Shure MV6 Gen 2 Microphone Review – Great Audio, No RGB Required

Shure MV6 Gen 2 Microphone Review

Once upon a time, a streamer or podcaster could get away with a junky mic or maybe the wrong mic for the job. That’s definitely no longer true. If you sound bad or unprofessional, you can kiss listeners goodbye. People know what good sound is and expect it. That’s where the Shure MV6 Gen 2 mic comes in. It’s a mic made for podcasters, streamers and musicians who want a great sound right out of the box at a very reasonable price. It’s extremely versatile and beats the hell out of any cheapie mic.

Full disclosure. I’m not a streamer. I’m old and have a face made for radio. I have, however, recorded thousands of hours of audio content: podcasts, voiceovers, and music. So I know good sound, how hard it can be to achieve it, and that it always starts with the mic.

Out of the Box

The Shure MV6 Gen 2 is a dynamic USB-C mic. It’s digital-only, meaning no analog XLR connection. This limits the mic in some recording situations, although there are many USB-XLR adapters. On the other hand, the mic is perfect for use with phones, tablets, and laptops. Aside from the mic and color-matched windscreen, the mic ships with a 2-meter cable and a very stable, weighted desk stand. The pivoting mic clip is built in to the body of the mic. The mic comes in two colors: black and white. Along with the longer cable and access to the Motiv Mix suite of adjustments, the white color option is the main reason for the Gen 2 designation.

The aesthetics of the MV6 Gen 2 are minimalist, which I personally am more than happy with. It’s a simple design with no RGB and a single mute/unmute button recessed into the top. There’s a USB-C connection and 3.5 mm headphone pass-through connection on the end of the mic. I know that some folks love programmable RGB lights on all their devices, but I don’t miss it. I think a lot of gear looks more professional without the constant light show. My only complaint is that the cable, though plenty long, doesn’t feel especially premium.

Where the Audio Rubber Meets the Road

The Shure MV6 Gen 2 is a great sounding mic even without using its associated app, thanks to its built-in signal processing and noise cancellation. It has a frequency response of 50Hz to 15,000Hz, geared towards placing those mid-to-high frequencies front and center in a mix or streaming application. The default noise cancellation is pretty reliable under most conditions. You know, as long as your dog isn’t sitting at your feet barking its fool head off while you’re trying to record.

Where the mic comes into its own is through the Motiv Mix mobile app, which includes a number of ways to shape the mic’s basic parameters and sound. The app includes sliders or presets for tone, including a 5-band EQ, preconfigured for speaking, singing or an instrument. You can toggle the pop-stopper on or off and play with the denoiser speed and sensitivity. The app remembers whatever settings were adjusted when you need to close it out.

The Motiv Mix desktop software is an easy-to-use mixer, allowing users to apply the app’s settings to up to five input devices. This is great for podcasters and streamers needing to create a mix between several mics or audio sources, or for a musician needing to record, let’s say, voice and guitar. You can even add reverb and compression. Of course, this doesn’t take the place of a full-featured DAW or mixer, but it’s totally adequate for the basics.

Great All-Arounder

I’ve reviewed a lot of gear that tries to hit the sweet spot between entry-level basic functionality (and price) and wallet-busting high-end performance. Most don’t succeed. I think the Shure MV6 Gen 2 has got this figured out. At $169 US, the mic is not super inexpensive, but its basic, clear, well-balanced sound and added functionality via the app will serve a lot of users for a long time without needing an upgrade. If you can live without built-in XLR or RGB eye candy, the Shure MV6 Gen 2 is a great choice for streamers and podcasters looking to up their audio game.

***Shure MV6 Gen 2 provided for review***