An Excellent Entry-Level Microphone for Recording and Streaming.
What’s in the box:
- 1x MAONO DM30 Microphone
- 1x USB power cable
- 1x User manual
Features:
- 9 Controllable RGB Light
- Perfect for Podcasts, Games, and Live Streams
- Solid base and metal build
- 3-in-1 Multi-function Knob
- 9 Controllable RGB Light
- Smooth and Clear Sound
- Zero Latency Monitoring
- Real-time monitor output
- Plug and Play
- High Sensitivity
- Cardioid Pattern
- Reduce Ambient Noise
- Maono Link software
Specifications:
- Specifications:
- Pickup device type – Condenser
- Polar Pattern – Cardioid
- Sensitivity – -4dBFS (1V/Pa at 1kHz)
- Frequency Response – 2OHz – 20kHz
- USB Specifications – USB 2.0
Aesthetics:
The first striking feature of this microphone is its modern yet nostalgic appearance. It evokes a sense of vintage design but is brought into the present with its sleek matte black finish and contemporary knobs to complete the look.
Due to its stunning aesthetics, this microphone will enhance the visual appeal of any setup, including your live stream.
The DM30 stands out visually with a full set of RGB lights that are housed behind the mic and radiate an alluring glow via its perforations. These lights provide for a variety of customization options.
Sound Performance:
The MAONO DM30 is probably one of the best budget microphones on the market right now, with a professional sound chipset for great sound quality and high-sensitivity cardioid pickup, good durability, RGB lighting with 8 different modes that you can control via a button or software monitor that allows you to monitor and adjust the sound recording without noise.
The sound quality is remarkably clear and sharp, making it suitable for use even at a distance. This microphone features a high-sensitivity condenser microphone core with a sampling rate of 24-bit / 48 kHz.
However, its high sensitivity can be a double-edged sword as it tends to pick up background noises quite effectively. In such situations, we recommend reducing the volume to below 90% and utilizing noise reduction features.
Although the microphone has a cardioid polar pattern, it’s important to realize that it is directionally sensitive, making it useful in eliminating undesirable sounds like keyboard and mouse clicks, but it tends to wash out most background information, focusing mostly on the front of the microphone.
This directional sensitivity is helpful for activities like gaming since it improves voice separation from ambient noises like air conditioning, keyboard clatter, and background conversations.
It’s important to keep in mind that, being an entry-level microphone, it can not provide the best audio quality. It can pick up vibrations from typing and mouse movements, as well as record keystrokes because it is mounted on a desktop, which causes some lingering noise.
Durability:
Upon your initial encounter with the microphone, you’ll promptly appreciate its elegance, solid construction, and substantial weight, as it consists primarily of metal with the exception of the cover.
The top and buttons are made of plastic, but this material choice doesn’t pose any significant issue. My version is black, but there are various other colors available to match your setup, such as purple, pink, or white. These colour options look exceptionally appealing, and it’s difficult to discern that this microphone is a budget-friendly choice at all.
The microphone’s weighty base provides excellent stability on a table to prevent accidental bumps or knocks and can be rotated to accommodate a wide range of positions for various PC users. While its primary adjustment is back-and-forth, it can swivel up to 300 degrees.
If you need even more flexibility, you can invest in a boom arm, which can be conveniently disassembled into three sections. Furthermore, the microphone’s associated boom can also be attached to the boom arm using a second screw hole on the underside.
User Friendly & Functionality:
As mentioned before the Microphone comes with spectacular RGB lighting which can easily be managed using the button located at the base, offering a selection of 9 diverse modes. These include an option to turn off the lights entirely, cycle through 7 distinct solid colours such as red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and magenta, as well as a scrolling rainbow mode.
It’s worth noting that the rainbow mode solely rotates, so you won’t find additional modes like Breathe or Strobe here. Alternatively, you can fine-tune RGB and other settings, including brightness, using the Maono Link program.
The microphone’s base features a USB-C port and a 3.5 mm jack positioned just below the illumination. Additionally, there is a control wheel with multiple functions and two indicator lights on the front of the microphone.
The microphone has an easy-to-use knob interface on the front that allows for quick gain control and button-based muting. The volume can also be changed by turning the knobs on either side; the indicator light will flash repeatedly when the volume hits the maximum or minimum setting.
Below it, you’ll find two LEDs: one for the microphone and one for the headphones. These LEDs stay dim unless headphones are plugged in. Moreover, the microphone light remains constantly on; it switches to red when muted and green when active.
The DM30 is very simple to use. Connect the microphone by plugging its linked cord into any USB port. A green LED under the control knob lights up to signal the prompt detection by the operating system and readiness for recording. You may use the microphone to record on your computer (Windows and Mac) or phone by switching the included USB cable to a USB-C one.
The accompanying software for the DM30 microphone dubbed “Maono Link” is user-friendly and offers a wide range of features, with the option to enhance your voice’s tone to make it sound more robust and warmer.
With the ease of a one-touch mute feature, adjust the monitoring ratio, headphone volume, and microphone gain precisely. The tone settings on your microphone are easily adjustable, and switching between them is simple. Additionally, for a truly unique sound experience, you can customize the equalizer, compressor, and limiter settings on your audio.
Using the Maono Link software, we discovered that changing the settings on your microphone truly does make all the difference between an ordinary and exceptional experience.
You need to be aware that the Maono Link software may not be compatible with all Maono microphone models.
MGR Gaming’s Conclusions:
In summary, this microphone is ideal for podcasting and communication, such as meetings. It delivers a ‘bright sound’ and excels at capturing intricate voice details
Undoubtedly, the MAONO DM30 microphone stands out as a top-quality tool, and moreover, it offers a plethora of innovative features for content producers. MAONO has crafted an excellent solution that allows for high-quality live broadcasts and recordings with minimal post-production editing needs.
With its durable build and user-friendly design, this microphone is a great choice for content creators. It ensures excellent sound quality for live streams and podcasts, thanks to its intuitive software and easy operation.
The MAONO DM30 enhances the look of any production space with its sleek design, customizable RGB lighting, and color options. It’s a versatile, user-friendly, and high-quality tool for content creators, including podcasters and streamers.
To get your hands on this fantastic microphone you can visit the official store here.
