Rodecaster Pro II - 8 months later is it worth it compared to the GoXLR?

I want to bring you my thoughts on the Rodecaster Pro 2 after about 8 months of use. I've been using it mostly as my daily driver for recording KZbin videos and for streaming on my gameplay channel (‪@theprovokedprawnpews‬).
The ‪@rodemic‬ Rodecaster Pro 2 is undoubtedly a fantastic bit of kit for a number of reasons. It's a powerful tool with great sound and it almost makes any XLR mic plug and play, which is a dream, because devices like the GoXLR are a lot more fiddly to setup and get sounding good. That said, there are some complaints that I have so I want to compare it to the ‪@HeliconGaming‬ GoXLR and talk about the great features of that device and why it's better in some ways. Especially if you're a gaming creator or streamer. The same pads of the Rodecaster Pro 2 don't record on the fly for example and it STILL doesn't have virtual audio channels like the GoXLR. Which is a real shame :(
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The Rodecaster Pro 2: The Ultimate Streaming and Voice Over Tool • The Rodecaster Pro 2: ...
Please note links listed here include affiliate links which may earn me a commission. Find out more below.*
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Highlights of the Rodecaster Pro ii include:
- Really easy setup
- Various different profiles for different mics
- Far less tweaking than other pre-amp setups
- Multi-audio input options
- Massive amounts of customisation options
- Superb build quality and great sound
Lowlights:
- Sadly the smart pads don't have on-the-fly recording
- You need a fat 3.5mm jack for headset monitoring
- The streaming mix isn't as easy as the GoXLR (more on that later)
Specs of the Rodecaster Pro 2:
Frequency Range
Mic Inputs: 20Hz - 20kHz Monitor Outputs: 20Hz - 20kHz
Microphone Input Impedance 4KΩ
Instrument Input Impedance 1MΩ
Preamplifier Gain Range 0 - 76dB
Equivalent Noise -131.5dBV (A-weighted)
Line Output Maximum Level 4dBu
Headphone Output Power 250mW
Power Requirements 30W USB-C PD (15V, 2A)
Analog Audio Input Connectivity
4 x combo jack inputs (microphone, line, instrument)
Analog Audio Output Connectivity
2 x balanced line output, 4 x headphone output
Bluetooth audio with Music and Headset profile (wide band speech)
USB-Interface 1 1 x 2-in/16-out multichannel device, 1 x 2-in/2-out with mix-minus
USB-Interface 2 1 x 2-in/2-out with mix-minus
BitDepth 24bit
Sample Rate 48kHz
microSDHC, microSDXC, USB-C removable drive (exFAT - minimum 100MB/s) data transfer
USB 3.0 SD card reader 130MB/s
WiFi 802.11g/n/ac 2.4GHz and 5GHz, Ethernet 100/1000
OS Requirements
macOS 10.15 or later, Windows 10 Version 1803 or later, Windows 11
Internal Storage
4GB (SMART pads)
Mechanical Specifications
Weight (g)
1960g
Dimensions (mm)
305(L) x 270(D) x 60(W)
I'd highly recommend watching ‪@tombuck‬'s guide too • RODECaster Pro II Init...
🏆Big thanks to my super awesome KZbin members:
SirSpawnsALot, Meatykeyboard, Beaster Bunny, JayShank007, Rawrr483, DStarastins, McFarty, Riggsy79, Chief Hao, Aaron Yarden, Geralt of Rivia, Derrick Townsend and you? 🏆
Want to send me things for videos or other reasons? Use this address:
The Provoked Prawn
PO Box 13277
MANNINGTREE
CO11 9BE
United Kingdom
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PLEASE NOTE
Affiliate links*:
Disclosure: Shopping links within the description of this video generate a commission at no extra cost to you. These are added for your convenience but other retailers are available. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Products:
Products featured may also have been sent for free for review/testing purposes. Often these have to be returned by me, but not always. I endeavour to avoid bias in my videos wherever possible and try to give honest, subjective opinions.

[@Theonlyshaun]

Your example of your GoXLR setup and recording in OBS is exactly what I do. It’s fantastic to have separate tracks when recording and this is one thing I’ve been trying to find out if the Roadcaster can do, particularly now that the Duo is coming out soon. Here’s hoping that Road adds this feature soon because I don’t think I could live without it

[@idjmic]

So the Rodecaster Pro 2 is a fancy podcast mixer for those that need multiple mic’s. The GoXLR is still a superior live streaming mixer.

[@gmoney0505]

You can separate audio channels with voicemeter. That is what I am doing so i can mute or unmute different audio sources at any time. I was using voicemeter before I bought the RCP2 so it was a hassle free transition for me and hard to figure out. My problem was if you setup up audio with the touchpad it comes out of the microphone output only. Somehow it makes that audio sound choppy and distorted. I dont know if that is just mine or if that is on all. So i just setup my commands with the midi function and i can have it output to a certain virtual audio channel with voicemeter.

[@tombuck]

Really interesting to hear your whole backstory unfold!

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

Woah. Hello Tom you absolute legend. I'm honoured to have you come by. Love your work.

[@tombuck]

@@TheProvokedPrawn wow, you’re way too kind! 🙏

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

sorry, had a fanboy moment there and forgot I'd tagged you in the description. Haha. Still, keep doing what you're doing it's great.

[@Finsterwald_]

Sir your video and sound quality is outstanding. Especially the sound quality and the tone of your voice make it very comfortable to watch your videos. Thank you so much.

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

So nice of you

[@theunkownmr.562]

I prefer the mic monitoring on the GoXLR over the RCPro2. The mic monitoring on the Goxlr is louder

[@portersblackboard]

Have you tried out the Rode Unify Software with your Rodecaster Pro II yet? I am curious to know what you think of it. Apologies if you have already mentioned this is other videos. I just didn't see one.

[@GamePassDad]

Great overview of what I see as Necessary features! I just got mine, and I really hope that Rode Prioritizes making a real Audio Matrix then the RCPII will be the end all be all for digital content creators. Making the Smart Pads actually smart for Samples the way GoXlr does would be a great add in but I can live without it. In the mean time I am hoping I can get Wavelink to handle my routing woes but that seems to come with its own issues.

[@abdulsalam32x]

I went from a goxlr mini with rode procaster mic to a much cheaper setup which is a wave mic 1 which I got for 40 $ and the wave link software which for me is superior compared to the goxlr because it has VST support and submixes. Currently I’m interested in the alias pro audio interface, not the mic because it seems that it makes dual pc streaming streamlined.

[@therealjeff7476]

Thank you for going in depth on this! Splitting audio tracks is so important to streaming and I have also had clips with friends talking through them 😂 is there any competition with the goxlr that has that feature? Also love how the pads record and play back the recording instantly 😂

[@DrummerPunked]

Come on rode bring these features. Keep your promise of constant upgrades

[@General_saa]

Hi prawn I am a big fan of your content thanks for all the quality work you do especially pc part review and how to… it helps a lot One more thing please if you like to answer. Your avatar is so nice and I’m trying to make an avatar for my gaming channel can I know the guy made it for you! Thanks

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

www.fiverr.com/popon85/create-twitch-emotes-sub-badges

[@MaxMilly_85]

you can do the goxlr thing you spoke about in the rcp2 as well. obs allows you to set audio captures on different windows or if you are on console you can use an audio extractor to output clean game audio into the rcp2 with 3.5mm to dual 1/4 ts cables and combind them as stereo pair in rcp2.

[@ComputerProof]

Sounds way more complicated with the rcp2 than with the goxlr

[@henRYANand]

Hey there! Did the “audio track update” you spoke about around 12:30 come yet as of right now? Thanks in advance :)

[@JoelSpatz_]

Did the routing update now come out and if yes is it as good as with the goxlr?

[@haies09]

The routing is nowhere near as good as GoXLR

[@henRYANand]

Yea.. Any update on this? Planning to buy one but I’m waiting for that routing update … 😅

[@JoelSpatz_]

@@henRYANand yea i would love to know as well

[@nooby3620]

Thank you for this video, as you might know with the goxlr basically dead now with the entire firmware department being let go I was thinking about getting the rp2, but it seems so much more complicated than the goxlr. one thing I have noticed is in the goxlr we always have the mic fader set to 100, however in your rp2 videos the faders are either halfway or a bit more. Can you make a video going more in detail about the actual faders. Also I always had my streamlabs sound alerts for followers etc on system fader, can this be setup up on the rp2. Last thing is from your previous video you had both usb c used. my pc only has one usb type c input, but i have a bunch of usb c 3.1 inputs, can i use usb2 on rpc2 to go into one of these?

[@michaelj.4187]

sending love and peace to everyone...

[@M5xThully]

Thanks for the comparison!

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

Hope it was helpful!

[@MaxySnake]

Hello good sir, i love your content as per usual. Ive always wondered, RCPII vs GoXLR, how different the same microphone sounds on each. The preamp quality, the noise floor. Do i sacrifice sound quality by picking the goxlr over the rcpii ?

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

There is certainly a difference but that's also because the Rodecaster Pro 2 has settings you can apply immediately that help and yes, it has a cleaner pre amp. The capture quality was noticeably better when I used the Shure SM7B on the Rodecaster Vs the GoXLR but I think with a lot of settings tweaks you can still get the GoXLR sounding great as well.

[@MaxySnake]

@@TheProvokedPrawn thank you very much for your reply. Probably not double the price better if we compare. I agree with the virtual outputs in windows. I have the mini and it's so helpful. Been wanting either the full GoXLR or the rodecaster duo.

[@master_the_mind]

Couldnt you take the output of the Procaster Pro 2 and put it into a channel of the the GoXLR - so you have the best of both worlds...

[@BizantyjskiBorsuk]

Great vid & thank you again, my gosh I hoped that by this time Rode would have bring that spit audio to work, I hope I am not annoying and I could pick your brains once more, I have seen that there is a plugin for OBS that can split the audio like you and I would like, and I wonder if this could be our way out? Could you use rodecaster pro 2 with that obs plugin to seperate discord, music game sound and chat mic? I would be grateful if you could do a vid on this. Neverless I will still buy the Rodecaster pro 2 now that GOXLR or rather TC Helicon stopped any further updates to their unit

[@bambino96015]

Were there any potential firmware updates that changed your opinion within the last 9 months?

[@pkerry12]

yep i have had the goxlr mini for about 2 and half years starting to notices issues now with the lack of the suppose on software. I am looking to buy a RodeCaster Duo my issues are that it doesn't have an optical port which i used with the playstation 5 and other consoles, and the software doesnt' have profiles like the go xlr which sucks for streaming since I had a PC sound profile, console sound profile and VR sound profile which would change the fades to what i needed. automatically and set the right levels for me. Is it worth going to the RodeCaster Duo? becaue this seems to be my only option from what I have seen.

[@fpet1]

Could you confirm if there is latency in the RCP2 headphone monitor out of output 1? Im concerned that going from the go xlr with 0 latency from my voice it will bother me too much

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

I haven't noticed it even when using a wireless headset tbh

[@fpet1]

@@TheProvokedPrawn appreciate the reply, thank you

[@WolfCatalyst]

I had nothing but trouble with the GoXLR. I wanted to like it but the software was buggy. Also, the GoXLR is dead anyway now, sooo.... that narrows the options a bit. 😂

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

Have you seen the Rodecaster Duo

[@gentlemengeek]

I’m able to route Main mix(USB1) for my mic(s) only, chat for discord(I’m able to split here for my mic to discord and OBS, in case I want to talk to chat only), and secondary output(USB2) for desktop/game audio on Rodecaster Pro 2. In OBS I assign each on their own OBS recording track and I can edit whichever track I don’t want in post. Do you use both USB outputs on the back?

[@TheRealRustyGrill]

Is the ride caster pro 2 still better than go xlr? Easy to set up?

[@BeardedFire]

the routing and application dedicated to virtual channels where i can put spotify to music, discord to chat and have what i want on the sliders is whats keeping me on the goxlr aswell, i been looking into the procaster 2 even now 6 months after this video and its still like this so im still stuck on the goxlr

[@henRYANand]

Any procaster update since this comment yet? :)

[@BeardedFire]

@@henRYANand i dont know I basically stopped about the procaster since its not anywhere close to the goxlr and the splitting autio and routing so for me its no point lol

[@Insanartist]

I'm curious about the Roland Bridge Cast and the M-Game Dual which are not too expensive compared to the RC2 or the duo.

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

I make a video on the bridgecast kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKHEgpqvf7GNl6s but I wouldn't swap my RCP2 for it.

[@Insanartist]

@@TheProvokedPrawn Thanks. I will check it out. For me, like you said, the RC2 might be too much. The processing is very interesting and all, but there's so much things I won't use as a solo streamer. If only the Streamer X was reliable.. :p

[@Token666]

Is it possible to make a video about your audio processing of your rodecaster pro 2 ? :)

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

I think I sort of did it here kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmPXd4GAjdNoapo

[@m00nrise]

I have a go xlr currently but i want to switch to something else but the problem i have with the rodecaster pro 2 is the fact that it doesn't have a mute button (idk if the mute button under the sliders can do like the big mute button on the go xlr), no instant replay soundboard and no virtual output. What do you think would be best for me ?

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

Have you seen Beacns things? kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYStq6GPibBsm7c Alternatively the Wave XLR is good, but I've not found anything yet that offers the exact same things as the GoXLR sadly.

[@m00nrise]

@@TheProvokedPrawn the big problem with beacn is you can only have 2 output if i am right.

[@monegro2407]

Pls, you can make a video of the configuration of your goxlr

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

I showed some settings at the end of this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqOsp3qsiLt-eMU

[@forsure9593]

Thanks

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

No problem

[@forsure9593]

Just buy it, and its cool for newbie user like me )) @@TheProvokedPrawn

[@helladubbz]

Appreciate the video prawn 🦐

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

Thanks HellaDubbz

[@NickleNinja2]

How do you think the wave xlr fits into this conversation

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

It's very good and offers more software options for the routing but less hardware controls. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJnEc2VqlJqEm8k

[@NickleNinja2]

@@TheProvokedPrawn which did you end up keeping.. the Rodecaster or Go XLr

[@arriagatwo777]

"Expensive"? But you end speding a lot of money in different devices that doesn't do a 50% the RC2 does

[@mcod99]

Yah but not supporting virtual channels is a huge turn off since cheaper brands offer this

[@biomechanism1]

I always wanted to ask you why do you boost your voice in that unnatural way?

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

I don't

[@PhillipHilton]

That's not boosting. It's because he is in a small studio/booth/nook with a low ceiling so he's getting a bit of 'mild reflection' on the lows because of proximity. That's what you are hearing. Dymanic mics can screen out 'a lot' of this but unless you have 'wall-to-wall foam' in a small space you are always going to get a little bit.

[@darriusbattle]

Now I don’t know what to get. Lol

[@TheProvokedPrawn]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZeXk5eMr6h0pJY