Rode PodMic review

Our Verdict

For $99, you can't find a better USB microphone than the Rode PodMic. It's a small, sturdy and intimate mic that brings studio-level professionalism to your podcast.

For

Affordable
Internal pop filter
Slap-up sound
Professional build quality and looks

Against

Stand sold separately
XLR interface not ideal for beginners

Tom'southward Guide Verdict

For $99, you lot can't find a better USB microphone than the Rode PodMic. It'south a small, sturdy and intimate mic that brings studio-level professionalism to your podcast.

Pros

+
Affordable
+
Internal pop filter
+
Great audio
+
Professional build quality and looks

Cons

-
Stand sold separately
-
XLR interface not ideal for beginners

This Rode Podmic review must showtime, if I may, with an anecdote. Before I became a podcaster, I was a radio host at a local station. As a matter of fact, my love for radio inspired me to transition the bear witness to a podcast amidst a dramatic career change.

Rode PodMic specs

Connection: 3-pin XLR

Ports: XLR out

Condensers: Not stated

Directional patterns: Cardioid

Size: half dozen.8 x iv.3 x 2.4 inches

Weight: 33.1 ounces

You're probably wondering — what does that have to do with a small desktop microphone? Well, after using plug-and-play mics for most of my podcasting career, the PodMic was a welcome return back to smooth-sounding (and sultry-looking) mics with XLR cords and soundboards. It'southward no plug-and-play USB model, then, just the PodMic is one of both the best microphones and the best podcasting microphones you tin buy today.

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Rode PodMic review: Price and availability

$99, though no stand up included
Bachelor at range of retailers

The Rode PodMic is available for $99, an absolute steal for such a high-quality mic and just the right price indicate for beginners. With that said, if you lot are looking to fix multiple mics, yous can't beat $99 a pop for each setup — though a stand up isn't included in the box, and then put aside another $xx-30 per mic.

Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy and Focus all stock the PodMic, though Focus currently has it at a slight crash-land up to $109.

Rode PodMic review: Blueprint

Small-scale yet robust build
Uses XLR rather than USB, so better for experienced users

When I opened the PodMic box, it brought back pleasant memories of my time on radio. There'southward something iconic nearly a stocky studio mic with a chrome and/or metal end. Information technology's like laying out a sports jersey before game twenty-four hour period — it just gets you in the mood to perform.

With its all-metallic blueprint and finish, this particular mic looks good, and is sturdy for its size. It comes with an XLR cord, which gave me plenty of room to motion the mic abroad from the soundboard — though beginners beware, you lot won't be able to simply plug information technology into your PC's USB ports. A Blue Yeti or JLab Talk this is non; Rode as well has a $99 USB mic of its ain, the Rode NT-USB Mini.

The only other drawback that I noticed was the swinging bracket that hovered beneath the XLR port, which doesn't allow for a costless swinging subclass. Information technology'due south only a pocket-size inconvenience, and I didn't notice it one time I started to record.

The mic does require a stand up or boom arm, and I chose the $29 Rode DS1. This stand is easy to put together, relatively small and doesn't take up too much space. From there, it was time to record.

Rode PodMic review: Audio quality

High recording quality with integrated pop filter
Doesn't demand complex setup for not bad audio

Putting it mildly, this the Rode PodMic is the existent bargain. Part of the features advertised with the PodMic are its "broadcast-quality dynamic capsule" and "internal popular filter to (minimize) plosive," along with the mic'south specific dedication to "speech applications." As someone who has done podcasting for over five years, I was thoroughly impressed with the audio and range of the PodMic.

I recently recorded a podcast with a couple of friends using a couple of PodMics. I erroneously left on the noise gate for both of our mics, which was significant because of my friends' distance from their mics, besides as a neighbor who was cutting his grass. All the same, erven with the noise gate and surrounding annoyances, the mic picked up my phonation perfectly, with no background static.

While I was about a foot away from my mic, my friends were a fleck more than distant. Ane of my friends, who was about iii-4 feet abroad from the mic, however sounded great on the mic. The other friend, who was about x feet away, had his voice go in and out because of the racket gate.

Hither'south why that'southward meaning: Even while fumbling around with the initial setup, the mics nevertheless sounded groovy. That'due south the type of coverage a beginner (and even an experienced podcaster like myself) looks for in a product, despite the more pro-minded XLR connectedness.

The final sound, particularly with my input, came in clear and didn't need any editing for pops and such. With that said, I can and volition ever recommend that users invest in a pop filter or windshield for their mic(southward). The goal of any successful recording is to minimize issues that might cause bug during the product phase.

As ever, my mics are kid-tested — both for sound and forcefulness. My 3-year-old spoke boldly into the PodMic during a recent test, and was quite handsy with the mic too. Again, between the PodMic and DS1 stand, there wasn't too much risk of the mic becoming dislodged, or even the unabridged gear up falling to the flooring.

Rode PodMic review: Verdict

The Rode PodMic has a strong reputation amidst regular podcasters, and it's easy to see why. The only minor effect I had with this mic was the XLR connectedness getting in the way of the swinging bracket, but that'southward nothing compared to the great sound, style and stoutness of the PodMic.

At $99, this mic volition give you a lot of bang for your buck — and thanks to the internal popular filter, yous might not fifty-fifty hear information technology.

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Ken J. Makin is a tech and entertainment writer for Tom's Guide, and has about 20 years of feel as a journalist. He's an gorging podcaster and freelancer for various sites, including ESPN's The Undefeated and The Christian Scientific discipline Monitor. When he's not podding or writing, Ken is probable spending time with his wife and children.