iPhone

Shure MV51 Digital Condenser Mic Review / Test / Explained

It's been a while since I've done a supplemental write up for a review I've done, but I'm back. Today I am talking about a USB/Lightning microphone that is perfect for musicians/podcasters that are constantly on the road; the Shure MV51 Digital Condenser Microphone. 

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $200 on Amazon

What's In the Box

  1. Microphone
  2. 1m Micro USB to USB Cable
  3. 1m Micro USB to Lightning Cable
  4. 5/8" to 3/8" Mic Stand Adapter
  5. Documentation
  6. 2-Year Warranty

Specifications

  1. Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
  2. Polar Pattern: Cardioid
  3. Max SPL: 130dB
  4. Bit Depth: 16/24-Bit
  5. Sampling Rate: 44.1/48kHz

Performance / Features

The build quality on this microphone is amazing. It's built like a tank, which is what I've personally come to expect from Shure after using their SM7B and SM48 for years. The construction is all metal, including the kick stand which is firmly attached and does not wiggle around at all. At the end of the kickstand is a rubber foot to keep the mic from sliding around, but if you want to attach the mic to a microphone stand, simply unscrew the rubber foot to reveal a 5/8" thread.

On the front of the microphone, you have a volume control slider, an LED light strip to present mic input volume & headphone output volume, a microphone mute button, a headphone volume selector, and a mode select button to switch between the five different DSP's built into the microphone.

  1. Speech - DSP Designed for speech. Great for podcasts/voice overs.
  2. Singing - DSP Designed for singing. Perfect if you're recording a vocal track.
  3. Quiet & Acoustic Performance - DSP Designed for quiet performances. If you're recording an acoustic cover, this is the mode for you.
  4. Loud Music or Band - DSP Designed for Loud Environments. The mode to use if you are recording your bands rehearsal or live performance.
  5. Flat - This DSP has no processing done to it. If you are recording something that you want to add your own effects to in a DAW, choose this mode.

On the back of the microphone you have two ports. The first is the connection port that you will use to connect to your iPhone or computer. The second port is a 3.5mm headphone jack which provides latency free monitoring.

Pros

  • Amazing Build Quality
  • Connects to iOS devices through Lightning Port
  • Sounds great on electric/acoustic/voice
  • Low noise floor

Cons

  • Fairly wide polar pattern for cardioid polar pattern

Conclusion

I love this microphone. I don't necessarily think that this is a microphone that will replace your home studio setup, but I do think that this fulfills a need that desperately needed solving. I think this is an almost perfect microphone for musicians & podcasters who are constantly on the road. Let me explain:

  • It's built like a tank so you don't have to worry about it taking a beating when you're on your tour bus, or when your bag is being thrown around by TSA.
  • You can connect this thing to your damn iPhone, so you don't have to lug around your laptop in case inspiration strikes you and you need to record an idea.
  • It sounds pretty damn good for a microphone that connects to your cell phone, meaning your demo will sound MUCH better and your podcast recorded in that hotel room won't sound like a message you left your mom in 1984.

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them on the youtube video, and I will try to reply ASAP. 

Buy it on Amazon
US: http://amzn.to/2g8PyE4
UK: http://amzn.to/2fsN8iD

BSP-033: How To Overcome Personal Failures & Haters

00:00 - Intro
01:12 - Unbox Therapy Giveaway (Leave Lewis Alone)
05:56 - Amazon Echo Competitor
07:08 - Pokemon Go Users
08:29 - Gawker is Dead
11:03 - YouTube Social Network?
14:34 - Canon 5D Mark IV
15:50 - Apple iPhone is Completely Screen!
19:25 - Halt & Catch Fire
21:05 - Deadspace
22:07 - How Deal with Haters & Personal Failures
34:13 - Outro

On today's episode of the BSP, I go on a few length rants. First on the list revolves around Lewis from Unbox Therapy and peoples expectation and belief that he owes free phones to people. 

I then cover a lot of news from a new Amazon Echo competitor, Pokemon Go's user base, Gawker going bankrupt, a New YouTube Social Network, a New Canon 4k DSLR, and a Phone that is Completely Screen.

I briefly talk about Halt & Catch Fire and then Deadspace. For the main topic, I go in depth on how I deal with and overcome haters I encounter, people who doubt my goals, and finally personal failures in life.

Follow BSP on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bandrewsayspodcast
Follow BSP on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bandrewsays

http://www.geeksrising.com

How To Record a 3.5mm Mic on an iPhone

Another day, another video. In the first day of my last video, I received a lot of questions about what other mics work on the iPhone 6. So, I tested out the SF-930, SM-58, NW-700, BM-800, & NW-1500. Surprisingly, all the microphones technically worked.

This method consists of plugging the microphone into the Startech 4-pin Splitter, and then plugging the splitter into my iPhone and recording into the stock Voice Memos app. 

Some microphones performed much better than others in this test. However, none of the microphones even came close to their full potential. Every single microphone sounds much better when being recording on a computer in the appropriate fashion.

I have major concerns about this technique. I don't know the iPhones TRRS jack specs, but I don't think it was designed to handle the power needs of a 5v condenser mic. This could possibly damage your battery or damage your TRRS jack. I'm not sure. I would need to consult Apple on this, but I don't have the time. 

I guess, I should just say that I do not recommend using this method. It does not provide good results, and you could potentially damage your phone. The iPhone mic doesn't sound terrible. Just use that in the mean time. I think that the quote from Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park is surprisingly fitting. I was so preoccupied with whether or not I could, that I didn't stop to think if I should.

Can You Record an External Microphone on Your iPhone?

Hey! Special edition of Podcastage! I received quite a few comments asking me "Can you record an external microphone on your iPhone?". The majority of these comments were on my SF-920 review video, so that's the mic I decided to test out. I will walk you through the adapter and app that I used, and some of my warnings and concerns.

The iPhone has a single 3.5mm jack on it. This jack is a TRRS plug, which stands for Tip, Ring, Ring, Sleeve. What this jack allows you to do is transfer audio in and audio out on a single cable. That is all well and good, but if you want to record a different mic than your stupid iPhone headphones mic, then you're out of luck. Until NOW! There is a $7 adapter that splits this jack into two jacks; a headphone out and a microphone in. This allows you to plug in your headphones, and plug in a separate mic!

In this video, I test this out by using the the Voice Memo app on the iPhone. It seemed to work fine, but here are my concerns.

  • You cannot change the microphones input gain on the phone. Therefore, you will need to monitor the input closely and change your distance to the microphone accordingly. You can also use a microphone that has a gain control on it, like the SF-920.
  • I do not know what kind of voltage the TRRS plug provides, so I cannot guarantee that all microphones will work using this method. I can almost guarantee that the most condenser microphones will not work using this method. 

That's what I found on my first test of this method. I hope you learned something or found the video and article helpful. If you did, go ahead and give us a thumbs up and subscribe on youtube. If you have any more questions leave them in the comments down below. Talk to y'all next time.