Here is my review on the PD–70 dynamic studio microphone. For the human voice, it sounds great, isolates well and even looks great too, especially at ≈US$130. I love the included —and already installed— windscreen which not only enhances its visual appearance, but also is as pop-proof as the “presidential” A81WS windscreen I have covered several times before. The PD-70 is the also the first microphone I have ever reviewed that comes with its own conspiracy theory (in a very positive way). Of course, I have much more to say about it, but I know you want to hear it, so get ready to listen too.

There is always a lot less to write about analog-only, XLR-only dynamic microphones, especially those which don’t have any built-in switches, buttons or headphone jacks. However, their simplicity doesn’t mean that these pure microphones are uninteresting or not good. They are just more simple to describe. I actually favor microphones which lack an On/Off switch (since those that do have them tend to be Off by mistake when we really need them to be On). For human voice recordings, it’s also practical to have a microphone whose natural frequency curve already has a low cut (aka high pass) filter always active. This is the case with the PD-70 microphone, which lacks any switches… and its natural frequency curve (shown below) naturally cuts rumble (undesired low frequency noise).

Another nice thing about the ≈US$130 PD-70 microphone is that it has a substantially higher output level than a particular ≈US$400 dynamic microphone it resembles visually. The PD-70 has a rated sensitivity of 1.6mV/Pa —which translates into -55.91760034688 dB re 1 V at 1 Pa, decibel relative to 1 volt per 1 pascal (thanks to TranslatorsCafé for that conversion)— so whichever preamp is attached will have less work to do, whether it be a standalone preamp, an interface with built-in A-to-D (analog-to-digital) converter, an audio mixer, recorder or even a professional video camera with an XLR audio input.

The included mount with thread adapter allows you to attach the PD-70 to your favorite mic stand or boom arm, whether it uses 3/8″-16 or the larger 5/8″-2, like my PL-2T from Heil as you’ll see it in the above photo. (The PL-2T is one of the very few flexible boom arms that hides the balanced audio cable inside.)

Standard cardioid pattern

The PD-70 has a standard cardioid (heart-shaped) pickup pattern, illustrated above. It rejects mostly from the direct rear, so the rear should always be positioned to point to the source of any undesired sound.

Applications

I believe that the PD-70 can fit well in the following applications:

• Audiobook narration
• Course narration
• Online panels, i.e. Hangouts, Meet, Skype, Zoom (as long as the panelist agrees to have the microphone close to her/his mouth)
• Radio (including AM/FM, live Internet radio, podcasting and satellite radio)
• TV studios where the visible mic close to the talent is acceptable, especially when the same TV shows are also distributed as audio-only

Test recordings

The original recordings were made at 48-kHz sampling frequency (see 48kHzAlliance.com) and at 24-bit (see Understanding 24-bit vs 16-bit audio production & distribution) into an uncompressed WAV file. However, the published versions have been trimmed, normalized and exported at 48 kHz 16-bit WAV. Please listen with unmetered data.

MALE VOICE (mine):

Above, the flat, unadulterated recording, normalized in Hindenburg Journalist Pro.

Above, the same recording with mild noise reduction from Hindenburg Journalist Pro.

FEMALE VOICE:

Above, the flat, unadulterated recording, normalized in Hindenburg Journalist Pro.

Above, the same recording with mild noise reduction from Hindenburg Journalist Pro.

Free conspiracy theory

The free PD-70 conspiracy theory (in a very positive way) comes from a YouTube channel called Aging Engineer. I don’t know the host personally so far. As you’ll hear and watch here, the Aging Engineer simultaneously compares the sound of the ≈US$130 PD-70 with the RØDE ProCaster (whose total price is US$249 after you add US$229 and ≈US$20 for the WS2 windscreen) with a stereo recording. (I reviewed the ProCaster with WS2 in 2019.)

In his audio/video presentation, Aging Engineer provides evidence to indicate that the PD-70 and the ProCaster may share the same capsule. He compares the sound and the published frequency curves of each. Later, I verified that the published sensitivity is within one tenth of a decibel. The ProCaster is much more costly and physically much larger than the PD70. Although the ProCaster is still a current product, RØDE has since released lower-priced microphones which I have reviewed too.

Ratings

Looks and build quality

Sound quality for human voice, in its ≈US$130 price

Plosive resistance with included windscreen

Conclusions

For the human voice, I am delighted with the sound quality, physical design and price performance of the PreSonus PD-70 microphone. I love the fact that the PD-70 comes with an attractive windscreen that makes it impoppable. I also love that the PD-70 includes the essentials (the microphone, windscreen and mount) without offending accessories like a nearly useless desk stand, often included with other microphones in this price range.

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FTC disclosure

No manufacturer is specifically paying Allan Tépper or TecnoTur LLC to write this article. Some of the other manufacturers listed above have contracted Tépper and/or TecnoTur LLC to carry out consulting and/or translations/localizations/transcreations. Many of the manufacturers listed above have sent Allan Tépper review units, including PreSonus. So far, none of the manufacturers listed above is/are sponsors of the TecnoTur , BeyondPodcasting CapicúaFM or TuSaludSecreta programs, although they are welcome to do so, and some are, may be (or may have been) sponsors of ProVideo Coalition magazine. Some links to third parties listed in this article and/or on this web page may indirectly benefit TecnoTur LLC via affiliate programs. Allan Tépper’s opinions are his own. Allan Tépper is not liable for misuse or misunderstanding of information he shares.

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