Getting started is as easy as plug and play, but you’ll need the software to dive deep into any setting. I’m not a huge fan Motive Mix Software Recommended on the box. Before I could download it, Shure required my full name, city and state, zip code, and email address for software updates, which seemed redundant.
The software gives you the option to switch to manual gain, adjust a tone slider from dark to bright with natural in the middle, and turn the denoiser and plosive reducer on or off, as well as adjust the high pass filter for background noise. gives There are also settings for monitor and mute if you choose to record with Motiv Mix. Nothing major here, but there doesn’t seem to be a way to access these settings. I wish there were only knobs on the mic.
can you hear me?
As far as I can tell, the settings you change will stick even when the software isn’t open, so feel free to make any adjustments, then close it and go back to whatever you were doing. I did some comparison tests with different settings while recording myself, and after listening back I generally felt that the default settings worked quite well. There is nothing that I think is out of the ordinary or silly in any way. The plosive reducer works so well that my Ps don’t need a pop filter. I didn’t notice a significant change from disabling the denoiser, though it’s probably helped by the rear rejection of the mic, which helps keep my keyboard noise at bay.
The auto-leveling made me peak a bit if I suddenly screamed after whispering, but it adjusted fairly quickly, and brought me back just as quickly when I spoke quietly. It’s good not to worry too much about levels, as there’s no interface for a quick check, and the MV6 lacks any onboard controls or feedback.
People who listened to the recordings or chatted with me in Discord noted that my voice was clearer and crisper, a noticeable improvement. My usual gaming headset. I think you could easily use this microphone for occasional streaming or podcasting, and you’d have no complaints. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything sound-wise if I use it instead Audio-Technica AT2035At least when it comes to regular speech quality. Professional audio engineers may feel differently, but if you’re not testing waveforms or recording audiobooks, you probably won’t.
Photo: Brad Bourque
