The folks at Monoprice reached out to Apple World Today to review The Dark Matter Sentry Streaming Microphone. I either broadcast or record audio files seven days a week and usually record 4-5 hours each week. Naturally I was interested in testing this microphone.
I’ll break down the review into two parts. The physical qualities of the microphone and the performance.
Physical Qualities
The first thing I noticed upon receiving the microphone was the quality of the packaging. The box easily slides open and the attention to detail and quality even in the box reminds me of how Apple so meticulously packages their products.
Inside the box is the microphone, a three-leg stand, a screw to secure the stand to the microphone, and a USB-C to USB-A cable. The connection on the bottom of the microphone is USB-C which is quickly becoming the standard for charging cables. There is also documentation and instructions, though the microphone is so quick and easy to set up, you won’t need those.
When I took the microphone out of the box, the first thing I noted was the heft and solid build of the microphone. This is definitely not a cheaply made product. Every aspect of this microphone says “quality.” The microphone is very weighty and solid. It’s so solid, that when my wife picked it up, she said “woah!” She was not expecting it to be so solid and weighty.
The stand that comes with it is even more so. This is perfect for using the microphone as it’s not going to fall over or even be easily knocked over. The stand has a hole for threading the USB cable through. The back leg of the stand is adjustable so you can tilt the microphone backwards. This gives even more direct sound input from your voice. If you prefer, you can mount the microphone on a stand with the 5/8 inch threaded mount point on the bottom.
The other physical attribute that struck me is everything is solid black other than a very tiny bit around the microphone monitor input. I have always preferred black electronics, as they seem to “disappear” when being used. That alone makes this microphone perfect if you are addressing a crowd or doing a broadcast. No one is going to be distracted by shiny metal. The Dark Matter microphone really does have a futuristic or even space age look to it.
On the top of the microphone is a mode button. This button toggles through a pattern of LEDs indicating the direction the microphone is picking up sound. There are four LEDs to show the pattern you have selected. You can have the microphone pick up sound from toward the speaker, from front and back for an interview type scenario, from two sides, or from all four sides to pick up sounds from all directions.
The front of the microphone had two large knobs. The top one is used to adjust the gain on the microphone when recording. This button doubles as a way to quickly mute the microphone. You press it one time and all the LEDs turn red, quickly letting you know the microphone is muted. There is also a very nice click when you press this button letting you know you have muted the microphone. The bottom button on the front of the microphone adjusts the volume when monitoring the microphone via the front audio jack. Below this button is the audio jack which accepts 3/8 “ input to monitor the microphone audio.
The microphone has LED lighting around the base and sides. You can also change the color of the multi-color LED accent lighting. You have the choice of pink, yellow, white, blue, or green. You can also simply disable the lighting.
Performance
As beautiful as the Dark Matter microphone is, the Dark Matter would “not matter” if it could not perform well as a microphone.
Set up was so easy, that there was no set up to do. I plugged the microphone into a MacBook Pro and it showed up instantly as a choice for sound input.
This is not a scientific comment, but when I played back my first recording, I actually caught myself saying, “Wow!” The sound was stunning. I had recorded some test speech using QuickTime. The sound was truly stunning and pristine.
I then asked my wife to help me test the different modes. We tested “interview” mode, surround, and all the modes we could. All worked wonderfully and sounded great.
I then took the microphone to where I was speaking publicly. I used it to record myself and the audience. The microphone performed flawlessly. As the speaker I was only a couple of feet from the microphone. The sound was perfect. When I listened back, during a break, I could easily pick up people in the back of the room chatting. I even heard a vehicle go by that I had not heard in person. If you do find the microphone too sensitive, you can easily lower the gain. You can do this in software, but the gain button makes it so much easier and quicker.
I absolutely love the look of the Dark Matter microphone. I always prefer black electronics when possible. Dark matters to me, and the color and performance of the Dark Matter microphone makes it a perfect choice for any recording needs. Could I use this everyday as my only microphone? Absolutely. At the price, a person can easily get one for the desk at home as well as the office. Or a spare to put into a travel bag when you want more professional recordings on the road.
I can tell that every aspect of this microphone, physical and performance, has been thought through and expertly designed. At the very low price of approximately $100 (at the time of this review, it was on sale for $70 directly from Monoprice) you get a stunningly beautiful microphone and one that works way beyond that price. If you need a microphone for recording, look no further than the Dark Matter from Monoprice.
Apple World Today rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★★★
