Arozzi Colonna – Hardware Review
Over the years we have tried out many different microphones from different brands, ranging from more budget-friendly devices developed by Sandberg, to premium-priced microphones created by Blue Microphones. We also concluded that a higher price tag doesn’t mean anything in terms of being a better device than those that are easier on your wallet. We love using the now-discontinued Sandberg Studio Pro Microphone USB, because it’s down to earth and has all the functions we need. Now, for the following review, we were given the Colonna microphone that is part of Arozzi’s gaming products. Impressed by its design, we were curious to see if the inside was as impressive as its golden outward appearance.
Design
As mentioned in the introduction, we were given the rose-gold version of the Colonna for our review. Upon opening the very secure and amply padded box, we were greeted by something that could have come out of an authentic 50s recording studio. While the height of the device is almost the same as our Studio Pro Microphone USB, the Colonna is a lot thicker and has a more prominent base.
When looking at the finer details and options of the device, the Colonna has several dials, a mute button, a button for the different audio profiles and a very nice black gridded microphone finish on the top. These dials clearly mark what their functions are, and we can also see the brand name on the back of the device. Most prominently on the front of your microphone is the emblem of the Arozzi logo. This emblem feels like it’s a high-quality design you’d see on an expensive car.
Everything, except for the microphone cap, is donned in a rose-gold color, which actually looks quite spiffy. Even though the microphone and the base are made out of two different materials, one being cast metal (the base) and the other plastic, they still look of the same quality and you only notice there’s a difference upon closer inspection. The matte layer of paint on the device also prevents to have that many fingerprints visible upon touching the device.
Comfort
It’s always hard to discuss the comfort factor of a microphone, but even so, there are a few aspects that make this device an easy-to-work-with microphone. You have a heavily weighted base (0.8kg) on the Colonna, making sure the device properly stays on its intended spot. It also has a rubber-coated non-slip base, making it even more ‘solid’. You can opt to also attach the microphone to a boom arm mount, which is also a plus in case you’d rather ditch the original base. You can just use the side screws to detach the microphone from the base, but these are also used to make sure the microphone can be set in a fixed position on the base, making sure the actual microphone does not move, allowing you to angle it properly.
Other features that might fall under ‘comfort’ will be discussed in the overview, namely involving dials for microphone gain, headset volume, a mute button and different pick-up patterns.
Specs
- Plug & Play easy to use
- Boom arm attachable
- Volume and gain dial controls
- Pick-up patterns Cardioid, Omnidirectional, and Bidirectional
- Headphone jack
- Mute button
- Heavy base
- For additional specs, click here
Overview
Arozzi’s Colonna is a plug and play device that doesn’t need any additional software. The device is easy to work with and has every function you need built in the microphone itself. You can regulate the microphone gain, making it so it picks up more noise, or less, depending on the nature of your recording, call or stream. There’s also a dial to regulate the headset volume, which can be conveniently plugged into the microphone itself with a standard 3.5mm jack.
Other functions include a standard mute button, where a small red LED will start blinking when the mute function is turned on. Most importantly, there’s the button for the different pick-up patterns. The device support three different patterns, namely the Omnidirectional, Bidirectional and Cardioid profiles. The first speaks for itself, as it just picks up everything in the vicinity of the microphone. This is ideal for group calls where multiple people speak into the microphone, or to also record background noise. The Bidirectional pattern is more suited for one-on-one interviews, with the interviewee sitting across the table. Last, but not least, there’s the Cardioid pattern, which is ideal for streaming purposes. You’ll be able to pick up the sound in front of the microphone (as well as the sides), but the noise behind the microphone will be filtered. This is a recommended profile if your microphone is close to your monitor or desktop pc, thus filtering out excess noise you don’t want during your streams.
The sound quality on the receiving end is quite clear, and the person on the receiving end clearly notices a difference when adjusting the mic gain, as well as swapping different pattern profiles. The audio was quite clear, and depending on the profile, it did filter out environmental sounds or just subtle background noises.
Conclusion
Arozzi’s Colonna is a very impressive piece of hardware. Not only does it have that old-school retro vibe in terms of design, it actually works perfectly. While sometimes the different profiles don’t filter out everything, it’s still a very functional device. The Colonna has different profiles, options to connect a headset, a properly weighted base, and just all the basic functions you’d want. If you’re looking at a mid-priced microphone for your streaming sessions, we can wholeheartedly recommend this attractive mic.
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