Recording Piano | Which is best - MV88 or MV88+ | Shoot-out

Подписаться 5 тыс.

Просмотров 13 тыс.

50% 1

This video compares the Shure MV88 Smartphone Digital Condenser Microphone with the Shure MV88+. After upgrading my iPad Pro (which I use daily in my piano practice), I discovered that I could no longer use my Shure MV88 as the newer iPad has a USB-C rather than Lightening connection. I'm in the habit of using my MV88 to record my practice into the iPad to review later and wanted to continue doing this rather than needing to keep getting my phone out to use the microphone.
So far, all the piano you've heard on my channel has been recorded using the MV88. I've always been delighted with the results - very impressive for the affordable price. I decided to bite the bullet and get myself the MV88+ so that I can continue using as I have always done in my practice. Now that I have the two, I have set them up head to head to see which performs better in terms of audio capture.
I've used three very different pieces to give a representative set of comparisons. I positioned each mic in the same place and recorded the exact same performance with both of them simultaneously. I'll leave you to decide for yourself which sounds best.
However, audio capture is only the start of the comparison. Equally, in the video I'll go over the advantages and disadvantages of each over the other to help you work out which might be best for you. Finally, as a bonus, I'll let you hear the effect you can get if you use both and then mix the results together.
Don't forget to check out my entire 'Recording your Piano' playlist here:
• Record Your Piano
... and of course download my free, 3 volume eBook series on the topic:
mailchi.mp/40809f2ba673/recor...
EQUIPMENT:
Fully details of all equipment used are available on my blog at the address below:
tommyspianocorner.com/youtube-...
Filmed on an iPhone 8+ - using the Filmic Pro app
Audio captured on an iPhone 6S using a Shure MV88 Microphone
Vocals captured on a Rode SmartLav microphone plugged into an iPhone 4S
Video editing done using iMovie
Audio editing done using Garageband
SOCIAL MEDIA:
/ tommyspianocorner
WEBSITE:
tommyspianocorner.com

Видеоклипы

Опубликовано:

1 июл 2024

Ссылка:

Скачать:

Готовим ссылку...

Добавить в:

Мой плейлист

Посмотреть позже

Комментарии : 80

@PianoforPleasure 3 года назад

Great review, thank you Tommy! Like how you are using the same audio files - for some reason, some reviewers like using different music for different mics!

@TommysPianoCorner 3 года назад

Yes, I think it gives a better comparison of it is the exact same performance that is compared. They are both great microphones :-)

@tubeiferous 3 года назад

Thanks for this informative video. The visual of the two being compared in Garageband was especially valuable. You play piano so beautifully. I appreciate your channel.

@TommysPianoCorner 3 года назад

Thanks. I’m very pleased the video helped !

@ikoalosaurus 2 года назад

Hello Tommy! First time watching your videos, and the quality of the videos is amazing, you're great at this! :) One question. i'm thinking of purchasing shure mv88+ for an ipad air 4 that my girlfriend is using to teach singing+piano lessons through Zoom and Skype. She is teaching singing mainly but she's also playing piano while singing. Would it be a good choice? Thank you!

@TommysPianoCorner 2 года назад

Thanks. Does the iPad? Have a lightening connection? If so, I think it would be a good fit. I saw a video review where it was used fur singing, guitar and all sorts and it came out very well. For a portable, plug and play set up I think you can’t go far wrong. However, you need to be sure that the iPad battery is well charged as you might not be able to charge simultaneously.

@JMTTM 3 года назад

Thank you for this information. I am thinking of getting a mic to improve the quality of my recordings. I was thinking of getting an extension cable if I was to get the MV88 so that I can have my camera filming me in 1.5-2m away while the mic can be right next to the piano for better recording. Do you think that will work well? Can I use the Motiv Video app with the MV88 so that I can record visual video along with stereo quality from the MV88, which will save me from having to combine the audio and visual together afterwards? What settings on the Motiv app should I use for best piano recording sound quality?

@TommysPianoCorner 3 года назад

Hi. I have seen a video on RU-vid where someone was using an extension cable with the microphone. However, he didn’t demonstrate that it works well. You might find the extension cable introduces some type of buzzing or hissing noise. It would be worth a try most definitely. You can certainly use the MOTIV Video app to record both together - it will be a case of making sure the mic pics up a good sound which will depend somewhat on your room. Of course an advantage to recording separately is that it is easier to add reverb and EQ to your audio (some video editing packages let you do this but to varying degrees). I have recently been using the ‘flat’ setting and the stereo polar pattern. This gives a nice result. The main thing to really focus on is the gain. You want it to go into the yellow when you’re playing loudly but never red. Make sure you do a test from exactly where you will record.

@Theweeze100 3 года назад

Very informative, thank you so much for doing an A.B. comparison. I have the MV88, and I’m looking for ways to Get the most out of it.

@TommysPianoCorner 3 года назад

I’m pleased it helped. Did you see my video on doing Mid Side with the MV88? This is another interesting option.

@spokkops1 3 года назад

Thank you for this detailed review! However, I am curious how one can connect both mics into one device?(as you in the last recording of the video) Do you need a special adaptor for that?

@TommysPianoCorner 3 года назад

Actually, I used two devices. I have some old iPhones that I use when recording

@spokkops1 3 года назад

Thank you for your reply!

@NancyRuthMusic 3 года назад

I bought the MV88+ but returned it because it had a lot of white noise, despite changing the settings. I spoke to Shure and they suggested I use a DAW for noise reduction, but having to do post production defeats the purpose of simplifying my process. Have you noticed a difference in these two mics in the amount of hiss?

@TommysPianoCorner 3 года назад

I found that the noise seemed to come from my room. When I record, I position the mic just inside the curved area of the piano and turn off fans nearby as these caused lots of noise. I then ensure that with the gain set as I need, the monitors do not register anything when I’m not playing. I can do this because I record audio and video separately and then combine afterwards. I haven’t needed to use anything to denoise afterwards. I have though managed to record audio and video simultaneously into the MOTIV video app but the audio isn’t as good as the microphone is of course positioned more for the camera than for the sound.

@Ozpeter 2 года назад

I can't believe that someone has made this careful comparison using a piano - which would have been number one on my wishlist of sound sources for such a test. But... the level difference makes it very hard to be sure of the sound quality difference in other respects. The ear is more sensitive to higher levels of low frequencies, so the MV88+ will sound a little more "full" than the MV88, simply because it's maybe 2dB (??) louder in the comparison recordings. My conclusion from your test is that they are both very respectable mics, regardless of any slight differences between them. Thanks for the time and trouble you have taken to produce this video! (My MV88+ arrives tomorrow - and I will be testing it with a DJI Action 2 camera, which accepts USB-C mics straight into the camera. It will be very interesting to see whether it does indeed work with the MV88+).

@TommysPianoCorner 2 года назад

I’m pleased you found it interesting. The recordings were made into the ShureMotiv app and I did set the gain to be the same on both mics. Theoretically, that should give the same result but I did find the MV88 to be slightly louder sounding. I can only conclude that for the same software setting the MV88+ hardware is slightly more sensitive? I’d love to hear how you get on with your mic and camera if you have the time to let me know :-)

@Ozpeter 2 года назад

@@TommysPianoCorner I would guess that the newer model improves on signal to noise ratio by increasing sensitivity as you mention, without adding more noise, hopefully. I'll certainly let you know when my review of the Action 2 / MV88+ is posted.

@TommysPianoCorner 2 года назад

@@Ozpeter great. Looking forward to it :-)

@MrKuntalbiswas 2 года назад

Well explained

@TommysPianoCorner 2 года назад

Thanks. Which of the two did you prefer?

@r.jayakumar5292 Год назад

I want tent ⛺️ camping purposes outdoor wich mic will buy?mv88 or mv88+ I want sound

@mypianotutorial2023 2 года назад

Thanks very much for this great video. Did you edit the volume of the recording afterwards to have it loud enough? I really appreciate your reply.

@TommysPianoCorner 2 года назад

In this particular video, I set the ‘gain’ to be identical at the point of recording. I dr not change the volume afterwards to ensure a like for like comparison.

@mypianotutorial2023 2 года назад

@@TommysPianoCorner do you usually volume up afterwards? Thanks very much for your reply!!

@TommysPianoCorner 2 года назад

@@mypianotutorial2023 not specifically. Often the software will ‘normalize’ for you. GarageBand does this automatically.

@nicolas-piano 3 года назад

Hi Tommy, very interesting feedback. I'm also a mv88+ owner with an upright piano. What are your favorite settings for raw recording in the motiv app ? Are you using the wide stereo capture angle ? Have you find out how to get the sound nice from the phone speaker as well ? Currently it seems to sound great only when using a proper headphone. All the best.

@TommysPianoCorner 3 года назад

Hi. I use the wide stereo setting and adjust the width a little so it better aligns with the piano strings. Where do you actually place the microphone with respect to the piano? The phone’s inbuilt speaker is never great - it helps not to have the volume too high I find. Have you carefully checked your gain setting to ensure it doesn’t clip?

@nicolas-piano 3 года назад

@Tommy's Piano Corner I have a the mic in the middle of the open piano, turned to the strings, handled by a mic stand. I had to provision a longer usb cable. I am testing different combinations, -19 ~ -21 db might. definitely under -19 when using strong low notes... Recording on Android samsung s20+ btw.

@redsosa 3 года назад

Great review, Tommy, you can still using ur Mv88 on your new iPad, only have to get an adapter lighting to usb-c and that’s all.. Your video helped me to take a decision on which one I’m going to buy. Thx.

@TommysPianoCorner 3 года назад

Hi. I looked for an adaptor in fact. I even went to the Apple shop and they said they didn’t exist. Where did you find one as it would be useful to have. I find that both are great microphones especially at the price.

@luctorres9161 2 года назад

Very interesting ! Thanks a lot .... Quick question : I need to set a 2 meter connection in between the MV88+ and my windows laptop .... which cable shall I use ? A standard lighting USB cable ? Thanks a lot. Cheers Luc

@TommysPianoCorner 2 года назад

Depending on the connection options of your laptop, you could use USB or USB-C. I used an adaptor from USB-C to USB when I plugged into my laptop to try it out. If you are looking for a 2m cable, you’ll need the Micro-B USB connection to plug into the MV88+ and then USB/USB-C (depending on your laptop) on the other. I hope that helps

@luctorres9161 2 года назад

@@TommysPianoCorner cristal clear ! Thks a lot

@TommysPianoCorner 2 года назад

@@luctorres9161 you’re welcome

@UrbaNSpiel Год назад

thanx

@TommysPianoCorner Год назад

Welcome

@samsake Год назад

How did you record to a DAW since both mics are connected to iPhones. Is the DAW from a pc or MAC? Did you have an other mic (3mic) connected to a Mac/PC to use DAW software for comparing?

@TommysPianoCorner Год назад

My solution is to record audio files to a recording app on the phones (it’s called MOTIV and built specifically for Shure microphones). I then import the audio tracks into the DAW. The DAW I used in this video is GarageBand which is free to all Mac users. Incidentally, a single mic can be used to record directly into a DAW on the iPhone (again, GarageBand is free but there are other options). I hope that makes sense?

@gloriapenny7784 3 года назад

Thank you for this information. I’m a bit lost with how I’m going to record on my upright piano. I have an iPad Pro, iPhone 6s Plus and a Zoom H2n and plan to acquire the iPhone 7 and the Shure mv 88+. I wonder if it will be a good combination with the Shure mv 88 on one iPhone, and the Zoom H2n on the other iPhone or on the iPad Pro. Help, help, please.

@TommysPianoCorner 3 года назад

Hi. There is no simple answer to your question. Very much depends on your piano and the room in which you are recording. If you are able to use multiple microphones simultaneously and then mix them later, you can definitely get far better results than if you simply use one. One thing to think about is where you place those microphones. You could put them very close to the piano at different angles (this is what they call 'X/Y') or you could put them at opposite ends of the instrument (a Spaced Pair). You can put one inside the piano and the other further away into the room. The only real way to find out is to experiment. Remember you need to take things into account such as any background noise you might have in your room, even things such as your own breathing if the microphones are too close to you when you record. I'm still playing around with how I can use my two Shure microphones for best effect. Take a look at this video as it should help if you've not already seen it. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gDC25g3z6Kw.html Have fun!

@gloriapenny7784 3 года назад

@@TommysPianoCorner Thank you so very much for giving me your helpful advice. Now, the work of searching and experimenting awaits me. I really appreciate your taking the time to respond to me.

@TommysPianoCorner 3 года назад

I’d be delighted to hear how you get on and what you find works best for you. If you don’t want to post too much on here my email is tommy@tommyspianocorner.com Best of luck !

@alex_jermaine Год назад

The Mv88 comes with a little headphone monitor adapter cable but I can’t figure out why it’s included? Does it plug into the mic or what is it for?

@TommysPianoCorner Год назад

It plugs into the older phones which have the headphone jack. Basically it prevents the mic on your headphones from being used rather than the MV88. So if you wish to monitor as you record you need to use this otherwise, if you connected the headphones directly your phone would use their microphone to record. I hope that makes sense.

@ot7404 Год назад

Have you tried the new iPad pro on board mics? They're supposed to be pretty good. Im currently debating between the mv88 for my older iPad pro, or upgrading to a new iPad pro.

@TommysPianoCorner Год назад

Mine is a 4th generation so not the latest. Not sure if its microphones are the most up to date ones. I have never really used it to capture audio - although I have used it to capture video in the past (it is possible to record through both cameras simultaneously). The downside to using it for audio is likely to be getting it in the right place due to its size. If my 4th generation has the latest mics and you’d like me to do a comparison test for you let me know. I can use the iPad and simultaneously the mv88 plugged into my phone.

@ot7404 Год назад

@@TommysPianoCorner If you have the time and think your viewers might benefit that would be really interesting! But, alot to ask just for me :) I'm using the 2015 connected to an H2n but it's fairly unfriendly in terms of compatibility. I just checked out your iphone pro 13 comparison and thought the articulation and depth was superior on the mv88 but iphone was impressive for what it is. Thanks for your content!

@TommysPianoCorner Год назад

@@ot7404 let me see if I can find the time to do a quick comparison this weekend and see what we get :-)

@fishermans1friend 18 дней назад

Which setup would you recommend for doing a piano + cello live stream? Of course several mics would be better though also a lot more complicated to set up and potentially disturbing for the actual concert. Shure has this MV88+ video kit which seems for the beginning very easy.

@TommysPianoCorner 18 дней назад

I think you could get away with the MV88+ video kit - however you might want to find an extension cable so that you could place the microphone closer to the instruments and keep the camera a little further away. Another cool option might be the Atem Mini. Basically, it would allow you to plug several microphones and cameras into the device, configure them to your aesthetic and then have a single output of audio/video combined that you can livestream. Atem is one I’m aware of for having seen Josh Wright demonstrate it - there are many other similar devices on the market. So, much really depends on your budget (an Atem type set up would be relatively expensive whereas the MV88+ would be cheap) and equally how much set up you want to do (an atem centric set up would take much more effort to set up and has a big learning curve whereas the MV88+ is pretty much ‘plug and stream’ so to speak. Another consideration is whether or not you’ll have someone on hand to manage/monitor the equipment. If you do, you could change cameras, display titles etc in real time as you stream - could be fun. Perhaps start with the MV88+ and then upgrade later. I suspect there is already enough to think about with just the music and the act of streaming initially without having complex equipment to think about too. Many people livestream just using the inbuilt mic on the phone - although I don’t think I would :-)

@fishermans1friend 18 дней назад

Thanks for this well thought through answer!

@TommysPianoCorner 18 дней назад

@@fishermans1friend you’re very welcome. Let me know how you get on. How is it possible to see your livestream?

@fishermans1friend 17 дней назад

@@TommysPianoCorner For now it's just going to be for family and friends to see how this all works.

@TommysPianoCorner 17 дней назад

@@fishermans1friend sounds like a great idea - I have often thought about doing something similar :-)

@BrandonMilner Год назад

You can see from the waveforms that the mv88+ is slightly more sensitive and was recorded louder. That makes comparing the sound quality basically impossible.

@TommysPianoCorner Год назад

Both were recorded at exactly the same gain setting using the same app. The MV88+ does sound louder at the same gain value so I’d agree it is more sensitive. I could normalize both recordings to the same peak value but I’m not sure that would be a fair test as it might introduce noise disproportionately in the quieter recording

@JD-zh6qe 3 года назад

In my opinion the MV88 sounds better. And: the new normal iPad an the new iPhone SE2 both has Lightning-Connectors!

@TommysPianoCorner 3 года назад

I sort of prefer the mv88 for it’s easier use and portability. However, the added connection options might work better for some.

@cassia444 3 года назад

I also think MV88 sounds better

@cainanneedham9022 Год назад

Do you know if you can use either microphone in an iOS DAW other than GarageBand? (I.e. BandLab)I want to do multitrack recording on my phone, and cannot seem to find a clear answer online as to whether or not that’s possible with these mics and an iPhone only.

@TommysPianoCorner Год назад

As far as I can work out, the microphone will automatically be used in any third party app. So, for example, when I use Filmic Pro ok my iPhone, if the MV88 is connected, it bypasses the built in mic automatically - in a similar way that when headphones are plugged in they are automatically used over the built in speaker. I can download Bandlab if you like and give it a whirl for you if that would help?

@cainanneedham9022 Год назад

@@TommysPianoCorner That is, without a doubt, the most generous reply I could have imagined. I can’t ask you to take the time to do that, as I’m sure you’re busy. You do, however, get a subscription from me immediately for your kindness and generosity in offering. What a refreshing way to start my day. Thank you for being kind, and I sincerely appreciate your help.

@TommysPianoCorner Год назад

@@cainanneedham9022 I’ll give it a go for you and see where we get. Thanks for subscribing :-)

@cainanneedham9022 Год назад

@@TommysPianoCorner You know what, my wife just told me that she has already ordered me this mic as a surprise gift, so I guess I’ll find out when it gets here and report back! Thank you so much for being willing Tot some time out of your schedule for a perfect stranger. Very kind of you.

@TommysPianoCorner Год назад

@@cainanneedham9022 no worries. Let me know how you get on :-)