Don’t expect a tech review where I list a whole bunch of numbers and stats—and copy and paste lines oozing hyperbole written by young copywriters looking to impress—from the media release. I’m bored just thinking about that. No, I’m reviewing this neat and rather unique little wireless mic from Shure from the perspective of an actual vlogger and filmmaker. Because, well, that’s exactly what I am.
What You Get
The mic and receiver come in a nice roll-up pouch that includes two mic holders—one to attach to a cold shoe, one with a 5/8-inch female thread to fit on a boom. Oh, and two USB-C cables for charging. I have about 35 USB-C cables now, because every product I get includes one. Do we even expect this cable to be included now? It seems a waste. But I digress—back to the review.
Once I set up the mic and figured out how to select one of the four polar patterns—a very useful feature—I realized how well the mic is made. It’s metal and feels really high quality. Heavier than I thought it would be, in a good way. The neat little receiver sits on your camera’s hot or cold shoe and can be tilted. It’s easy to use, very intuitive. No manual was required, even for my non-techy brain.
What Makes This Mic Kit So Great?
Maybe you’re thinking what I was thinking when the Shure MoveMic 88+ was announced. Not another wireless mic on the market! I’ve been approached by so many unheard-of brands that now make wireless mics. Do we need more? Well, maybe not, but this one isn’t a generic, unheard-of product. Shure makes exceptional audio products and clearly understands their market. This mic is a little different and unique, yet fits seamlessly with other products already available.
Let’s get this part out of the way first. If you download their app, you can use the MoveMic 88+ to record directly to your iPhone. And you don’t need to buy the receiver. Perfect for little Britney the Content Creator when she’s out thrift shopping, I’m sure. But I have no interest in ever using an app—or my phone, period—when I’m out making a vlog or film. So I didn’t bother even looking at the specs I was sent for all that malarkey. Sorry, not interested.
What I really like about this system is, as well as using the mic to record voice, I can use it to record ambient sound and foley sound. It’s tiny and easy to strategically position. For example, I have a really good mic and external recorder for recording voice, interviews, etc. With this MoveMic system, I can record ambient sound at the same time, directly into the camera—that is, the environment around me—and this gives me separate audio tracks that I can adjust in post to get the right balance between voice and ambient sound. That alone, for me, is worth buying this little mic and receiver.
Or imagine this scenario: you enjoy filming wildlife. You’re shooting birds feeding at a bird table, and you’re a good distance away using a long telephoto. You can position the little MoveMic 88+ a few feet from the birds, just out of shot, and record them flapping and chirping. This system has a range of up to 100 ft.
Good audio is as important as good video, and this kit allows you to have both in any scenario like this. Think events too, like a wedding. The uses are limitless, and a big part of this is the ability to select one of four polar patterns.
Another great feature is that the receiver is compatible with Shure’s MoveMic, a little wireless lavalier you can clip to yourself when talking to camera. Actually, you can connect two of these for a two-person interview, on separate channels.
If I want to talk to camera while vlogging, or film my talent talking to camera, the only drawback is I can’t have a MoveMic on one channel and the MoveMic 88+ on the second channel. That’s a bit of a bummer. I wonder if Shure will address this? Instead, I have to record the talent talking to camera with the MoveMic 88+ or MoveMic lavalier, and then record ambient sound separately. I suppose I can live with that.
I mentioned the app, where you can customize your settings, but you can do the same thing directly in the receiver. You can adjust gain, there’s a compressor, high-pass filter, noise reduction, and five-band equalizer.
Some Testing
Talking To Camera
I set the mic up on its cold shoe clip, mounted to a mini tripod on my desk, and used it to record a video for my YouTube channel. I also used my own wireless mic kit, the Rode Wireless Go II, to do a comparison. Both mics were set up with similar gain and positioned at the same distance.
As I’ve mentioned, I’m not a tech person—I simply want to grab a mic kit and start recording with little fuss. The MoveMic 88+ allowed me to do just this, and the sound quality was noticeably better than the Rode Wireless Go II mic. I’m sure I’m not using the correct audiophile terms here, but the MoveMic 88+ was richer, cleaner, and less muffled.
I also mounted the mic on my camera using its cold shoe clip and filmed talent talking to camera, 4 feet away. The sound quality was as good as my Rode VideoMic NTG. Again, impressive.
Ambient Sound
I set the mic up in the garden near a bird feeder and had the receiver about 23 feet away, inside the house. The mic picked up the ambient sound beautifully and effortlessly. This confirmed what I first thought: this mic kit, for me at least, is the perfect solution for recording ambient and foley sound.
Conclusion
If you already have a little wireless mic setup for vlogging and recording people talking to camera, then you don’t need to rush out and buy the Shure MoveMic 88+.
If you want to sometimes record talent talking, and sometimes want to record ambient sound, this kit allows you to do both and is worth looking at.
If you’re looking to use your hybrid camera for video and start playing with audio, this is for you. I would go as far as saying the Shure MoveMic 88+ kit, combined with their very discreet little MoveMic lavalier, is the perfect setup for new filmmakers and vloggers to invest in. With this setup, you’ve got everything covered for all your audio needs. Yeah, that last line sounded like it was cut and pasted. But it actually wasn’t.
Oh, and if you want to record reels for TikTok like Britney does, recording wirelessly directly into your phone, then the MoveMic 88+ is for you. It’s totally dope AF. Do they still say that?
The Shure MoveMic 88+ retails at $299, and the Shure MeveMic 88+ Receiver Kit retails for $449.
It Shure is a good piece of kit. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
