microphone

Updated with USB-C connectivity and some exciting new audio processing, the MV88 Stereo Microphone is an incredibly powerful device in a minuscule package.

Supremely portable and delivering true professional sound quality, this little condenser mic is ideal for content creators, musicians and anyone requiring top-notch audio on the go.

It’s fairly intuitive to use – all you really need to do is plug it in and you’re ready to record. But to tap its full potential we’ve put together a quick overview of the compact mic’s impressive feature set.

As small as it is, Shure engineers have managed to pack two microphone capsules (1x cardioid, 1x bidirectional) into the MV88 USB-C. This gives you an array of recording options that we’ll explore in depth shortly. 

Unlock the power

Key to unlocking the mic’s superpowers is the free MOTIV™ Audio app or MOTIV™ Video app, which act a control center for all the mic settings. You can use either app to select handy presets or polar patterns, as well as adjust the gain, stereo width, compression, EQ and a whole lot more. It’s even got a high-pass filter – use this to help reduce wind noise, room noises like your rumbling AC, or proximity effect.

Two important additions to the new MV88 USB-C are Auto Level Mode – which can automatically adjust the gain for you – and a Real-time Denoiser that will help strip out that unwanted background noise from your audio.

It’s always good to have your mic set up before you’re recording, but if you’re in a hurry, the modes can be a lifesaver. There are five of them: Speech, Singing, Flat, Acoustic, and Loud. FYI: The app also lets you save your own unique preset.

While Speech and Singing are pretty self-explanatory, Flat means it’s essentially in neutral with zero equalization or compression, Acoustic is for unamplified instruments, and Loud is for when things get, well, loud. If you tap around on the modes, you’ll see that not only does the gain jump around, but so do the stereo width and other things like compression and limiter.

Once you get the hang of how this portable microphone works, you can fine tune these parameters depending on if you’re doing street interviews for mobile journalism, filming a vlog episode, recording a band for some social clips, or field recording croaking frogs at a nearby pond.

4 polar patterns

The MV88 USB-C can do all of these things remarkably well. Part of the reason why it’s so versatile are those two capsules – together you get four polar patterns in one mini mic. Now, some readers might be asking what exactly are polar patterns? What might sound like Arctic ice arrangements simply refers to how a microphone captures audio. With the MV88 USB-C we’ve got Stereo, Mono Cardioid, Bidirectional (Figure 8), and Raw Mid-Side.

If you select Stereo, you’ll be able to widen or narrow the microphone’s pick-up field. This can be extremely useful depending on your subject. Trying to focus on one sound source, such as a singer surrounded by noisy pub patrons? Go narrow. Looking to pick up the entire croaking chorus of frogs? Go wide.

Mono Cardioid is often your go-to if you’re holding up the mic to record a person speaking. It can also be a good option for when you’re doing various video content like vlogs.

So why would you use Mono Bidirectional? Well, I’m glad you asked. Imagine, if you will, you’re a podcaster who happens to run into the perfect interview partner – but without your regular mobile recording rig. No problem! You’ve always got your trusty MV88 in your bag, so once you find a quiet spot to chat, you set up your phone with one side each point at you and your guest. I’ve done this before, and though it won’t sound like your SM7B at home, it will get the job done with aplomb.

Lastly, we’ve got the somewhat exotic sounding Raw Mid-side pattern. This one is probably for more advanced users, who want extra control when editing their audio in post. Essentially, this captures a two-channel signal with a stereo image that can be adjusted even after the tracks have been recorded. Pretty cool!

Once you’ve captured your content, the MOTIV™ Audio app can even handle basic audio clip editing. 

Just remember: If you’re using your smartphone as an audio recorder, be sure to turn on airplane mode, so you’re not interrupted by a phone call or other notifications. The MV88 USB-C will take care of the rest.