Rode will be well-known to streamers and game creators. The company’s make good options for those plugging into OBS, YouTube, Twitch and anywhere else you might “go live.” But as of today, there’s a whole new sub brand specifically catering to their needs: Rode X.
Two microphones and a desktop app that allows for streaming routing and mixing are the first three products to be released under the new brand. The mics will look eerily familiar to fans of Rode products, but the company assures us they have been “redesigned internally for optimal performance for streaming and gaming.”
The new mics include the XDM100 ($249) or XCM-50 (150). You can find out the difference in their names – D stands for dynamic and C stands for condenser. ). The XDM-100, at least physically, looks like Rode’s With a touch of red at its top. The XCM-50 microphone is a condenser microphone. It appears that it was built on the same platform. It features a distinctive red button at the front.
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Both microphones are USB only (no XLR), which means you won’t need an audio interface to use them, and they have built-in headphone ports for latency-free monitoring. It will depend on what you prefer and where you stream.
The XCM-50 has a bright sound that will work well for those in acoustically treated, or “softer” rooms. They sound very similar when compared side-by-side with their NT USB Mini doppelganger. However, the XCM-50 sounds slightly brighter to my ears. The NT-USB Mini sounds a shade “closer” by comparison.
The XDM-100 has a more classic “dynamic” microphone sound. While perhaps not quite as well rounded as something like the Shure SM7B or even Rode’s own Podmic, it feels cleaner than the Podcaster that it shares its physical appearance with. This seems like a reasonable choice for the price if you are looking for a USB dynamic option. This is especially true when you add the Unify software.
The one thing that a lot of gamers and streamers really need isn’t so much a microphone – there are many options for that – it’s a reliable tool to route all the sounds in your stream, usually some mix of game sounds, chat, music and effects. Unify offers a simple solution similar to that of the GoXLR routing matrices. or Elgato’s .
Rode
Unify creates two virtual audio interfaces on your computer. You can then control which apps use what and where the sound goes. For example, you probably want your intro music to go out on the stream, but maybe you don’t want it in your headphones? Or maybe you want your audience to hear a YouTube video you’re playing, but not the music you’re streaming. With Unify, you can pipe most things to most places, and then change the levels, or “mix” for each destination also.
Rode also allows you to record your audio from within the app. This makes it more appealing than just streamers. It could be used to record both sides in a Zoom call, and you can feed audio into the call that would otherwise be difficult. The fact that Unify has sound pads for intros and effects means it also works quite well as a software “Rodecaster Pro.”
Unify has a similar look to Wave Link, but it offers more precise control. The app isn’t quite as simple as BEACN’s, which lets you access each mix matrix at all times and has a slightly clearer UI. BEACN also benefits from the hardware mixer, too, but there’s no option to record within that app or trigger sound effects.
Where Unify differs from most of its rivals is that you don’t You can find it here to buy the company’s hardware to use it. The app can be purchased for $5 per month or $45 per year if you only want the software features. This means you can easily use it with any microphone you have, you’re not beholden to using a Rode (unlike, Wave Link that requires an Elgato mic). You can also use it with any microphone you have. DoPurchase a Rode X Mic and the software will be yours for free. Sadly, if you already own a Rode USB mic, it won’t unlock the software, you’ll be paying like everybody else.
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