Back in 2021, I reviewed a dynamic microphone from Shure, the MV7. It took the podcast world by storm and soon found a home in many podcast studios, big and small. Now, in 2024, Shure is back with the MV7+, the next generation of the MV7. In this review I’ll put the Shure MV7+ through my microphone testing regiment while making comparisons to the original. Read on to see how the Shure MV7+ performs with the:
Auto-Level test
Plosives test
De-noise test
Tone Switch test
And more!
The Shure MV7+ At a Glance
Much like its predecessor, the Shure MV7+ is a dynamic microphone that doubles as a USB and XLR microphone. The ShurePlus MOTIV software seems to be retiring and is being replaced with the Shure Mix desktop software. This software is required to access all of the DSP features, which only works when the MV7+ is used as a USB microphone.
At a glance, not much has physically changed with this microphone. The connections on the back are the same – XLR port, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a USB-C connection for the cable that runs from the microphone to the computer.
Speaking of USB-C, this is the only connection available out of the box. With a USB-C to A adapter, it was a bit wonky. The computer could see the microphone, but I was unable to access many of the DSP features within the Shure Mix software. I ran into similar problems using a USB hub. So, this microphone seems to work best with its software when it’s plugged directly into a USB-C port on the computer. The microphone itself still sits in a swing stand. It doesn’t really have shock absorption, so be careful not to knock it, as you may get a slight resonance in your recording.
Shure MV7+ Pricing
Our link to the Shure MV7+ is an affiliate, so we earn a small commission should you buy through it. Affiliate income helps support all of our free content, though it certainly never clouds our judgement when it comes to giving honest opinions on products and services!
At time of writing, the Shure MV7+ comes in at $279 on Amazon, which is competitive against other hybrid USB-XLR microphones. It’s also £279 on Amazon UK.
Shure MV7+ Review: Testing
Now that you know a bit more about what the mic is, as well as how much it costs, let’s get to the crucial stuff: What does it sound like?
Auto Gain
Except for the compressor test, all of my recordings using the auto gain feature of the MV7+ outputted healthy recording levels of -24LUFS, and a true peak of -4dBFS. That’s the perfect sweet spot for a raw recording!
Plosives
I think microphone companies’ marketing teams are starting to take the hint that a foam sock/built-in pop filter is not really a pop filter. There’s no mention of a built-in pop filter from Shure for the MV7+. What they did do was add a “Popper Stopper” as a DSP feature in the Shure Mix software. Let’s take a listen:
There are definitely popping plosives with the Popper Stopper disabled. Once I enabled the Popper Stopper, the plosives were tamed significantly. I was a bit skeptical about how well this feature would work but it seems to work quite well. Well done Team Shure!
Tone Switching
Much like the original MV7, the MV7+ in USB mode has three tone profiles to pick from: Dark, Natural, and Bright. Take a listen to me switching in real-time:
To my ear, there’s been a slight improvement to the Dark tone profile. Voice is not muddy, but has a hint of warmth. Bright is still too bright for my voice. With the improvements to the tone profiles, you’ll be able to shape the tone of your voice a bit better at the recording stage.
Noise Reduction
The MV7+ has the bonus protection from environmental recording factors naturally just by being a dynamic microphone. However, I’ve noticed its noise rejection without using any de-noise was pretty good. Rather than listen, take a look at this spectrogram:
I recorded this test with a ceiling fan turned on high, and the image above was boosted to -16LUFS. The noise still wasn’t overly prevalent in the recording, especially with constant speaking. Where it darkens in the above image is where the noise reduction is enabled. I didn’t notice any damage to the tone from having noise reduction. People with less-than-ideal recording spaces may have a bit more leeway with the MV7+. However, that doesn’t mean you should record with your window open or music on in the background!
Compression
This effect is only available while the MV7+ is being used as a USB microphone and in manual mode (auto gain is turned off).
Less is more, which is usually the case with compressors. Light is best, medium is okay, and hard is quite noticeably crushing my voice.
MV7+ as an XLR Microphone
It’s becoming commonplace for microphones to be a hybrid of USB and XLR. However, the MV7+ made no improvements from its predecessor to be any less gain-hungry when used with an interface. As with its predecessor, I tested it on an SSL2+, and it still required the gain knob to be at almost 80% to set a decent signal level. But that introduced distortion from the interface itself, having the gain that high. Unless you have a Rodecaster Pro II, which has a bit more power in its preamps, you’ll need a cloud lifter.
Shure MV7+ Review: Some Other Thoughts
I’m not a fan of the Shure Mix software. It feels like it needed a bit more time prior to public release. I can only attest to a Windows experience, however. Yes, it has a “beta” slapped on it but, and again this is only my opinion, a beta shouldn’t be released with a commercial product. It’s less user-friendly than ShurePlus Motiv. It’s trying to act like a DAW on top of controlling the DSP features, but it’s very restrictive in its current stage. I’m unable to change recording pathways and recording specs like sample rate and bit depth.
However, I see the potential of the Shure Mix software with the virtual routing it offers. Hopefully, it’ll provide a better experience once some kinks are ironed out.
Currently, there is no support for mobile devices like cellphones and tablets like there was with the original MV7. I feel like this is a step backwards, but perhaps this will be added in the future. I have recommended the original MV7 to many clients because of its mobile support. Some people just aren’t computer savvy, and it was easier for them to do everything with a mobile app as they were learning podcasting from the ground up.
Conclusion: Shure MV7 Vs Shure MV7+?
The biggest change with the MV7+ is that it utilizes new software to control it. The tonal profiles and noise reduction features slightly improved over the original software. The lack of mobile support is currently a bit of a letdown.
Is it a good microphone? As a USB mic, it definitely is. At its price point of $279, if you only need an XLR mic, you may be better suited to go with something like the Shure SM58 or the Rode PodMic. It all depends on your needs. The MV7+ didn’t make as big of a splash as its predecessor, but time will tell if it receives any further improvements.
Check out our full guide to The Best Podcast Mics on the Market if you’d like to do some more shopping around.
Our Rating: 4.3/5
Build Quality of Microphone: 4/5
Features for a USB Microphone: 5/5
Flexibility as a USB Microphone: 3.5/5
Price Point for a Hybrid Microphone: 5/5
Originally posted on May 7, 2024 @ 1:24 am