MV51

Great looks, feel and Company history. Sadly it doesn’t work. I purchased this mike to be a convenient vocal/acoustic guitar mic for using GarageBand on my iPad. Although my particular iPad was compatible and up-to-date in software it never managed to power up the microphone. I then tried it on my iPhone 6 and then my iPhone 5 neither of which worked.I then contacted Shure Who couldn’t help or understand. I then contacted Apple who couldn’t help or understand although this product is certified by Apple. I then went into the Apple Store who couldn’t help. I couldn’t find or buy a replacement connector which in this case is a micro USB to lightning connector. Finally I was forced to return it. Very sad, I’ve been in the music business for over 50 years and have used sure microphones all the that time. In the past they have been incredibly reliable, but sadly MV51 doesn’t and it would seem there is no one knowledgeable enough in the product to help you.

This product just like my other shure Microphones the SM57 and SM58 is built to last. It’s refreshing to find products built today that are made to this level of build quality and functionality. You really don’t need the manual with this mic if you’re used to using large capsule condenser mics with a cardioid pattern. The headphone monitor is great, the USB port looks fairly solid, the stand is very tight and will not budge unless you want it to. Traditional XLR mics require pre-amps, phantom power etc and this can be such a pain when you’re travelling light. This microphone takes out all the haste of this and also if your cable is damaged, it’s just a standard USB which can be found anywhere, not a bespoke or specialist connector which you sometimes get with portable devices. The added iOS functionality is great and I tested it on an iPhone 6s Plus with the ShurePlus Motiv recording app which also allows you to change all the microphone settings remotely. It didn’t work first time but after I reset the app I was good to go.As for recording, it was easy to create an aggregate device in OSX High Sierra with this microphone and my Propellerhead Balance Audio interface and worked perfectly the first time I recorded into Reason 10. The built in compressor which can be manually controlled is actually really good in quiet environments and I may end up using it a lot even for music recordings. You have to place this mic about 30cm to 50cm from your source to get the most natural sound but the angle matters too which is where the stand is perfect.I can’t find a bad thing to say about this mic for the price. I’m selling my AKG 214 as a consequence of purchasing this mic and that was almost double the price when new.

An outstanding product. I make videos, sometimes I talk, sometimes I sing, having the different EQ settings is useful, and they are easy to adjust mid-video. The mic quality is superb, and it looks cool, which I know isn't important for sound equipment, but is nice nevertheless. I absolutely recommend it!

I love the simplicity of this mic and the retro look. I heard someone else use it on a webinar and loved the rich tone and sound, so invested in one myself. I run webinars, online courses, meetings and coaching calls and this product has greatly enhanced the audio quality. Highly recommend!

Easy to set up, easy to use and great sound quality. Heavy but effective