Marantz Professional MPM-4000U — a USB microphone for podcasting and broadcasting
We continue our look at Marantz Professional products with the MPM-4000U USB microphone. We previously tested the manufacturer's most affordable USB microphone, the Pod Pack 1, which proved an interesting option. Today's MPM-4000U is a more advanced USB microphone with a headphone output, hardware volume control, and microphone gain adjustment.
The MPM-4000U is relatively new, introduced in early 2021. According to the manufacturer, it is intended for broadcasting, recording, and streaming. Unfortunately, it has neither direct hardware monitoring nor a dedicated ASIO driver. Full use in professional Windows applications therefore requires the universal ASIO4ALL driver. The microphone also comes with the free AKAI MPC Beats music-making application.
The MPM-4000U is a condenser USB microphone with a fixed polar pattern. A desktop tripod is included, allowing microphone height and angle adjustment.
MPM-4000U specifications
| Type | Condenser, |
| Capsule | 14 mm electret |
| Polar pattern | Unidirectional, cardioid |
| Frequency range | 30 Hz–18 kHz |
| Sensitivity | -32 dB |
| Maximum SPL | 130 dB |
| Audio interface | USB 2.0, Type C |
| Operating formats | 16-bit, 48 kHz |
| Power supply | USB bus power |
| Headphone output power | 400 mW |
| Hardware controls | Gain, volume, mute |
| Package contents | Microphone, stand, USB cable, MPC Beats software |
The MPM-4000U resembles many similar microphones, but is slightly smaller than traditional studio models. It has a cylindrical cast-metal housing, with a metal grille around the capsule at the top.
The microphone mounts on the small tripod but can also be attached to another microphone stand or boom arm. We like the supplied tripod's small height adjustment range, which helps find a comfortable microphone position.
All controls are on the front. The MPM-4000U has a MUTE button, a gain control, and a headphone volume control. The power indicator is green during normal use and turns red when MUTE is pressed.
A USB Type-C port on the bottom connects the microphone to the computer. The cable is included. Headphones connect through a mini-jack socket.
The microphone uses an electret capsule with a 14 mm diaphragm. A rubber support isolates the capsule from housing vibration. A foam cover protects it from breath noise. The microphone has one fixed cardioid polar pattern.
The MPM-4000U electronics are based on a CMedia CM6400 integrated chip. It combines a USB controller, two-channel ADC, and two-channel DAC with a headphone amplifier. Converter specifications are: ADC dynamic range 96 dB, DAC dynamic range 98 dB; ADC THD+N -86 dB, DAC THD+N -88 dB. Compared with the previous model, the Pod Pack 1 , the MPM-4000U has more attractive specifications.
The operating system sees a standard MPM-4000U recording device. There are no dedicated drivers, so sensitivity can be adjusted through the operating system.
Our tests confirmed that the MPM-4000U has no direct hardware microphone monitoring. The microphone signal cannot be heard directly in headphones as it is recorded. Monitoring is available only through software, with noticeable latency. The universal ASIO4ALL driver is therefore needed for professional audio applications to reduce that delay significantly.
We checked the USB microphone in the included AKAI MPC Beats application. This completely free program is intended mainly for making beats. It can nevertheless create projects with two audio tracks and eight MIDI tracks. It also has basic audio processing and an extra 2 GB sample library. AKAI MPC Beats is clearly aimed at beginners, introducing them to the Akai MPC environment. At the same time, it has the main features of a professional digital audio workstation (DAW), helping users understand how to develop their skills further.
Overall, the MPM-4000U records well and matches other affordable USB microphones. Its main sound characteristics are a slight lower-midrange boost and slightly reduced treble. These do not make the sound unpleasant; they are simply part of its character. EQ in post-production can shape the tone as needed. For streaming or live broadcasts, these differences are not critical. More importantly, recorded voice sounds pleasant and free of artifacts. Sensitivity is sufficient for speech at a distance. Like any condenser microphone, the MPM-4000U can benefit from an extra pop filter.
Conclusions
The Marantz Professional MPM-4000U is a simple, affordable USB microphone with basic controls: Mute, gain, and headphone output volume. Unfortunately, it has no dedicated ASIO driver or direct hardware monitoring. DAW use therefore requires ASIO4ALL.
The approximate price of the Marantz Professional MPM-4000U is 9 thousand rubles.
Note. This is an adapted machine translation into English. It follows the “In simple terms” approach. Read the original article at https://prosound.ixbt.com/microphones/marantz-mpm4000.shtml.