WOW this an insanely comprehensive review. Thanks for taking the time for this! Hearing pre and post processing is incredibly helpful. AND two different voices are you crazy??
After watching tonnes of mic reviews, I have to say this is the best. It was a great review, then it became a brilliant review when you brought your wife in to help. Not only was it great to have a female voice & perspective but also you guys are just lovely together, your character and chemistry together just lit up the screen as well as the microphones, please start a fun topical podcast together it would be a fabulous watch/Listen. ✌🏼&💙🇬🇧 Thanks guys
Another great review - thank you for taking the time to review, compare and contrast. Your "Blink" reference for the $182 price was not lost on us, well done.
Tom, I love your channel, over the last year you've taught me so much. My Rodecaster Pro 2 has just arrived, so I'm looking forward to diving in. Thanks for all your inspiration!
Always nice seeing someone enjoy this mic. I chose this as a dynamic mic over the sm7b solely on performance quality and price. Moreover having had it for a couple years and using other more expensive mics I can say I prefer how my voice sounds with this 200$ mic over the other options. Safe to say I wont be switching any time soon and overall just happy others who have had the chance to try other mics can enjoy it as well.
Seems like there are a lot of people who have stuck with the Procaster for a long time, which is awesome. And you're 100% right about finding the best mic for YOUR specific voice. 👍
Thanks Eddy! I really appreciate that. I always admire people who can create perfectly color-coordinated setups, but then I just end up smashing everything together. 😁
Per usual, in-depth review. I also use the Procaster daily. I recently paired it with the Focusrite Vocaster Two and impressed with the boost in quality output. I have struggled with plosives with this mic. Thanks for demonstrating options to reduce plosives.
Thanks Aubrey! I don't know if you saw the blue mic on The Couple's Table today, but they also make a bright green version (it's for use on green screens, but it looks super cool by itself 😁)
thank you so much for adding female voice samples and thanks to your wife for helping out! I was looking for procaster for more female voice and it sounds amazing, I will definitely grab it over sm7b and nt1 :D
This video coming up right now is so cool! My procaster is shipping right now to me after I saw it on a price drop. So I’m gonna watch & hope you have good analysis on this mic.
This has to be my favorite video of yours! I also met my fiancée online (albeit through Facebook, not RU-vid), and now we have a podcast together! The SM7B is my go-to mic, but I also have a PodMic as a guest/backup mic. I set up the PreSonus PD-70 as my fiancée's mic, but I've been eyeing the Procaster for a while. I like how it sounded on your wife's voice, so maybe it'll sound good on my fiancée's voice as well.
Well this week is a treat. Two videos of my favourite Tuber Tom! I realised yesterday while listening to your newest podcast episode that I’m two years older than You so I can’t really call You sir anymore. 😂 lovely review but I have my sight on The Sm7B. Keep up The good work Tom!
LOVE this mic! I'm in radio, and use the EV broadcast standard at work. I use the Rode in my home studio, and it sounds better to me. Plosives can be an issue, but a pop filter solves that for me. You cannot beat the price! I've seen these for around $170, brand new.
The price is absurd. I don't know why I never checked into it before now, but I just assumed with the build quality/reputation it was at the same price point as the Shure. I was Shure wrong.
Thanks, Tom! I bought a Procaster several months back along with the original Rode Boom Arm - what a great combination! I use it primarily at my home studio for a variety of things, including being the primary mic on my ICOM IC-7600 HF Radio (Amateur Radio). It sounds great and I get lots of positive comments. At church I use the EV RE20 for lots of vocal work. I have thought about the 7B quite a lot, but am happy with these two choices! And based on your recommendation I did purchase the Rode headphones - they are awesome! Thanks, as always, for great reviews and advice!
Hello. My name is Alexander. Could you tell us in more detail how and through what you connected the Procaster microphone to your radio, for example, on your channel. I bought the same one, but I can't connect it correctly to Icom ic-7300. There are many schemes on the Internet, but the connections are different for everyone. I don't want to damage the radio. Thank you
Thanks a lot, I'm impressed by the quality of your video. I want to add that the sm7b's capsule is placed quite deep from the physical top end of the mic. For a more fair comparison, you may add a 1-2 inches distance to the Procaster on the plosive test.
Great video Tom, thanks! I especially liked that you don‘t mind going against the tide of reviewers despising the Procaster - and it really sounded good on your voice, even more so with the preset. I personally think it has quite some worthy competition at its price (Shure MV7X, Samson Q9U, SE V7, Shure 55SHii, Presonus PD-70) but its certainly one of the more characteristic ones and at the end of the day it is down to personal preference and how it suites ones voice.
Love my Procaster for voiceover. It's a "Leafblower Killer"! But seriously, it sounds great and is up there with the classic sm7b and RE20. Way better than the Heil dynamics I've owned. The Procaster sounds like it fits between the darker rounder sound of the sm7b and the bright sibilance that creeps in with the RE20 at times. Thanks for this overview.
Another great one Tom. At times I like this mic better than my SM7B bc I think the bkgrd noise rejection is better. . And yes, the price is right now. It was about $229 for a long time.
I've been an avid user of the Procaster for 5 years. I've used it to record radio commercials, on air work, and more. It's been a workhorse for me and it works well with my voice's natural tone. Plug that into a DBX 286s and it's just a great sounding mic.
I'm really surprised by how much I like it. This one was a hand-me-down from a friend and I was originally planning to pass it along to someone else, but then I liked it so much I couldn't let it go.
@@tombuck yeah. I have tried a lot of mics - I keep the Podmic, sm7b, Lewitt LCT 440 PURE, and Earthworks Ethos in rotation, but really need that RE20 now. Every video I hear one in, I rather appreciate it. Your comparison to a few mics in my rotation really sealed the deal (albeit not the intent of the video haha)
Thank you Tom for a great review. For your voice you are right that the SM7B sounds the best and very professional. Very close in second place is the RE20. I'm going to skip some places to put the Procaster in 7th because there has to be better dynamic mics in between. The PodMic? Oh well, bless its heart but it's not ready for prime time. As I always stress all mics should be test driven for the characteristics of the person's voice. The PodMic actually balances out my baritone voice and with a little EQ sounds amazing. Always nice to see your "lovely wife" Heather.
This was great Tom! Your wife was great! I honestly thought the RE20 sounded the best. Although the procaster sounded great too. Aesthetically, the RE20 is nicer for sure.
The RE20 is definitely a champ. It's funny because it's usually not the first mic I choose, but we did a blindfolded sound test a few months ago with all of my mics and the RE20 was the one that I picked, so it totally goes to show that there are definitely biases at work 🤷🏻♂️
Okay, the most amazing part of this video is (1) the random facts about Tom and (2) jokes from the Jokiest Joking Joke Book! You should link to the book in the description!
Tom, loved the video, as I usually do. The RCP2 really makes the Rode mikes sournd their best. To my taste, Heather sounded more than acceptable on the PodMic, and really, really good on the others. I didn’t like you on the podmic, and seldom really like it. You sounded good on the Procaster, and great on the other two. A few months ago, I replaced my Rode NT1 with an RE20 that I use with a DBX 286s. I don’t know if it’s worth almost 2.5X what the Procaster costs, but I like it. I’d really like to upgrade to the RCP2, and plan to as the budget allows.
Got this mic in a few weeks ago and absolutely loving it. I do want to pick up the metal pop filter, but this thing breathes so much better than my AT2040 which was definitely a bad impulse purchase haha
Hey Tom, thank you for this nice comparison video. Fun fact, about 15 minutes before you brought up this video I ordered the Røde Procaster from B-Stock at Thomann for 137,- €.
I really like the sound of the Procaster Tom. Seems like a very good value. However the BSW pop filter is crazy pricey compared to the cost of the microphone. Thank you for the review.
It is a pricey filter. Knowing I could use it on multiple mics made it worth it for me, but yeah, spending $60 on a filter for a $182 mic is a tough sell.
That heather reading bit was incredible! Hilarious, but clearly teeth pulling for her. Holy buckets, the Procaster vs PodMic is an absurd quality check. Even with the presets loaded. I know you can roll in the PodMic sweet sound, but I have time and again experience showing me most people don't know what they're doing with EQ. Still dig the Procaster sound vs Sm7B. That size is ridiculous though. I wonder if there is a mounting system that makes it less of an issue.
You should really check out the sE Dynamics Dynacaster. I'm super impressed with it's performance. It hasn't gotten a lot of fanfare but very positive reviews from industry pros.
I got an Shure SM58 foam popfilter for 5 bucks. If you cut of the top, it fits almost perfectly inside of the grill cap that screws off on the Procaster. I found that the SM58 one, while a bit more expensive, leaves the tone intact the most while also stopping plosives the best. If you add Rodes official WS windscreen, you can literally blow on it with out it clipping out. Learned that trick thanks to a local station almost a decade ago. Still using it for my personal Procasters today.
Man, I had the Shue SM7, when I had a go XLR & then got a Mixcast 4... took it back after I returned the Mixcast. Now I am just using Some Marants Pro Mics with a FocusRite until I am able to get a New RCP2. AFTER i get the new unit I really want to look into other mic options, but am putting all off until then. Thanks for the video!
I wish there were a guaranteed combo that would work, but sometimes you really do need to mix and match a bunch of different things until you find what works. Good luck!
Appreciate the comparison of all of these mics. I've heard each of these mics many times before, but something about this video allowed me to pick up on things I haven't in the past. I know I am in the minority when I say that I am not gaga about the SM7B. It's a good-sounding mic for sure, and on your voice, very neutral sounding, The word smooth kept coming to mind as I was listening. But it doesn't wow me. I have to work a little harder to listen to it. I have a Procaster, so am a little biased, But I do like the way it sounds for my voice. I think it is the slight presence boost and what sounds like a dip in the low mids. But what I think is probably more of the reason is that my hearing isn't the same as it was 30 years ago, so the Procaster, and the RE20, are more articulate for me than the SM7B. Especially on deeper voices, i.e. male voices. if I had the money, I would love to get an RE20. Anyway, great comparison video, and like I have heard you and many others say over and over, it's really about finding the right mic for the right voice, and I would also add for the particular use case you need it for. And any of these could work very well in the right conditions.
Thanks Chris, I'm really glad the video was helpful! The SM7B was definitely an acquired taste for me, but now I like it quite a bit. I'm surprised by how similar the Procaster/RE20 are given their totally different price points. I do love that "crispness" they have right out of the box. But like you said, it all depends on your specific voice. The PodMic is the best example of that because it either sounds amazing or quite rough and there's very little in between.
I picked up an open box rode procaster on EBay for around 130. Id say for both value and quality, the procaster may be my favorite mic to date just in general.
Tomcastage! Heh - I own 3 of these 4 mics (I don't have the RE-20), but let me throw a spanner here. If you can put your hands on an Earthworks Icon Pro (or Ethos), they might become your favourite microphones. I use the Icon Pro with the SM7B foam on it, and it sounds MINT. The 360 degree rotating ballhead mount is absolutely amazing. Everytime I plug my SM7B back in I forget about the "limitations" of that mount + XLR plug angle. Great video once again, man!
The RE20, in my personal opinion, kicks the sh*t out of any of the other microphones. I made the mistake to buy the SM7B for my already bass heavy voice and I regret it since a friend lend me the RE20. To justify for the €600 I'm gonna tell my GF that the SM7B suits her voice sooo much better than the Sennheiser 835 she's using right now! 😂 I will not tell her, that the RE20 sounds amazing on both of your voices. And a big thumbs up for bringing in your wife as a female voice, this is what is lacking in almost all mic comparsions. Keep up the good work! PS: To me, the Podmic sounds annoying, especially on small speakers like on an iPad or Phone. The others all perform good. But that might be just me...
That's a fair lineup. I don't think there's anything wrong with "casual listener" ears. A pro might be able to tell you WHY something sounds good, but in the end all that matters is what you like.
That is amazing video, Tom! I bought sm58 thanks to your previous videos. Now I want to upgrade either to sm7b or re20 and cannot make my mind - I like richness and natural dark smoothness of sm7b and how your ears can listen to it for hours and not get strained, and on the other hand - crisp and almost condenser-like sharpness of re20, which make your voice broadcast-like and almost authoritarian. Probably should buy both, heh
Haha, as you can see I often resort to the "just-get-them-all" strategy, but you really can't go wrong with any of those options. The SM7B is closer to the 58, so if might be smart if you're planning to use them together. But if you're just sticking to one main mic, then you really can't go wrong. You could even try renting them just to see how they work on your voice: www.lensrentals.com/rent/electro-voice-re20-dynamic-broadcast-mic
@@tombuck How did I not know that lensrental had mics for rent? I immediatley looked for a Sennheiser MKH 50, and my wallet is thankful that that don’t stock that as a rental.
Hi Tom and thank you for your valuable comments. As a comparison, I recently chose to remove my Cloudlifter (after 12 months of using it) from the procaster and the podmic on the Rodecaster PRO. Whilst the microphones needed tuning again in the Rodecaster PRO, the resultant audio was better in the end result. I have determined that you do not have to use the Cloudlifter. Again, always good to get your ideas in the video channel. Thank you.
Good fun. SM7B is the smoothest/classiest and also works as a superb singing and instrument mic as well. The others are really voice and pod casting mics. I started with a Podmic which is good with the Rodecaster Pro adjustments. Then I invested in an SM7B with an inline preamp. It’s a huge quality jump. I did consider the Procaster at the time due to the value as you highlighted but had enough to go for the Shure and don’t regret it.
Very cool video... I have a procaster on a small desk stand mostly use as.... decoration... embarrassing to admit but I don't know why... and I don't even remember where it comes from... I shall play with it but I'm not in the right country for now 😂
I always find the SM7B a bit muffled sounding, so I talk myself out of that huge purchase on a regular basis. My tone isn't unlike yours, Tom, so I just take a little brightness of the Procaster through processing. The baby Rode Podmic sounded brittle, so I returned it. And yes, chocolate is a MUST after dinner! Ha!
I'm glad we're on the same page with the whole chocolate situation 😁 The SM7B can have some mud to it, but the EQ switches on the back help and I think the normal tone is great for tweaking and adding EQ. The Procaster seems to have a more "polished" sound right out of the box.
Ok Tom Buck! Love the vids! My question is this, well, questions. Do you need a clpudlifter for the procaster if you are using the Rodecaster pro 1? What would be the better sound upgrades for quality and rejecting background noise. Upgrade the RCP 1 to the 2, or upgrade the Sm58s to the procasters, for live streaming a podcast from my restaurant, interview style one on one or two on one etc.
In my opinion, RE320 is the best value mic. I haven’t had the opportunity to use many many mics, but for the price, and amateur processing, the RE 320 is amazing.
I've never used the 320, but it does always sound great when I hear it. It seems like it sits at a sweet spot price wise in between the Procaster and the SM7B/RE20.
This was a great shootout. I find that mics are a personal preference. My mic of choice is the RE20 but the SM7B has always been a performer. What I was surprised about is the Procaster. It sounds pretty good but isn't as nice sounding as the RE20, the question really becomes whether or not the difference is worth the extra $200. Then there's the PodMic... All by itself and when you forget how the other mics sound, the PodMic sounds decent. But when you switch to any of the others, it really exposes the bright, tinny-ness of the PodMic and it makes me cringe - but after a few moments and the shock of the difference dissipates, it's okay, at at $99 it's a good choice for those with limited budgets. And since the Procaster seems to be Heather's mic of choice - will that be her mic moving forward?
Mic reviews are always tough because I think our ears can get used to just about anything if that's all we're hearing. Switching between them makes the differences stand out more, but it can get tough to tell if something is actually better or not.
@@tombuck Tom you nailed that comment. Our ears adjust. It's the listenability over five or ten minutes or longer where a boosted high end gets tiring if not annoying,
I'm always pretty impressed when I hear more budget friendly mics alongside the SM7B or RE20 because they usually really hold their own. I initially got the Podmic specifically because I needed multiple mics and that was the most cost effective way to go. I've since upgraded to the RE20 and love it. But I still find myself going back to the Podmic on occasion (just to change things up from time to time) and really love the way my voice sounds through it. Having said that, the Procaster sounds terrific and I'm surprised at the price too. I thought it was more expensive. Really good deal.
It's crazy how much good stuff there is now! And I do the same thing with the PodMic (and all my mics). It's tough to have a favorite and really fun to switch between them.
I still find the procaster better, at least for me, I love it gives me a radio voice, pretty deep and clear compared to podmic. I've never tried the shure SM7B but not sure I should invest in that one, I'm good now with the procaster. I use the podmic for my guests and they love it, specially with the cloud lifter.
Hi Tom, great comparison video. Was wondering for the SM7B & RE20 did you use both in standard “flat mode” without using any of the microphone switches ? My voice sounds less muddy with the RE20 low switch activated. Thanks again 🙏🏻
My voice is pretty deep, and the PodMic running clean definitely removes some of my natural bass. Interestingly, using the PodMic preset my natural bass comes through.
The PodMic is an enigma at this point. Sometimes it sound amazing and others it doesn't. I guess it's really dependent on the voice/situation. Still love it though!
for sharing: when put on windscreen. dont push all in, leave a gap between the tip of the procaster with the windscreen. this is how a windscreen should be use.
Been using it for 3 years now the Quality s really good and best for budget and quality xlr microphone Any recommendations for wireless microphone with audio bypass on the speakers for a mobile device???
Even setting the Rodecaster to the dynamic microphone setting introduces a few EQ tweaks. In fact, no matter how you set the Rodecaster, it still tweaks the EQ slightly. If you want a truly clean response you need to use either a basic audio interface or mixer.
I'm sure this is true to an extent, but other than cleaner preamps I personally can't tell a difference between the RCP on the generic settings and another interface like the 2i2. Not that that's super scientific or anything.
Normal People use 1 microphone at a time Legendary people use 4 microphones at the same time and also heathers part was awesome and also The transition to the channel members was perfection
My main lens is always the Sony 24 1.4 👍 I love it. The focal length is great for talking head stuff, the background blur is awesome, and the autofocus is dead silent (although there is some focus breathing).
