RODE NT-USB Mini Review

Love it or hate it, this usb microphone is blazing new trails by allowing multiple mics plugged into a computer...WITH MULTITRACK RECORDING CAPABILITIES.
Audio has come a LONG WAY over the past few years.
Buy the RØDE NT-USB Mini -
US Link -
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Canada Link -
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UK Link -
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TimeStamps -
00:00 Intro
00:38 Build Quality
01:43 Specs
02:07 Off Axis Rejection and Coloration
02:30 Plosives
02:39 Handling Noise
03:26 Proximity Effect
03:42 Rode Connect Walkthrough
07:50 Final Thoughts
08:26 Cons
08:52 Pros
09:55 Should You Buy It?
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My Gear -
Mics - RODE NT2A - amzn.to/2WWQTnn
- TZ Audio Products Stellar X2 - amzn.to/3gHTj0X
Mixer - Arturia Audiofuse Studio - amzn.to/33kSBnq
Secondary Boom Arm - amzn.to/2WBhveB
Camera - Canon T7i - amzn.to/2X3yTYi
Lenses - Canon 50mm 1.8 - amzn.to/2LxiI0k
Canon 24mm 2.8 - amzn.to/2zF96Ok

[@KimoKatArt]

You are the first review that tested it at different distances. Thank you.

[@VtuberTheory]

I love that you included tips to make this particular mic sound better. I liked that this mic was strong on mid since I have a mid-tone voice as a woman with a voice on the lower side. I’ve been using streamlabs OBS to record due to the noise gate (I can actually eliminate ALL background sound with it since it is customizable, without removing anything from my voice) and then audacity to edit. My audio sounded like absolute trash for my first five ish videos (stadium echo, didn’t know about soundproofing when I started. Now I record in the closet with an old mattress propped against the wall.). Didn’t know anything about rode connect :o. Maybe I’ll try that! I messed around with EQ on audacity, but I’ve still got no clue if what I did was right or not. My biggest problem is mouth sounds now, but thanks to your video, I know it’s because I’m dehydrated. I do tend not to drink enough water during the day….but I always have water when recording due to habit from when I was a vocalist. I didn’t realize your behavior hours before recording impacted it, however. And certainly didn’t realize the frequency you need to drink when recording voiceover. Anyway, I’ll be recommending your channel the next time someone asks for audio help. Thank you for the helpful tutorials! :)

[@draftabahmadbangash4878]

Nice review i also need some help

[@QuizKing88]

Thanks for the video. I have the mic already and was not using it properly. Thanks to you, adjusted a bit and getting way better results. Cheers

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Glad I could help! Cheers!!

[@QuizKing88]

Still have to fine tune the EQ I guess

[@iverunouttanames]

I'm working on upgrading my recording setup for game streaming and this video has been very helpful and informative, I do have a question very specific to my current situation - I have very noisy neighbours who also have a dog that is always barking, especially at night, my current headset mic tends to pick up most of the barking, will it be helpful in reducing that external noise if I get the NT-USB Mini (I want to keep soundproofing as the last option)

[@francoisguillon4766]

Thanks for your review! For a voiceover, which microphone do you recommend for less than $200 (I'm hesitating between the rode mini, the nt usb and the senheiser profile, thank you in advance !

[@SUPERMONJ]

Love your reviews ❤

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Cheers and thank you!

[@howtomidlife]

Love the videos Sir. I bought one of these after watching it and I LOVE It when using my Mac. However, it really stinks on windows because I get a crackling sound. I've tried adjusting the audio buffers but no luck. Does anyone have a suggestion?

[@brianjamesraferii4010]

Thanks to your review, I was still a bit hesitant about buying this one online, but after watching your review, it changed my mind. A worthy review video for this cheap microphone :)

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Cheers and thanks for watching!

[@The_Quiz_Room]

Thanks for the great video! Very informative. Would you recommend this over the Blue Yeti Nano?

[@DarkCornerStudios]

With the software...absolutely

[@davidsillars3181]

Pretty darn good for the price and the intended usage. I'm a noise floor freak though and probably it's not for me. But as you say, starting podcasters, or folks doing lots of Zoom meetings that want better audio quality and don't want all the stuff we use (!!! 😂), it would great. 👍

[@DarkCornerStudios]

I think the usefulness of this is going to change a lot of things for first time podcasters. It is dirt simple and cheap... And word is RODE will be opening up this software to ALL usb mics. That will be massive

[@vyomkeshwarmahadev2970]

Can i have it for vocals and guitar?

[@upgrade1015]

How do I get a pop up adjustment screen for my mic? It works but I can’t find the adjustment screen

[@redcabinacoustic-official]

Was listening while stair climbing - holding a JBL Flip-5. I say that because that's one of the ways I listen to podcasts. It passes as a podcast mic fine - but your technique is also spot on. Great vid as always! Thanks!

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Cheers! Appreciate that!!

[@redcabinacoustic-official]

@@DarkCornerStudios I thought that it was an interesting way to test the mic, listen in a real life situation as opposed to my favorite headphones.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

@@redcabinacoustic-official I try to get multiple listens in on a few different ways. Some headphones mask certain frequencies.

[@redcabinacoustic-official]

@@DarkCornerStudios I assumed you did get multiple listens. Every good mixer does. peace

[@shakechillii8362]

thanks for the lovely video. So if I have to use it as a table top mic, I should get a table stand, correct? or should I go for some other mic that has a better sound capturing ability from say a distance of 1 to 1.5 ft? I would like to use this for video podcasting

[@DarkCornerStudios]

If you need a mic that is good at 1 to 1.5 feet things get pricey. Mics like that are called shotguns...and good ones start around 300. Always best practice if keeping the mic close to your face....around 4-6 inches

[@shakechillii8362]

@@DarkCornerStudios any other table top mic that you would suggest within the range of 150? Also what are your views for NT USB mini vs Blue Yeti ? I don't like the hefty look of Blue Yeti and that's why was not considering it. Your thoughts?

[@DarkCornerStudios]

@@shakechillii8362 honestly table top doesn't really work. Condenser mics need to be close to your mouth to get decent audio from them.

[@shakechillii8362]

@@DarkCornerStudios yeah that's what I feared. I am narrowing it down to ShureMv7 .. shelling the extra money in hope of good quality and longevity. Let me know what you think of it. Thanks in advance :)

[@Jayesh88709]

Question - if I enable some effects & settings on windows using the RØDE Connect software. Will it be carried over to other devices, like my PS5 or iPad. Bcz I cannot install any software on those devices to control this mic. Please can you answer??? I am looking forward to this only on my PS5 for streaming, gaming recording. I saw that this has a NOISE GATE built in which is triggered by the software. And software is only on Windows & Mac. So what I'm thinking is, I'll connect this mic to my windows laptop, enable noise filter & then take this to my PS5/ipad. But i need to know if the setting done on windows software will work on ps5/ipad.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Answering this in my next Q&A

[@MohamedAhmed-lo1vj]

Thank you for this great review. I have a question about the Behringer XM8500. Is it a quiet microphone? Some reviewers state that its sensitivity is -70db. Others say that it's -50db. As you see, the difference between the two numbers is huge. Could you help me with that, please. Thanks.

[@UnusualAudio]

It's -50 dB (or 3.16 mV/Pa). The -70 dB number is using an old measurement standard (dB relative to 1 V/dyne/cm^2 instead of the modern 1 V/Pa). It's a little more sensitive than an SM58 (-54 dB), so pretty good for a dynamic mic.

[@MohamedAhmed-lo1vj]

@@UnusualAudio Thank you so much.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Yeah...what they said...

[@davidsillars3181]

I was pleasantly surprised at how good it is Mohamed. It is really a 'close address' microphone, you need to be quite near, but definitely way beyond anything in the price range. I paid fourteen British pounds for it. Highly recommended.

[@MohamedAhmed-lo1vj]

@@davidsillars3181 Thank you so much David for helping me make the decision.

[@shakechillii8362]

Also is the software free or do I need to purchase it separately?

[@DarkCornerStudios]

It is a free download!!

[@mjacksonjones]

I bought this for $50 on black friday. Not an XLR (which I have), but I thought this might be a good mike for travel scenarios or some quick home recordings or just to waste $50... lol.

[@SuperMelindaB]

Long time viewer first time commenter, and I’m asking for advice. So I have a full Rode set up. The caster pro with pod mics. A year ago when I started using my set up in a daily basis I didn’t hear the muddy sounds that people had been talking about. Now, yeah I hear it. Here’s my issue, I want to get cleaner sounding microphones with my Rodecaster Pro, but as I am currently unemployed, cash flow is tight. So I need an affordable option to help us sound a bit better. We are also starting a live stream in the next couple of months, and I want our geeky little stream to come out of the gate looking and sounding as pro as possible. Advice? Do ya have any? (Not sure if it matters AT ALL but I edit with audition just in case there’s a little hidden jewel of setting)

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Hey Melinda!! First off...thanks for watching... Second...a quick eq can work out that muddiness. You can get VST plugins that work within OBS...though not sure what your streaming setup is... Now...EQing is a bit of a learning curve...and perhaps watching a tutorial or two may help, though most of them have presets for voice that are a great starting point that you can play around with a tweak to sound better. If you are looking for a VST plugin...generally most people start with Waves

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Also...yes! There is a jewel of a setting in Audition and it works great if you arent LIVE STREAMING.But I must ask...are you the Melinda Barkhouse that worked in Canadian radio?

[@SuperMelindaB]

@@DarkCornerStudios cool I’ll look further into that. I’m not the most savvy when it comes to the finer details of this stuff, guess it’s another opportunity to learn more stuff! Huzzah and thank you for the reply!

[@SuperMelindaB]

@@DarkCornerStudios I am! 🤓

[@DarkCornerStudios]

@@SuperMelindaB Fellow radio person here... Hit me up at [e-mail] if you want me to work through anything with you.

[@prinzliamcelzo]

no mute button?

[@DiosaDe1So1]

Agreed - the sound is just ok, very similar to the Elgato Wave 3, BUT the Elgato Wave 3 has more options on the mic itself, including different mic and headphone volume control. With the Rode Mini, you need to adjust both mic and headphone at the same time. The Rode does not pick up as much background noise as Elgato Wave 3, which is notorious for how much excess UNWANTED noise it picks up. Both excellent choices for beginners though, but I prefer my XLR setup (different Rode mic). It just sounds more superior, especially for singing.

[@leonardodavinci7425]

Does this work with the Ipad Pro?

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Yes

[@subhammoharana2194]

Best option for singing?

[@milesian1]

😊Shure MV51

[@joni8829_]

I use the NT-USB Mini for streaming and making KZbin videos and like how sounds, it's great for the price you pay.