Shure MV88 microphone for iPhone review

shure mv88 review after one year

The Shure MV88 is a great microphone for your iPhone YouTube videos or vlogging videos. After getting great audio results with the Shure mv88 mic with my iPhone for most of my YouTube videos, I can recommend it easily.

I purchased a Shure MV88 microphone about a year ago and wanted to put it through it’s paces before writing this review.

I use Shure microphones in my recording studio, which is why it was a no brainer to try this out.

More YouTubers and vloggers are turning to their iPhones and iPads for filming YouTube videos. The Shure MV88 is the microphone of choice if you film with your iPhone or iPad and need great audio.

Sound quality will make or break your videos

The Shure MV88 iPhone microphone worked flawlessly for filming via my iPhone for YouTube vlogs, musicians, meetings or interviews on my YouTube channels.

Using the built-in iPhone microphone is ok for basic videos but for YouTube vlogs or pro videos, you want the best sound you can get.

The Shure MV88 microphone is a great tool for your iPhone whether you are recording music, vlogging, a small conference, or anything similar. The Shure MV88 is small enough to carry with you easily.

shure mv88 microphone for recording musicians or bands

The Shure MV88 microphone can rotate, allowing you to capture sound from any angle. The microphone also has audio patterns for directional microphone patterns such as directional, cardiod and others.

The Shure MV88 is a small, stereo, condenser microphone that attaches to iOS devices, including iPads, via a lightning connector that is designed for portable recording. The Shure MV88 records interviews, podcasts and music no problem.

The Shure MV88 iPhone microphone requires the free Shure MOTIV iOS app, downloadable from the app store, which allows control of gain, EQ, and stereo width and others.

The Shure MV88 app also includes5 DPS presets to configure the mic for various recording sessions. Lots of cool options for any audio recording session.

Shure was founded in 1925 as a radio parts wholesaler and has become a global leader in audio electronics; especially in designing mics for music.

The MOTIV application allows you to configure the microphone, starting with setting the Gain (recording level) of the mic. Setting the Stereo width allows you to “focus” the mic into a specific area.

For example, narrowing the focus allows you to minimize echoes, while expanding the width improves the pickup of room reverberation (think trumpets in a cathedral).

shure mv88 iphone microphone review with motiv app

The five icons near the top are the five DSP presets, allowing you to configure the mic for speech, singing, flat (meaning all EQ, limiter and compressor settings are turned off), acoustic music or loud music.

The MV88 software includes a built-in limiter and compressor, along with wind reduction (a low-cut filter) and the ability to swap the left and right channels to match what’s happening on-screen.


The sound from this Shure microphone is very pronounced, full and crisp, as with all professional microphones by Shure.

I love this iPhone microphone by Shure. It’s another home run in microphone quality, providing rich, powerful, crisp audio. I highly recommend it.

MV88 Specs for tech dorks:

  • Provides superior audio quality and clarity
  • Apple MFi certified compatible with all iOS devices equipped with a Lightning , Made for iPhone 5 and later, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad Air, iPad mini 2, iPad (4th generation), iPad mini, iPod touch (5th generation).
  • Matched cardioid and bi-directional 1 cm cartridges for best-in-class audio. Item dimensions is 2.64 high × 0.98 wide × 1.38 deep in inches
  • Mid-side architecture for a phase-perfect, clear stereo image,Frequency Response: 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz
  • 5 DSP preset modes (Speech, Singing, Flat, Acoustic Instrument, Loud). Automatically adjusts EQ, compression and limiting for optimal results.
  • The Windscreen is an included accessory that comes on the microphone.

I hope this Shure MV88 review has helped you. If you have any questions, let me know!

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