About a month ago, Monoprice released the Dark Matter Sentry Streaming Mic. This mic was released to target the Blue Yeti Mic, offering similar performance at approximately half the cost. The Monoprice team was kind enough to send me a Sentinel to try over the past month or so and I have a few thoughts. Thanks to Monoprice, but the thoughts below are my own. If you are interested in the microphone, you can get your own from Monoprice now.
First, let’s talk about the specs real quick. The Sentry is a condenser microphone that offers cardioid, stereo, bidirectional and omnidirectional polar patterns. It has a universal ⅝” threaded mounting point, connects to devices via a USB-C connection (USB 2.0 unfortunately), and has LED lighting to let you know it’s a gaming microphone. The Sentry has an answer in frequency range of 20Hz-20kHz and has adjustable gain to allow +/- 12dB as needed.It also comes with an optional spider mount for use if you don’t have a mic arm or other options.As of writing, Sentry it’s down to just $74.98!
Before getting into the sound samples, I thought I’d share my overall experience with the Sentry. Overall, I really like Sentry. It really was plug and play and I didn’t even have to adjust the microphone gain levels outside of the built in knob. Compared to a dynamic mic like the Samson Q9U, this is great. The button to change the pickup pattern is very easy to access on the top and works great and is able to clearly communicate what the pattern is simply with up to 4 dots on the top. I love how easy it is.
For the last couple of months, I’ve only used the cardioid pickup pattern for the Sentry, but the versatility allows it to have so much more potential. Do an interview? Use two-way. Podcasting with a small group? Omnidirectional is the way to go. All in one convenient package.
However, I have a couple of complaints about the Sentry. First, it has “customizable” LEDs, and that simply means you can cycle through five colors (blue, green, pink, yellow, white) that are constantly lit. I wish there was a cycling ability or a breathing effect or even the ability to really customize the colors available. Also, I was literally writing this article when I learned that you can turn off the lights (except the light for the word “MODE” at the top) by holding down the light change button at the bottom for a few seconds. My other gripe is the placement of the USB-C port. It’s on the bottom. I really wish they had put it in the back instead. It just makes me awkward on the mic arm because of how far a USB-C cable sticks out. This is the biggest complaint in my opinion and could have been thought of a little better in my opinion.
Now it’s time for sound samples. You can check out the audio samples for the Samson Q9U in that review which also includes the Logitech G430 Headset Microphone and Logitech C270 Webcam Microphone if you’d like a comparison. I first tested the cardioid pattern with the gain knob set at approximately 9, 12 and 3 o’clock and then went through the different pickup models at approximately 12 o’clock gain.
I actually really like the Sentry mic and it has definitely become my go-to for all my needs. What’s your favorite mic to use?
by Tommy Williams
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
