Introduction
If your company name is Streamplify, there is absolutely no reason not have a microphone and I love how Streamplify approaches microphone design from their desk mics as well as their USB mics but of course, we’re sticking with their current line-up and the current king of the hill of Streamplify mic is the MIC PRO.
This USB condenser microphone is just like many other microphone out right now and coming in at around PHP5K, its not necessarily competing in price as it sits in the price tier that many other sit in. While still lower, this is a saturated price point value is surely a main factor here so let’s walk through what we’re getting with the Streamplify MIC PRO.
Features & Specification
- Noise reduction function to ensure better voice capture
- Real-time voice monitoring adjustment while streaming
- High sampling rate of 192kHz/24bit for excellent clarity
- 4 selectable polar patterns: Stereo, Omnidirectional, Cardioid, Bidirectional
- 10 RGB lighting effects add a stylish flair
| Model | MIC PRO |
|---|---|
| Color | Black |
| Sensor type | ร14 mm condenser capsules |
| Condenser number | 4 |
| Pick-up pattern | Stereo, Omni directional, Cardioid, Bidirectional |
| Sample rate | 192KHz/24bit |
| Frequency response | 70Hz โ 20kHz |
| Signal to noise ratio | -31 dB ยฑ 3 dB |
| Sound pressure level | 110 dB |
| Impedance | 1K ฮฉ |
| THD | <3% (at 1 kHz) |
| Audio-out | Yes, 3.5mm jack |
| Mute function | Yes |
| Lighting effect | 10 modes, 2 RGB modes |
| Power required | 5V 300mA |
| Plug & Play | Yes, standard UVC & UVA protocol |
| Connection type | USB-C |
| Cable length | 180 cm |
| RGB effect | 10 types (long press to power on/off) |
| Tripod compatible | Support standard 5/8โ head |
Closer Look
The Streamplify Mic Pro gets green box for its color coded packaging. Its fairly large, easily the largest amonngst all of Streamplify’s primary streaming peripheral line and that’s due mainly to the microphone unit itself. Inside the package, lined with PE foam, we have the Streamplify MIC PRO along with its base, the shock mount and the microphone unit itself. The kit also comes with a pair of USB cables for USB-C or USB-A client ports.
Shock mounts used to be very expensive features for professioanl mics and to be fair, they still are for more mainstream brands but the concept of a shock mount is to keep the microphone from wobbling excessively when bumped or with movement. This does require an understanding of material behavior, physics and general good design but the science has been there for years and we’ve managed to drill it down to a standard design.
That said, the shock mount included with the Streamplify MIC PRO looks gimmicky and while it is functional, the very small area of movement doesn’t really give much in the way of shock resistance so I really won’t trust this much although if you’re on stock mic stand that should only be a problem if you tend to bump on the mic occassionally. On a mic arm though, that could be an issue if you tend to move the arm a lot.
Speaking of mic arm and stand, to connect the MIC PRO to the shock mount you need to unscrew the bottom ring that locks the RGB light diffuser on the bottom. Once removed, you can insert it in the center hole of the shock mount and then lock it in place.
After that, remove the screw on the end of the shock mount connector and screw it back in to the arm. The large screw is standard 5/8″ thread to connecto to your mic arm. Your mic should include a converter pin or screw if it uses a different size e.g. 3/8″ or smaller.
Using the MIC PRO is easy, all you need to do is to connect the USB-C cable and you’re good to go.
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User Experience & Conclusion
The test audio above should share a lot on how this mic handles regular speaking. This is recorded on the lowest gain levelย until I adjusted it as stated in the track. The noise reduction feature didn’t work out so well but could probably be improved with tweaked audio. To be fair, the noise was obnoxiously loud and I feel if increased mic volume more, it’ll just pick-up more of the noise thus drowning the audio more.
The mic doesn’t have compressor or limiter function so those need to be placed at your audio pipeline or effects rack. I do feel this mic doesn’t have a lot of character to its audio other than I do sense it lacks body to the recording. That could just be my personal taste but sensitivity-wise, as a condenser I did expect to pick-up the subtle nuances in my speaking like the annoying “tsk” sound my tongue makes when I open my lips after a brief pause.
With the gain so low though, it did hold down the noise of the PC on the right, the airconditioning on the upper right side (which was on max fan) and another fa in a on the far left with the door open.
But everything said here isn’t unique to the Streamplify MIC PRO and I really have to cap this off by saying that in today’s world, most people are using dynamic microphones but those can get probihited expensive. With that said, using a condenser microphone to sound best requires a quiet room with a low noise floor and preferably no other sound sources that may interfere with your audio. If you understand that, even the cheapest USB microphone can sound great and that goes moreso for a larger mic like the Streamplify MIC PRO.
Still, I am on the fence here and Streamplify makes smaller mics which may be enough for you and the same goes for other microphones on the market. It’s a nice mic but I feel they could’ve reduced costs by removing the RGB lighting and just doing away with the shock mount.
Streamplify products are available now in the Philippines. Check out what’s available at https://ecommerce.datablitz.com.ph/collections/streamplify.
Its an easy recommendation in terms of quality both in build and audio but is threatened by more popular brands in the same price tier. The Streamplify MIC PRO could use a slight price drop but as it is, it competes fairly well in this price point.
