SHOULD YOU BUY INTO RODE X? | XDM100 Review 

NO... don't do it, don't buy it. I found out the hard way. I bought it, went to install the software only to have problems when I noticed it was an exe file. I emailed their support then called in California and was told... nope software is not for Macs and never will be. So I thought I'll buy Parallels and create a virtual Windows system and then use the software mainly with Zoom. WRONG!!! Rode UNIFY does NOT support Parallels at all and never will. Like many companies that don't give a rat's ass about Mac users. This mic is now little more than an run of the mill "common" but expensive usb mic. So much time and money wasted!

i actually contacted RODE and they said it's currently NO Plans for Unify for Mac OS .. :(

Just to update Ride now has a Mac OS beta version of Unify!

Easy answer...Rode xdm or xcm. Their whole setup sounds amazing...

You mean the Wave Dx? Yeah...I decided to go only usb for this...not only for time...but also to not muddy the water

@@DarkCornerStudios the wave dx is the XLR version , the wave 3 is the usb version with somewhat the same type of software.

@@kebeker740 oh I never got the wave 3

i bet you have to choose, one or the other, you dont have to install wavelink, to make the stream deck plus work.

Unify HAS to be working... In fact, with PC...the mic doesnt start working until UNIFY is open...at least for me. That is why I bet that the UNIFY software is basically the driver for the mic.

@@DarkCornerStudios Thanks 🙏

Which "industry standard" usb mics are you thinking?

The mics themselves indeed work on macOS (as confirmed by the official datasheet of each mic). Only UNIFY is (for today anyway) Windows-only. Which of course means that with macOS, there is no access to the DSP (for now).

@@DarkCornerStudios I meant industry standard dynamic mics, like the Shure SM7B, EV RE20/320, etc. not necessarily USB mics. Although I do expect the sound quality to be excellent, to harness the DSP features, software will be key.

@@jasona59 problem is those are apples to oranges comparisons. A usb mic has a fixed DA converter and preamp. So you are comparing a usb mic up against an xlr with any range of pre? That's why those comparisons are difficult to include. USB vs XLR is so much more than Mic A vs Mic B. You buy a usb mic to avoid all the other hangups...like having an interface and signal chain

@@DarkCornerStudios That makes sense. I personally would prefer the flexibility to have both XLR and USB, for different uses, but I’m not in love with the Shure MV7

As far as I can see they are available now!

The MV7 is a cash grab, sadly. These two new Rode microphones sound clearly better, but that's not a high bar to clear.

Liberty dudes clip? Where?

@@ObscureTech Bandrew Says on RU-vid yesterday. A video submission. About 8 minutes, you’ll love it

PodMicUSB

Yes...there is a mute button on both... And that cable is headphones out

@@DarkCornerStudios thats great Sir. Glad it has it. Thank You for the info for both mics. Great job as always.

I got the Deity VO-7U and switched the RGB permanently off. It has its own issues (confusing gain knob and by using the mute knob an annoying red RGB shows up) but sounded great. Fortunately, you can use some little tools to cope with this: use Equalizer APO and some plugins to adjust it (I've made a long German tutorial at RU-vid) and use Volume² and TorkilsMicMuter to mute it without the hardware mute knob. Now, after the cheap mic arm on the Deity set broke I was thinking about giving the XDM-100 and Unify a shot as I was not really happy with Voicemeeter as routing software and had the feeling that Steelseries GG interfered with EQ APO. But after having just tested Unify, you are not able to route your input/output devices with it (as you can do in GG or Voicemeeter) - you can only route streams which makes it less practical to use than GG. I was not able to even see/use my Jabra headset/mic within Unify and so, I am not sure if it would work for me with a Rode mic or if I would be happier with GG. Also, the XDM-100 shock mount does not look very graceful on cam.

Yeah...I misspoke. Thanks for the correction

did you end up getting it?

As far as I know...yep

Mic input

No idea...I don't have the Mini anymore. But I do have a video...bit of legwork and you will have your answer

In short, I'd say yes. And good for guitar and instruments as well. Ideally, you want to record with a real (plug in) mirophone, no a USB. But these mics are a big step above something like a Yetti microhone. I their price range it'd go for it!

No idea what it is...though self noise isn't really an issue for a gaming mic. This mic isn't pretending to be anything more than that

But people will want to use it for more than that, even if they use it primarily as a gaming/streaming mic. BTW, your voice may sound even better via the XCM-50.

@@sinocelt true...but some mics...especially these are for specific purpose and are marketed as that. The mics themselves are almost secondary to the software.

I have no idea...but @rode_x tech support is very good at their job...

@@DarkCornerStudios a shot in the dark to see if their was a quicker way than waiting for Rode to respond and tell me to unplug my computer and plug it back it haha! Thanks anyway. If I find a fix I’ll respond here for others that may end up with the same issue.

@@Phantom_Work call them! It's immediate

It's totally worth $100 more for that software and effects. Much better than the Wave solution imo

@@DarkCornerStudios the wave software also has the EQ/compressor/streaming. checking others reviewer the 100 seems to sound much better than the 50. it seems your voice makes the 50 sounds almost as good as the 100 for some odd reason.

@@BrotherO4 all mics are different man...depends on which effects you use...I believe I had some off. As for the Wave...I prefer the Rode solution for effects

It works on other USB mics but it's a subscription service...

The software will work...but not the dsp... I like the idea that they did it. Both mics look great...and consider all the companies that did the same. I'm here for it

@@DarkCornerStudios Thanks. I did know that but didn't make it clear. I just wish they'd consider offering a one off price.

@@TheHalfmanofOz well...they kinda do...if you buy one of the mics. Boom...you own the software too...thats actually quite fair considering all that went into the R&D for it

Both, the Rode NT and the Mini USB, as well as this one work perfectly with USB A on older and newer PCs. The have USB C on the mic itself, and either C or A on the other end

sorry, my rant is not done yet, also its really worth pointing out that any usb mic is a one trick pony, and in general I can't recommend them .

That is easily fixed...rotate mic...use cable management... Such an easy fix man

Smaller form factor mics are underrated. Having a big donger partially blocking your view when gaming kind of sucks.

@@DarkCornerStudios I hate to be negative, but why didn’t you do it? I’ve seen a few reviews now and they all have wires dangling all about and it looks a mess. I keep wondering why nobody is doing exactly what you said, and isn’t also routing the cables along the boom arm. So I’ve gotta disagree… if y’all reviewers aren’t doing it should we expect that non-mic people will? Rode should have redone ports so all cabling exits mic from the same end instead of copy-pasting the housing from a mic they designed ages ago. And there is a reason companies like Lewitt and Austrian Audio are innovating away from big spider shock mounts. These were designed during the radio days when camera views didn’t matter. Gaming, reading copy, etc. with a big chonking shock mount in the way isn’t great. Lots of new media use the Lewitt mics, for instance. Not so many Rode NT1s. The on-board DSP is a great thing, and the software/virtual routing seems good, I just wish they would have put more effort into the form factor if they’re targeting an on-camera market. I’m not taking issue with your review, just Rode’s decisions on this one.

@@AdamBA380 if you have ever done a review last minute you would understand. Sorry for not cable managing it for you...lol.

@@TheHalfmanofOz Its funny...but I kinda agree. However there are a LOT of streamers that like the big chungus in the shot... To each their own

That's funny...if you recall ...I said MOST. And I specifically said I would on review the ones that stood out and offered more. That said...I make that joke in the first 10 seconds

@@DarkCornerStudios You show up to church for Christmas and Easter, don't you?

@@seanwebb605 do I have to answer that? Lolz

But you have to connect the XDM / XCM at the same time to use the unify software?

@@DieTabbi you can connect them both, or just one of them, or even other USB mics, but some specific features only work with those two ATM.

@@BernhardSchieber oh that sound great, thank you.