If you’re going to sound your best on podcasts, online videos or conference calls, it helps to invest in a USB microphone. Today’s MacBook Pro setup takes advantage of a USB mic from the excellent brand Shure. And the user throws in a nice pair of Audioengine speakers for loud-and-clear playback, too.
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Shure MV7 USB microphone and Audioengine speakers beef up MacBook Pro setup’s sound
Redditor Halzen (“Hal”) showcased the formidable yet light-and-airy setup in a post entitled, “Dual laptop work/hobby space.” He runs two MacBook pros, M3 Pro and M1 Max, into a big LG C2 OLED smart TV and a bunch of other peripherals via one of Plugable’s capable Thunderbolt 4 docks.
“Juggling a 16-inch M1 Max for work and a 14-inch M3 Pro for play, so this setup uses a Thunderbolt dock to hook either one up to the TV, speakers, microphone and camera,” they said.
Hal uses Plugable’s TBT4-UDZ Thunderbolt 4 dock, which packs a whopping 16 ports for epic connectivity. With a PC it can handle four external displays, or two with some Macs. It zaps a laptop with 100 watts of power delivery, though it can also adjust for optimal wattage. We focused on Hal’s fantastic Apple laptops and Plugable dock in a previous post. Now we want to extoll the virtues of the setup’s audio gear.
Shure MV7 USB microphone
In a recent post, we talked about the very popular Blue Yeti USB microphone, now a Logitech product, taking a bite out market share traditionally held by some classic brands, like the one Hal uses — Shure. Known for great dynamic and conducer mics, it also makes USB mics (and pretty much every kind of mic). Hal uses the well-regarded Shure MV7 USB microphone mounted on a Samson desktop microphone stand. Here are the mic’s features:
- Dual USB/XLR output allows digital or analog recording.
- Ideal for close-mic use like podcasting, recording and live streaming.
- Intuitive touch panel for control over gain, monitoring volume, headphone mix and mic muting.
- Built-in headphone output allows for direct headphone monitoring while recording.
- Optimized frequency response for rich and natural vocal reproduction.
- ShurePlus Motiv app provides access to audio processing, automatic adjustment of gain and compression settings, switchable EQ filters to adjust audio tone color and options to save custom user presets.
- Rugged all-metal construction provides durability and reliability.
Audioengine speakers
Hal’s setup also includes a nice pair of white Audioengine A2+ speakers that match his Autonomous standing desk and other elements in the light and airy room.
“How happy are you with the Audioengine speakers?” a commenter asked. “I am considering them to also use them in a mixed use setup and am not sure about how good they are for any scenario that is not music like Microsoft Teams.”
“They’ve been good,” Hal replied. “Bought them in 2019 (I think) and they provide enough bass and a ton of clarity. Use them for music, YouTube and light gaming through Moonlight to a PC.”
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Photo: [email protected]
Microphone, speakers and stand:
Computers and dock:
Display and webcam:
Input devices:
Furniture:
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected]. Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches, challenges and plans for new additions.
This USB/XLR mic for podcasting, recording, live streaming and gaming includes a built-in headphone output and all-metal construction.
