You may have read (or heard) some of my prior coverage about the original RØDECaster Pro mixer-multitrack recorder-virtual cart player which our Australian friends launched in 2018. I have likely published a dozen workflow articles and a few podcast episodes about the original RØDECaster Pro device so far, beyond my review. Now that the embargo has lifted, I can share with you some details about the second coming, the RØDECaster Pro II. I should receive the review unit at the beginning of June in order to test it and review it. Even though RØDE officially markets this device for musicians, podcasters and streamers, it is also great in many cases for traditional AM/FM radio and small television studios too. In the meantime, I’ll share some of the primary changes and improvements, along with some photos provided by RØDE and a few details I’ll be testing personally.
Some of the primary changes and improvements:
- Improved ultra-low-noise -131.5dBV preamps with up to 76dB of gain, which promises that we’ll never need a pre-preamp (booster) ever again, not even with an ElectroVoice RE20, a Neumann BCM 705 (Neumann’s only dynamic mic to date), a Shure SM7B or a traditional ribbon mic. Of course, the new model also continues to offer 48 volt phantom power for balanced condenser microphones. Via the optional RØDE VXLR-Pro inline converter, you can also connect unbalanced 3.5 mm microphones, since the VXLR-Pro downconverts 48 volt phantom power to low bias voltage (aka “plugin power”) for those types of mics.
- Dual digital USB-C interfaces for connecting two computers or mobile devices simultaneously. It’s great to have two (instead of only one USB-C and one analog TRRS 3.5 mm) and it makes sense to have two digital connections rather than the prior analog 3.5mm TRRS, considering that now the majority of smartphones (both Android and iPhone) have a digital port only, without any analog 3.5 mm TRRS.
- Producer talkback mode.
- Stereo input linking with pan controls.
- Advanced bluetooth connectivity with wideband speech for ultra-high-quality phone call integration and audio streaming (i.e. Cleanfeed Pro), wireless monitoring, and more.
- Mix-minus on the bluetooth and USB channels for remote guests (i.e. Cleanfeed Pro).
- Bi-directional MIDI communication to fire scene changes in video switching software.
- Neutrik combo inputs (XLR or ¼”) for connecting microphones and instruments.
- Wired Ethernet via RJ-45 in addition to wireless wifi.
- SMART pads for triggering sounds (virtual carts), voice effects, MIDI commands and mixer actions – eight banks of eight pads for 64 unique actions.
- Larger 5.5-inch high-definition touchscreen (with haptic feedback, as in the Apple Magic Trackpad 2 I reviewed) and rotary encoder for easier navigation and control
- On-board effects, including reverb, echo, robot, pitch shifting unlock more creative possibilities.
- A high-performance quad-core audio engine delivers significantly more processing power than any other content creation console, according to RØDE.
- On-board audio editing.
- More portable.
- More directly usable with a USB battery bank, since the original model requires an accessory to achieve that capability.
In the upcoming full review, I’ll cover more new features and improvements. I’ll also test the preamps with a very demanding microphone. I’ll verify and compare the auto-muting capabilities for the local monitors in the new model versus the original, since that is not covered in the press release I received, and RØDE has not yet answered that. This is a key feature that was added to the original model via a free firmware update and makes it much more appropriate for a live news studio, be it radio or televisión. If RØDE answers before I publish the review, I’ll update this first-look article.
The RØDECaster Pro II will be available for pre-order from Tuesday, 24 May 2022 for US$699 and will be shipping in June.
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FTC disclosure
Some of the manufacturers listed above have contracted Tépper and/or TecnoTur LLC to carry out consulting and/or translations/localizations/transcreations. Many of the above manufacturers have sent review units to Allan Tépper so he can do his reviews. So far, none of the manufacturers listed above is/are sponsors of the TecnoTur, BeyondPodcasting, CapicúaFM or TuSaludSecreta programs, although they are welcome to do so, and some are, may be (or may have been) sponsors of ProVideo Coalition magazine. Some links to third parties listed in this article and/or on this web page may indirectly benefit TecnoTur LLC via affiliate programs. Allan Tépper’s opinions are his own. Allan Tépper is not liable for misuse or misunderstanding of information he shares.