What Does the NBA Sound Like? Field Recording with the MV88 USB-C

• MV88 USB-C plugs straight into your smartphone, iPad or other USB-C device
• Stereo microphone turns your device into a professional audio recorder
• Easy for beginners but powerful for advanced users

There’s a reason the recent refresh of the  MV88 Stereo Microphone has so many people excited: Just plug it into your smartphone or iPad and your USB-C device suddenly becomes a professional-grade audio recorder.

It’s a fast and easy way to give your smartphone suddenly got a massive sonic upgrade.

Now, don’t get me wrong – this is a serious microphone. Anyone so inclined can get deep into all sorts of polar patterns (which control the way the mic picks up sound) and audio processing (such as compression, high-pass filter, limiter, five-band EQ) by using the free Shure MOTIV™ Audio app.

But its beauty lies in its simplicity. It makes great audio instantly accessible to everyone.

I was a big fan of the first gen MV88, so when I was asked to put the new model through its paces, I immediately agreed. However, after taking a quick mental inventory, I soon realized that my entire household is comprised of devices with Apple’s now obsolete Lightning connection. What to do?

Easy to use

Fortunately, my 14-year-old son’s friend provided the solution by offering to use his USB-C smartphone on a field recording expedition to a Portland Trail Blazers basketball game. So, after school one day, we downloaded the app to his Google Pixel, and I began to explain all the fancy things you could do with the MV88.

First, I explained the different modes: Speech, Singing, Flat, Acoustic, and Loud. The nosebleed seats at the Moda Center, where the Blazers play, are very loud, so that seemed like an obvious choice. Then things got slightly more complicated.

My kids are used to hearing their father nattering on about exciting microphone topics like frequency response and phase cancellation, but as I tried to explain the four polar patterns available to them, I could see the eyes of my son’s friend slowly glaze over.

So, after showing them how the Stereo pattern widen and narrow the MV88’s audio capture and why that can be useful, I opted for what I thought would be the safe choice.

“Maybe just use the Mono Cardioid pattern, can’t go wrong with that one,” I said.

I disabled the MV88’s Auto Level Mode and real-time Denoiser, because you don’t want the mic compensating for fluctuating dynamics or noise while you’re field recording. But for any other application – interviews, podcasting, etc. – these are both extremely useful to capture high-quality audio in less than ideal conditions.

I also quickly dialed in the mic’s gain for them and then drove extra early to the game, since they were hoping to get some autographs from some of their favorite Trail Blazer players.

I had no idea what they would end up recording.

Capturing the details

Anyone who’s been to an NBA game before knows they’re all about hype and spectacle: lots of loud music, cheerleaders and mascots trying to get the home crowd riled up. There are also moments notable quiet, such as just before a local player attempts a free throw.

In this clip, you can hear some fans getting really motivated.

One of my favorite recordings is this one where you can actually hear the ball go into the basket. That little digital beep at the end is the Blazers’ scoreboard effect.

For the record, these aren't professional recordings by any means. But they do demonstrate how easy it is to capture great audio even if you aren't a professional.

I asked my son what settings they used, and he replied: “Mostly the Stereo one. We adjusted the angle depending on how much crowd noise there was.”

Hey, not bad! Apparently, you can teach two 14-year-old proper miking technique.

Now, we just need the Trail Blazers to win the Western Conference this year and they can record some long-overdue celebrations in Portland. 

Learn more about the Shure MV88 USB-C Stereo Microphone here.