Getting started is as simple as plug and play, but you’ll need software to delve into any setup. I’m not a big fan of Motiv mixing software Recommended in the box. Before I could download it, Shure asked me for my full name, city and state, zip code, and email address to receive software-related updates, which seemed unnecessary.
The software gives you the option to switch to manual gain, adjust a tone slider from Dark to Bright, with Natural in the middle, and turn noise remover and burst reducer on or off, as well as adjust a high-pass filter for background noise. There are also settings for monitor and mute if you choose to record with Motiv Mix. There’s nothing groundbreaking here, but there doesn’t seem to be any way to access these settings any other way. I wish there were only knobs on the microphone.
Can you hear me?
As far as I can tell, the settings you change will remain even if the software is not open, so feel free to make adjustments, then close it and go back to what you were doing. I ran some comparison tests with the different settings while recording myself, and after listening to them, overall I felt like the default settings worked pretty well. There’s nothing here that I consider out of the ordinary or ridiculous in any way. The burst reducer works well enough that I don’t need a pop filter for my Ps. I didn’t notice a particularly strong change when turning off the noise canceller, although the rear microphone rejection, which helps keep keyboard noise away, probably helps.
The auto level peaked me a bit if I suddenly yelled after whispering, but it adjusted quickly enough and picked me up just as quickly when I spoke quietly. It’s nice not to have to worry too much about levels, as there’s no interface for a quick check and the MV6 lacks any built-in controls or feedback.
People who listened to recordings or chatted with me on Discord noted that my voice sounded clear and crisp, a notable improvement over my usual gaming headset. I think you could easily use this mic for occasional broadcasts or podcasts and wouldn’t get any complaints. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything sound-wise if I use this instead of my Audio-Technique AT2035at least as far as regular speech quality is concerned. Professional audio engineers may feel otherwise, but if you don’t inspect waveforms or record audiobooks, you probably won’t.
Photography: Brad Bourque