Rode’s second-generation production studio offers everything podcasters and content creators need. Greg Scarth puts it to the test.
With the explosion of online content over the last decade, the world of audio technology has been forced to keep up with new ways of recording and producing sound, not to mention the way it works alongside video content. Rode’s original RodeCaster Pro was released in 2018 as an all-in-one solution for podcasters, combining the features of a mixer, multi-track recorder and audio interface into a single unit. More user-friendly than a conventional audio interface and DAW, more specialised than a conventional radio broadcast mixer, the RodeCaster Pro was a big hit. The newly released Rode RodeCaster Pro II promises to go even further, updating the design substantially in order to work for even more content creators and streamers.
In terms of its physical specifications, the RodeCaster II is actually fairly simple. Starting on the back panel, you’ve got inputs for four microphones, line level sources or instruments over combo XLR/TRS sockets. There’s a pair of main stereo outputs for monitors plus four headphone outputs. For computer connections, there are two USB-C sockets, while an Ethernet socket can be used for a wired internet connection (you can also use the built-in Wi-Fi). Power is hooked up via a separate USB-C socket, plus there’s a microSD card slot for storage. The real power lies inside, with Rode’s own high-gain Revolution pre-amps, 24-bit/48 kHz audio processing and Aphex effects paired with the intuitive VoxLab editor.
The front panel, likewise, is pretty simple. Each of the six channels has identical controls: a channel select button, long channel fader, plus listen and mute buttons. Over to the right, you’ll find a bank of eight customisable SMART pads, which can be assigned to various features. Above them, there are separate headphone level controls for each of the four outputs. In summary, this isn’t a complex mixer with dozens of dedicated controls for specific features. Instead, it places the key physical controls front and centre, with the more detailed features accessed via the 5.5-inch HD touchscreen and rotary encoder.
Setup is a smooth and simple process of selecting your language, entering the time and date, updating the firmware and running through a setup wizard which guides you through connecting all your physical devices like microphones, speakers, headphones and so on. Even at this stage, you can get a good sense of how carefully thought out the whole unit is. You don’t need to be an experienced audio engineer to follow the process of setting microphone levels, adjusting sound settings and storing your settings as what Rode call a Show preset.
The depth of the Pro II is hugely impressive. Rode were very active when it came to firmware updates for the original model, and the Pro II follows on in that vein, with attention to detail in terms of the features which matter to podcasters and other content creators. The way you use the unit will depend entirely on what you’re trying to achieve, from very basic single-microphone podcast recording through to multi-mic round-table discussions all the way to far more complex live streaming applications. The RodeCaster allows you to connect remote collaborators and guests as well as recording people in the room, and it’s impressively easy to connect sources like video chat apps or phone calls via Bluetooth and set up Back Channels to talk off air
The workflow of the RodeCaster is extremely slick. With a Show set up, you don’t necessarily need to be too hands-on with the unit, depending on what you’re producing and how complicated your setup is. But it’s when you dig into the deeper options that you realise just how smoothly everything works. The whole thing can be controlled via the Rode Central app on a connected computer, but the user interface of the RodeCaster is so good you might not need the app. Take the SMART pads, which as you might expect can be used to trigger samples, sound effects, jingles, beds and so on. Beyond that, their customisable uses include triggering voice effects in real time, triggering mixer automation like fade outs, and even sending MIDI commands to software. It’s powerful, but not complicated, just like most features on the Pro II.
In summary, the updated RodeCaster Pro II is now an even more impressive all-round production studio for all types of content creators. It’s brilliantly well built and offers excellent sound quality, but most impressive of all is the way it manages to simplify and streamline the entire technical process of recording or streaming, allowing you to concentrate on your content rather than being distracted by producing. There are cheaper options, like the Tascam Mixcast 4, but the RodeCaster is worth every penny.
Greg Scarth
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