Shure MV7i: An all-in-one mic for podcasts and music

For podcasters and live musicians who want to travel light, Shure has a microphone and interface for Mac, iPad and iPhone.

- BY PETER MÜLLER

've never had a microphone like the Shure MV7i in my hand or on my desk. It combines the simplicity of a USB-C connection with the requirements of high-quality microphones and instruments. Particularly practical: The MV7i also serves as an interface for an additional XLR microphone or a guitar via the 6.3 mm jack input. It can be an exciting solution for traveling because if you want only to record two voices or a voice with a guitar, you don't need a separate interface.

As soon as I unpack it, I realize that the MV7i is designed for a professional user, or those who want to become one. You can neither hold it easily in your hand like the Shure SM58 (fave.co/4jCKRS2) vocal microphone—which I will use later for comparison—nor place it on a table. Instead, you screw it onto a microphone stand or boom, which you need to provide.

There are three connections on the back of the microphone: a USB-C socket, a 3.5 mm jack for headphones, and a combined XLR and line-in socket (6.3 mm jack). Plug the supplied 3-meter USB-C cable into the microphone and into the Mac, the headphones into the socket, connect the acoustic guitar, get GarageBand started with a new project, select two tracks, configure for simultaneous recording—oops, the same mix of voice and guitar comes out on both channels. How’s that?

Of course, I have once again fallen victim to my impatience. The secret lies in the manufacturer's Motiv Mix app (fave.co/3SdFMTS), which you can download to your computer from the Shure website by entering your personal details. The first step is to select that I want to send more tracks to the digital audio workstation—in this case, GarageBand—and not mix both channels to mono. I could even use the stereo signal for the second input and split the input of the first one to both channels.