PODCASTER RODE UPGRADE
PODCASTER RODE PROFESSIONAL

Who is the Rode Podcaster best suited for? You can also check our recommendations for the best USB microphones on the market right now. The Podcaster is perfectly fine if you’re just starting out, but if you want to get more serious about podcasting and make a career out of it, you should keep this microphone in mind for when you’re ready to invest more into your passion. However, we’re listing this here to provide a future goal. The SM7B is far more expensive than the Podcaster, and will also require you to have an audio interface as well as an XLR. We’ll start off by first stating that this is not a fair comparison. Furthermore, it’s half the price and has a wider frequency response. Blue YetiĪgain, here is a microphone that performs just as well, if not better, than the Rode Podcaster. If you’re a podcaster who is just starting out, why not save some money and slowly save up until you can get your hands on a better setup? Rode Podcaster vs. Plus, it has a wider frequency response and a higher SPL level. The AT2020USB+, in our opinion, delivers results of equal quality for a mere fraction of the asking price. Here are some alternatives to consider before purchasing the Rode Podcaster. Otherwise, the grille is nice, the mounting system is nice, and the microphone is overall very well built. There is also a 3.5 mm jack for headphones as well as a rotary dial for controlling your headphone volume. Rode has given the microphone an LED to help you visually monitor your levels, although you’ll probably want to depend more on your DAW for gain staging. The overall build will definitely last you years of use if treated properly. The all-metal chassis ensures that this microphone is heavy and durable. The bottom line is that this microphone should be bought with the intention of recording podcasts or voice-overs, not for recording music. It’s specifically built and tailored for vocals, and we find that this doesn’t translate well over different sound sources in any meaningful way we should mention. That being said, we’re sure there are instances where using the Podcaster might make sense stylistically, but this is not what the microphone has been designed for. If you absolutely have to, the Rode Podcaster can feasibly be used for recording other instruments than just vocals, but the sound quality isn’t quite there and we wouldn’t recommend it for anything other than demos.

There is some pleasant top end that adds some shine to your vocals. The low and mid ranges, while they do provide a solid amount of depth and pronunciation, are still lacking the heft and body that a microphone such as the SM7B could provide.

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In other words, be aware that if you intend on getting more serious about your craft that you will most likely want to upgrade at some point. It’s perfectly usable for podcasters who are either hobbyists or just starting out on their podcasting career, but we don’t believe this microphone is much more than a starting point in your setup.

PODCASTER RODE PROFESSIONAL

The Rode Podcaster’s performance meets the bare minimum of how a professional broadcasting microphone should perform. The best we can say is that the microphone’s built-in pop filter allows it to handle plosives extremely well. Obviously, most of this might be due to the microphones’ USB connectivity, which sacrifices a huge amount of sound quality. Its performance may be passable for a novice, but not for any professional setting. We find that the bass response is fairly lacking, and that clarity is not its greatest strength. Tonally, the Podcaster doesn’t deliver most of what is expected out of a broadcast mic. However, with the use of a 28 mm neodymium capsule, Rode has designed the Podcaster to compete with the likes of the RE20 or the Shure SM7B – two of the best broadcast microphones available.

Most USB microphones tend to be condenser mics, so for Rode to decide to make the Podcaster a dynamic mic is a fairly bold choice.

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