Shure MV7X Podcast XLR Microphone

INTRO: Nowadays with podcasts, broadcasting & streaming becoming more commonplace, Shure is entering the scene with an affordable podcast/broadcast microphone at the premium entry level with the MV7X—an XLR-only variant of the Shure MV7. UNBOXING: The unboxing experience for the MV7X is quite simple. You’ve got a basic cardboard box with a recyclable egg carton style insert that holds the MV7X. Maybe I would have liked to see a more protective insert with foam, but if the objective is to use more environmentally friendly materials, then I have no problem with that. Overall, the packaging was protective enough. And after repackaging it and shaking the box around, it remained stationary without knocking around inside the box. Other than that, it comes with a 3/8" ... MoreINTRO: Nowadays with podcasts, broadcasting & streaming becoming more commonplace, Shure is entering the scene with an affordable podcast/broadcast microphone at the premium entry level with the MV7X—an XLR-only variant of the Shure MV7. UNBOXING: The unboxing experience for the MV7X is quite simple. You’ve got a basic cardboard box with a recyclable egg carton style insert that holds the MV7X. Maybe I would have liked to see a more protective insert with foam, but if the objective is to use more environmentally friendly materials, then I have no problem with that. Overall, the packaging was protective enough. And after repackaging it and shaking the box around, it remained stationary without knocking around inside the box. Other than that, it comes with a 3/8" Thread Adapter, warranty information and a safety guide. BUILD: The MV7X appears well built. Both the housing and the yoke mount are made of metal, and they feel like they could take a reasonable beating with impacting performance. The foam windscreen screen is easy to remove and replace, but I do wish it were a bit more snug. It doesn’t rustle or make noise when used in a normal environment, but if you were actually using this in a very windy environment for some reason, I might be a bit concerned since any movement of the foam screen could be picked up by the microphone and could impact your audio recordings. Overall, the MV7X is decently well-built and is aesthetically pleasing despite being smaller than microphones like the Shure SM7B or Samson Q9U. MOUNTING HARDWARE: The yoke mount hardware uses 5/8” threading which is common for most mic stands (although you can use the included adapter for 3/8" if needed). It’s rigid, sturdy and made of metal. It allows you to rotate it in either direction and once you figure out the direction you want to face it, you can tighten the hand screws to secure it in that position. However, one minor headache of this mounting hardware is that the whole mic has to rotate in order to screw onto your stand, rather than just the base where the threading is. This becomes a problem for certain stands if the mounting point rotates and lacks grip. Unfortunately, this was the case for my Samson MBA38 boom arm (see pictures). This made it difficult to remove once it was mounted a bit too tight. If your microphone stand does not have this issue, then you need not be worried. But if it does, I advise you to not tighten all the way if you intend to unmount the microphone from your stand. I had to grab some vice grips and put a bit of damage on my stand to remove the MV7X. Whereas my Samson Q9U could be screwed on and off at the base without rotating the entire yoke mount. Aside from that, you can remove the yoke mount via the hand screws and use a different mount if you please. However, there are small washers between each screw, and they are just a bit challenging to put back in once removed. Overall, the mounting hardware is decent, and this niche blip I ran into shouldn’t really impact the overall rating. Many other microphone mounting hardware systems would experience the exact same problem in my particular case, but I felt it was worth the warning. MICROPHONE SENSITIVITY: *All testing performed with the MOTU M2 audio interface Let’s get into sound by talking about microphone sensitivity. Since dynamic microphones are passive, you typically need to speak closer to them in order for them to pick up a reasonable signal. This makes dynamic microphones typically better for noisy environments, since noises that are not closer to the microphone will be less likely to be captured in a recording. So less background noise will be captured and you’ll be less likely to introduce a feedback loop if there are live monitoring speakers nearby. Shure says that the XLR sensitivity at minimum gain is -55dBV/Pa (1.78mV) at 1kHz, 1 Pa = 94dB SPL. Whereas the Samson Q9U over XLR is even less sensitive at -57 dBV/Pa and the Shure SM7B at -59dBV/Pa. Just from my testing of the MV7X against the Q9U, the MV7X certainly has an advantage in terms of its sensitivity. While good etiquette for speaking into one of these microphones is typically to speak 4-6 inches away from the microphone, there are times where that is undesirable and in my experience, the MV7X does a good job alleviating that with some additional gain. However, should you decide to speak closer to the microphone, you’ll be pleased to know that you’ll get excellent noise rejection with lower gain while still retaining a clean sound with plenty of volume. Lastly, I was pleased to find that the noise floor is quite low even with the gain cranked to the max on my interface. PLOSIVES: When it comes to plosives, the MV7X doesn’t quite have the low-end boom that some other microphones have, but it does not do a good job rejecting plosives with just the included foam screen. You can further eliminate plosives by adding a pop filter in front of the microphone and/or speaking further away from the microphone, but out of the box, its plosive rejection is not very good. One suggestion I have seen to solve this issue is to use a thicker windscreen foam such as the one used on the Shure SM7B. While using the SM7B foam would create an air gap, it would still put much more foam between your voice and the capsule to prevent much more of those unwanted plosive frequencies from reaching the capsule. I can confirm that this worked quite well for me. SOUND QUALITY: The tonality of the Shure MV7X is really midrange focused. While my Samson Q9U picks up more low-end, the MV7X really doesn’t aim for that. The MV7X is great for speech that does not need the use of the proximity effect. But if you’re really wanting to lean into that lower, bassier radio DJ voice, I’m not sure that the MV7X is the best microphone for the job. The closer you speak to the microphone, the more bass you will get, but the amount of plosives will be very distracting to your audience unless you address it with a thicker windscreen. Even so, I had to speak quite close to the microphone to achieve a reasonable proximity effect on the MV7X. Aside from that, I personally did like the way that my voice sounded on the MV7X. It was very clear, as opposed to dull and warm. I think for my voice, something like the MV7X is a good choice. I don’t typically speak with much of a bassy resonance, so I tend not to lean in for proximity effect. So the MV7X delivered a clear tonality for me with an emphasis in the midrange and treble without sounding bright.. And of course, the best way to demonstrate this is to give you some sound tests! Please visit the soundcloud link here to hear speech samples: https://soundcloud.com/xephyroth/sets/shure-mv7x-microphone-test/s-39sFnXvAUqy?si=be8747d24761462db13e25ca00a47e68 APPLICATION: Shure has a few different marketing materials online showing the MV7X being used for singing as well as broadcast speech. I think that these are appropriate usages of this microphone, whereas I’m not sure I’d find it optimal for capturing an instrument, as you’d have to place the microphone relatively close to your instrument in order to pick up a clear signal. If you’re a singer, this could potentially be a decent mic with passive noise rejection to avoid background noises from being captured in your recordings. This could work well for live studio sessions, but the plosives could be problematic with the default windscreen. But for speech—whether for streaming, podcasting, broadcasting, I do think the MV7X is a good microphone and could serve very well for those not looking to pay for a much more expensive SM7B. CONCLUSION: Overall, I like the MV7X and think it is a good broadcast style microphone. While its plosive rejection is not very good with the default foam windscreen, replacing that windscreen can yield much better plosive rejection. The noise floor is low, and the sensitivity is decent for picking up speech within a relatively close proximity. While I don’t think Shure got everything right, I think that the MV7X could be worth it for someone who does not want to pay extra for hybrid XLR/USB microphones like the Shure MV7 or Samson Q9U. Those mics can potentially provide more flexibility and value compared to just MV7, but if you’re solely looking for XLR, the MV7X is a good microphone, but perhaps not the most versatile or feature rich.

I got the Shure MV7X Cardioid Dynamic Podcast XLR Microphone hoping to solve a specific problem and it has exceeded my expectations! I perform in an acoustic band. We use multiple condenser microphones for multiple singers and to amp up our acoustic guitars. These sound excellent but they are so sensitive that it can be very challenging to avoid feedback. In some venues we can't use them at all! So, I set out to find a cardioid dynamic microphone to use in those specific circumstances. I initially chose the industry standard SM57 and SM58 microphones but was disappointed by the lack of sensitivity. You have to "eat the mic" in order to get any reasonable volume from them. That's when I discovered the Shure MV7X XLR Microphone. The tone and sensitivity are perfect ... MoreI got the Shure MV7X Cardioid Dynamic Podcast XLR Microphone hoping to solve a specific problem and it has exceeded my expectations! I perform in an acoustic band. We use multiple condenser microphones for multiple singers and to amp up our acoustic guitars. These sound excellent but they are so sensitive that it can be very challenging to avoid feedback. In some venues we can't use them at all! So, I set out to find a cardioid dynamic microphone to use in those specific circumstances. I initially chose the industry standard SM57 and SM58 microphones but was disappointed by the lack of sensitivity. You have to "eat the mic" in order to get any reasonable volume from them. That's when I discovered the Shure MV7X XLR Microphone. The tone and sensitivity are perfect for me! Importantly, the off axis sound rejection is very good. This means that there is almost no bleed-through from other performers standing next to you and no noise picked up from the back of the microphone. This has almost eliminated our feedback issues while still providing a nicely balanced vocal response. The mic requires almost no EQ and seems to inherently focus on the right frequencies for vocals. The unit is built of metal and has a broadcast style mount. This means that it might not fit on an older microphone stand even with the included adapter. I chose to use a newer stand and now everything mounts securely. In summary - this is an excellent tool to add to your performing arsenal and at this price is a no-brainer!

Being a musician I own several mics. I mostly record guitar and “talking head” voice tracks. While I have not tried this microphone on my guitar cabinets (I usually prefer a Shure SM57 for guitar cabs), I do love how the MV7X sounds for talking. It records a very rich sound from my voice and I am able to manipulate the tracks with reverbs and effects very easily if I choose to do so. That said, you do not need to use any filters on your voice and it still sounds rich and full. Keep in mind that this microphone is an XLR mic and does not have USB so you will need a mixing board, or a capable audio interface and DAW to produce your vocal tracks. This microphone works perfect in my home studio for recording ideas on the fly, producing full spoken word tracks, and ... MoreBeing a musician I own several mics. I mostly record guitar and “talking head” voice tracks. While I have not tried this microphone on my guitar cabinets (I usually prefer a Shure SM57 for guitar cabs), I do love how the MV7X sounds for talking. It records a very rich sound from my voice and I am able to manipulate the tracks with reverbs and effects very easily if I choose to do so. That said, you do not need to use any filters on your voice and it still sounds rich and full. Keep in mind that this microphone is an XLR mic and does not have USB so you will need a mixing board, or a capable audio interface and DAW to produce your vocal tracks. This microphone works perfect in my home studio for recording ideas on the fly, producing full spoken word tracks, and especially social media / YouTube videos. It is built extremely solid and it definitely has a professional look for videos. The yoke tightens up easily and works on any mic stand I have tried. Whether you are using a desktop boom arm mic stand, or a floor stand, this will mount and stay put. After receiving it, the first test I did was to connect it to my Interface, get a good record level, and just talk for a bit. It is marketed as a Podcasting mic, so talking is what I intend to use it for as opposed to instruments or singing. Once I got a few tracks into my DAW, I threw on a bunch of effects just to see how it would handle it. I used reverbs, delays, pitch shifters, and even distortion. Granted I didn’t use all of these at once, all of them sounded great as to be expected. I am very impressed with this microphone and it suits my needs perfectly. In the past, you would need to visit a music store to get studio mics, so I am happy to see Best Buy carrying products like this. Shure is legendary in the microphone business and I have trusted them for decades. If you are starting a Podcast, have a YouTube channel, or just want to have a great way to record your voice, I highly recommend you try the Shure MV7X.