You are a legend sir. I did NOT hear that added self noise until you pointed it out AND I switched headphones. Now I can not unhear it... Hopefully they fix this QUICK, cause I am a fan of the device for my own personal uses.
It's still not even that bad imo at all. Yeah it's not going to be good enough for actual pro voice over but for discord or doing in the field recordings where background noise is more of a concern it's probably more or less fine.
I always use some type of noise reduction in all my work so I never heard the noise. I think it is a non-issue if you use any kind of noise reduction. I wouldn't recommend anything like this for pro voice over work. Even then, it would do in a pinch for that. For remote podcasts and such, no problem in my experience.
It's really close to being a personal use for me because I want to be that guy who walks into my office with an SM58 and talks into that when I'm on conference calls. If they can fix the issue, I'm doing it!
It is very small and doesn't seem to suck... but that noise floor is pretty high and probably won't be fixed with firmware, but that odd lowend glitch could probably solved. I don't see people using an SM7b with these however, probably much more likely that it'd be on a louder dynamic mic or a condenser, which probably means that noise wouldn't be as much of an issue. I would have liked to see what the noise floor looked like in that scenario, and what it'd look like with a fet booster or cloud lifter inbetween. I do, however, really, reallllly love that the settings live *on* the device. That's absolutely the right direction for most people who'd buy this who 'just want to plug XLR into computer' which, given how many videos/google hits/Quora questions there are to that effect, it seems like a good fit for those people... and everyone else should just buy a scarlet.
I think that's exactly who would love this: people who travel a lot and need a super light setup. Handheld condenser or louder handheld dynamic, this thing, earbuds and then you're rocking and a rolling. Or those who just want to plug it in and get it going without a bunch of audio plugins and daws getting in the way. Open shares software, set it up once, and you're good to go for your ocnference calls.
Wow, what a cool device! I love it's size. I could see it being really useful for an on the go setup. I hope their next firmware upgrade turns this thing around. Its kinda exciting to see something like this exist.
Thanks for your thorough reviews and especially for testing if the settings live on the device! I plan to use this as a clutter free configuration for my remote work setup and have been watching all your videos for that reason. I imagine more folks require remote work setups than podcasting ones. I think it’s relevant because much of the settings are overridden by post processing in MS Teams or Workplace or other software.
I have recently tested about a dozen XLR to USB adapters and my favorites were the Shure X2u and the BLUE Icicle. One of the big problems I had with the X2u was it's size and weight - it is a chunky fellow. It also colored the sound a bit, but that is subjective. Well made, but too hefty. Right when I was testing it, I heard the MVX2u was soon to be released. Looks like they have made some great progress in the right direction! From a build and software perspective, I really have not seen anything that compares to the Shure adapters. Once BLUE was bought out, they quit making the Icicle which is a shame, but frankly, the build quality on the Icicle left much room for improvement. Shure has made some encouraging progress here - there is a market for these devices.
I do like their software, it works pretty good on the mv7. But now I am on the volt 176 and like that even more. I do want to get a fethead though, as it could use a little more power to properly drive the compressor.
Great review as always! I think the MVX2U is very impressive for such a small 'in-line' interface that is just a few steps shy of being really great. As you mentioned, a mute switch or toggle would have been much appreciated on it. It seems like something intended for a "Shure Starter Package" bundled with the SM58 and relevant cables to get folks set up with a dynamic XLR mic since the software also seems geared towards simple button click UI. However, I would have a hard time pitching this over the similarly priced Elgato Wave XLR which also takes up minimal desk real estate, has gain for days, the anti-clipping feature to deal with overexcitement, and in my experiece has been dynamite.
I do want a noise gate/expander, which is important to me, but I already have that in my rackmounted equipment. But hey, it's cool that I can make use of this while traveling.
That is very small. It's cool that someone is doing something a little different. You call it the MV2XU several times, also in the lower third during the 18i20 comparison.
This is exactly what I was looking for. For as little as possible -- as per switches and/or pots -- to break and will be prefect for my Shure beta 58A or AKG C7 :-) A review of the AKG C7 as my alternative to the Neumann KMS 105 would be appreciated, to compare notes :-)
Would be nice to see Line Audio SDC microphones test - they measure extremely flat and compare well to famous ones like Neumann and Schoeps. They got cardioid and omni pattern ones, all cost around 200$
Thanks very much for the suggestion. I don't currently have one and don't have one on order, so it's not going to happen any time soon, but I"m always looking for new and interesting mics to cover. Thanks.
While I'm sticking with my iRig Pre+Zoom H1n combo for on-the-go, it's surprising how bad this isn't. It's surprisingly good for such a small device. That mute function seems pretty useless, unless there's some way to set a hotkey for it (I would assume you do hear it on monitoring, though)
Mic preamps has specification called Equivalent Input Noise. Fethead has EIN = -129dbu, which is good (-131 is a theoretical limit). If manufacturer doesn't add this spec to the specsheet it's always suspicious. That means that spec is not really impressive. I wonder is there a diference in signal to noise ratio on different gain settings with this interface?
Hi, this device could be the best sound card for single microphone if they fix the issues reported on this video plus if they add support to smartphone app Motive because like this is not really portable. Moreover a better self-noise is necessary and a capacitive mute button too. After that it will be wonderful. I think that a Fethead could fix the self-noise and it shoud be anyway a solution to continue some type of portability feature. 🤔
Yes it's extremely portable and it would be great if it was powered from a smartphone. There may be some kind of limitation with power there, but it's weird the MVI can run off a smartphone.
Damn. I need a product that does exactly what this is *supposed* to do. I'm sad that it has the missing bits and meh follow through. Bummer. If you see other small interface options I'd love to see them. Thanks for this review!
I would love to hear this test with more mics, especially the handling noise and the noise floor differences. Also, how does this work with something like a cloudlifter or fethead?
If you're using a quiet microphone the noise floor will absolutely be audible especially if you end up compressing it, so I'd say it does kind of matter...only if you care about the noise floor though. A lot of people don't, and that makes sense and is fine. For them I'm sure they'd love the convenience of this.
@@Podcastage I do care. I'm anal about it in my VO work. I guess my small brain is just wondering at what level the noise floor can no longer be heard. I won't send out a completed VO track unless the noise floor is imperceptible, but I just do that by ear. Are there seriously people who don't care about noise floor? Or are they just people who don't have the ability or knowledge to get it down? Or were you just being sarcastic? My big brain at work again. There's nothing like a vocal that has no perceived noise. It's a beautiful thing.
Surprisingly capable for being so tiny though isn't it? I learned to do a sort of Quagmire with the original X2U doing a giggity head motion since you need to be really close with the gain not all the way up to avoid the noise but pull back any time you increase the volume of your voice. Really good for portability.
doobaleedoo'd! Not for nothing, but the highpass filter is usually a good idea to keep on when doing just spoken word kind of stuff to help mitigate rumble and noise that is well below most peoples spoken vocal range. That being said... the unit is still messed up lol. That noise print you;re getting from moving it is weird to say the least. Would be interesting to see if you pumped something with really low subs through it if that noise would present itself, or is the noise a result of the physical jarring of the unit. Great review.
That's something I tested while doing my due diligence trying to identify the cause. Warning around 00:45 is when I use the sine wave generator from 20-70Hz so subwoofer beware: ruclips.net/video/-xx1nrkT4VY/видео.htmlsi=kDZ71zOXbCo8WknF There is an audible and visual (with isotope) noise floor when the tone generator is below a certain frequency.
@@Podcastage woof! Pun intended. Im hearing not niceness thru my ear buds. Im gonna listen again on my studio monitors later but im hearing some motor boat action rn. Thats a heckuvan oversight.
Obviously, this machine is not made for studio use but rather for portable situations, so some consideration should be made for it's use...The iRig Pro by IK Multimedia is a very nice small interface that works well with all portable computer systems albeit a bit more expensive...
Yes it is designed to be portable. However, in my opinion portable or not, it shouldn't have the issue with low frequency sounds causing an increase in the noise floor.
This might work great for guitar DI, in all irony. If someone has a dedicated portable tracking rig, some of these software effects would work wonders on DI signal shaping, for people running preamps or multi-FX units with cabinet IR's already on them, or for peope using software amp sims or recording DI's for later reamping through another interface. Would also be great for tracking ideas on the road, though there are other small interfaces that might work better.
@@Podcastage yeah a DI box or a MultiFX with a built in XLR out would probably make this unit more viable for portable, on the road demoing on a tour bus or in a hotel room.
Hello! Thank you for your review. Would you recommend this or the AG03 MK2 for work meetings/calls? I have a Volt 1 for when I want a raw sound for proper recording.
I'd be curious if this thing would fit into something in or completely replace a Fethead for something like a RE-20 or SM7b. It'd cut down the clutter on a desk, over using a traditional interface like the Focusrite. The noise issue does scare me off a bit.
I've got a couple of Shure's earlier take on this portable-interface design, the X2U. They are fantastic for mobile setups where you're going to be recording in the field, interviews, stuff like that, but the X2U has this same kind of noisier pre-amp and I wouldn't recommend it for studio/desk-based work. The big sell on these is the portability, but you'll spend more time in post-processing as the trade off. I think that for live-streaming, VoIP communications, or other live codec-compressed audio they are fine, since the noise isn't bad enough to affect audio quality much when run through those kinds of digital codecs. It's only an issue when you're trying to do mastering-type work.
Another great video, Bandrew. Thanks. I've seen this thing around and thought it was a great idea, too. Guess I'll hold off getting one until they address some of the drawbacks you mention. On another note, can you put the Synco D2 on your list of possible reviews so I can at least vote on it? Thanks.
Karl, thanks for the kind words and the suggestion. I opted not to review the Synco because their parent company was sending out cards to buyers of their gear that said "if you give a 5 star rating we'll give you a free mic". After I saw that, I decided I wouldn't cover them.
@@Podcastage Thanks for the reply, and that's fair enough. Nevertheless, some of your audience may be considering them for economic or other reasons. These people would still appreciate an unbiased review, especially if accompanied by a warning that online reviews can't be trusted since many may be paid for. I'd weight your review over any number of online reviews anyway, even if I knew they WEREN'T bought.
@@karllautman Yeah there were plenty of reviews of the mic so I didn't feel like I needed to deal with them or give them my money. They were reviews from people I trust as well, so I took a step back.
That's kind of cool, if you were wanting to contact a microphone company to see if they will loan you some Mike's to review, would you just write to their normal customer service line or is there a specific way to find their marketing people email or whatever you call it LOL?
I used to try to get contact through customer support or on social media. I gave up though because I had no luck making contacts when I was starting until I had like 50,000 or 100,000 subs. It seems they're all much more receptive to RUclipsrs now though and they see the value it offers. However the market seems to be softening and people are buying a lot less, so I'm guessing we may see the amount of loaned / comped gear being sent out may decrease.
I am considering upgrading microphones and buying the Shure SM7dB w/Built-in Preamp. But its saying its recommended to buy the MVX2U with it. I'm just curious if its needed?
Would running it directly through a fethead clean up some of that noise floor? The high-pass doesn't bother me for my uses. But that noise floor is a bit much for my dynamic mics and oh boy do I love a physical mute button.
@Podcastage Do you think it is possible for some other firm to have a similar offering, but with much better preamps, like the Sound Devices mix pre series, and 32-bit float ?
I don't know because I'm not that technical. I imagine it would be hard to accomplish that in such a small form factor that it fits on a mic like this. But maybe as technology gets smaller they'll be able to do it.
Thanks so much but unfortunately such level of inherit noise is not acceptable especially for dynamic mics, it’s a deal breaker for sure. Just wondering why modern interfaces still have unacceptable self noise? We are talking about the legendary Shure brand, not budget or low quality stuff.
hello, I just got this but im not using a Shure mic with it. I'm using a Polsen condenser mic. the led light on the mvx2u does not change colors when I plug it in, it just stays red even if the mic is NOT muted. does that feature only work with Shure mics?
any help is much appreciated. Would this work with the Aston Spirit mic to connect to PC? If not which USB audio interface under $200 would you recommend?
I’m just waiting for a RUclips shorts bit where you struggle to exit the room because the hallway is full of all the boxes you never collected post-throw.
One could argue that you would not buy this interface to run a SM7B, but a SM58 on the run, could be a fix rigth ? not the cheapest fix bit the smalest fix !
It's like we're moving backwards... Shure missed the mark by not continuing the MOTIV mobile app compatability. They also should have moved forward to an adjustable Noise Gate in their MOTIV line of products...
It may be some kind of power issue as far as why it's not compatible with mobile, but I'm not sure. I think for an office worker who wants this a noise gate/expander would have been great.
Depends on if you're someone who wants to switch mics out and you have the budget for it. For someone like me this would be better than a usb mic (assuming the rumble issue is resolved). But for someone who wants to spend only $100 or $150 once and they don't care about mics at all, then no this would not be better.
There are AC units nearby which I cannot control. That is why I also include the noise floor with the dummy load, so the environmental noise is not a factor.
🤣@@Podcastage What you mean dude? You are a guitarist first. Don't forget your roots. My theory with the 1 and 2 ins is always about who I can send it to so they can record and send me something back and how are they going to be able to utilize it. So like they can scratch some vocals with it, but can they also plug their instrument into it and get a decent signal? I still have tons of buds who struggle to use computers and digitally record without their hand being held so having a nice little device that can be easily mailed or handed off and used for a variety of inputs is ideal. Would like to hear if that thing produce a good signal or if trying to adapt it for instruments and lines is going to produce a ton of noise and make it unusable for anything but ideas.... Still love what you do!!
Yes. I AM a guitarist first, but this is a mic input which is why I didn't think to try it. I didn't consider getting a 1/4" to male XLR cable to connect a guitar to this. Also, this device doesn't have a HI-Z mode so there would be an impedance mismatch. If you want to hear how that impedance mismatch impacts sound here's a sample of that on the Hewitt connect 6: ruclips.net/video/JtSTbinmx1I/видео.htmlsi=Ewxng_6Z7RPYvU-5&t=644
Shure were so close with this 😔The noisy preamps snuff out a lot of the benefits of using with an SM7B - except convenience, of course. Perhaps they could licence Rode's preamp designs...
I haven't tried any of those before, but it may be interesting. It's a completely different realm of gear that I have never looked into before, but perhaps when I get caught up on gear I'll give those a shot. Thanks for the suggestion.
@@Podcastage no problem I got one because I drive a lot and I also streamed as a vtuber for a long time so when I was in discord I had people asking if I had come home off the road because it was so clear and I use a zdm1 with a mvi at home so I would love to see real testing from someone who side by side comparing equipment
I'm planning to use this MVX2U in the field for the tiny size and ability to convert from XLR to unbalanced line with phantom power from a USB-C power source. If I use just the headphone port for audio, it does not go through digital signal processing right? The DSP is just for USB-C to computer analog-to-digital conversion correct? So the XLR signal to headphone monitor port would preserve the original untouched signal? Or modified with any artifacts?
Headphone port includes the processing.It is not a direct analog pass through from the mic to the headphones because it does capture the processing if it's engaged so it's running through some computer chip in the signal path to add that in.
When using a dynamic, you open up the Shure Motiv app on your Mac and shut off phantom power. That is where you need to make the changes to your audio interface.
The improvement would be similar to the demo here (maybe not as large, but similar): ruclips.net/video/UPbib1ufssE/видео.html I'm waiting for an MVX2u firmware update to resolve the noise issue before I do more demos on it.
The firmware I was using was up-to-date as of recording. I checked again last week and the issue persisted even with a Motiv App update (but no new firmware). I have been talking to Shure customer support and they informed me they have been able to replicate the issue and are working on a firmware update. I have not been notified of a firmware update being released yet.
Thanks for the response you are the best. You are doing very good review and your opinion is very important. Thanks . And please continue with the review. Your are a Hero. I hope that Shure find s solution , theirs product are very good Thanks again
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You are a legend sir. I did NOT hear that added self noise until you pointed it out AND I switched headphones. Now I can not unhear it... Hopefully they fix this QUICK, cause I am a fan of the device for my own personal uses.
It's still not even that bad imo at all. Yeah it's not going to be good enough for actual pro voice over but for discord or doing in the field recordings where background noise is more of a concern it's probably more or less fine.
I always use some type of noise reduction in all my work so I never heard the noise. I think it is a non-issue if you use any kind of noise reduction. I wouldn't recommend anything like this for pro voice over work. Even then, it would do in a pinch for that. For remote podcasts and such, no problem in my experience.
It's really close to being a personal use for me because I want to be that guy who walks into my office with an SM58 and talks into that when I'm on conference calls. If they can fix the issue, I'm doing it!
@@Podcastage have they fixed this issue yet? really want to pull the plug but.... idk
@@davonblain I'm wondering the same thing! We need a follow up!
Everyone endorses Julian Krause xD
as everyone should : )
I like and trust Julian but I just can't watch him consistently
Of course everyone does, he's outstanding!
It is very small and doesn't seem to suck... but that noise floor is pretty high and probably won't be fixed with firmware, but that odd lowend glitch could probably solved.
I don't see people using an SM7b with these however, probably much more likely that it'd be on a louder dynamic mic or a condenser, which probably means that noise wouldn't be as much of an issue. I would have liked to see what the noise floor looked like in that scenario, and what it'd look like with a fet booster or cloud lifter inbetween.
I do, however, really, reallllly love that the settings live *on* the device. That's absolutely the right direction for most people who'd buy this who 'just want to plug XLR into computer' which, given how many videos/google hits/Quora questions there are to that effect, it seems like a good fit for those people... and everyone else should just buy a scarlet.
I think that's exactly who would love this: people who travel a lot and need a super light setup. Handheld condenser or louder handheld dynamic, this thing, earbuds and then you're rocking and a rolling. Or those who just want to plug it in and get it going without a bunch of audio plugins and daws getting in the way. Open shares software, set it up once, and you're good to go for your ocnference calls.
Wow, what a cool device! I love it's size. I could see it being really useful for an on the go setup. I hope their next firmware upgrade turns this thing around. Its kinda exciting to see something like this exist.
Agreed - I want it to go in my work bag so I can use this with a 58 in my conference calls.
You have the best video reviews. Straight to the point, no time wasting, direct and very useful. Thank you !
I love how your throws are getting more and more ragey.
I feel ya brother...I feel ya
I spent a few hours filming, editing, and then reshooting. Then troubleshooting the issues, so I was pretty rage filled for the box throw.
@@Podcastage oh damn.
It's always those videos that make you question your life choices...lol
Thanks for your thorough reviews and especially for testing if the settings live on the device! I plan to use this as a clutter free configuration for my remote work setup and have been watching all your videos for that reason. I imagine more folks require remote work setups than podcasting ones. I think it’s relevant because much of the settings are overridden by post processing in MS Teams or Workplace or other software.
Thanks so much for watching and for the kind words. I'm really glad the videos have helped determining the right gear for you.
I have recently tested about a dozen XLR to USB adapters and my favorites were the Shure X2u and the BLUE Icicle. One of the big problems I had with the X2u was it's size and weight - it is a chunky fellow. It also colored the sound a bit, but that is subjective. Well made, but too hefty. Right when I was testing it, I heard the MVX2u was soon to be released. Looks like they have made some great progress in the right direction! From a build and software perspective, I really have not seen anything that compares to the Shure adapters. Once BLUE was bought out, they quit making the Icicle which is a shame, but frankly, the build quality on the Icicle left much room for improvement. Shure has made some encouraging progress here - there is a market for these devices.
Yeah they have a really great device here that I hope they continue to develop.
I do like their software, it works pretty good on the mv7. But now I am on the volt 176 and like that even more. I do want to get a fethead though, as it could use a little more power to properly drive the compressor.
The volt series is pretty nice. You're set for years!
Great review as always! I think the MVX2U is very impressive for such a small 'in-line' interface that is just a few steps shy of being really great. As you mentioned, a mute switch or toggle would have been much appreciated on it. It seems like something intended for a "Shure Starter Package" bundled with the SM58 and relevant cables to get folks set up with a dynamic XLR mic since the software also seems geared towards simple button click UI. However, I would have a hard time pitching this over the similarly priced Elgato Wave XLR which also takes up minimal desk real estate, has gain for days, the anti-clipping feature to deal with overexcitement, and in my experiece has been dynamite.
I think you're right. Shure start pack, or travel packs.
Can you please do a review of the MVX2U with the SM7db? I have a feeling the signal will be less noisy?@.
Thank you for this review and your work. I think you're amazing, please keep it up.
That really means a lot. Thank you so much for the kind words.
I like the channel strip choices. They guarantee you will spend no more than 30 seconds messing with them. Good show, Shure!
Yeah. Set it and forget it.
I do want a noise gate/expander, which is important to me, but I already have that in my rackmounted equipment. But hey, it's cool that I can make use of this while traveling.
Yeah for studio use stick with what you have and then if you NEED an ultra portable device, this may fit that bill.
That is very small. It's cool that someone is doing something a little different. You call it the MV2XU several times, also in the lower third during the 18i20 comparison.
Yes, I did call it the MV2XU and may have mislabeled it.
Thank you always for your great reviews. Did you tried the MicPort Pro 3 CEntrance Mobile recording interface?
This is exactly what I was looking for. For as little as possible -- as per switches and/or pots -- to break and will be prefect for my Shure beta 58A or AKG C7 :-) A review of the AKG C7 as my alternative to the Neumann KMS 105 would be appreciated, to compare notes :-)
has Shure updated the firmware to make this better yet?
Would be nice to see Line Audio SDC microphones test - they measure extremely flat and compare well to famous ones like Neumann and Schoeps. They got cardioid and omni pattern ones, all cost around 200$
Thanks very much for the suggestion. I don't currently have one and don't have one on order, so it's not going to happen any time soon, but I"m always looking for new and interesting mics to cover. Thanks.
Looks like you have some major attitudes with product packaging. Great video.
Absoltely I do. It started with stickers, expanded to boxes, next it's going to be with products.
@@Podcastage LOL!!! Can't wait to see that!!! JUST THROW IT!!!
can anyone let me know what audio meter was used to view the microphone levels next to the interface? looks like a very handy tool I'd like to use
epic finale monsieur...sending love and peace to everyone...
Thank you kindly Michael. Same to you good sir.
Looking forward to their (and other companies) improvements upon this type of interface.
Me too! I want this to be amazing because it's a product I want.
@@Podcastage Yes indeed.
Very very useful piece of equipment.
Nice Sound card ! Plug into computer listen through the 3.5mm headset port ! Better than most computer audio systems !
If that's what you want then it definitely does that.
Danke!🎤🎧
Thank you so much Rainer, it really means the world to me.
You're thin now!!! great review as always... and wouldn't have thought this will support phantom power too
It's got a lot going for it. I hope they can resolve the few issues I had because I love the concept so much.
While I'm sticking with my iRig Pre+Zoom H1n combo for on-the-go, it's surprising how bad this isn't. It's surprisingly good for such a small device. That mute function seems pretty useless, unless there's some way to set a hotkey for it (I would assume you do hear it on monitoring, though)
Once they resolve that issue with the low frequencies, then it'll be awesome.
Mic preamps has specification called Equivalent Input Noise. Fethead has EIN = -129dbu, which is good (-131 is a theoretical limit). If manufacturer doesn't add this spec to the specsheet it's always suspicious. That means that spec is not really impressive.
I wonder is there a diference in signal to noise ratio on different gain settings with this interface?
Hi, this device could be the best sound card for single microphone if they fix the issues reported on this video plus if they add support to smartphone app Motive because like this is not really portable. Moreover a better self-noise is necessary and a capacitive mute button too. After that it will be wonderful. I think that a Fethead could fix the self-noise and it shoud be anyway a solution to continue some type of portability feature. 🤔
Yes it's extremely portable and it would be great if it was powered from a smartphone. There may be some kind of limitation with power there, but it's weird the MVI can run off a smartphone.
Damn. I need a product that does exactly what this is *supposed* to do. I'm sad that it has the missing bits and meh follow through. Bummer. If you see other small interface options I'd love to see them. Thanks for this review!
Hopefully they can resolve the issues here and roll out a firmware update. I'll be looking for one.
I would love to hear this test with more mics, especially the handling noise and the noise floor differences. Also, how does this work with something like a cloudlifter or fethead?
Thanks for the suggestion.
The noise floor does seem a little bit high, but we're still talking below -100 dbfs. At that point, does it really matter?
If you're using a quiet microphone the noise floor will absolutely be audible especially if you end up compressing it, so I'd say it does kind of matter...only if you care about the noise floor though. A lot of people don't, and that makes sense and is fine. For them I'm sure they'd love the convenience of this.
@@Podcastage I do care. I'm anal about it in my VO work. I guess my small brain is just wondering at what level the noise floor can no longer be heard. I won't send out a completed VO track unless the noise floor is imperceptible, but I just do that by ear. Are there seriously people who don't care about noise floor? Or are they just people who don't have the ability or knowledge to get it down? Or were you just being sarcastic? My big brain at work again. There's nothing like a vocal that has no perceived noise. It's a beautiful thing.
No gate control?
Surprisingly capable for being so tiny though isn't it? I learned to do a sort of Quagmire with the original X2U doing a giggity head motion since you need to be really close with the gain not all the way up to avoid the noise but pull back any time you increase the volume of your voice. Really good for portability.
That's a funny trick, but you were working with what you had. This is much easier to set your gain with because you have digital sliders.
They should add a Mute shortcut, since there is no button...
Back red light is permanently on but mic is not muted
Yeah, but what about the E100S? You didn't mention that. Thanks. -Mike Delgaudio, voice of God
No I didn't use the E100s and didn't mention the E100s. Sorry to let you down.
1:41 "...driving my Sennheiser HD 650s" while vigorously tapping his Røde NTH-100. Looks like something I could do, too :-)
Yes I wear my NTH100's while filming.
doobaleedoo'd!
Not for nothing, but the highpass filter is usually a good idea to keep on when doing just spoken word kind of stuff to help mitigate rumble and noise that is well below most peoples spoken vocal range. That being said... the unit is still messed up lol. That noise print you;re getting from moving it is weird to say the least. Would be interesting to see if you pumped something with really low subs through it if that noise would present itself, or is the noise a result of the physical jarring of the unit. Great review.
That's something I tested while doing my due diligence trying to identify the cause. Warning around 00:45 is when I use the sine wave generator from 20-70Hz so subwoofer beware:
ruclips.net/video/-xx1nrkT4VY/видео.htmlsi=kDZ71zOXbCo8WknF
There is an audible and visual (with isotope) noise floor when the tone generator is below a certain frequency.
@@Podcastage woof! Pun intended. Im hearing not niceness thru my ear buds. Im gonna listen again on my studio monitors later but im hearing some motor boat action rn. Thats a heckuvan oversight.
Hey could you include the metric system in your mic reeviews?
Not enough freedom in metric.
its better than having to guess how much half of a quarter inch is @@bassyey
half of a quarter of an inch would be 1/8". It's the standard headphone jack. 1/8" 3.5mm jack. Same thing.
Obviously, this machine is not made for studio use but rather for portable situations, so some consideration should be made for it's use...The iRig Pro by IK Multimedia is a very nice small interface that works well with all portable computer systems albeit a bit more expensive...
Yes it is designed to be portable. However, in my opinion portable or not, it shouldn't have the issue with low frequency sounds causing an increase in the noise floor.
@@Podcastage It's really a POS and nobody really needs it, so...
This might work great for guitar DI, in all irony. If someone has a dedicated portable tracking rig, some of these software effects would work wonders on DI signal shaping, for people running preamps or multi-FX units with cabinet IR's already on them, or for peope using software amp sims or recording DI's for later reamping through another interface. Would also be great for tracking ideas on the road, though there are other small interfaces that might work better.
Interesting suggestion. Hadn't considered outputting from a MultifX through this.
@@Podcastage yeah a DI box or a MultiFX with a built in XLR out would probably make this unit more viable for portable, on the road demoing on a tour bus or in a hotel room.
Hello! Thank you for your review. Would you recommend this or the AG03 MK2 for work meetings/calls? I have a Volt 1 for when I want a raw sound for proper recording.
I'd be curious if this thing would fit into something in or completely replace a Fethead for something like a RE-20 or SM7b. It'd cut down the clutter on a desk, over using a traditional interface like the Focusrite. The noise issue does scare me off a bit.
I've got a couple of Shure's earlier take on this portable-interface design, the X2U. They are fantastic for mobile setups where you're going to be recording in the field, interviews, stuff like that, but the X2U has this same kind of noisier pre-amp and I wouldn't recommend it for studio/desk-based work. The big sell on these is the portability, but you'll spend more time in post-processing as the trade off.
I think that for live-streaming, VoIP communications, or other live codec-compressed audio they are fine, since the noise isn't bad enough to affect audio quality much when run through those kinds of digital codecs. It's only an issue when you're trying to do mastering-type work.
@@blackraen Thank you. No sense to fix what isn't broken
I think Black Rain hit the nail right on the head in his response to you. I can't add anything more.
hey um podcastage you have to check out the tonor t90 RGB Boom Arm it looks really cool
PLease god no. Not an RGB boom arm. haha.
5:42 clearly missing a "wherever you are" setting.
Yeah. I think they're just trying to make things as simple as possible.
For a moment I thought this is an updated USB C version of the MV7 from the title, I got excited as a die hard micro USB hater.
Maybe one day we'll get USBC MV7 some day!
Another great video as always.
Thanks so much for watching.
Another great video, Bandrew. Thanks. I've seen this thing around and thought it was a great idea, too. Guess I'll hold off getting one until they address some of the drawbacks you mention. On another note, can you put the Synco D2 on your list of possible reviews so I can at least vote on it? Thanks.
Karl, thanks for the kind words and the suggestion. I opted not to review the Synco because their parent company was sending out cards to buyers of their gear that said "if you give a 5 star rating we'll give you a free mic". After I saw that, I decided I wouldn't cover them.
@@Podcastage Thanks for the reply, and that's fair enough. Nevertheless, some of your audience may be considering them for economic or other reasons. These people would still appreciate an unbiased review, especially if accompanied by a warning that online reviews can't be trusted since many may be paid for. I'd weight your review over any number of online reviews anyway, even if I knew they WEREN'T bought.
@@karllautman Yeah there were plenty of reviews of the mic so I didn't feel like I needed to deal with them or give them my money. They were reviews from people I trust as well, so I took a step back.
Yaaaaay, box incoming! (BONK) 😊😊😊
Bonk!
That's kind of cool, if you were wanting to contact a microphone company to see if they will loan you some Mike's to review, would you just write to their normal customer service line or is there a specific way to find their marketing people email or whatever you call it LOL?
I used to try to get contact through customer support or on social media. I gave up though because I had no luck making contacts when I was starting until I had like 50,000 or 100,000 subs. It seems they're all much more receptive to RUclipsrs now though and they see the value it offers. However the market seems to be softening and people are buying a lot less, so I'm guessing we may see the amount of loaned / comped gear being sent out may decrease.
@@Podcastage hey, thanks for the reply
I am considering upgrading microphones and buying the Shure SM7dB w/Built-in Preamp. But its saying its recommended to buy the MVX2U with it. I'm just curious if its needed?
Would running it directly through a fethead clean up some of that noise floor?
The high-pass doesn't bother me for my uses. But that noise floor is a bit much for my dynamic mics and oh boy do I love a physical mute button.
You would get a lower noise floor with the FetHead.
@Podcastage Do you think it is possible for some other firm to have a similar offering, but with much better preamps, like the Sound Devices mix pre series, and 32-bit float ?
I don't know because I'm not that technical. I imagine it would be hard to accomplish that in such a small form factor that it fits on a mic like this. But maybe as technology gets smaller they'll be able to do it.
Thanks so much but unfortunately such level of inherit noise is not acceptable especially for dynamic mics, it’s a deal breaker for sure. Just wondering why modern interfaces still have unacceptable self noise? We are talking about the legendary Shure brand, not budget or low quality stuff.
My guess is because they had to miniaturize everything to fit in this, they had to cut corners in some of the specs areas. That would be my guess.
Excuse me, what kind of microphone meter do you use in the video?
That's the meter from Audio Hijack which is the software I use to capture audio.
What is the audio meter that you use to the right of the Motiv window?
That's the meter from AudioHijack which is what I use to capture my audio.
@@Podcastage thanks!
Great review
thanks for the review~
You're welcome, thank you very much for the kind words.
what loudness meter is that you are having on all the time! its useful:) e.g. at 5:29
That's the meter from Audio Hijack.
@@Podcastage thx👍👍💪
Has shure been able to solve the noise floor issues with a firmware update yet?
hello, I just got this but im not using a Shure mic with it. I'm using a Polsen condenser mic. the led light on the mvx2u does not change colors when I plug it in, it just stays red even if the mic is NOT muted. does that feature only work with Shure mics?
any help is much appreciated. Would this work with the Aston Spirit mic to connect to PC? If not which USB audio interface under $200 would you recommend?
Wow! I’d be curious using it with a dynamite or cloudlifter!!
It should improve the noise floor but with the fethead/dynamite may be putting a bit too much torque on a mic that has it hanging off the XLR port.
I’m just waiting for a RUclips shorts bit where you struggle to exit the room because the hallway is full of all the boxes you never collected post-throw.
I know it's blasphemy, but I just recycle most of the boxes.
How do you get rid of the horrible buzzing noise? When I record I get this buzzing noise,
Could you test this with the earthworks ethos? Thank you sir!
It works perfectly fine with the ethos. Check podcastage2 in the next month or so there may be a video with a demo.
Better known as the German Superman Mr JK
That is very accurate.
Exxcellent and comprehensive guide and evaluation. Thanks, so much, it’s very helpful. Tom G in Palm Beach
One could argue that you would not buy this interface to run a SM7B, but a SM58 on the run, could be a fix rigth ? not the cheapest fix bit the smalest fix !
Yeah. That's what I want to use this for. An SM58 for my conference calls when I go into my office.
It's like we're moving backwards... Shure missed the mark by not continuing the MOTIV mobile app compatability. They also should have moved forward to an adjustable Noise Gate in their MOTIV line of products...
It may be some kind of power issue as far as why it's not compatible with mobile, but I'm not sure. I think for an office worker who wants this a noise gate/expander would have been great.
what is the best xls to usb interface
Bandrew, All things being said isn't this better than a USB mic? At least you can change microphones at whim for a different sound. Your thoughts?
Depends on if you're someone who wants to switch mics out and you have the budget for it. For someone like me this would be better than a usb mic (assuming the rumble issue is resolved). But for someone who wants to spend only $100 or $150 once and they don't care about mics at all, then no this would not be better.
i have scarlett 2i2 paired with mv7x would this interface be better for me? pls lmk :(
When I realized this interface can fit in my pocket 😮
Yeah. It's amazing the technology that allows them to make such a small device.
I'm a guess there was some A/C low frequency in that ambient noise floor...
There are AC units nearby which I cannot control. That is why I also include the noise floor with the dummy load, so the environmental noise is not a factor.
Is there a reason you didn't also test it using a 1/4" to XLR adapter and running an instrument or line in?
Because I didn't think about doing that.
🤣@@Podcastage What you mean dude? You are a guitarist first. Don't forget your roots.
My theory with the 1 and 2 ins is always about who I can send it to so they can record and send me something back and how are they going to be able to utilize it. So like they can scratch some vocals with it, but can they also plug their instrument into it and get a decent signal? I still have tons of buds who struggle to use computers and digitally record without their hand being held so having a nice little device that can be easily mailed or handed off and used for a variety of inputs is ideal. Would like to hear if that thing produce a good signal or if trying to adapt it for instruments and lines is going to produce a ton of noise and make it unusable for anything but ideas....
Still love what you do!!
Yes. I AM a guitarist first, but this is a mic input which is why I didn't think to try it. I didn't consider getting a 1/4" to male XLR cable to connect a guitar to this. Also, this device doesn't have a HI-Z mode so there would be an impedance mismatch. If you want to hear how that impedance mismatch impacts sound here's a sample of that on the Hewitt connect 6: ruclips.net/video/JtSTbinmx1I/видео.htmlsi=Ewxng_6Z7RPYvU-5&t=644
@@Podcastage yeah I get it. But in reality it's just an audio interface. We don't always have to color in the lines. But I get it man. No worries.
Shure were so close with this 😔The noisy preamps snuff out a lot of the benefits of using with an SM7B - except convenience, of course. Perhaps they could licence Rode's preamp designs...
Hopefully they can resolve one of the noise issues. Then I'm going to be using it at my office.
Hey bud would u be down to test the blue perrot trucking headsets as a Bluetooth option compared to lav mics for mobile streaming
I haven't tried any of those before, but it may be interesting. It's a completely different realm of gear that I have never looked into before, but perhaps when I get caught up on gear I'll give those a shot. Thanks for the suggestion.
@@Podcastage no problem I got one because I drive a lot and I also streamed as a vtuber for a long time so when I was in discord I had people asking if I had come home off the road because it was so clear and I use a zdm1 with a mvi at home so I would love to see real testing from someone who side by side comparing equipment
I'm planning to use this MVX2U in the field for the tiny size and ability to convert from XLR to unbalanced line with phantom power from a USB-C power source. If I use just the headphone port for audio, it does not go through digital signal processing right? The DSP is just for USB-C to computer analog-to-digital conversion correct? So the XLR signal to headphone monitor port would preserve the original untouched signal? Or modified with any artifacts?
Headphone port includes the processing.It is not a direct analog pass through from the mic to the headphones because it does capture the processing if it's engaged so it's running through some computer chip in the signal path to add that in.
But one should turn on the 48v phantom power if they got fethead right?
can i record in Smarthphone? that will be nice
You should review a the t.bone mic sometime i use the t.bone mb85beta which is a pretty decent mic!
I don't have any of the T.bone gear but thank you very much for the recommendation. Perhaps one day I'll be able to.
Alr they may be cheap but mine could compare to the sm7b @@Podcastage
can u use this wewith iphone and bandlab or other audio daws or tik tok?
Is the phantom power toggle also persisted between connections to different devices?
Just verified, yes it is.
The idea is great but they need to improve it. For the price you can have much better interface. The form factor is it's biggest strength.
The form factor is so incredibly appealing on this thing.
WOW, no stickers this time~
I know! NO STICKERS!!!!
Has Shure fixed the noise floor problems with a firmware update? I saw there's a new firmware as of May 14, 2024.
I did a few short tests, and it appears they did resolve it but I haven’t verified if it applies any kind of high pass filter (low cut).
@@Podcastage Thanks for the update!
when a dynamic mic (shure sm58)is used, how do you turn off phantom power in garageband on a macbook please?
When using a dynamic, you open up the Shure Motiv app on your Mac and shut off phantom power. That is where you need to make the changes to your audio interface.
@@Podcastage Thank you very much!
throw the box, throw the.... oooo nice one!
Box go bye bye.
It is definitely a cool gizmo. But $130??? Geez! For considerably less you can get a Presonus or an Alturia or a Focusrite.
Yeah it's a lot compared to full-sized interfaces. For all that tech in something so small it kind of makes sense.
Would you still have preamp noise if you use SM7db?
The improvement would be similar to the demo here (maybe not as large, but similar): ruclips.net/video/UPbib1ufssE/видео.html
I'm waiting for an MVX2u firmware update to resolve the noise issue before I do more demos on it.
Could you use this with an Sm7b to an iPhone?
My understanding is that this does not work with phones. I tried it on my iPhone X and it did not work.
I'm not sure if it's just me and my ears, but I can hear sibilance with this interface and with the SM7B, which is weird.
That is a bit strange.
wondering how works with a dynamite or fethead inline.
That would probably be putting a bit too much weight or torque on the XLR port. May not be ideal.
Can we even set the mic gain without the app?
That's a great question. Yes you can, your system mic level should still adjust the mic gain.
It is an interesting product but clearly not quite there yet.
Pre-amp noise at £135 is a big no.
Portability is likely the biggest selling point here.
Ordered it two hours ago as you'd not reviewed it then. Whoops.
If you ended up getting it anyway, what did you think?
Greetings. What about the august firmware update. It did not solve the issue?
The firmware I was using was up-to-date as of recording. I checked again last week and the issue persisted even with a Motiv App update (but no new firmware). I have been talking to Shure customer support and they informed me they have been able to replicate the issue and are working on a firmware update. I have not been notified of a firmware update being released yet.
Thanks for the response you are the best. You are doing very good review and your opinion is very important. Thanks . And please continue with the review. Your are a Hero. I hope that Shure find s solution , theirs product are very good
Thanks again
I'll stick with revelator io44 but impressive for its size.
No need to upgrade if what you have works just fine.