Focusrite Vocaster One Audio Interface Review (Great Interface for Podcasters and Content Creators!)

Today, I have the brand new Vocaster One in the Audio Hotline Studio! Today I review the Vocaster One, but I do briefly go over all the new products that Focusrite just put out as of June 2022. This Interface is definitely focused on Podcasters and Content Creators. However, Focusrite says that very openly, it's even on the packaging! Today I go through a bunch of different tests, I go over all the features, accessories, and also the software that comes with this interface! Just in case people want to hear it with certain types of microphones, I also test it with a BUNCH of mics!
There are a lot of great things about this interface, and I think it could make a lot of content creators EXTREMELY happy!
Be sure to check out the testing and audio samples and see if this is right for you! Every person has different expectations of audio gear. If the features are what you need, and you like the sound, then it is right for you!
Thanks for watching the Audio Hotline! I'll see you Audio Nerds next time!
======TIMESTAMPS======
Intro / Disclaimer: 0:00 - 0:42
How I am Recording: 0:42 - 1:13
Vocaster One, Vocaster Two and Studio Editions info: 1:13 - 2:48
Vocaster Differences VS Scarlett line: 2:48 - 3:56
Vocaster One Accessories: 3:56 - 5:32
Vocaster One Hardware and Features: 5:32 - 8:45
Coaster One Specs: 8:45 - 9:20
Vocaster Test Intro: 9:20 - 9:38
Auto Gain Test: 9:38 - 10:40
Mute Button Click Test: 10:40 - 10:56
Enhanced Button Click/Pop Test: 10:56 - 11:33
Vocaster DSP/ Post Processing Options / Compared: 11:33 - 12:50
Run Through / Test of Vocaster Hub Software: 12:50 - 15:02
Different Mic Tests ft Vocaster one:
Shure SM7b Test and Noise Test: 15:02 - 15:45
RØDE PODMIC + Vocaster One: 15:45 - 16:09
Behringer XM8500 + Vocaaster One: 16:09 - 16:24
SE V7 + Vocaster One: 16:24 - 16:33
Electro-Voice RE20 + Vocaster One and Noise Test: 16:23 - 16:55
Audio-Technica AT2035 + Vocaster: 16:55 - 17:07
Lauten LA220 + Vocaster (Hello From Kitty Blue!): 17:07 - 17:31
Sennheiser MKH50 + Vocaster: 17:31 - 17:43
Sennheiser MKH416 + Vocaster: 17:43 - 18:00
Oktava MK012 + Vocaster: 18:00 - 18:12
Audio-Technica AT875R + Vocaster: 18:12 - 18:24
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 VS Vocaster One: 18:24 - 20:24
My Review / My Opinion of the Vocaster One: 20:24 - 24:30
Thank you for watching!!!: 24:30 - 25:25
============
======PRODUCTS IN REVIEW======
*Affiliate Links Below*
Vocaster Product Links:
B&H: bhpho.to/3Ne3RWz
Focusrite Product Info: bit.ly/VocasterA03
==================
======Audio Hotline Info======
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==========
GEAR I USE TO MAKE MY VIDEOS (w/ affiliate links):
============VIDEO============
Canon EOS R5:
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Sigma EF 50mm f/1.4:
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Sigma EF 24mm f/1.4:
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Sigma EF 18-35mm f/1.8 (APS-C):
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Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L (MACRO):
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Aputure Light Dome II:
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============AUDIO============
Hercules Mic Stand:
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Motu M2:
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B&H: bhpho.to/3p160ty
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2:
Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/9Wd9oQ
B&H: bhpho.to/3lhh7gP
Zoom F6:
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Zoom H6:
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Apollo Twin Quad:
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B&H: bhpho.to/2NL8gnp
Mogami XLR:
Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/oe6G9g
Amazon: amzn.to/2NiXNSp
B&H: bhpho.to/2NJ5tLi
Monoprice XLR (Cheaper XLR Alternative):
Amazon: amzn.to/2RJBwvp

[@danmagoo]

Thanks for the great video. I just got it, and after playing with it, here are some updates: In the latest (v1.30) version of the Hub software, you can now tweak the Enhancements by moving the sliders for Compression, or for the Bass, Mid, or Treble bands. (You can't Save your custom adjustments with a new name, but they will be remembered -- and then you can reset everything to defaults, in the hamburger settings.) Also under the hamburger menu, you now have several options for how the Auto Gain will work: Default, Stream (which I use to set it for Teams meetings), or Camera, each targeting a different level. I also really like the Radio pre-set with the SM7B. Looking forward to getting a lot of use out of this.

[@hyunjoonkim]

The noise floor comparisons and sample recordings with different mic types are so useful. Thank you for the detailed review!

[@D-One]

Knobs on the top rather than in the front make so much more sense for something meant to be on a desk, I don't get the obsession with rack mount style design for things not meant to be on a rack. If it had the regular music-oriented stuff like combo jacks I'd prob buy it to replace my Scarlett

[@Vegetableswithpants]

Really detailed and informative review, thank you!

[@DiPSy007]

Very informative and enjoyed your review process.

[@Miguel_Pratz]

Dude - your channel is 10/10 - Fantastic job and keep it going!

[@AlexanDer2007]

Nice B-Roll Dude!

[@BogdanGrygorenko]

What a da tasting review. Thank you so much for your work.

[@vanceshepherd1618]

I love this thing for voice work. Uncomplicated, doesn't give you more than you really need for that application.

[@Gabriel_Drake]

Great Review. I think it would be interesting in comparing the Vocaster One against the 4th gen of the 2i2 recently released, unless there is a 2ng Gen Vocaster on the horizon.

[@sung_yun]

Great review, enjoyed watching your presentation. I bought a Vocaster Two and the physical dial knob didn't respond/function. Also, the preamp self-noise levels in Enhance settings were quite high. Thanks, man.

[@KaylaKazarick]

Thanks for the great review! Not a detail you missed

[@theoutsiderjess4869]

This feels like a good combination between a mixer and interface

[@max.broadcasts]

Many thanks.

[@TNTpyros]

Very good informative review! Should I buy this or Audient EVO 4 or something else to drive my AKG D5, Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro and Edifier 1855DB speakers?

[@mrassociatesuk]

Superb review. Am per-ordering the Vocaster. If there was one mic to rule them all, what purchase would you go for with the Vocaster?

[@enriquekahn9405]

Great review. I'm a spoken word guy myself but I'm just happy with the flexibility of doing everything in the DAW after the fact. This might be pretty great for streamers tho. I'd love to see reviews of those mics as well. How are you liking Hindenburg Light? That would be a cool review as well, that product seems to be geared towards my niche.

[@AudioHotline]

Yeah, I am definitely more of a post guy, but I agree, live streaming is where the dsp is nice! They did confirm to me today that they are going to be adding more presets in future firmware updates. I am honestly digging Hindenburg a lot! I am surprised how much I like it. It makes the process very simple, but offers everything you need. I am going to try the 6 month pro trial and see if I want to get a license for that.

[@Youknowthebo]

Great video. I wAs actually so long looking for a device that helped me to connect my Rode procaster to my bmpcc4k and Atem Mini for video calls. The camera out will help me to exchange my rather Jerry rigged solution😅

[@spfilmviewers5629]

This might sound like a strange question, but do you know if the Vocaster works being plugged into a phone, as the device for capturing the sound, if I was to use a USB to USB-C adapter that I normally use for my Samson Q2U mic? Thanks

[@CallMeTeci]

That maybe sounds stupid, but its the Mute-Button for me, that made me buy this thing. xD (for around 95€ btw, so it was pretty cheap) Then more than 24bit and 48'000Khz is Maximum for OBS either way, so also no need for more there. The cables on the back are another Plus for me for cable-management. And it also loooks sleek and kinda minimalist what is nice too. Also the wa you can set everything up quickly might get handy in the future. But yeah... the Mute-Button. I realy think that we need more Mute-Buttons on Interfaces under 100 bucks.

[@mrassociatesuk]

One other quick question, I presume this will work with the ATEM Mini Pro ISO?

[@user-wn1qo8wz6f]

Why isn't the vocaster one a good choice for musicians? I would use it for recording me singing but if this wouldn't turn out good,what else should I use except the scarlett?

[@frozentsar]

Are you able to hear audio inputted through the "phone jack" in your headphones plugged into the audio interface?

[@coach.b]

I see it's so powerful it also changed your clothes!!! Great review though, thanks.

[@MudakTheMultiplier]

Is the included software required to run the device or can it run on just the drivers?

[@jhowie]

i wonder if the hiss would disappear if i use a fethead or dynamite with it.

[@AngloSaxon1]

I don't know, but the sound coming from the 875R seems to sound better than the MKH 416

[@John-sn4hl]

Damn ofc right after I bought a MOTU M2 😢

[@PierceJordan]

Hey there, do you recommend the Focusrite Vocaster One or the Elgato Wave XLR for use with the Shure SM7B?

[@AudioHotline]

That’s a toss up as far as sound goes. I’d probably lean vocaster because of the extra outputs (monitor L+R outputs and Camera Out) and inputs (Phone Input) on the back. Those are important to ME, maybe they don’t matter to you though… regardless they are nice to have just in case! I don’t like that the WaveXLR is limited to the one headphone jack. So my vote goes to Vocaster One.

[@PierceJordan]

@@AudioHotline Hey, thank you for the super quick reply! Just a couple of more questions for you, if you don't mind. 1) So with the camera output, that means you can record audio from the Shure SM7B directly into a camera then? Would the audio be the same quality as recording into a computer? 2) In the video you mentioned that the Vocaster One has a gain range of 70dB, and it should work well with the Shure SM7B. If I used a Cloud Lifter so that I didn't have to turn up the gain so much on the Vocaster One, would I get even better audio?

[@IamvoiceMUSIC]

Can I connect my ddj to for online dj

[@user-wn1qo8wz6f]

Great Video! Does it work if I connect an Android phone or laptop with it to power the interface?

[@AudioHotline]

Yes! I use it with my iPhone all the time and it powers the vocaster well. My friend uses android and it works for him also

[@AudioHotline]

Works with the laptop also!

[@user-wn1qo8wz6f]

@@AudioHotline okay,thank you so much 😀

[@redcabinacoustic-official]

I have not finished watching - playing on the TV now . . . so forgive if you answered this . . . how big is this? Would it make a good travel rig? I travel with the RODE AI-1 now. Thanks - peace

[@AudioHotline]

It’s similar in size to the 2i2, but slightly smaller. The AI-1 is definitely quite a bit smaller but you can see the vocaster on top of the 2i2 around 18:37

[@redcabinacoustic-official]

@@AudioHotline Thanks! I do like the design - I tend to prefer knobs-on-top, (unless they are in a rack or on a shelf in front of me), for desktop use.

[@celticmoose33]

I have a really dumb question - when you talk about your gain on the interface, what level is the mic at on your computer?

[@AudioHotline]

I am pretty sure I know what you mean. I am assuming you’re talking about the channel slider in the software I am recording into? In that case it is set at unity gain, meaning it’s set at 0dB.

[@celticmoose33]

@@AudioHotline The actually microphone input sensitivity in Windows or MacOS, whichever you use. Is that just at 100?

[@AudioHotline]

@@celticmoose33 Ohhh I got cha! The input and output level controls are usually associated with USB mics. The Vocaster One, and every interface I own, disables the input gain and output level because your input gain is being set by the gain knob on the actual device's preamp, and your output level is being set by the headphone or monitor out dial. On my Mac when I go to the sound settings it says "the selected device has no input controls" and the same for output. Simply put, interfaces don't use that because all the controls are physically on the device. That's not often the case with USB mics. Hopefully, this helps!

[@celticmoose33]

@@AudioHotline Interesting, mine (Podtrack P4) doesn't do that. I can still change the mic input volume in Windows and it drastically affects it.

[@AudioHotline]

That’s interesting… I just plugged my P4 into my Mac and the inputs/outputs are disabled like other interfaces. Does it give you control over each input or is it just one volume slider? I am going to try it with my PC later today. If it does give you control over each input then it would just be bypassing the gain knob on the device when you use the slider in the sound settings on your computer. It can’t drive the preamp more than the preamp is capable. It could just be turning up the signal that’s already there, like a DAW would be doing in post if you raised the track’s volume. Hmmmmm I wonder what it’s doing…

[@joonajks]

How do you control the gain volume going into the camera using the vocaster camera 3.5 out?

[@AudioHotline]

It’s essentially controlled the same way as your computer, by the gain of the microphone. You can also control it a bit from your sound settings in the camera itself. I personally only have my mic preamp in my camera turned to 1, then I use the interface to drive the mic/sound. It’s going to have a cleaner sound that way.

[@joonajks]

@@AudioHotline thank you!

[@justanothersounddiary]

Still, Audient Evo did the auto-gain first

[@Bankexamstoday]

There is a lot of hiss. Rodecaster would be a better option.

[@AudioHotline]

Hmmmm, when I listen on my studio monitors and all my monitoring headphones I heard a little noise floor with the SM7b, but not bad at all and better than a lot of interfaces. Especially considering it was only the interface pushing the mic with no mic activator (Cloudlifter or fethead) which a lot of people have to use with the Rodecaster. I’ll record something and link you to a raw clip with the rodecaster pro vs the vocaster with the SM7b, I think you’d be surprised. However, the new rodecaster pro II (76dB), does supply a little more gain than the vocaster (70dB), but the vocaster actually supplies quite a bit more gain than the original rodecaster pro 55dB), so the vocaster doesn’t need to push the preamp as hard as the OG rodecaster. Also, if we are talking price, the Vocaster is a win. I feel like the vocaster is a great option for people that don’t need as many inputs/features, and don’t want to spend double or triple the price. If price is no object, I’d say the new Rodecaster Pro II will be pretty hard to beat when it comes to features for content creators, and even musicians.

[@jasonw6993]

But wait, what does Blue think of it?!?!

[@AudioHotline]

He makes a little appearance around 17:16. Blue told me the material on top tends to get some paw prints on it and they are hard to wipe off, so he loves that.

[@lifeofluxuri]

Save yourself some money and purchase the Maonocaster E2 and get everything plus more for 100 bucks.

[@robertschnobert9090]

Please disregard metric units and use British units like inches. The Commonwealth is superior. Thank you, Americans, for always being loyal subjects to the throne. Worship the Queen! 🌈🇬🇧

[@kr8s]

Rodecaster all day for the same price

[@AudioHotline]

This is $200, The Vocaster Two is $300 and the first Rodecaster is $580 now, usually $600 and the new Rodcaster Pro II is $700…. The rodcasters are substantially more. The Vocasters seem to be a good option for people that don’t need more than two mic inputs.

[@kr8s]

@@AudioHotline audient 8 evo will work if someone wants to do podcast with multi person i guess, still i think these are a bit over priced

[@dickginkowski6071]

Vocaster Two: Useless piece of garbage as is Focusrite customer support. Nice idea but when I tried to record a phone call I found out that it's not plug and play. Turning on the feature and adjusting volume can't be done on the unit (unlike Zoom P4 or Rodecaster Pro, for example). Can only be done in the software which only works on newer Macs. Reached out to Focusrite support. The tech was rude and unhelpful. There are better options from more reliable companies for less money. This company isn't upfront about what you're getting and tech support is useless.

[@FocusriteHelp]

We're very sorry to hear that you encountered problems, Dick. If we understand correctly, you should find that you are able to control the output level from the phone, using the phone itself. We would like to look into the conversation that you had with our Support Team, if you're able to send us a private message on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, providing your ticket number, it would be most helpful. John // Focusrite UK 🇬🇧