Thronmax MDrill One USB Microphone Review

[@wkdie]

this is mi checkin the oreo

[@nabilfreeman]

Got the MDrill One after watching your review, for remote video calls and podcasting. Really happy with it so far. Thanks for a great review and explaining how to set the gain settings for best results!

[@ScottDumas]

Awesome! Glad to hear it's working out well for you :) Enjoy!

[@merchantofmilan]

just bought the product thanks to your review!! i'm satisfied. Thank YOU!!

[@ScottDumas]

Awesome! Glad to hear you like it :) Thank you for watching!!

[@sherab108]

Just got this at an incredible price at an auction site to do voice overs on client's woodworking instructional videos, VERY EXCITED! Thank you for the great setup advice BTW...very helpful!

[@SinusPrimus]

Hi Scott. I also just bought the MDrill One today in Switzerland. I was testing it successfully. My voice is not so loud and I`m happy about the gain. I`m using it with a HP Elitebook 850 G5. The sound quality is much better than with the built-in Microphone! Thank you for your video! Greetz from Switzerland!

[@ScottDumas]

Greetings from Japan! :) Glad to hear you're enjoying it! Thanks for watching the video :)

[@hobi1769]

That is him checking the audio.

[@JDW-]

Thanks for the review, Scott. If you are using that Rode mic for all audio in this video other than the times when you used the MDrill mic, then I would personally choose the Rode, especially if the audio from the Rode mic is straight out of the mic with no EQ. Even when you added EQ (bass, actually), the MDrill didn't sound as good as the Rode.

[@ScottDumas]

Hey, thanks for watching :) Yeah.. the rode definitely sounds more "full" ...although it requires a lot more of an investment. You need XLR cables and a recorder that can provide phantom power. I have it running into a Zoom f4 which will cost an extra $600 or so on top of the mic and the cable (although a cable was included in the mic kit). Even for something like a zoom h4n or similar is a couple hundred bucks extra. That would also make it much more difficult to use for something like live streaming without the proper setup and it won't be compatible with Playstation or things like that. From a pure audio quality standpoint, yep- the Rode wins all day (and probably any other similar design), but I have been pretty happy with the MDrill for the different pickup patterns and ease of use. That being said... I'm not sure it's the best audio quality among USB microphones so there's a lot to consider when deciding- pickup patterns, pricing, how it will be used etc. A tough choice!

[@AlexRiz18]

Hey Scott. Thank you for the massive hardwork you do! Just two questions which would you recommend between the Thronmax MDrill One Pro or the Fifine K670B? Also why one over the other? Thank you in advance, I've just been in a dilemma between these 2 mics. Take care and stay safe! :D

[@ScottDumas]

Muhammad Amir Rizah hey, thanks so much! In my personal experience, the KFine was actually more hassle free, plug and play and worked well. But the MDrill does feel like it has more potential.

[@AlexRiz18]

@@ScottDumas Thank you for the swift reply. Just a follow up. Would you happen to know the difference between the Thronmax MDrill One vs the One Pro? Is it just the audio recording quality difference or are there any hardware or feature difference? Apologies as I couldn't find the answer online. Much obliged in advance. Godspeed! :D

[@malekbakkar3175]

I bought it like 3 months and I had no clue what the modes did lol

[@cinemenico]

Hum, 4K straight away, no 360p-squad. :P Thanks for the in-depth look at this, I have one coming inboud from the Indiegogo backed campaign. :)

[@ScottDumas]

Haha I uploaded it last night as unlisted and forgot to switch it over until tonight so it must have already processed the 4k :) I hope you like it! It's been a very pleasant mic to use. Thanks again for watching!

[@cinemenico]

Ah, that would explain. :P Yeah, certainly looks alright. Straight out of mic sounds a bit tinny, but then again a lot of mics do. Little EQ fix and voilá. Too bad the gain sounds like you might as well dial it in in post. Doesn't seem to have any real analog boost to it. Definitely could work perhaps as a sort of roundtable 2- or 4-way podcast even as well as general use. Not sure if it would necessarily beat Blue Yeti, but it does seam versatile.

[@ScottDumas]

Exactly as you said! I always love having options/alternatives to the "big guys" so I think they did alright here :)

[@s.h9365]

Hi, thanks for the video, do u still recommend this microphone ?

[@ScottDumas]

Hi! Thanks for the comment. I honestly don't use USB mics that often, so it's hard to say because I don't have much to compare it to. I used the new Rode Videomic NTG as a USB mic too and it worked pretty well, plus has a bit more versatility but is also more expensive. Depends what your use is I guess but I know a lot of people seem to be happy with this after purchasing it.

[@s.h9365]

@@ScottDumas i see, ty so much for replying!

[@VPNTESTER_en]

Hi, maybe higher gain is good for use with windbreaker cover/settings on the mic. I guess thats why it is available. Could you check such settings in future as well?

[@RobbieBoy33]

Great product, well worth the price, highly recommend it.

[@ScottDumas]

Glad to hear you've had a good experience with it :)

[@jafzja1782]

Nice review, thanks.

[@ckyap2868]

thanks Scott, i jus order it after i watch your review, cant wait to test the mic!

[@ScottDumas]

Awesome! Hope you enjoy it! Thanks for watching :)

[@ckyap2868]

@@ScottDumas any windows 10 software can recommend for adjusting the mic input volume?

[@ScottDumas]

@@ckyap2868 I'm not sure about windows software specifically but usually you can set the input level system wide in your audio/mic settings on the computer, or in a program like Audacity I think you can make the adjustments as well

[@ckyap2868]

@@ScottDumas any anti shock mount can recommen for this mic?

[@ScottDumas]

@@ckyap2868 Not sure about shock mount persay, but I think Thronmax does make their own boom arm which would help most likely

[@PetersonBlanc]

great review, I am only curious as to if not for the noice canceling, is the microphone a good overall mic when compared to others? Is there a way to simulate the noice canceling on another microphone by but on a pop filter and or setting your sound/volume controls on your computer? Interested in buy and so answers to those questions would be most helpful, Thanks

[@ScottDumas]

I honestly haven't tried many others but from what I have tried this was still a great mic. The noise canceling probably wouldn't do much anyway and/or would have a negative effect on the audio and I'd rather have control of that in post. The distortion at higher gain settings bothered me most but I didn't need those higher settings at all anyway and can't imagine they would be all that necessary for most uses. Generally, I think this is a good choice.

[@techquad1151]

the green light is so strong its a pain if recording in night mode, and its a pain for the eyes when u need to be so close to the mic, for a usb mic, its pretty good, but for me that was a downer, a small very big thing.

[@rapzy2698]

Hi,should i buy this?

[@Sponsi_PL]

Well done, thank you! The gain thing is strange, though : /

[@myrapapa1758]

I have this kind microphone. I can't not open the sounds. It's always on red even I press as you said in explained.

[@adityabrahma6666]

hey scott. which one is better between this mic and hyper x solocast?

[@leonlundemo4595]

Really straigt to point vid. Very nice👍🏻👍🏻

[@ScottDumas]

Thanks so much! :)

[@justnamm]

Hi, can this micro connect and work well with smartphone ??

[@flyt129]

Have you had a look at the "noise canceling" feature? On the indigogopage I can see that it would be indicated by a green light instead of a blue on on the pattern indicator. Or is it something different now?

[@ScottDumas]

I think that's actually a MDrill One PRO feature that isn't included here but to be honest with you I'm not sure if that's the only difference or if the PRO is an updated version of this with some other internal fixes that will be released in place of the MDrill One. I'll ask Thronmax and see if I can find any more information!

[@flyt129]

@@ScottDumas Cool, thx for investigating. I thought the only difference would be the 96khz 24bit. That there are even two versions is quite new to me. The only time they mentioned that the indogogo version is a different (the pro) version was in the last update. Quite confusing 😅

[@ScottDumas]

Hey so I finally heard back from them and the differences are like you said, the 96khz 24bit recording. Apparently they weren't satisfied with the noise cancellation feature and won't include it on the current production batches... meaning MDrill One Pro will actually NOT have noise cancellation. Both MDrill One and One Pro will be available at different prices and when the new active noise cancelling is worked out, they may introduce a new model, MDrill One Pro NC for example. Hope that clears it up and sorry for the delay!

[@flyt129]

@@ScottDumas No problem, thank you for asking them. Really sad to hear it was cancelled as it was the feature that made me interested in this product. :-/

[@JohnnyClark]

I am having a problem with low mic volume on Zoom, my iMac input setting for this mic is properly selected and at max input vol. The zoom settings are also correct for the input mic. I am using the cardoid setting. any suggestion for the low volume problem?

[@JameerxFresh]

Hey Scott, do you know of any shock mounts that would fit this mic?

[@behindasmr815]

Hey thanks for the review, can this be plugged in to iphone 6s...thanks so much!

[@Bugsbuni]

Well basically yes, you need to get a usb adapter that has an iphone input, then you can use it on your iphone.

[@behindasmr815]

Justas S thanks for the reply!

[@wirek69]

Can you share the name of the microphone you was using for this video?

[@ScottDumas]

It was the Rode NT1-A

[@JJ-lo9em]

hi so is there a wireless headset i can use with this? i prefer a headset to hear and the mic to talk, but i only have one aux input in my computer. what can i do?

[@thehatter0319]

How well does it record your voice while not picking up background noise

[@penpenn3918]

Hello Scott, I was about to get audiotechnica AT2020 usb+ before I watched this video, which one do you recommend for podcasting in terms of sound quality and variation? please advice

[@ScottDumas]

I haven't used the audiotechnica unfortunately, but it seems like another great choice. I liked the MDrill One a lot aside from the sound distortion when you raise the gain on the mic itself. It wasn't really necessary for my particular setup so it's ok, but since both mics seem to have good reviews it's difficult to say clearly one is better without having tried both first hand.

[@penpenn3918]

@@ScottDumas thanks a lot

[@penpenn3918]

Just got one, great sound, worth buying. Thanks for the review

[@Martin4o85]

Mate, your review is a really good, very professional job! The most amazing in the video is the focus and camera quality. I wonder is Thronmax MDrill One USB better than Blue Yeti Blackout. This question is keeping me awake at night in this isolation days 😁... Please share with me if you have an opinion about that. MDrill or Yeti?!

[@ScottDumas]

Hey! Thanks so much :) I appreciate that! Unfortunately I haven't tried the Blue Yeti myself so it's hard to say, but I know it is very popular and that leads me to believe it must do a pretty good job to be liked by so many. Wish I could give more insight to how they compare! Sorry!

[@emiliaadwdaw1347]

Could u make a video how to make the best audio with it? i bought it a long time ago and the audio is really bad for the price, and ive tried to turn off gain and everything but still bad

[@Zizotron]

same here, i feel like there are better microphones. have you switched yet? if you did dont hesitate to give me some advice

[@RicardoFerreira_21]

This microphone, works on ps4 and xbox one x, directly? without pc.

[@coccinellerouge1337]

Hey ! Does someone know if this mic would work for ASMR ? I dont have the money to buy a blue yeti. Im not a sound designer and i am really lost. Can i get a good quality of sounds ?

[@DimusTech]

This would be a very good Mic for me and my friends new podcast. but since we don't really have any budget for that project it's too expensive for this purpose for this period sadly. and any of the Mics I use for my videos aren't suitable to catch both of our voices with a good volume.

[@ScottDumas]

Ah that's too bad- the bidirectional pickup pattern on this would work perfectly for that type of situation :(

[@DimusTech]

@@ScottDumas I know, but for the moment we would need a cheaper solution I guess

[@tammysypniewski1891]

DimusTech Get a used Yeti

[@DimusTech]

@@tammysypniewski1891 why do even people sell them? lol, they are so good I think that even if you upgrade you'd still leave that one as backup or something

[@tammysypniewski1891]

@@DimusTech I've since researched and ordered the SudoTack usb mic. The specs seem really good and it's only $53 for the complete setup. I'll let you know how it is if you would like.

[@rohilx9771]

What size are the threads that the included base attach to?

[@Schtickey]

I just bought this mic and am using it with audacity and I cant tell if I am not using it right but the quality doesnt sound so nice on my playback. I hear a lot of echo in my room. Are there some settings that I should learn to tweak?

[@ScottDumas]

Hi! Echo will be a tough one to overcome without sound treating the room. I'd advise to try it in a different room or outdoors etc to make sure the echo is coming from the room and not some error with the microphone or recording itself. If the room is the problem, you could try sound treating it a bit with some sound blankets or record in a different room. Talking as close to the mic as possible will also help a bit since your voice will be louder in relation to the echo in the room. I hope that helps!

[@VSEVEN]

does it work ? If I just connect it directly to my laptop ? Or need a phantom power supply

[@ScottDumas]

The USB connection provides the power

[@VSEVEN]

@@ScottDumas ouh ok thanks alot

[@sprayzzz5538]

Sounds good

[@EthanLee-dv1ec]

do u think that this provides the same quality as the blue yeti?

[@ScottDumas]

I would really love to say but have never tried the Yeti for more than a couple minutes unfortunately. Hopefully someone in the comments who's used both can chime in here

[@MistarZtv]

I don't want the distracting lights. can we turn it off?

[@inactivechannelfr-z9r]

they got a newer version of the mic

[@wucwug]

great video.

[@ASMR_AMXN]

Hey, what program can I use to edit the sound after I have made a video?

[@ScottDumas]

There are lots, I usually just do it inside of FCPX when I'm editing the video but the controls aren't as good as some other programs. Audacity is free and quite in depth, and other video editors should all have some level of audio editing available.

[@ASMR_AMXN]

@@ScottDumas ahh okay thank you, so you would recommend Audacity? I have heard of it, is there any others that are simple to use?

[@ScottDumas]

@@ASMR_AMXN I'm not too much into audio editing haha... but Audacity is pretty powerful for a free program from what I've heard. I do use it from time to time and it's hard to complain :)

[@ASMR_AMXN]

@@ScottDumas ahah okay no worries thanks, also how to you use this with a camera I have a Canon 600D rebel. Would I need to buy a 2 sided 3.5mm jack?

[@ScottDumas]

@@ASMR_AMXN That's a good question. I'm actually not sure... since it's designed as a USB microphone it probably won't work that way. If you want to plug directly into your camera, another mic might be a better choice. Or you could record the audio to your computer while filming with your camera, and then sync the audio and video in post. Most programs, like FCPX, for example, will sync them automatically for you.

[@shyelbeshter]

Every time I plug it in it mutes the pc audio

[@balasooriyaas]

Does this microphone work with windows 10?

[@ScottDumas]

I assume it should but I haven't tried it myself.

[@Nelekets]

Hey Scott, thanks for your review of it. This video is a little old so I'm not sure if you'll see this or not - but I have a question. I've also just gotten this mic a few days ago, and I've noticed on mine that there is some kind of static-y sounding feedback that is constant. However, I've noticed that when I adjust the volume level using the knob on the back(the one that turns the meter blue, not the gain) the constant static sound goes away. But, the second the blue volume meter LED under the mute button disappears, the static immediately returns. Also, if I use the LED mood light button on the bottom, and cycle through the different LED colors, that also reduces the sound(though it doesn't completely disappear). Some colors make the static sound nearly completely go away, while others hardly effect it at all. I've tested another mic on my computer, a webcam mic, and I can confirm that the same static sound is not present at all. Do you think that my mic is defective or came with this issue, or have you ever noticed such a thing on yours? Also, would you know of any troubleshooting steps I could take to fix this? Thanks for any kind of help!

[@ScottDumas]

Hi! Thanks for watching :) That does sound pretty strange- especially the interference of different LED colors. I experienced some distortion at higher input volumes but otherwise didn't notice any static or feedback, nothing affected by other settings like you said. I'd try and get in touch with them and let them know about it, hopefully they can help you out!

[@mrgamingmanager4465]

can i put this mic on a microphone arm?

[@ScottDumas]

There are standard screw threads on the bottom so you should be able to

[@asappayback109]

Yes you can. I actually bought a Thronmax boom arm. I think the products they make are really great for the affordability factor.

[@ksamuel9]

The sound becomes distorted when you try to speak louder.

[@ScottDumas]

yeah there is some distortion if you're not careful but if you use optimal settings it can definitely be managed decently.

[@claraltbrk]

What does EQ mean ?

[@ScottDumas]

Equalizer, editing the bass, mids and treble in a post processing program to make the sound better.

[@AramK]

that mic clips terribly, good review, crappy mic

[@rohilx9771]

wdym clips

[@Rilation]

what is EQ?

[@ScottDumas]

sF Trip equalizer, editing the sound basically

[@pedrofernandes111]

is that the one with 48Khz or the one with 96Khz??

[@ScottDumas]

I believe this was the 48Khz version. Can't remember for sure though.

[@11april53]

ever since i got this mic, i have had the issue of windows turning up my mic settings without permission

[@KxC-KingC]

Do you still recommend this microphone

[@Bloodmanee]

How can i do some EQ settings for mdrill one ? if you can explain me i'll be appreciate

[@ScottDumas]

I honestly don't use USB mics much but you'd probably be best off with some software interface, not sure which are best though. If you're just recording, you can use something like Audacity which is free.

[@MewTube-o4l]

Say what Jackie?

[@leongchew]

Wondering this good for singing ?

[@ScottDumas]

It could be depending on you and your situation. If budget isn't super strict there could definitely be better choices (and something with an XLR would probably be a better choice I'd imagine)... but if it's all you have, I don't see why not :)

[@ScottDumas]

*note that I'm not a singer and haven't tested things like how it handles louder sounds, a variety of voices etc

[@mr.pinguin4565]

I wouldnt buy this mic buy a tonor q9 or a fifine k678 theyre cheaper and better in my opinion

[@olentor]

Thissis michecking thiahdio

[@olentor]

Jokes aside, great review! Bought one today 😀

[@WorstDeveloper]

Is it just me or does it sound absolutely terrible?

[@memoli801]

Wow that thing is so bad! Guys realy, what is wrong with your ears? I heard cheaper much better

[@denys_medvediev_188]

I'm officially addicted to Monocashback - just got it for only $47 after a 50% discount and an extra $3 in cashback. This app seriously makes shopping feel like a game and I'm winning!

[@GK68GO]

so how does this work if I may ask , All i need to do is just to plug the usb in?

[@Embly99]

is there a way to connect this straight to my DSLR camera?

[@ScottDumas]

In most cases I don't think so, since it works over USB. The Deity D3 or Rode Videomic NTG can both work as either DSLR mics or with a computer though if that's what you're looking for.