Customer Reviews

Rode Podcaster USB Dynamic Microphone

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For recording my voice (baritone), it does a great job. For extra warmth that means close-miking, which in turn means not popping your p's, etc. If you hold it close to your mouth but don't directly face it end-on, that's easily done (or get a pop filter). [...].

The microphone electronics are extremely quiet - the audio is sampled at 18 bits.

It comes with a warranty which is easily extended to 10 years for free.

The real-time headphone monitoring is a great idea and works well.

It's a bit heavy (part of being built like a tank), and you need to think a little about how you're going to mount it, since some cheap desktop stands can barely manage it.

Some things to keep in mind are:
1) It likes close-miking (at least for male voices)
2) It is USB-only
3) It is a on the bit large and heavy side.

If those don't bother you, and the price is in your range, then you will probably like it a lot.

I picked up the R0DE Podcaster a few days ago, and it sounds great -- much better than I expected. I honestly expected it to sound cheesier because it's USB instead of XLR. I made a couple of test recordings and gave them to my wife, who is always saying that I don't sound like myself in my recordings. She said that this is the best-sounding mic I've ever used, and that I sound just like myself. My background in audio is a couple of years in podcasting and some live interviews. Equipment I've used in the past includes the Audio Technica 4033a, Heil Pro PR-40, Symetrix 528e, Zoom H-4, and the M-Audio MobilePre.

Pros:
Sounds great.
Very competitive price when compared to decent XLR mics.
Direct to USB (computer sees it as a sound card).
Headphone jack built in for direct, live monitoring (huge plus), with volume control (which does not effect recording volume).
Allows remote recordings to a laptop (with all the nice software) without lugging around extra devices to convert a "real" mic to USB or Firewire.
Works automatically on a Mac.
Feels very solid and sturdy -- very well made.
Front-firing cardiod-pattern dynamic mic (helps reduce most "background" noise).
Completely USB-powered.

Cons:
Direct to USB: No possibility of using a hardware mixer or voice processor, and you can't use more than one at a time (except maybe with special software).
Large and heavy. Not really a big deal if you keep it on a mic stand like I do, but you need a real stand -- not a cheap one.
Doesn't come with any kind of padded box for storage/travel like pro mics. It's probably not meant for travel, but its functionality and all-in-one design certainly encourage it.
White plastic body and white USB cable. Sure, it matches my MacBook, but for some reason it feels a little weird that it's not silver or black. Personal taste, and I couldn't find much else to complain about.

All in all, it exceeds my current needs, and I'm selling my "pro" equipment to fund my other hobbies. I would recommend this to any podcaster who doesn't need multiple mics or a hardware mixer. If you just want to sound great on Skype, this'll do the trick, although it will probably be overkill.

Ok - this is one heavy mic! I'm using it to create podcasts and training video's. The sound quality is excellent - studio quality. I had to purchase On Stage DS7200B Adjustable Desk Microphone Stand, Black to keep it from falling over. The problem is the the mic must mount from the rear, so all the weight is hanging over. I also strongly suggest Rode PSM1 Shockmount. It serves a few purposes; 1) it changes the center of gravity when mounting the mic since it attaches to the mic stand in the middle and allows the mic to hang more rearward and it provides a shock absorber. Using it on a MAC with VM - has no issues being recognized by XP and OS X. Overall, very happy with the mic.

I'm not sure why this thing has gotten so many 5-star reviews. Must be because people haven't really compared it side-by-side with other mics. I got it a couple of months ago and was not happy with the spoken voice recording quality from the start. But today when I had an opportunity to compare it to another (and much cheaper) mic, I was really disappointed in the Rode.

You can use audio mixing software to add a few little effects to it that have the net effect of getting rid of the tinny sound. But it starts with a very tinny sound and that's not a good place to start.

To give you an example check out this page... since Amazon doesn't allow URLs anymore search on this phrase: "Grateful as some are that Apple builds microphones into the iMac and its laptops" and it should be the top article... the one in pcworld.

Scroll down and you'll see some links to recordings this guy has done from several different mics, including the Rode podcaster. Listen to the AKG (which isn't a USB mic), then listen to the Marhsall MXL then the Samson G - then the Rode's. I think you'll hear the difference.

For spoken word recordings this mic is almost totally unusuable IF you care about tonal quality. In other words, every voice will sound much higher pitched than it really is. And you'll sound like you're speaking from inside a tin can. You can fix some of that with good audio software... but it's not the same as capturing it right the first time, during your live recording.

Kind of like digital cameras... you can "fix" and enhance images on your computer. But if you start out with a poor quality image you're gonna end up with poor quality image -- even if the software enhanced image is better than the original.

This mic would be fine if it cost say, $30 - $50... then it would be about what you expect. It is better than the real cheap-o $19 mics. But for the current price of 230 it's REALLY BAD!

I just replaced it with a $115 Audio-Technica (also from Amazon) and that mic is far better when it comes to spoken word recordings. It really captures your voice in a more realistic way. It's comparable to the Marshall and Samson mics mentioned above.

Good luck!

Absolutely incredible sounding audio!! I didn't have to purchase a pre-amp, mixer, pop-filter, etc. Simply plugged it in, and instantly began recording broadcast quality audio. Windows XP instantly recognized it (as a sound card). It also works perfectly on Vista after installing the driver from Rode's website.

I had a few audio projects coming up and I didn't want to rely just on my built-in laptop microphone. But I am not an audio engineer and didn't want to have to buy racks of equipment just so I could record high-quality audio. I also wanted my setup to be portable and durable.

So after shopping around I decided on the Rode Podcaster USB Microphone.

This is a hefty microphone -- very solid design. Also, using it couldn't be easier. Just plug it into my laptop's USB port (Mac) and start recording -- no need for external power supplies or other interface gadgets.

On a Mac, just plug in the mic, fire up Garage Band, and start recording.

I've already mentioned the heft of the microphone -- this means that you will likely need a solid mic stand to support the mic, especially since it connects to the stand at the base of the mic, and so the result makes the stand and mic a little top-heavy.

But I am very happy with this mic -- easy to use, durable, and makes high-quality recordings.

(review by Kendall Giles)

I'm using this mic for screencasts. I record with TechSmith Camtasia. I don't have any software installed, other than what comes with Windows7 and Camtasia. Talking less than 1 inch away from the Samson mic, I have to put the record volume on 100% gain, and then I have to increase the volume 200% in post production. Then the audio is clear - but it seems overmodulated.

With this new (new to me) Rode Podcaster, I have the gain at 40% and I don't have to increase the volume in post production. The sound is crisp and clear - and has very little background noise.

HIGHLY recommend this mic for podcasting.

The first one arrived DOA (headphone monitoring jack had no audio), but other than that it had been very nice to work with. The Rode tech support called me back within an hour of submitting a case on the DOA product and offered a fast turnaround by sending it directly to them. I was going to send it back to the Amazon vendor, get a refund, and then order another one, but the support team convinced me to just send it straight back to them for a faster turnaround. And to be honest, looking at a few scratches here and there on the one that I was shipped left me with enough to suspect that I may have been sent a used/broken one by the Amazon reseller anyway, so I didn't want to send it back to them only to have it shipped out again to some other poor soul down the road. In then end it cost me an extra $25(ish) to FedEx the mic to them and the whole turnaround took about 8 days (they sent it Ground back to me, which is really my only complaint there, especially for a DOA product that was sent to them 2-Day Air). Still, what arrived back was a brand new replacement unit that has worked perfectly and I am quite pleased with the purchase and remain comfortable that any support issues will be reasonably addressed.

In looking at a number of microphones I first made use of the Heil which I have now sent back, and the Rode USB which I think is great as is the Shure USB side cardioid one. What I like about it is that you can simply place it on the desk and you do not have to sit on top of it and the sound that comes out of it is excellent. I have one of the similar microphones that has the integrated USB connection by Shure which has some hiss. This one is virtually silent and I must say that it has been a pleasure to make use of it with videos and podcasts. I mainly use it when I am doing videos and I do not want the microphone in front of my mouth and still want a nice stereo sound. In general I would say that it is an excellent product which produces a good sound.

If you are going to make voice-overs on top of PowerPoint slides and you are going to do anything into the computer my advice is to make use of a direct USB connection without making use of an external soundcard. It seems to add in an extra element of sound if you do it that way with no advantage. I saw a podcast that has recommended the exterior card solution and a Heil microphone, but I cannot say that that was a good way to go. I did try an external Rode with the soundcard and agrees a lot better but not as good as a USB version. I cannot say that I think that the Rode or Shure is better, as each has its uses. I have tried a wide variety of wireless microphones but all seem to be mono. Also when you amplify the voice without music is exterior hiss.

Im no pro i just wanted a mic so that me and the homeboys could wreckshop, and so far this mic is working good no problems at all. Im using it on a Mac Book Pro and it recognized it as soon as i plugged it in. The recording quality of the mic seems great to me but like i said I'm no pro. So if you want a mic that sound good and is built to last this mic is where its at