The MV88 connects to your iPhone, iPod, or iPad with a Lightning connector and captures high-quality audio with the help of Shure’s free mobile recording app. Shure
Your iPhone and iPad are fine for recording voice memos or the occasional interview in a small and quiet space. But if you’re looking for real audio quality (not just basic legibility), you’re pretty much screwed unless you opt for an external mic.
As luck would have it, Shure has gone ahead and created just such a mic. Announced today at CES, the MV88 iOS Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone is part of the company’s new Motiv line of Apple MFi-certified plug-and-play devices. There’s also a free app that lets you fine tune the MV88’s performance in real time with various DSP preset modes, microphone gain adjustment, and stereo width control.
I’ve spent the past week or so futzing around with both the app and the mic and I have to admit it produces some pretty amazing results—far better than other digital condenser mics I’ve used with the iPhone. In addition to recording sound at 24-bit/48 kHz, the mic itself has a handy 90-degree hinge that lets you adjust its position for whatever recording situation you’re in. I haven’t had time to really put it through its paces, but the few interviews and field recordings I’ve captured so far all sound impeccable.
Unfortunately, I also wasn’t able to record with the early version of Shure’s app (only adjust the various DSP and gain settings), but I could use the mic with other Apple audio recording apps like Voice Memos and Garageband. Shure says it will be adding a high-quality recording option soon, however.
All the mics, including the $149 MV88, the $199 MV51 large-diaphragm version, and the $99 MV5, will go on sale this summer, along with the Motive MVi Digital Audio Interface. The latter will cost $99 as well. Stay tuned for a formal review of the MV88 in the coming weeks.
Shure
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