More and more, I’m operating displays or attending Microsoft Groups conferences from my desk. Subsequently, it turned time to enhance the sound setup at my workstation. Maono is a revered title within the area of microphones, and so their PD300X appeared an excellent selection for me, however how did it fare?
Though I generally produce quick movies for these evaluations—what’s the purpose of reviewing a microphone should you can not hear what it appears like—I don’t take into account myself a YouTuber. Subsequently, I’m not desperate to spend many a whole lot of kilos (I’m within the UK) on unnecessarily superior gear.
Just lately, I reviewed a Maono wi-fi lavalier microphone. I used to be suitably impressed and so was very happy to danger attempting their PD300X microphone mixed with the BA37 growth arm.
First Have a look at the PD300X Microphone
Pleasingly, the mic and growth arrived in cardboard packaging, however the growth had a foam insert helpful for storage.
The microphone is constructed from a multi-coated aluminum alloy. Protecting the capsule is a foam pop filter. Behind that may be a mute button, after which a multi-function rotating push button. That serves because the mic achieve management, the headphone quantity, and the monitor mixer. Then, on the rear of the microphone is an XLR output, a USB-C socket, plus a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The mic is secured right into a rubber shock mount, onto which is connected the stand adapter.
First take a look at the BA37 Growth Arm
Just like the mic, the stand is made nearly totally of steel. It’s sturdy and fitted with a heavy spring. On the base, a G-clamp secures the arm to the desk. The arm that swivels on the bottom includes three elbow joints and, on the prime, the microphone can even rotate and tilt.
Setting Up the Rig
I hardly learn the directions. I’m fairly good at understanding how issues are put collectively and I’m a fan of simplicity. If I must seek advice from the directions, then a tool is commonly needlessly complicated. Establishing this was simplicity itself. The mic and arm had been out of the containers and put in on my desk in below 5 minutes.
The growth arm was equipped with two Velcro cable tidies and the elbow joints have channels to feed the cable round. These elbows had been too tight on receipt and I wanted to discover a hex key to loosen them.
The mic is plug-and-play, so putting in it on my PC simply required the USB cable to be plugged in. The field proclaimed that the mic “Made for Apple,” so it additionally works with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod, assembly Apple’s exacting requirements.
The microphone is designed for recording podcasts and due to this fact ought to have an excellent response to vocal frequencies. Certainly, that’s the case, and in conferences, others commented that the sound high quality was far superior to these utilizing their laptops’ built-in microphones and even different desk mics.
It collects sound in a cardioid polar sample, which suggests it’s designed to be pointed on the individual being recorded and is much less more likely to choose up ambient noises from the room.
On prime of the microphone, located across the achieve dial, is an LED array that exhibits the microphone degree. That rotary dial can also be a push button, and it could possibly change from adjusting the microphone achieve to headphone quantity, and monitor mixer. The LEDs change coloration to point which perform you might be utilizing. This multi-functional knob is straightforward to function.
The Accompanying Maono Hyperlink Software program
The producer produces free software program to work with its mics known as Maono Hyperlink. I downloaded that and ran it on my PC. The present model solely works with Home windows. The software program features a easy sound recorder with a graphic equalizer that lets you save your individual presets. There are additionally included presets for various conditions like podcasting and gaming.
Usefully, the software program additionally features a noise gate. It does this by attenuating the sound under the set threshold.
In Use
The microphone was straightforward to arrange and use. The LED degree show across the achieve knob was vivid sufficient to see with out it turning into a distraction. I used to be actually happy to see that it had a mute button, which is helpful for privateness.
As I hinted earlier, the sound high quality is nice. For speech, recorded voice over my Bose speaker comes over deep and crisp. Males’s voices are usually inside the 80 to 180 Hz vary, whereas ladies sometimes fall inside the vary of 165 to 255 Hz.
The microphone claims a 192 kHz / 24-bit sampling fee inside a 40 Hz to 16 kHz vary. I examined that. On the low finish, it certainly detected sounds all the way down to 40 Hz, far decrease than the human voice. It additionally detected sounds I performed by way of my speaker as much as 16.5 kHz, approach above the vary of my poor listening to and much larger than the very best tones created by the human voice, and in addition 500 Hz larger than the marketed fee.
I haven’t reviewed something that’s excellent, and a reviewer wouldn’t be doing their job correctly in the event that they discovered nothing improper with a chunk of kit. However, I solely write evaluations of drugs I’d be completely satisfied utilizing, and I’ve despatched some stuff again with out writing a assessment as a result of it has been one thing I’d not use nor advocate. With this mic, there have been solely two trivial niggles.
As I discussed, the stand’s elbow joints had been just a little too tight to begin with, however I used to be in a position to loosen them with a hex key. As a photographer, it could have been good if a hex key had been supplied and if the screws had 4 mm hex heads, in frequent with Arca-Swiss quick-release plates.
The place the mic attaches to the stand, I wanted to launch the strain of the wingnut so I might tilt or rotate the mic, after which tighten it once more to carry it in place. If there had been a rubberized sleeve over the pin contained in the clamp, there could have been sufficient resistance to reposition the mic with out having to loosen and retighten that nut. You’ll be able to rotate the mic clockwise with the wingnut tightened. Nevertheless, should you flip it counterclockwise, the mic unscrews from the pin. Once more, this can be a very minor problem and a standard design characteristic of different tools; my son’s microphone from one other model and a lamp I take advantage of work in the identical approach.
As soon as arrange, the mic labored effectively. As I discussed, the sound high quality was spot on, and the unidirectional nature of the mic that makes use of a cardioid polar sample helped it remove background noises. The controls, each on the mic and within the app, had been straightforward to make use of. Moreover, the stand was sturdy and appeared sensible. As soon as set in place, it stayed there.
The 2 multi-function controls on the mic had been straightforward to make use of. A brief press mutes the mic, whereas an extended press switches a customizable perform on and off. The principle management knob will be pressed to alter its capabilities too, and people totally different capabilities change the LED colours. So, on the default setting, the management is ready to microphone achieve (white LEDs). With one quick press, it adjustments to the headphone quantity (blue LEDs), and a second press prompts the monitor combine (purple LEDs).
The sound high quality was good for voice, and I additionally performed my acoustic guitar and sang into it. Though no setup would rework my voice into Artwork Garfunkel, Luciano Pavarotti, or Freddie Mercury, the end result was okay.
What I Appreciated and What May Be Improved Subsequent Time
What I Appreciated
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Nice sound high quality with a large dynamic vary and excessive sampling fee.
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Moderately priced.
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Glorious construct with high-quality elements.
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Pleasingly, the button on the rotary achieve required a agency push and was due to this fact laborious to function unintentionally.
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Contains an XLR output in addition to USB-C.
What May Be Improved Subsequent Time
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Supplying a hex key can be a boon to customers.
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Match 4 mm hex-headed screws to the stand.
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Embody a friction mount on the highest of the stand so the mic will be repositioned with out having to loosen and retighten the wingnut.
In Conclusion
There are different microphones on the market that value much more than this, and generally I wonder if you might be simply paying for the title. After I hearken to the recordings I made with this microphone, after which ask others to do the identical (I’ve reasonable listening to loss), I’m hard-pushed to suppose why most individuals would spend a lot after they can get a top-notch gadget at a a lot decrease finances. The Maono PD300X and their BA37 growth arm each supply nice worth for cash and are effectively value contemplating.
