Shure MV88 USB-C review: a plug-in mic for phone creators

Shure's MV88 USB-C is a compact condenser microphone that plugs directly into the USB-C port of a phone and sits on it much like a shotgun mic sits on a camera. It is a pared-back version of the MoveMic88+, and it is priced at $159 in the US and £145 in the UK. A recent hands-on review tested it for voiceovers, interviews and field recording.

How it fits into the MV88 family

The MoveMic88+ is a wireless mic that works through Shure's MOTIV apps, with an optional receiver sold for an extra $150. The MoveMic Two is a pair of lavalier mics for interviews and reporting. The MV88 USB-C skips wireless entirely: USB-C is its only connection, and there is no Lightning adapter for older iPhones. It measures about 1 inch wide and 2.7 inches long and comes with a small carry case and a detachable foam windscreen. The reviewer reported that the windscreen tore at its base while the mic was being photographed; Shure sells a separate furry windscreen for about $20.

Specifications and app features

• Recording at 24-bit/48 kHz, with a maximum SPL of 120dB
• Pickup modes: mono cardioid, mono bidirectional, raw mid-side and stereo
• Denoiser, selectable 75Hz or 150Hz high-pass filter, compressor, limiter and auto level
• Presets for speech, singing, flat, acoustic and band

All settings live in the Shure MOTIV Audio and MOTIV Video apps; there are no physical controls. The mic can also record straight into a phone's own camera app, which the earlier MV88+ could not do without the receiver, and it works with the desktop MOTIV Mix app. The Denoiser only runs in the two mono modes, so stereo or mid-side field recordings get no noise reduction. The reviewer hit a playback bug in the app that went away after reinstalling it.

In testing, the reviewer described their voice as rich and warm, said plosives on "P" and "B" sounds were kept under control, and found that sibilant sounds were mostly handled well. Shouting into the mic did not cause clipping with the limiter on. Their listed drawbacks were the missing Lightning adapter and the fragile windscreen.