Recording - December 2016 - 25

Shure MV88
$149; www.shure.com

Most stereo microphones for field use tend to be
crossed or spaced arrays for XY or faux-ORTF use, as
these setups are considered the most foolproof for the
user in the field. Shure's MV88 digital stereo condenser
mic for iOS is different-it's a Mid/Side (M/S) array,
with a forward-facing cardioid capsule and a side-facing
bidirectional (figure-8) capsule. A savvy user can work
with M/S recordings to adjust the width of the stereo
field after the fact (in the mix), and M/S recordings are
mono-compatible by nature (the Side signal cancels itself
out and leaves the Mid signal).
The downside to M/S recording is that the signals from
the two mic capsules aren't ready to listen to when
recorded raw; the engineer must use an M/S decoder,

either in hardware or a plug-in, or know the trick to decoding M/S
by hand. This isn't difficult, but it does require an extra step that
might confuse novice recordists. The MV88 removes that confusion,
thanks to a free companion iOS app called ShurePlus MOTIV that
lets the user set up and record stereo audio files with ease.
The MV88's capsule is marked with L and R for the two sides of the
figure-8 capsule, and swivels up to 90º for optimum placement. Its
base plugs directly into the Lightning port on any iOS device; because
it fits flush to the case, most iPhone covers will have to be removed
before it can be put to use. A small green LED indicates power-on.
Packaged in a rigid plastic case, the MV88 comes with a foam
windscreen and a short headphone extension cable. This cable does
two things: it lets any headphone be plugged in without bumping into
the mic base, and it defeats the built-in mic on headphones that have
one. Once the mic and your headphones are plugged in, just run
ShurePlus MOTIV and you're ready to record.
ShurePlus MOTIV is a very feature-rich recording app. You can easily
control all of the mic's settings plus various DSP effects to improve your
recordings, record while metering, store and share your recordings, and
do basic editing functions like trimming, adding fades, and splitting long
recordings into chunks. This is also where the magic of Mid/Side is demystified for MV88 users: with a simple swipe, you can control the width of the
Mid/Side signal from a relatively narrow 60º to a sweeping 135º. You
can also use the MV88 as a mono cardioid or figure-8 mic, or capture the
raw Mid and Side signals for later decoding if you prefer.
The app lets the user record audio through a built-in limiter, a compressor with very simple settings (On/Light/Heavy!), and a 5-band
graphic EQ, plus a rumble filter to control wind noise. You can swap
Left and Right if your application requires that you plug the mic into the
Lightning port backwards in order to point it in the right direction. Five
presets are available to get you started with a touch of a button-
Speech, Singing, Flat (no processing as you record), Acoustic Music,
and Full Band.

http://www.shure.com http://www.mil-media.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - December 2016