Shure MV88+ User manual

MV88plus
MV88+ Video Kit
The Shure digital stereo condenser microphone, MV88 Plus, user guide.
Version: 7.0 (2023-C)

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Table of Contents
MV88plus MV88+ Video Kit 4
General Description 4
Features 4
Quick Setup 4
Mounting the Microphone 5
Recording Audio with the ShurePlus MOTIV app. 6
The MV88+ Microphone 6
Microphone Orientation 7
MV88+ Outputs 8
Aiming the Microphone 8
Audio Recording 9
Audio Interview (Tabletop) 9
Landscape (Horizontal) Video Recording 10
Portrait/Selfie (Vertical) Video Recording 10
Video Interview 10
Handheld Recording 11
The MOTIV App 12
Device Setup 12
Preset Modes 14
Custom Presets 15
Polar Pattern Selection (Stereo and Mono Settings) 15
Direct Monitoring Blend 16
Advanced Mic Settings 17
Limiter 17
Compressor 17
High Pass Filter 17
Left-Right Channel Swap 18
Equalizer 18
Demo Mode 18
Record 19
Compressed Format Recording 20
Bit Depth and Sample Rate 20
Using the Apple Watch with ShurePlus MOTIV 20
Connect your Apple Watch to the MOTIV recording app. 2
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Controls and Navigation 21
Recording Tips 21
Turn On Airplane Mode and Do Not Disturb 21
Use Lock Mode to Lock In Your Sound 21
Record in Mono 21
Record in Stereo 21
Use the Dark Theme 22
Capture the Complete Performance 22
Monitor your Recordings 22
Keep Screen Awake During Recording 22
Keep equipment connected during updates 22
Backup Reminders 22
MV88+ Video Kit Setup and Tips 22
How to Mic a Grand Piano with the MV88+ 22
Using MV88+ with your Mac and PC 22
Library 22
Playback 23
Converting Multiple Files 24
Using the Files App to Manage the MOTIV Library 25
Recovering Recently Deleted Files 25
Editing Your Audio 25
Navigating The Timeline 26
Creating A Loop 26
Markers 27
Editor 27

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Editing in Split Mode 28
Enhance 29
Using Enhance to Improve your Recordings 29
How Does Enhance Work? 29
Sharing MOTIV Recordings 29
Save to Camera Roll 30
Customize Track Artwork 30
Save to Dropbox 30
AirDrop® with MOTIV 30
Save to iTunes 30
Troubleshooting 31
Firmware 32
System Requirements 33
System Requirements and Compatibility: iOS 33
System Requirements and Compatibility: Android 33
System Requirements and Compatibility: Mac 33
System Requirements and Compatibility: Windows 33
Specifications 33
Supported Audio Formats 35
Accessories 35
Furnished Accessories 35
Optional Accessories 36
Certifications 36
Information to the user 36

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MV88plus 
MV88+ Video Kit
General Description
The Shure MV88+ is a professional quality condenser microphone that plugs directly into a mobile device using a Lightning or
USB-Cconnector.TwomicrophonecapsulesinaMid-Sideconfigurationprovideanadjustablestereoimage,suitableforcap-
turing a variety of sources, including music and speech. The ShurePlus MOTIV app allows you to customize your sound with
digital signal processing (DSP), preset mode selection, gain adjustment, compression, and stereo width control.
Features
Mid-Side Stereo
Supports the classic mid-side stereo recording technique. Uses coincident cardioid and bidirectional capsules to adjust the
stereo width while providing excellent mono capability.
Plug-and-Play Operation
Compatible with iOS, Android, PC and Mac devices.
Note: See https://wwww.shure.com/MOTIVcompatibility for information on supportive Android devices.
Compact and Durable
Lightweight, all-metal construction and small enough to carry anywhere. Like all Shure products, ensures reliability in the field.
Flexible Recording Control with the ShurePlus MOTIV App
The MOTIVrecordingappcontrolsmicrophonesettings,suchasgain,stereowidth,andpresetmodes,andincludesthefol-
lowing features:
Landscape or portrait record options
Basic audio editing
Markers for keeping track of audio
Dark theme for low-light recording situations
Support for all MOTIV microphones
Five band equalizer
Live streaming capability
Dropbox , AirPlay and Bluetooth support
Factory and custom user presets
Virtual mic options in demo mode
Multiple bit depth and sample rate options
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Quick Setup
Mounting the Microphone

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Note: Use the knob on the back of the phone clamp to keep the cable in place and out of the way of the camera.
Recording Audio with the ShurePlus MOTIV app.
Use the MOTIV app to change microphone settings and to record and edit your audio.
Adjust your microphone settings.
Select a preset mode that matches your recording situation. Set mic gain and stereo width to optimize audio recordings.
See "Aiming the Microphone" for mic placement information and "The MOTIVApp"forinformationonadjustingcom-
pression, equalization, and more.
Set your device to Airplane Mode and Do Not Disturb.
This allows you to record with no audio interruptions from phone calls or app notifications.
Test your settings.
Make a test recording. Listen to playback and adjust your settings as needed. Once you start recording, only mic gain
can be adjusted.
Press the red Record button to begin recording.
The microphone retains settings from the last time you used the MOTIV app.
The MV88+ Microphone
The MV88+ features two capsules: one capsule has a cardioid pattern and picks up sound directly in front of the microphone.
The other is bidirectional and captures sound from the left and right sides.

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Microphone Cartridge
Microphone Orientation
Rotatethemicrophonebarrelinthemiccliptoensurethatyourstereorecordingsareaccurate.Pointthefrontofthemicro-
phone toward the sound source. For landscape (horizontal) recording, position the L and R indicators to the right and left. For
portrait (vertical) recording, simply rotate the microphone barrel in the mic clip.
Note: The app has a Left-Right Channel Swap to flip the audio channels.

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MV88+ Outputs
3.5mm monitor output for connecting to headphones and earphones
Send audio to your recording device using the micro-B USB port
MV88+ LEDs
iOS Android/Mac/PC
Green: Mic active, audio flowing Green: Power is on
Amber: Error
Flash Amber: Firmware is updating
Red: Microphone is muted
Flash Red: Audio is clipping

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Aiming the Microphone
Thefollowingsuggestionsarefortypicalusecases.Keepinmindthattherearemanyeffectivewaystorecordasource.Ex-
periment to find what works best for you. The MV88+ fits into a standard A25D mic clip. So, you can place it anywhere that you
can put a mic stand.
Tip: For correct stereo orientation, ensure that the Shure name is clearly visible on the top of the microphone. If the name is
not visible, adjust the microphone accordingly.
Audio Recording
Position your recording device so you can monitor the recording. Aim the front of the microphone toward the source, with left
and right sides of the microphone barrel facing the appropriate directions.
Audio Interview (Tabletop)
Attach the mic clip directly onto the Manfrotto mic stand. Select the MONO BIDIRECTIONAL polar pattern in the MOTIV app.
Point one side of the microphone barrel toward the subject and the other toward the interviewer.

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Landscape (Horizontal) Video Recording
Aim the front of the microphone toward the source. Ensure that the left and right sides of the microphone barrel are facing the
appropriate sides.
Portrait/Selfie (Vertical) Video Recording
Aim the microphone toward yourself and select Left - Right Swap.
Tip: If you begin shooting in portrait mode, video will remain in portrait mode even if device orientation is turned to landscape.
Video Interview
To record audio from on-camera audio only, select the CARDIOID polar pattern and point the microphone toward your
subject.

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•To capture the voices of both the on-camera subject and the off-camera interviewer, select the MONO BIDIRECTIONAL
polar pattern in the app. Position the microphone with the left and right sides facing each person.
Handheld Recording
The legs collapse to create a portable hand-held stand.

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The MOTIV App
Use the MOTIV app to change microphone settings and to record, edit, and share audio. The device stores the most recently
used settings for quick setup each time you record.
Tip: Turn on Airplane Mode and Do Not Disturb to prevent interruptions to the recording caused by phone calls, text messages, or alerts.
Device Setup
Tap Device on the navigation bar to access microphone settings

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①Notifications The top row displays which device is connected. A red flashing dot next to the name let you know whether
recording is active. The charms show which advanced features are on. Tap the headphone icon to access direct monitoring
control. Tap the lock to lock or unlock the settings.
Note: Lockthesettingstopreventaccidentalchangestosettingswhenhandlingyourdeviceduringrecording.Whenmicset-
tings are Locked, the setting screen is grayed out.

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②Input Meter Displays the strength of the input signal and whether that signal is mono or stereo. The loudest peaks should
reach within the target range (indicated by the shaded region between -12 and -3 dB).
③Microphone Gain Adjust the mic gain slider to set the volume of the sound source.
④Custom Presets Tap the caret to quickly access your saved presets. Or tap the Save button to save current settings. See
Custom Presets for more information.
⑤Preset Modes Setstereowidth,equalization,andcompressionforspecificapplications.See"PresetModes"formoreinfor-
mation.
⑥Polar Pattern Selection Swipe to choose your pick-up pattern. Use the handles to adjust the width of the stereo image.
Tip: Consider the location of the microphone and the size of the sound source when adjusting the width. For example, a large orchestra or ensemble recording
benefits from a wide stereo image, which increases separation between instruments. Speech benefits from a narrow width, which improves clarity and rejects
ambient (room) sound.
⑦Stereo Width Handles Use the dots to quickly set stereo width.
⑧Advanced Features Fine tune your audio recording with limiter and compressor controls, high pass filter, left-right swap,
and equalization settings.
Preset Modes
Five selectable modes optimize settings for gain, stereo width, equalization, and compression. Set the microphone level and try
the modes to find which sounds best. Preset modes can affect the strength of the input signal, so adjust the microphone level
as needed after changing presets.
Mode Application Characteristics
Speech
speech Narrow stereo width to reject background noise, equalization that emphasizes
clarity and fullness, and gentle compression.
Singing
soloorgroupvocalper-
formances
Medium stereo width with subtle equalization to add richness and clarity for a
natural sound.
Flat any An unprocessed signal (no equalization or compression settings used). Adds
flexibility when processing the audio after recording.
Acousti
c
acoustic instruments and
quiet music
Medium stereo width with transparent compression to smooth out volume spikes
and bring out quiet passages. The equalizer setting emphasizes detail and an
overall natural sound.

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Mode Application Characteristics
Loud
live performance and
louder sources
Widestereotoincreaseseparationbetweensources.Equalizationfurtherim-
proves definition by reducing frequencies that can make the instrumentation
sound crowded.
Custom Presets
Create and save custom presets to quickly access frequently used mic settings.
Start with the preset mode that best suits your application needs.
Adjust advanced settings, like compression, for clarity and consistency.
Tap Save to rename and save your new custom preset. The original preset will remain available.
The new custom preset is added to your list.
To access saved presets:
Tap the caret (arrow) in the Preset row to view your list of available presets.
Tap custom preset and Apply Preset to instantly apply gain, stereo, equalization, and compression preferences.
Tip: You can save a custom preset at any point by tapping Save.
Polar Pattern Selection (Stereo and Mono Settings)
Thefollowingdemonstratesmicrophonecapsulepick-uppatterns.Whenoperatinginamonomode,stereowidthisnotad-
justable.
Stereo
Front = On
Sides = On
Mono Cardioid
Front = On
Sides = Off
Mono Bidirectional
Front = Off
Sides = On
Raw Mid-Side
Front = On
Sides = On
See "Raw Mid-Side Output" for more information.

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Raw Mid-Side Output
For increased post-processing flexibility, use the Raw Mid-Sidesetting.Thisrecordssignala2-channelsignalwithastereoim-
age that can be adjusted even after the tracks have been recorded:
Left: Cardioid (front)
Right: Bidirectional (sides)
Use the Raw Mid-Side setting with audio recording applications that have a mid-side stereo matrix decoder. Or use the manual
decoding instructions to adjust the stereo image of the recorded tracks.
Manual Decoding and Stereo Width Adjustment
If your digital audio workstation software (DAW) has no mid-side decoder, use these steps to adjust and manipulate the stereo
image:
Extract the left and right audio signals from the 2-channel Raw Mid-Side file as individual mono tracks.
Create 3 blank audio tracks:
First track: Use the audio signal (front/cardioid) from the left channel only as a mono track, panned to the center.
Second track: Use the audio signal (side/bidirectional) from the right channel only as a mono track, panned all
the way to the left.
Third track: Copy the side/bidirectional signal from the second track. Pan this track all the way to the right and re
verse the phase.
Group the right and left side tracks, and set the volume at the same level for simultaneous adjustment. Increasing the
volume of the grouped tracks increases the stereo width, while decreasing their volume narrows the width.
Advanced tip: Using compression with a fast attack setting on the grouped tracks keeps transients (the first part of a sound, such as when a drum stick strikes
a cymbal) toward the center of the stereo image and allows them to expand within the stereo field as the sound decays.
Manual Decoding of Raw Mid-Side Audio
Recording in Raw and Mid Side using the MV88+ Video Kit
Direct Monitoring Blend
There are two ways to access the Direct Monitoring slider when you want to adjust your monitor source. Tap the input meter to
view the mic gain and monitoring blend sliders. Or you can view the slider by tapping the headphone icon in the device settings
tab.

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Usethedirectmonitoringslidertodeterminehowmuchofeachinputyouhear.Forbestresults,startmonitoringatthemid-
point and adjust.
Move the slider towards Mic to hear more of the audio that is being currently recorded by the microphone.
Move the slider towards Playback when you want to listen to the previously recorded audio and less of the audio coming
in to the microphone. This is useful for when you want to review your recording.
As one source increases, the other source decreases.
Advanced Mic Settings
After you have selected the preset mode for your application, fine tune the sound of your recording with limiter, compressor,
andequalizercontrols.Yoursettingswillberetainedinthemicrophonewhenusingotheraudioandvideorecordingapplica-
tions.
Limiter
Toggle the limiter on to set an input threshold and prevent distortion from volume peaks in your recordings.
Compressor
Choosenocompression,orselectlightorheavycompressiontocontrolvolumewhenyoursoundsourceisdynamic.Thecom-
pressor will narrow the dynamic range, which means that quiet signals are boosted and loud signals are lowered.
High Pass Filter
Choose no HPF for the most natural sound. Or select 75 Hz or 150 Hz to reduce wind noise, room noise, or proximity effect.
75 Hz Low frequency cutoff Provides a 6 dB-per-octave cutoff at 75 Hz. Helps eliminate floor rumble and low-frequency room
noise from heating and air conditioning systems. This setting may also be used to compensate for proximity effect or to reduce
low frequencies that make an instrument sound dull or muddy.
150 Hz Low frequency rolloff Provides a 6 dB-per-octave rolloff filter at 150 Hz. Use this to compensate for proximity effect or
to reduce low frequencies that could make an instrument sound dull or muddy.

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Left-Right Channel Swap
For stereo recordings, use Left - Right Swap to flip the left and right audio channels to match the stereo image to the video. For
example, when using video to record yourself.
Tip: Use the L and R indicators on the microphone barrel. This way you can set Left - Right Swap before you start to record.
Equalizer
ChangethepresetmodestoheartheDSPchanges,andthenusetheequalizertoboostorcutbandsoffrequenciestoim-
prove sound clarity.
Note:Equalizationwithinpresetswillnotbedisplayed.However,theequalizergraphicintheadvancedsettingsstatusbardisplaystheuser-selectedequaliza-
tion.
Tap to access the MOTIV equalizer. Equalization changes are displayed in the equalizer image.
EQ persists between preset mode changes.
Demo Mode

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Demo mode allows you to test out all devices in the MOTIV series.
Swipe through the list to see the available devices.
Tap Learn More for more information about each device. Or tap Next to explore the microphone settings.
Note: Settings in demo mode are for demonstration and are not saved within the app. Demo mode is only available when there
is no microphone plugged in to the device.
Record
Tap Record on the navigation bar to access the record button and timeline.
Record Settings
①Connected Device Status Status displays the connectedMOTIV device. Red flashing dot indicates that recording is in
progress.
②Settings Status Displays the icons for advanced settings that are currently enabled.
③Microphone Gain Adjust the volume of the sound source. Keep levels in the target range (indicated by the shaded region
on the input meter).

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④Timeline Display Displays the waveform of the sound while recording.
Stereo Recording: A complete waveform is shown.
Mono Recording: Half of the waveform is shown.
⑤Record Time Remaining
⑥Bit Depth and Sample Rate Use the drop-down menu to select your bit depth and sample rate. See "Bit Depth and Sample
Rate" for more information.
⑦Track Information Displays the name, file format, and size of the recording in progress.
⑧Record Control Bar The Marker button, Record/Pause button, and the Done check mark button.
Note: The maximum file size for a recording is 2GB, approximately 2 hours of record time. This limitation maximizes app performance. Continuous recording
for more than 2 hours will generate a second file.
Compressed Format Recording
The MOTIV app records uncompressed audio files to provide the highest quality recording. However, you might find it more
useful to record in a compressed file format. Compressed files take up less storage space allowing you more space on your
devicetorecord.It'salsoeasiertosharecompressedfilesbymessageoremailbecausecompressedfilesuselessdata.Con-
sider using a compressed format for recording demos or initial ideas because in this case it is more important to capture the
idea than have the highest possible fidelity recording.
If you are unsure about which format to choose, start with the highest quality setting. You can always compress files later from
yourlibraryifyoufindthatyourequiresmallerfilessizes.SeetheSupportedAudioFormatssectiontolearnaboutthefilefor-
mats that are available to you.
Remember: You can convert compressed audio to an uncompressed format, uncompressed audio to a compressed format
and one type of compressed format to another. However, only WAV files can be edited. If you need to edit a file, convert the file
to a WAV file first.
Bit Depth and Sample Rate
Find the Bit Depth and Sample Rate settings in the drop-down menu on the right side of the record window. Select a lower
sample rate when it is useful to have a smaller file, for example, when recording speech or a podcast for download. Select a
higher sample rate for music and dynamic recordings.
If no alternate is selected, MOTIVwillrecordaudioat24/48kHz.However,thefollowingbitdepthsandsampleratesaresup-
ported.
Bit Depth Sampling Rate
24 48 kHz
24 44.1 kHz
16 48 kHz
16 44.1 kHz
Using the Apple Watch with ShurePlus MOTIV
The ShurePlus MOTIV Apple Watch app allows greater recording flexibility when using it as a remote control for the ShurePlus
MOTIV Audio and Video Recording Apps.