Shure MV6 Microphone review — good price and ease of use make this a fantastic starter option

Shure is already well known for a line of microphones that are reliable for podcasts and professional recording, but one doesn’t always need the bells and whistles of the MV7, or have the $250 to invest in recording hardware. Enter the MV6, a $149 option that will more than serve your needs for gaming, meetings, and some recording. For most uses, it’s a standout option that overperforms for its price. All the while, it retains many features of the MV7 which made it a great option: ease of use and some wonderfully user friendly companion software.

In terms of pure specifications, this is a dynamic microphone, meaning it’s intended for a non-soundproofed space like your average office or living area. It’s unidirectional, weighs a hair under 3 pounds, and records at 50-15,000 Hz. It comes with its own non-adjustable stand which I found to be compact enough to fit easily on my desk. The MV6 connects via a USB-C cable, which is a little too short to be practical. The 100cm was just barely long enough to get around my computer and in position for use, but a sizable number of users will find they need a longer cord to integrate with their systems.

One of the most important aspects of the MV6 is its ease of use. Prior experience with microphones and headsets led me to anticipate ~15 minutes of fiddling with settings, drivers, and cables when I first sat down with this. In actuality, I had the device running as soon as I connected the USB-C cable, integrated with my settings and the programs I was prepared to use it with. I didn’t have to screw around with Devices as usual or have to redirect programs to the microphone. While I didn’t find it necessary, the first time you boot up will prompt you with a quick tutorial on how best to position and use the microphone.

From the outside, there’s really nothing to it: one green button at the top shifts from on to off. Digging in, you’ll find that the microphone has more to offer with its software. MV6 is compatible with Motiv Mix, an app which allows you to adjust settings and edit audio if you so choose. I went elsewhere out of familiarity with other editing software and Motiv’s strange tendency of saving recordings in unique folders, but for software this beginner friendly to be packaged with the machine, it’s a wonderful single stop for anyone looking to break into audio formats.

The internal programming has a noise cancellation feature that you can choose to activate or deactivate, as well as a digital pop filter. This is the one area where you may need to adjust your settings, depending on your surrounding environment. I found that the noise cancellation sometimes overcorrected and the pop filter sometimes under-corrected, but these were minor issues that I fixed with a short jaunt into the settings. None of it detracts from the fundamental fact that MV6 recordings sound great. A long period of experimentation gave me audio that was crystal clear and absolutely devoid of background noise, once I made those small changes. While you might have issues for in depth, professional recordings, you have nothing to worry about for casual gaming, streaming, work meetings, or recording for your own projects. The audio options aren’t quite as intensive as they would be for a more expensive alternative, but they’re still impressive for something that costs $149. It’s rare to find a single product which is this easy to use with so few drawbacks. For anyone looking to get started, this is a perfect recommendation; a complete package with negligible issues that are hard to discover unless you eat into advanced settings.

You can learn more directly from Shure’s website, which lists technical specifications and other details.

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