Choosing an XLR microphone usually means spending extra money on a pricey streaming mixer or audio interface that takes up room on your desk and dictates your PC's audio controls. Not everyone wants a physical mixer that might actually overcomplicate things for you, especially if you tend to make your content on the go. But where do you turn if you still want the quality of an XLR microphone?
For two years now, the simplest solution has been a small USB to XLR converter, like Shure's MVX2U. This takes the XLR connection from your mic, feeds it into a tiny interface with no physical faders, buttons, or complications, and lets you plug into whatever device you like via USB-C. That device has been getting smaller updates since launch, but Shure is now refreshing it as a fully digital audio interface with even more functionality for the same price tag.
The Shure MVX2U doesn't exactly look distinct from the original model - in fact, in physical size and dimensions, it looks exactly the same. You still have a 3.5mm headphone jack for live monitoring, and the USB-C port for tethering to a phone, laptop, or PC.
In fact, all of the new features really come from Shure's MotivMix app, which lets you do all of your audio mixing on the screen, without the need for a physical interface that sits on your desk. Essentially, you can drag and drop audio sources onto a virtual mixing table and control their gain and audio effects within the app. It's a bit like the companion app for BEACN's Mix Create, but the hardware doesn't have anything for you to control with physical switches.
Personally, when I'm doing livestreaming, I prefer having the physical faders from the RodeCaster Duo to help me bring background music and game audio into play as I need them, but I appreciate that not everyone needs that. As more and more creators want to make things on the go for reels, TikTok, and Shorts on their phones, it makes sense that Shure is looking to cater to the market with a digital-first approach.
In terms of new audio processing features, the MVX2U Gen 2 will have access to Auto-Level mode, which automatically sets your mic gain for consistency, a real-time denoiser, and the digital popper stopper that proved very useful in our review of the Shure MV6. Elsewhere, you get a lot of the same functionality that the original has. Up to +60DB of gain, EQ settings, compressors, limiters, and more.
The MVX2U Gen 2 will even save your preferred settings, so there's minimal setup time when you swap between devices.
Other than that, it's not totally clear how many new features the Gen 2 version of this interface will receive, and how many the old model will gain access to through firmware updates.
While it's consumer-friendly that this new version launches at the same price as the original, I do feel as though early adopters who paid the same amount for the original may be frustrated that they won't get access to expanded features that, by all accounts, could be loaded into the software without the need to spend the same amount again. I've asked Shure whether the original MVX2U will be discontinued or discounted to reflect the arrival of the Gen 2 version, and I'm waiting on a response.
For more on content creation, check out the best streaming gear for gamers, the best microphones for streaming and gaming, and the best capture cards.
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