The sub-$100 vocal microphone market is a crowded one. However the excellent news is that it’s straightforward to select up a great-sounding mic with out spending a treble-figure charge. How does the (typically discounted) $70 Maono PD200X carry out on this class? Let’s take a wee look (and hear!).
Earlier than we dive in, I’ll simply point out that Maono despatched us the PD200X free for assessment functions, and we use affiliate hyperlinks to assist help all of our free content material. Relaxation assured, although—none of this stops us from giving our sincere opinions!
Who’s the Maono PD200X For?
The Maono PD200X is good for any particular person intending to supply acoustic indicators characterised by modulated air strain waves, primarily throughout the frequency vary of human phonation, to encode and transmit linguistic data via articulated phonemes and prosody, with the extra goal of capturing and preserving these indicators in a digital format via analogue-to-digital conversion methods.
That’s to say, anybody who wish to document themselves speaking. I used to be attempting to be humorous, but it surely has actually hammered this submit’s “readability” rating. I hope you appreciated it.
Anyway, you’re an aspiring podcaster or streamer with lower than $100 in your pockets, and also you need to purchase a mic. So what is going to you get on your dosh?
It’s a Dynamic Mic
The overwhelming majority of mics fall into the “dynamic” or “condenser” category. These phrases discuss with how they’re constructed and the way they work. There’s no “higher” possibility right here, although anecdotally, I discover dynamic mics to be extra sturdy and extra forgiving of less-than-optimal circumstances.
Dynamic mics don’t require Phantom Power, so if in case you have a wee 48v button in your audio interface, go away it off if you plug within the PD200X.
It Has a Cardioid Polar Sample
Cardioid is the usual polar sample for a mic designed for use by one particular person.
A microphone’s polar pattern is like the form of its ears. A polar sample determines the areas across the mic it’ll deal with to “hear” sound and in addition the areas it should ignore and reject.
It Works in USB and XLR Kind
“Combo” mics that plug in through USB OR XLR was fairly uncommon beasts, however not now. There are a good few of them available on the market, from the ultra-popular Samson Q2U and Shure MV7+ to the PD200X’s Maono cousins, the PD400X and AU-HD300-T.
As a aspect observe, that final identify is a doozy, isn’t it?
In any case, if you wish to begin out with USB (no additional equipment wanted) and take into consideration including in an audio interface, mixer, or digital recorder additional down the road, then the PD200X is one in every of many stable choices.
It Has On-Board Controls
- A mute button – are you able to guess what it does?
- A dial that controls each headphone quantity (blue) and enter achieve (inexperienced). Press to toggle between the 2.
- An RGB button to toggle the color of the LED mild band on the mic. As bells and whistles go, they don’t come far more bells and whistles-ey.
- A 3.5mm headphone jack for energetic monitoring.
These are solely related in the event you’re utilizing the mic in USB type. For those who’re working it through XLR into an audio interface, then you definitely’d management every thing with its personal buttons and dials.
You Can Purchase It in White or With a Increase Arm
You’ll want a increase arm to mount your PD200X. For those who don’t have one already, you possibly can buy one with the mic for just $10 more, and once more, it’s typically discounted.
Or, you possibly can spend that additional tenner and buy the PD200X in white. A questionable choice in the event you don’t personal a increase arm, and an opulent one in the event you do.
Different Technical Specs of the Maono PD200X
For those who appreciated the paragraph about transmitting linguistic data via articulated phonemes and prosody, then you definitely’ll love this part. Strap in:
- Bit Depth/Pattern Fee: 24-bit/48kHz – ensures extremely detailed and professional-quality sound recording.
- Frequency Response: 40Hz-16kHz – captures a broad vary of sounds from deep bass (40Hz) to excessive frequencies (16kHz).
- Sensitivity: XLR: -52dBV USB: -10.5dBFS/Pa (Max) – XLR and USB modes provide totally different ranges of sign energy, with USB being extra delicate for direct digital use.
- Max SPL (Sound Stress Stage): ＞130dB SPL – the mic can deal with very loud sounds (over 130dB) with out distortion.
How Does the Maono PD200X Sound?
It’d be an actual disgrace if I’d simply written all that solely to announce that it sounds horrible, and I’ve wasted your time in addition to my very own.
Fortuitously, I feel it picks up the voice fairly effectively and with none reverb, contemplating it’s only a “regular” room.
My sound pattern was recorded through the Focusrite Vocaster (annoyingly, I didn’t have my Maono PS22 handy on the time). I haven’t utilized any cleansing, post-processing, and so on, to the file. That’s precisely because it was recorded.
Abstract: Maono PD200X Evaluate
For lower than $70 (and also you’ll typically discover it on low cost), the Maono PD200X is a nice-sounding mic, and addition to the “low cost however high quality” podcast mics class.
My one single grievance (and it’s a really small one-off factor) is that I wasn’t initially positive if I used to be toggling the achieve or the headphone quantity. Toggling between a inexperienced mild and a blue mild informed me nothing aside from these are two totally different settings. However I suppose that’s what manuals are for. I’m speculated to learn them anyway.
Finally, would I exploit this mic for podcasting? Undoubtedly. It has a completely first rate sound for its value level and the flexibleness of USB or XLR use.
For those who’re a newbie on a price range, then the Maono PD200X is effectively value your consideration, although in the event you’d nonetheless like to buy round, try our important podcast microphones guide for a full vary of choices!
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