Podcast Microphone Battle: Rode NT-USB Mini vs Rode Podmic USB

Aug 21

Hey there, podcasters and audio enthusiasts, I’ve got an exciting episode lined up for you today. We'll be diving into the battle of the microphones - the Rode NT USB Mini versus the Rode PodMic USB/XLR.

Why bother with this showdown you may ask. I wanted to test whether there was enough of a difference between the Rode NT-USB Mini which is a significantly cheaper microphone to the new Rode PodMic. New podcasters are often concerned with budget, so I decided to put these two head-to-head and let you listen to the results.

The Contenders

At the time of this recording, the Rode NT USB Mini has already established itself as a favourite among our clients due to its portability and ease of use. It's compact and comes with a magnetic stand, making it perfect for travellers and content creators on the go. On the other hand, the Rode PodMic USB/XLR is relatively new to the market, and we're eager to see how it stacks up against the NT USB Mini.

The Test

To ensure a fair comparison, I've recorded the same phrase with both microphones using a Rode PSA1 Plus boom arm, so the microphones are the same distance to my mouth. I have not performed any post-production frequency equalisation and only boosted the levels to achieve a similar loudness. The key areas we'll be focusing on are plosives, high frequencies, and overall sound quality.

The Showdown

In the audio demonstration, I invite you to listen carefully with your headphones or quality speakers to hear the differences. Firstly, the Rode NT USB Mini impressed me with how similar it sounded to the Rode PodMic USB, but I found the plosives to be quite distracting. Rode advises that the Rode NT-USB Mini does have an in-built pop filter within the casing, but I found this to not really cut the mustard.

High-Frequency Comparison

Moving on to the high frequencies, I noticed that the Rode NT USB Mini sounded a bit more digital in its response, and there was more presence of sibilance in the audio. This means the S's and other similar sounds were a tad sharper. On the other hand, the Rode PodMic USB/XLR demonstrated a warmer sound with a bit more depth in the bass. The PodMic's audio felt fuller and less sibilant compared to its counterpart.

Final Thoughts

Both microphones perform exceptionally well, especially when used with USB as the input source. However, if I had to pick a winner, the Rode PodMic USB/XLR edges out slightly due to its excellent pop-filtering capabilities and warmer, more balanced sound. For podcasters seeking a versatile and dependable microphone, the PodMic should be a top contender.

The fact that the PodMic also has XLR capabilities, will future-proof your recording experience and allow for more versatility in the long term.

Remember, the right microphone can make a world of difference in your audio content creation journey. Stay tuned for more exciting episodes, and until next time, keep creating great content and happy podcasting!

Transcript:

[00:00:00] Brianna: Welcome back to my face. My name is Brianna. I'm the head honcho here at Bambi media. And today we're going to be looking at the difference between the road NT USB mini. And the Rode PodMic USB that also has the XLR. The Rode PodMic USB slash XLR is quite a new microphone to the market at time of recording.
[00:00:21] The Rode NT USB Mini has been out for some time and it is a microphone that I recommended or recommend to our clients all the time just because it's so. Portable. It's so easy to take traveling. It's got a little stand here as well, which is magnetic. And then that magnets onto the base of the actual microphone as well, which is pretty sweet.
[00:00:44] And then you got like a little base, but I don't recommend having it just.
[00:00:55] I'm going to do a little bit of a test on what happens when you are too far away from the microphone. So what I've done is I've recorded the same phrase, both with the RØDE NT USB Mini and with the RØDE PodMic and then I have them both attached to this RØDE PSA1 Plus boom arm, so that it's easy to compare because they'll be right close to my face either way.
[00:01:19] But first, here is a look at both microphones side by side.
[00:03:19] RØDE PodMic USB & Screen: Testing testing, testing.
[00:03:30] Brianna: So now we're going to jump into the actual demonstration, the difference. I want you to listen with headphones, or if you do have speakers, they need to be good enough sort of quality so that you can turn it up enough so that you can hear the differences in them, because there is difference in the two microphones.
[00:03:49] They are two different price points. I will give my recommendation at the end and also tell you what the differences are, so stick around to the end to hear that. If you're getting value from this video, before [00:04:00] we even get going, hit that like button, subscribe to the channel, and I will be back with you shortly after you hear these tests.
[00:04:08] If Moses supposes his toses are roses, then Moses supposes erroneously. If Moses supposes his toses are roses, then Moses supposes erroneously. Testing one, two, three. Testing one, two, three.
[00:04:27] If Moses supposes his toes are roses, then Moses supposes erroneously. If Moses supposes his toes are roses, then Moses supposes erroneously. Testing, testing, testing. One, two, three.
[00:04:48] Okay, what did you think? Could you hear the differences in those microphones? The first thing that I heard, certainly, is the popping, so the plosives, it's called plosives. This Rode NT USB Mini, they Say has a inbuilt pop filter, meaning that, you know, it's got sort of this pop filter thing on the inside, but there's no way you can have enough on the inside of this casing versus what's here on the outside.
[00:05:21] Now this microphone, you can take the pop filter off.
[00:05:23] It's not the easiest thing. And then it's, it looks cooler when it's just like this, but you'll notice if Moses supposes his toes are roses. Then the per is a lot more evident in this mic without the pop filter. So it's really handy that this comes with it and it sits so nicely over the top of it.
[00:05:41] Whereas this one here, you're gonna need some sort of pop filter Especially if you're quite a poppy speaker, uh, to actually minimize the sound on this. Now I will link some pop filters and it also depends on how you'll be recording. I would recommend being on a boom arm because then you can put a filter on it quite easily.
[00:05:59] But [00:06:00] pop filters are quite annoying generally because they kind of get in the way and they're you know, so that, that would be something that's a little bit of a downer for me, I also found the difference being in the higher frequencies. So the Rode NT USB mini sounded a little bit more, digital in its response.
[00:06:19] When you listen to it, especially with headphones on and depending on how tuned your ears are, there was more sibilance, which is like the S's. It's making the, and I'm, I'm over exaggerating them here so that you can hear them very well. the Rode PodMic USB, still had a little bit of that.
[00:06:37] I found that the Rode PodMic USB had a little bit more warmth to the sound. It had a little bit more bottom end, sort of a feeling of a bit more fullness. Whereas this felt a little bit more sibilant and not as much in the actual bass. I will say that both of these microphones sound really, really good with this USB, as the input source there.
[00:06:58] And I think that if I was first starting out, then would probably still recommend this little bad boy, because it's like a hundred and something dollars. For me personally, this feels like a little bit more of a, uh, next level type microphone, and it's definitely a very good investment because for that price. You've got the USB input and the XLR, and I have done a video on what it sounds like the difference between the XLR and the USB for this microphone.
[00:07:25] I'll link that so that you can go and watch it if you want. The main difference when you want to switch from a USB input to an XLR, certainly there's more warmth, the signal's better, all that. But the cable is actually the biggest problem.
[00:07:40] So if you're wanting to sit further away from your microphone and have it in like a studio sort of set up and you want to have the microphone, back at the chair and you're going to sit and lounge on the chair, but then the actual recording, like At your computer and hitting play is far away. If it's over 1. 5 [00:08:00] meters away, then you're really going to struggle to find a USB cable that can make that because the longer the cable for USB, the more chance of it dropping out. And it becoming a lesser quality version of the signal. So that is the main difference between using a USB and an XLR input is that if you want to sit further away, it's really the best option to do XLR because you can have an very long XLR cable that then feeds through to a audio interface.
[00:08:34] It's like to a deck, uh, you know, like a mixer preamp type thing, then you're going to get a really good quality sound from far away. If you're always going to be at your desk or somewhere close by to where you're hitting record, then a USB option is totally fine. And both of these microphones are very good.
[00:08:54] But I would probably suggest if you're willing to invest a little bit more money and you want to kind of future proof yourself, I would go for this. It has the pop filter involved. It's got both of the inputs and it's a really good quality microphone At an affordable price point. Okay, that is my review of this today.
[00:09:14] I hope you liked it. If you would like more battles between microphones, especially for podcasters, then please let me know in the comments. I'm so excited to give you more of this. If you've got value outta the video, please hit like, and I will be in touch again soon.