Over the past few years cell phone video capture has continued to experience significant improvement. The audio capture quality on mobile devices, however…not so much. Smartphones and tablets have become essential devices for creatives the world over, unlocking possibilities unimaginable a decade ago. With the release of the MV88+ Shure is looking to make it easier than ever for mobile video producers to incorporate professional audio into their workflows.
Upgrading the Audio
The Shure MOTIV MV88+ stereo condenser mic has been designed specifically for recording high-quality audio for video filmed with mobile devices. To minimized any potential headaches Shure has wisely bundled the MV88+ mic with a clamp for connecting the phone and mic to a tripod, a Manfrotto Pixi tabletop tripod, a custom windscreen, USB-C and Lightning cables and a carrying pouch for easy and safe transport of the entire kit.
Shure MV88+
The MV88+ mic connects to the mobile device via USB-C. It also includes 1/8” headphone port for direct monitoring, which is a Godsend given the absence of a headphone port on many of today's smartphones.
The included phone clamp will connect to any 1/4” tripod or stand on the bottom while the top incorporates a hot shoe-type connection for securing the mic itself. The clamp is large enough to accommodate almost any phone on the market, including monsters like the iPhone XS Max. The included tripod can also collapse into a serviceable handle for quick turnaround between tabletop filming and run and gun shooting.
The MV88+ mic captures in 24-bit 48 kHz recording quality, which is then delivered to the mobile device via either an iOS or USB-C cable. The mic has a maximum SPL rating of 120 dB, meaning it should capture usable audio even in very loud concert or worship production environments. In addition to the USB Micro-B port for connecting to the phone or tablet, the back of the microphone also includes an 1/8” headphone port for direct monitoring, which will be a Godsend given the absence of a headphone port on many smartphones on the market today.
The MV88+ features complete control of filming and audio recording functionality via the free ShurePlus MOTIV Video App. Within the app users have access to DSP-style presets like speech, singing, acoustic music and live band capture. The app also allows for precise control of advanced features like compression, limiting, high pass filtering and equalization.
Action and Reaction
The design and build quality of the Shure MV88+ is outstanding, especially when compared with so many of its competitors. While the mic is only 2” long, it’s clearly very rugged and durable with an all-metal construction that screams professional.
The sound quality coming off the mic is extremely clean and accurate, comparing favorably with many of the best video-dedicated mics on the market today. When pared with the app’s built in compression, limiting, high pass filters, EQ the final resulting audio files are very good indeed. The user-friendly compression plug-in in particular should prove extremely useful for filmmakers with little-to-no time for post-processing.
The MOTIV Video app seems to mostly mirror the phone’s default video functionality with a ton of advanced audio featured layered on top. In our tests we had to plug the MV88+ into the phone a second time before the headphone monitoring would work, but that may well of been an iPhone issue. It worked perfectly after that.
The MV88+ also works with popular Filmic Pro app, but users will lose a lot of the higher end functionality that you get when using the MOTIV Video app. For some reason real-time monitoring of the MV88+ audio seems to have something of a flutter echo, which fortunately is not present in the final recorded files themselves.
Target Users
The MV88+ is a solid investment for getting started with mobile device videography without breaking the bank. For church film teams it could also prove a fantastic, low-risk way to improve the usability of on-location mission teams videos filmed by volunteers.
With its real-time monitoring, touchscreen gain structuring and headphone monitoring the MV88+ could also serve well as a general field audio recording solution. The included windscreen is perfectly serviceable, but for recording in high winds engineers may want to pick up Shure’s optional dead cat accessory for added protection.
Another great way the MV88+ could benefit church tech, video and communications teams is as a solution for easy podcasting and vlogging. A quick five-minute training session with the MV88+ could easily help otherwise low-tech pastors exponentially increase their chances of creating something far more listenable or watchable.
In Conclusion
There are few types of video production more fun or responsive than mobile filmmaking. The ultimate goal, however, should always be to create content people want to watch and share. Capturing good audio is a big part of making that more likely. If your film or tech team needs a way to dramatically improve the overall quality of your mobile device video production an investment in the Shure MOTIV MV88+ is one of the best ways to make that happen.
The MV88+ MOTIV Video Mic Kit lists for $249. Visit shure.com/mv88+ to find out more.
