MV7i Smart Microphone with Built-In Audio Interface - Podcast & Musician Mic with 2 Channels, XLR and 1/4", USB-C for Mac/PC/Phone, Advanced DSP Features, All-Metal Design, Auto Level Mode

After getting by with a basic home set up of a blue yeti shared between two people for our podcast, we decided to invest in some decent quality gear and grab two of these on boom arms linked to an m-audio duo. First thing to say is that they are really well packaged and robustly built which inspires confidence. I've only used them so far via XLR inputs into the interface so I cant speak to the USB link and software, but what I will say is its made editing the mix a dream. As someone thats worked in a few pro studios as a performer, producer and an engineer over the years, I know a quality bit of gear the second I start working with it and these are definitely that. They are quite directional, so proper mic technique is preferred and close positioning is a must, but you'll be rewarded with an instantly rich, mid-focused and warm sound that is recognisably NPR like in its audio and so quality to begin with you could easily get away without processing it at all. Despite the natural warmth of the sound theres a nice level of clarity and treble detail that can easily be brought out with the most basic of EQ, but by default is never harsh or tinny. I used to have an effects chain of 10 plus plugins on our audio in a desperate attempt to even it out and get a half decent sound, with these mics I have 2 very gentle plugins just to add a last bit of polish and thats it. They are a little prone to plosives sometimes depending on how forcefully someone speaks, so an extra pop filter is a very good idea, but then I'd say that with any decent close-mic setup and filters are incredibly cheap. The directionality is actually pretty useful as they don't pick up much of the room at all, and again this is without SHUREs processing software so it is an actual characteristic of the mic. I'd say you could mic your speaking voice up in a marble hallway and as long as you spoke close to the mic it'd sound studio like, so that whole reputation of "so good it can fix a bad room" is very much deserved. No more spending hours trying to remove reverb for me! (as an aside, if you're struggling with reverb or "removing the room" on any mic setup I'd recommend ERA 4s reverb remover, its literally the only one I've ever found that works. Just dont set it above 50% or you can hear the wash). All in all I'd say these were a bargain, and if you wanted any better you'd be looking at £800+ per mic for a Rhodes or similar and even then the difference would be minimal. They really are that good. If you have the money and are looking to elevate your audio to pro level without dropping thousands, these are the perfect choice. I've actually had other podcasts contact us to ask about our setup because we now sound so good, and everyone assumes we are recording in a pro studio rather than a front room. An absolute must buy if you want to compete with the big boys, we sound better than 99% of the podcasts in the game and that has improved our listener numbers significantly. Do not hestitate to invest, they are virtually foolproof and take all of the stress out of audio production.

This is a well-rounded, great sounding dynamic microphone, with an overall warm sound, ideal for voice overs, Radio broadcasting & Podcasting. Build quality is excellent (all metal) and on par with other Shure Microphones, such as the SM57, 58 & the SM7B. The mic is not too heavy and most boom arms, even the cheaper ones will hold it, with only some minor adjustment - I use a Rode PSA 1 & PSA+, which are both excellent. The mic capsule underneath the windscreen is protected by a metal, rounded type grid (see pics), which also helps with noise reduction, but plosives are an issue with the provided windscreen – more on that later… The dual connectivity of XLR & USB (again, see pics), made this a pretty obvious choice if you want to use with an audio interface and/or just a computer. It’s also useful that one can act as a back-up should the other fail. You have access to the Shure companion App for this mic which lets you adjust the sound of the mic along with headphone monitoring. There are also some touch controls (mute/volume etc. on a slider/pressure strip with corresponding LEDs) on the mic itself, which again can be controlled via the App. Note though, that the App and touch controls only work when the mic is connected via USB, not XLR. If using USB only, gain is not an issue, but if going XLR, you will have to push our audio interface (Focusrite/Behringer/Steinberg) input gain up quite a bit for a good level. You may wish to invest in a gain booster/cloud lifter, but if using something like the Rodecaster Pro 2, you won’t need one. There are only minor negatives for this mic: 1. The USB connection is a micro one and not USB-C, which was a little disappointing, but not a deal breaker. 2. The windscreen is pretty bad, and you’d be better off replacing with the RK345 one from its bigger brother, the SM7B, as this really cuts down on plosives (I had great results using this). 3. The yoke that attaches to the mic stand/boom arm, does not screw down independently as with the SM7B and you have to rotate the whole mic instead. 4. The price – a little steep, considering what other options there are on the market today, but my personal opinion is that it is worth it. I will say after over a years’ worth of constant use, I have had no issues with the mic or the connections and have absolutely no regrets in purchasing this microphone and would do so again. There is an XLR only version out now, but I still like the option of the 2 types of connection and when moving forward, you should be adding to an exiting product, not taking away from…

I was scouting around for a new microphone to replace what was a Blue Yeti. I needed something lightweight but still able to work just as effectively, if not more. As the shockmount I had ordered for said Yeti was getting heavy and the cable was getting bent awkwardly, I needed something light and sturdy. And, I'm happy to say this is an amazing product. The build is pretty great and the sound is very good too. Of course, with every set-up it does have a few troubleshooting kinks that need to be worked on, in order to get the best quality sound, and I myself will be needing to do the same. Just a heads up - for the USB-C type setup, if you wish to plug it into a computer or laptop you may need a USB-C Type adaptor. That way you'll be able to use it in conjunction with the USB Port, as mine originally didn't come with an adaptor, nor do I have a USB-C input slot on my computer. So getting a USB-C type USB adaptor is crucial if you wish to use it on either a laptop or computer. Other than that though, it's pretty great. The touch button to mute is nice and responsive and you can also set up some lighting for the microphone (it does have it built in, but you can customise it to make your own). Moreover if you wish to attach it to a boom arm/microphone then there's a nut screw inside the packaging, so that's got you covered. Just that, to my knowledge on that front, there is no stand for the arm so it will 100% need to be attached to a boom arm/microphone arm. But, I really like this product overall, and I'm looking forward to using it more in the future.

If specifically you need the ability to run both XLR or USB and move it around with you it's a fantastic mic. The only issue is the Mini USB standard is god awful and wished it was USB-C - I've had a couple cables break on me and it gets worn out easily. The software for the mic is very good too when in USB mode, and I ran it that way most of the time until I got myself and interface. However if you're just running XLR save yourself £100(yes you heard that right) and go for the MV7X model, it's EXACTLY the same mic, just without the usb features and compatibility, I have both and the sound quality is exactly the same, couldn't tell two recordings apart. Last thing to note, the pop filter isn't great, so buy yourself a Shure RK 345 Wind Screen which is the pop filter that they use on the Sm7b, trust me it makes all the difference and is worth the extra £20 or so.

I am a very small streamer, but I decided to switch to this mic from an Elgato Wave:1 - not because the Wave is a bad mic by any stretch of the imagination - but just because I’m aware that dynamic microphones are massively better at rejecting background noise and helping when you have some slight echo/reverb in your room. Although this mic is slightly more expensive than the Wave:1 (around £107.05 at time of writing this review), I definitely think that if you can afford the price difference then it is absolutely worth it. Originally I was happy using mics with USB connection, especially since the software suite with the Elgato Wave was pretty useful, but I had the intentions of purchasing a GoXLR along with an XLR dynamic mic, and until then I wanted some form of USB dynamic mic as a stop gap, as the GoXLR stock was pretty dry in the UK for a little while. I done my research and came across this mic, and I listened to multiple sound tests and comparisons between the MV7 and the legendary SM7B and thought for a USB mic, it sounded incredible! I started off by using the mic connected directly through USB, and using the Shure Motiv app and had a fairly pleasant experience with it. I’m an AMD user with an x570 motherboard, so I’m not sure if this is related to the ongoing USB issues - but I found a lot of the time, my mic gain would automatically change itself to max (36dB) whenever I would restart my PC, compared to the 24dB that I had it set at. As long as I applied the mic settings lock, it would stop this happening, but then it would also stop me being able to toggle the mic mute - which was unfortunate. Apart from this issue (which again could just be an AMD issue) - the software works pretty well! I followed the recommended settings from Podcastage’s video review on the mic, and overall had a very nice sound through USB. I wish the Shure Motiv app allowed for a more in-depth EQ control, rather than the three presets - along with more in depth control for the compressor. Although I can’t fault the app for this, as it is pretty clear that they wanted to make it as simple as possible to set up the mic and get a good sound, which is exactly how it goes with the app since all of the settings seem to work, except the EQ just works better being set to ‘flat’ since you can’t EQ specifically around your voice tone/pitch. I never tried the “auto level” mode personally, but from the number of video reviews I have watched, it also seems to work pretty well, and looks to be a good way for a complete beginner to just plug their mic in and be up and running immediately, with the software controlling all characteristics of the sound on the fly for the user. After using this microphone through USB for a couple of weeks, I have purchased a GoXLR and I am now using it through XLR, and personally (for my voice at least) - it just sounds much more clean and crisp overall, especially at the higher frequencies. Shure, this mic is no SM7B (see what I did there?) as personally I feel like the SM7B does have a nicer, more refined sound overall - but for anyone who is in the same boat as I was (in terms of looking for a USB -> XLR upgrade path), I can wholeheartedly recommend this mic, as it sounds great through both USB AND XLR. You can also record through both the USB and XLR output at the same time - if you needed to do this. To summarise, this mic wasn’t created to replace the SM7B - the SM7B is still the king of dynamic mics, but for a great all in one solution, you cannot go wrong with the MV7.

Before I bought the Shure MV7+, I sounded like I was yelling into a toaster from across the room. Now? I sound like I host a wildly successful podcast about obscure conspiracy theories and artisanal coffee. The mic is so good, my dog respects me more. Easy setup, great sound, and it hasn’t judged me once for recording 47 takes of the same sentence. Worth every penny just to feel like a radio DJ from 1997.

Great microphone. I bought it and so obviously accepted the price of it, and it is ever so slightly better than the USB mics I've had before, but they were half the price, and this isn't double the sound quality, of course. Still, an acceptable tradeoff. It has to be used with the Shure app on your PC, but after connecting it and setting it up once, you don't need to use the app again if you don't want to. Nice metal body, very sturdy. Also, keep in mind that this is a usb c mic only, the xlr input is for receiving, not for output.

Stellar Sound, Streamlined Control: My Review of the Shure MV7+ ​The moment I connected the Shure MV7+, I knew my audio game had just leveled up. This microphone isn't just an upgrade; it’s a total transformation for any podcaster, streamer, or vocalist seeking professional, broadcast-quality sound without the fuss of a complex setup. ​A Sound That Sings (and Streams) ​What truly stands out is the sound. The MV7+ captures vocals with incredible warmth, clarity, and richness, delivering that signature, studio-grade dynamic mic sound popularized by the SM7B, but in a much more accessible package. My voice immediately sounded fuller and more present, requiring virtually no post-production EQ. ​The Digital Difference-Maker ​Connecting via USB-C unlocks the true genius of the MV7+. The new MOTIV Mix Desktop App is a game-changer. The Auto Level Mode is flawless—it manages my volume on the fly, ensuring perfect consistency even when I lean back or get excited. But the real magic lies in the new DSP features: ​Digital Popper Stopper: This is brilliant. It eliminates plosives without needing an unsightly physical foam windscreen, keeping the mic sleek. ​Real-time DeNoiser: It quietly and effectively cleans up background hums and computer fan noise, resulting in a remarkably quiet signal that is perfect for streaming live. ​Design and Delight ​The new customizable LED touch panel is more than just eye-candy; it’s a brilliant visual aid. Being able to instantly see my levels and mute status in a color that matches my setup is a small detail that makes a huge difference in my workflow. And, of course, the XLR output is still there, ensuring this mic will remain a foundational piece of equipment even if I eventually move to a dedicated audio interface. ​Final Verdict ​If you are serious about your audio, the Shure MV7+ is an essential investment. It takes the guesswork out of great sound. It's powerful, versatile, and delivers an audio experience that simply blows away the competition. Highly, highly recommended