I've had a long career as a musician and music professor. That means, besides being old, I've had time to acquire many XLR microphones. Some are beloved stage workhorses, while others are solely for studio work. Each mic has special attributes and a unique character. I can use any of them on my computer by plugging into a big honkin' knob encrusted digital audio interface.
Shure MVX2U | Mounted on a Shure 849 condenser mic.
Shure MVX2U
Shure is a leading American manufacturer of microphones and related products. Indeed, it would be tough to find a stage, studio or church without a cabinet of Shure microphones. Some models have been produced for decades, e.g., SM57 and SM58, and remain standard issue for performers of every age and style.
While the Shure MVX2U XLR-to-USB Digital Interface is not a microphone, it is designed to snap into the XLR socket of any microphone. What does the MVX2U do? It's a device to capture analog audio from a microphone, convert that analog signal to 24-bit/48 kHz digital audio and send it to a computer for recording and processing.
Digital audio interfaces have been around for decades. What separates the MVX2U from the horde of boxy devices from ProTools, Rode, Scarlett, MOTU and the like? Size. The MVX2U is a tiny USB-C powered device, similar in size and appearance to an impedance adapter or FetHead. Yes, there are even smaller adapters, but the MVX2U has an XLR input and can dance with professional microphones.
Shure MVX2U | Image courtesy Shure
Who is the MVX2U For?
The MVX2U is primarily aimed at non-musicians stepping up to XLR microphones for streaming, OBS recording, network gaming, podcasting, voiceovers and YouTube productions. The main benefit of the MVX2U over box-like audio interfaces, e.g., MOTU Ultralite, is small size and simple operation. Extra inputs and outputs, physical controls and higher sampling rates of larger interfaces are MIA, but if you don't need all that, the MVX2U makes life a little easier.
While the MVX2U can certainly be used for music—audio quality is excellent—it is not ideal since musicians usually want to record at higher sampling rates and use a mix of mics and instrumental inputs. With that said, sometimes I need to travel light and leave bulky audio interface and cables at home. Toss a Shure MVX2U XLR-to-USB Digital Interface in a bag with a MacBook Pro and mic and, with a minute of setup, I can work on a voiceover in a hotel room or record a guitar demo.
Build and Features
Like most Shure mics, the all metal case of the MVX2U is built like a tank and won't be crushed underfoot if dropped on a classroom or studio floor.
The locking XLR jack, located on the front of the MVX2U, may be plugged directly into an XLR mic or placed in-line on a XLR cable. The rear of the MVX2U has a USB-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack and phantom power status LED.
Rear View | Image courtesy Shure
Unfortunately, there is no physical phantom power switch. Shure's software, ShurePlus MOTIV, must be used to toggle phantom power on and off. The headphone volume and monitor mix are also controlled in MOTIV.
RFI Resistance
That thick steel case provides great RFI shielding. Here in RFI infested downtown Honolulu, I encountered no static or rogue radio stations while using the MVX2U.
Software
Shure's software, ShurePlus MOTIV, is used to configure settings such as high pass filter, compression, phantom power, etc. The high pass filter only has two settings: 75 Hz and 150 Hz. I wish it was tunable or at least included a 60 Hz setting.
MOTIV sports "Intelligent DSP with Auto Level mode." In other words, it automatically adjusts mic gain. I leave that off and adjust gain manually.
ShurePlus MOTIV | The adjustment screen is a small panel.
Shure provides basic recording software—MOTIV Mix—for novices. Like MOTIV, settings such as compression, high pass filter, noise gate, phantom power, etc., may be adjusted. It's feature poor as a recording app and I won't be using it.
I noticed one interesting feature while making test recordings: 32-bit 48 kHz was the recording default. MVX2U hardware specs are listed as 16/24-Bit/48 kHz. Perhaps 32-bit 48 kHz was added during a firmware update? I noticed 32 bit was also available in my other recording programs when the MVX2U was connected.
If you need more than one mic, additional Shure MVX2U units are required (or other Shure USB mics like the MV7+). Unfortunately, it's challenging to use multiple USB mics: computer operating systems and most audio apps are designed to handle one USB audio source at a time. However, MOTIV MIX can record up to five individual Shure USB mics simultaneously. If you need that many mics, it would be wiser to invest in a traditional audio interface with four or more channels and XLR inputs.
Internal DSP
Settings made in ShurePlus MOTIV are retained in the memory of the MVX2U and processed with an internal DSP. Thus, if you plug into a PA system or stream live on a friend's computer, previous settings such as high pass, compression, phantom power, etc., remain active. If recording to a DAW, you may wish to disable ShurePlus MOTIV settings and add adjustments during post production.
Beyond settings and firmware updates, you don't have to touch Shure's software. Once selected as the audio input source, the MVX2U tracked perfectly in Logic Pro, Adobe Audition, TwistedWave, OBS, QuickTime and Final Cut Pro (and I suspect most DAW software). Worked fine in Zoom as well.
USB Gain
Inside the MVX2U is a Shure preamp, advertised to be low-noise and high-gain (up to 60 dB gain). Gain may be adjusted via controls in ShurePlus MOTIV and MOTIV Mix. The MVX2U had plenty of power for gain hungry mics like the Shure SM58 and also scales down for condenser mics with stronger output.
Connectivity
The MVX2U has XLR, USB-C and 3.5mm output ports. Thus, it can be used with computers, tablets, smartphones, mixers and audio recorders.
A short (1m) USB-C to USB-C cable is included.
Headphone Output
I jacked in my old Sennheiser HD 580 and it sounded okay for live monitoring but wasn't audiophile quality. It boasts zero-latency. I'll stick to dedicated headphone amps most of the time. Plus, it's not a good idea to have a headphone cable flapping against the mic and your face during voiceovers or Zoom sessions.
Compatibility
Shure says the MVX2U is compatible with Mac and Windows. It was plug and play on my iMac and MacBook Pro under Sonoma 14.5. No drivers needed and a restart wasn't required. It worked plugged into a USB-C hub or straight into my Macs. Select MVX2U in the recording app and/or system sound panel and it works. I've used it with Logic Pro, TwistedWave, OBS, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Audition.
Downtown Honolulu | Canon EOS M3 and EF-M 18-55 3.5-5.6 IS STM
The MVX2U manual makes no mention of compatibility with Android and iOS devices. Here is Shure's comment on this matter:
We do not recommend connecting an XLR microphone to an iPhone with the MVX2U, as users cannot access the full features of the MVX2U that are available via the ShurePlus MOTIV Desktop App.
It sounds like the MVX2U might work on mobile devices if you can power the USB bus (didn't try). Although there is no iOS or 'droid app you can program the DSP in the desktop app.
Sound Comparisons
Below are short audio samples of the MVX2U mounted on mics I've used for voiceovers. All were on a boom arm clamped to my desk, the room was partially treated, and I recorded into TwistedWave at 48 kHz and 24-bits. I staged gain to hit around -12 dB. No processing or normalization used. Mics were fitted with a foam pop filter unless otherwise noted.
Rode PodMic USB with Shure MVX2U
This is the sound of the Shure MVX2U plugged into the XLR port of the Rode PodMic USB. Nobody would do this in real life but the I was curious if there was a difference between Rode USB and Shure MVX2U USB output. The sound is smooth, balanced and natural and very similar in character to the built-in USB output of this mic. The preamp built into the Shure MVX2U has more gain available than the preamp in the Rode USB.
Rode PodMic USB with Rode USB
This PodMic USB sample was recorded through its built-in USB-C port. Gain was maxed out at 63 dB in Rode Central but is softer than Shure MVX2U USB output.
Rode PodMic USB with XLR Output
I plugged the XLR output into the Rode X Streamer and set gain to 63 dB. I kept the same 8 to 10 cm speaking distance. XLR and USB output are similar in character, but XLR output has slightly more treble bite than both MVX2U and Rode USB output. Another way to look at it USB output is a little sweeter or warmer than XLR output.
Rode X Streamer | Mounted on a Manfrotto arm for easy port access.
Shure Beta 57A with Shure MVX2U
This is the sound of the Shure Beta 57A plugged into the XLR input of the Rode X Streamer.
Isolation from background and handling noise and resistance to plosives are excellent—better than the Rode PodMic USB, Neumann TLM 102 and AKG C3000B. It ties the Shure 849 and SM137 in terms of background noise rejection, maybe even slightly better. It sounds great for spoken word, singing and miking guitar cabs! The sound is smooth and clear, needs little post processing and has more bass than the SM57 and SM58. It is small and unassuming on camera but what a studio workhorse. If I could own only one mic to do everything, this could be the one. The Beta 57A retails for $150 USD.
Shure Beta 57A with XLR Output
To record the Shure Beta 57A, I plugged it into the XLR input of the Rode X Streamer. XLR and MVX2U output sound as close to exactly the same as it gets. I'm speculating, but I suspect MVX2U output is voiced for Shure mics.
AKG C3000B with Shure MVX2U
The AKG C3000B, circa 2009, is a large diaphragm side-address condenser mic. It remains in production as the AKG C3000 and sells for $350 USD. The lower treble frequency bump makes it too bright for classical guitar. On the other hand, that bump makes it a decent mic for the spoken word, exhibiting good clarity albeit a little bright and boxy in character.
The C3000B was recorded with USB-C output from the Shure MVX2U. Gain was set at 46 dB in ShurePlus MOTIV.
AKG C3000B with XLR Output
The XLR output of the C3000B was recorded through the Rode X Streamer with gain set at 46 dB. C3000B XLR output sounds better than the MVX2U.
Shure 849 with Shure MVX2U
The MVX2U was plugged into the XLR port of the Shure 849 and recorded in TwistedWavek.
I bought a pair of Shure 849 condenser mics in the late 1990s to record classical guitar. This is an instrument mic—looks and sounds similar to the current SM137—with small diaphragm and minimal windscreen protection. It was too bright in the lower highs for classical guitar and is better suited for miking guitar amps and percussion.
The Shure 849 is a little known "sleeper" mic and was surprisingly flattering for my voice: smooth, warm, clear and very clean. With a foam windscreen or pop filter, it is extremely forgiving of plosives and small puffs of air. Because it was designed for isolating and miking stage instruments, off-axis rejection is excellent. Among the mics I tested, the 849, SM137 and the Beta 57A were the only mics that picked up no vibrations or hum from my hard drives and nearby AC units. These mics were designed for hand held use and, thus, have internal pneumatic shock mounts. These internal shock mounts seem to benefit use in any high vibration situation.
Shure 849 with XLR Output
For this recording, I plugged the Shure 849 into the XLR port of the Rode X Streamer interface and recorded in TwistedWave. Gain was set to 46 dB.
Neumann TLM 102with Shure MVX2U
The Neumann TLM 102 is a large diaphragm side-address condenser mic and a favorite mic for recording classical guitar and ukulele. Pointed at the bridge, it renders a beautifully sweet plucked string tone. For guitar, it needs little or no EQ.
While great sounding for voice, it is challenging to use: extremely sensitive to lip movements and tiny puffs of air! I borrowed a foam filter from the Deity VO-7U to help control plosives. It's also more sensitive than average to vibrations from the floor, computer fans and off-axis sounds! I used a clone of Neumann's shock mount to help nix vibrations. The TLM 102 is unusable without a shock mount.
The TLM 102 is at its best in an acoustically treated and soundproof room. Currently, it retails for $750 USD.
Neumann TLM 102 with XLR Output
I recorded the Neumann TLM 102 through the XLR input of the Rode X Streamer. Gain was set at 46 dB. Obviously the XLR and USB are similar in sound but, in this case, the TLM sounds slightly cleaner through the Shure MVX2U.
Voiceover
In the video below, I paired the MVX2U with a Shure 849 for the voiceover sections—most of the video. And the combo sounds great: smooth, warm and clear. I didn't want a mic in my face for the talking head sections, so I used a Synco wireless lav mic. It sounds weak and muffled. Next time, I'll use a full sized mic on a boom for talking head scenes.
Beat and Meter Basics | Professor Peter Kun Frary (7:16)
Thoughts
The MVX2U translated the character of each mic I tried faithfully. In some cases there were small differences between the sound of the MVX2U versus XLR. However, differences are to be expected since preamps and analog to digital converters vary.
I'm not a fan of adapters but the MXV2U feels like part of the mic. Operation is simple and transparent. During the many times I used it, there were no glitches of any sort.
Of course, there are many single XLR and twin XLR input digital audio interfaces for a similar price as the MVX2U, e.g., Audient EVO 4 USB Audio Interface, but with more features and flexibility. If simplicity and portability are your main criteria, none of them can touch the MVX2U.
I enjoyed working with the Shure MVX2U and recommend it for anybody looking for the easiest way to connect a single XLR mic to a computer for voiceovers, video, podcasting, streaming and Zoom use
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Shure MVX2U
Build and Features
RFI Resistance 
Connectivity
Headphone Output
Thoughts
Features & Specs
Physical
