We look at the gooseneck microphone Shure MX418 and the shorter MX412. Shure MX418 and MX412 are XLR cable gooseneck microphones and are part of the Shure Microflex series. The two microphones are the same, the only difference being the gooseneck length.
If you are looking for the right gooseneck mic to equip a conference room, training room, or pulpit for a church, continue to read on. You might have just found a reliable solution that can fit your needs.
If you are looking for a microphone suitable for home office or recording purposes, we recommend looking at other microphones better suited for such purposes. We recommend reading our Blue Yeti Pro and MXL AC-424 reviews.
Table of Contents
WHAT PURPOSE IS THE MICROPHONE SUITED FOR?
Shure MX 418 and Shure MX 412 are specifically designed to catch vocals and speech. These microphones serve the necessity of quality for conference meetings and presentations in large halls or an office environment. They are the perfect tool for regular business meetings and more formal corporate events. They are also perfect for presentations on a pulpit in a university or a church in front of an audience.
APPEARANCE AND AESTHETICS
The MX418 has a neat, unobtrusive business look. The plastic is of excellent quality.
The gooseneck of both microphones has a top and bottom flexible section so that the mic can be adjusted to an optimal distance from the speaker.
MX418 and MX412 have different lengths of the gooseneck – 18 and 12 inches.
We recommend you choose the mic size according to the size of the table or desk where the microphone will be installed. A longer microphone can be freely moved in a larger range. Sometimes a shorter mic is more appropriate, as keeping the mic too close to the speaker’s face can be disturbing.
The total length of the MX418 is about 23 inches, and just the gooseneck is 18 inches long. The shorter MX412 has a total length of 17 inches and a 12-inch long gooseneck.
The mute button and the LED indicator of the S models – MX418S and MX412, add about 1.5 inches more to the total length.
You can look closer at the total lengths of different models in the picture below.
ADVANTAGES AND SPECS:
The MX418S and the MX412S use cardioid or super-cardioid cartridges. When purchasing the microphone, you can choose the type of cartridge best suited for the room conditions. You can also buy an additional cartridge and switch the cartridges whenever necessary.
The cardioid cartridge has a slightly wider range. This means the microphone does not need to be directly pointed at the speaker. So the cardioid cartridge is the better choice if you expect the microphone to be used by two speakers simultaneously or if the speaker needs some flexibility to move within a short distance.
The super-cardioid cartridge captures sound in a shorter range. This type of mic is used one microphone per person. A shorter range means even lower levels of captured undesired noises.
Both the super-cardioid and the cardioid microphones have high-quality clear sound reproduction. The integrated shock mount absorbs vibration noises like finger tapping and keyboard typing. The snap-fit windscreen prevents disturbing sounds like plosives and breath noises.
Shure Commshield® technology is used to protect against radio-frequency interference.
If you need to use multiple microphones on a conference table, installing the mic on a desktop base might be a good idea. This way, the microphone would be easily movable, close enough to the conference attendees. You can use modifications without a desktop base and attach them to an available base or pick the model with a desktop base – MX418D or MX412D.
MX418 AND MX412 MODELS AND VARIATIONS:
The difference between the versions of these models:
- models MX418 and MX412 – standard models with a built-in preamp
- models MX418S and MX412S – besides the built-in preamp, these mics have a mute switch with a LED indicator
- models MX418D and MX412D – have a microphone base attached to the mic with a programmable mute switch
/S at the end of the model stands for super-cardioid
/C at the end stands for cardioid capsule
/N at the end means the microphone has no capsule
Why would you choose this mic?
Shure MX418 and MX412 are known as standard in the microphone industry. They are used anywhere- at press conferences, corporate meetings, or in a church. These microphones offer high audio quality and are easily adjusted to particular environments due to the different modifications offered by Shure. The microphones have a variety of adjustments and mounting options.
So if you need a high-quality gooseneck microphone, these mics will meet your expectations. Only you need to make sure that you choose the right model according to the conditions where the microphone will be used.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
models without a base include (MX418S/S, MX418S/C, MX412S/S, MX412S/C) :
the microphone
green light indicator
mute switch
attached XLR preamplifier
shock mount | flange mount
snap-fit windscreen
models with a desktop base include(MX418D/S, MX418D/C, MX412D/S, MX412D/C):
snap-fit windscreen
built-in preamp
attached is the desktop base with a programmable mute button with a status LED indicator
attached 10m (3 inches cable)