Pyle PDMIC58 Dynamic Microphone Review / Test
Buy the PDMIC58 (Affiliate Link)
Global: https://geni.us/pdmic58
After testing out the PDMIC78, I couldn't wait to test out this microphone, the PYLE PDMIC58. This mic is nothing more than Pyle's response to the Shure SM58; a Dynamic XLR microphone that feels sturdy. The main difference between this and the Shure SM58 is the price. This microphone is $13, and the Shure is $100+. So, keep that in mind throughout this review.
It's also important to know that this is a dynamic microphone, so it shouldn't require any voltage to function, however I am plugging it into my Sabrent USB Adapter.
What's In the Box
Dynamic Microphone
15-foot XLR to 1/4" Microphone Cable
Warranty / Spec Sheet
Performance / Features
The build quality on this microphone feels pretty good and it feels very similar to the Shure SM58. It is an all metal body and a metal grill just like the SM58, however, it is about half the weight. This means that either their are fewer components inside, the body is not all metal, or the metal is a lighter metal. I can't fault Pyle for the minor differences in build quality due to the mic being ~$90 cheaper.
The frequency response is 50Hz - 15kHz which is actually the same as the Shure. They did not include a diagram showing the actual frequency response of the microphone but when comparing the audio it seems like there are a lot more highs on the Pyle. All around it performed well in this regards. (in the video, the electric guitar example provides the most notable difference between the microphones EQ)
The impedance of this microphone is 600-Ohms compared to the 300-Ohms of the Shure. Basically what this means is that the Pyle will not perform as well if it is running through a long cable; it will lose some of the high frequencies. This isn't the biggest deal if you are just using the microphone in a home studio, but once you start throwing long cables on this microphone, you may start to notice a bigger impact.
The microphone is also uni-directional. That means that it only picks up audio directly in front of the microphone. As soon as you get off axis, the sound decreases quite a bit. That's why this kind of microphone is used in concert settings. It isolates the sound source really well, while eliminating surrounding noise.
Pros
SUPER CHEAP!!!
Good Sound Quality
Good Build Quality
Good at Isolating Sound
Cons
Bad with Plosives (need to Invest in pop filter)
Poor Documentation
Conclusion
All around this mic sounds great for the price. It's $13 and it performed pretty closely to the $100 microphone in a controlled setting. The real test would be to take this thing out back and beat the hell out of it because that's what's amazing about the Shure SM58; it's indestructible. I'm thinking that this microphone won't survive as much as the SM58, but it's a great starter for the price.
I think that the folks that would really benefit from this mic would be beginning podcasters. This microphone (with a ball pop filter on top) will sound great for a solo podcast, but you can also have multiple people in the same room, each with their own microphone, and you will have minimal bleed between the microphone.
For gamers, I'm not sure if this is the best microphone since you will need to stay right on top of the microphone to get the best audio, but it will be great at cancelling out the background noise. You will need to decide if you're willing to buy a boom arm and keep the mic close to your mouth the entire time your gaming. If you're willing to do that, this is a great mic.
For music, I think this did really well with the electric guitar and voice, but for an acoustic instrument, I think you'd be better off with a condenser microphone to pick up more of the ambience of the instrument.
Overall, I'm really impressed with this microphone and I recommend this to most people. If you have any additional questions about this headset, leave them in the comments on this site or on the youtube channel, and I will try to reply ASAP.
Pyle PDMIC58: http://amzn.to/1mx01eM
Ball Pop Filter: http://amzn.to/1JUlWkL
