10 Creative Ways To Use The MV7i

We’ve probably all bought something because we thought it was cool, only to later find out that it wasn’t very useful. Those products get forgotten pretty quickly. The ones that stick around are the ones that actually inspire your creativity, and allow you to realize your ideas faster.

The MV7i Smart Microphone & Interface is just such a product. Not only does this mic + interface combo allow you to get your ideas down faster and with less setup time, it also offers DSP processing to both the MV7i and whatever microphone or instrument you plug into it; something that can’t be achieved with other interfaces. Quick set up time, and DSP to minimize editing in post is a winning combination.

In addition, the MV7i allows you to experiment in ways that you probably couldn’t before.

So with that in mind, here are 10 ways to get creative with your MV7i.

#1 Record anywhere. Your new portable friend.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a home studio or access to a recording studio…..And even those that do sometimes just want the ability to record wherever, with ease.

Traditionally this would have meant you hauling your laptop, audio interface, mics and cables…..But with the MV7i, recording in the great outdoors, in a friend's kitchen – or anywhere else – is easy. Just plug the mic into your phone (or laptop), add an additional mic for your guest and start recording with the MOTIV Audio App, or in your preferred App. That’s it.

#2 Podcast like a pro on your laptop

The best podcasts are conversations, and the best conversations are the ones that feel natural.

The MV7i, with its super quick and simple setup (no interface needed) strips things back to only what is absolutely necessary. Just plug the MV7i into your laptop and then add an extra mic of your choice through its XLR input and hit record. That’s literally all you need to capture professional-quality podcast audio. The clever DSP included in the MV7i will help make your podcast sound pro, regardless of your location or your mic technique. 

#3 Podcast like a pro on the go with your phone

As we said above, the best podcasts are the natural ones. And now with the MV7i, you can take your podcast to whichever space feels most natural, whether that’s the classroom, your kitchen or a friend's sofa.

Plug the MV7i into your phone, with your guest’s mic connected via the input on the back. Open your favorite app or the Shure MOTIV Audio App and set your podcast in motion.

Pro tip: never switch off a podcast recording until your guest has actually left – you’d be amazed how many interesting things people say after an interview as they’re getting ready to go.

#4 Never Karaoke alone

Karaoke apps are amazing fun for a night in with friends, but there is a downside: you can usually only have one singer at a time on phone-based apps. That’s fine for your heart-wrenching rendition of Rolling in the Deep, but what about when you want to break out Islands in the Stream with one of your buddies?

Well, with the MV7i you can: just add a vocal mic of your choice to the input of the MV7i and you’ve suddenly got two singers on one channel. Now all you have to do is work on hitting those high notes.

Pro Tip: In the MOTIV app, set each channel to ‘Singing’

#5 Capture the perfect acoustic performance

Great music doesn’t take much – think of how many amazing songs are just a voice and a guitar. And that setup is easy with your MV7i.

Add an extra mic via XLR for your acoustic. Now all you have to do is click on the ‘instrument preset’ in the MOTIV App for the input, and you’re ready to create your own acoustic classic.

Pro Tip: We’d recommend a condenser like the SM4. Point that mic at about the 12th fret (about 9” / 20cm away) for a warm and well-rounded sound. 

#6 Go Stereo

A lot of modern synths and keyboards are stereo, and create beautiful sounds that can only really be experienced through two channels. Now, usually with a two channel vocal + keyboard setup you’d end up losing that wonderful immersive quality by keeping the keyboards in mono.

But with the MV7i you can get around that thanks to its stereo input. Simply plug your keyboard into the back using a ¼” stereo cable. Then in the MOTIV Mix app set the Audio Output Mode to Stereo.

#7 Go stereo – Streamers Edition

As well as stereo synth and keyboard recording, the MV7i allows for stereo streaming.

The setup is the same: just plug a stereo ¼” jack from the keyboard to the MV7i, and then select Audio Output Mode to Stereo in the MOTIV App.

Now you can stream stereo keyboards with your vocals layered on top to streaming platforms like Twitch or YouTube. Heck, it even works for business platforms like Microsoft Teams (and you’ll definitely surprise your colleagues in the Monday morning meeting).

#8 Reaction Mode

YouTube, TikTok and Instagram are dominated by one kind of content: reaction videos. And with the MV7i, those videos are suddenly very easy to make.

First, set up your MV7i as your vocal mic. Then, use the channel on the back of the MV7i to capture the stereo content that you’ll be reacting to, whether that’s a new song, a computer game or a sports broadcast.

Once again, be sure to select ‘Stereo Mode’ in the MOTIV Mix App.

#9 Capturing the crowd

With four MV7i mics (and accompanying inputs) you can record up to eight people at once on your computer via MOTIV Mix Desktop App – perfect for when you’re interviewing a band, or running a podcast with multiple guests and hosts. That’s because each of your four MV7i mics can have one additional mic plugged into it.

The major benefit here is that you get all of Shure’s signal processing on every single mic, including Auto-Level Mode, SmartGate™, Digital Pop Filter and Real-time Denoiser. That means that all eight channels will sound professional without you having to spend a single second on editing them manually.

The end result is that you spend more time focusing on making your content amazing, and less time worrying about twiddling with effects to get rid of that horrible room noise you never noticed during the recording itself.

#10 Unlimited journalist

Great stories can happen anywhere – so great journalists have to go where the story is. But that doesn’t mean dragging a laptop, a preamp and a bunch of cables to every breaking news event. Instead, you can do it all with just an MV7i, one extra mic and your phone.

Connect a second mic to the MV7i and give it to your guest. Just plug in to your phone and hit record in your favorite audio or video app. Now you can interview your story’s experts and protagonists at the scene, giving extra depth and immediacy to your work.

And it’s not just for journalism: artists like Crash Adams have used this setup to record pocket concert performances everywhere from beaches to dive bars.