Swiss Army Mic

The PodMic USB is a super versatile dynamic microphone for capturing rich, broadcast-quality audio in any scenario you can throw at it. Thanks to its dual XLR and USB connectivity, it is just at home in a recording studio connected to an analog mixer as it is plugged straight into your computer, or you can even hook it up to your smartphone for a grab-and-go recording rig. PodMic USB is perfect if you want one flexible microphone that will make your content sound amazing in any context.

Pro Sound When Creativity Calls

Featuring a high-power neodymium capsule, the PodMic USB delivers warm, highly detailed audio with incredible clarity, making it exceptional in speech applications. It features an internal pop filter for minimizing plosives, an internal shockmount to reduce vibrations, and comes with a studio-quality external pop filter to make sure you can capture crisp, clean audio every time.

All-in-one Recording Solution

The PodMic USB features powerful on-board DSP (Digital Signal Processing) powered by APHEX® that makes it easy to capture professional sounding audio. Use VoxLab™ to quickly dial in the perfect sound, or dive deep into the granular controls for the high-pass filter, noise gate, compressor, and the legendary Aural Exciter™ and Big Bottom™. Monitor your audio with zero latency thanks to the headphone output, complete with on-board level control for controlling the volume of your audio. The perfect all-in-one recording solution.

Take Your Studio On The Road

Not only can you connect the PodMic USB to your favourite audio interface, mixer, laptop or computer, but it also connects seamlessly with iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. This means PodMic USB is the perfect tool for capturing broadcast-grade audio while you’re away from the studio, or just want a more compact setup - it’s a professional and portable recording rig for the road.

Sleek Looks, Built to Last

With its classic broadcast microphone aesthetic and sleek matte black finish, the PodMic USB exudes class, but it is also incredibly rugged and built to last. The PodMic USB is constructed from high-grade components housed in a super durable body, more than capable of surviving the rigours of everyday recording in the home, in the studio and on the road, and comes with an industry-leading five-year warranty.

RØDE Central

RØDE Central is an easy-to-use companion app for your PodMic USB, giving you access to advanced processing, input gain, firmware updates and more.

RØDE Connect

RØDE Connect is a simple and powerful software solution for podcasting with your PodMic USB, allowing you to connect and record up to four RØDE USB microphones at once.

UNIFY

UNIFY is the ultimate virtual mixing software for streaming with your PodMic USB, giving you complete flexibility over your audio routing and mixing in one intuitive interface.

RØDE Capture

RØDE Capture is an intuitive iOS video app with creative features like dual cam mode and in-app access to your RØDE microphone’s settings.

Pickup Pattern and Placement

The PodMic USB is an end-address microphone and features a tight cardioid polar pattern. This means it will pick up sound in the direction of the end of the microphone grille while rejecting sounds from around and behind it. Being a dynamic microphone, your voice will sound best when placed nice and close (around 5-10cm) to your mouth.

Getting Set Up

The PodMic USB comes with all the accessories you need to get recording, including a pop filter and USB-C cable.

Attaching the Pop Filter

The included pop filter provides additional protection against plosives – sharp puffs of air when mouthing certain syllables, like the ‘p’ in ‘plosive’, that can cause artifiacts in your audio. To place the pop filter on the PodMic USB, simply slide it over the microphone grille, ensuring that the two semi-circle cutouts on either side line up with the swing mount pegs.

Mounting and Adjusting the PodMic USB

The PodMic USB features an integrated swing mount which, on its end, has a mounting hole for both 5/8-inch and 3/8-inch threads. Simply screw this onto your microphone stand or studio arm (like the PSA1+) to mount your PodMic USB.

Once mounted, you can use the swing mount to angle the PodMic USB in any direction, ensuring that the rear is clear to allow space for cabling. Once positioned, you can tighten the pegs on either side of the swing mount to secure it in place.

Connecting Your PodMic USB via XLR

Once you’ve mounted your PodMic USB, you can connect it to your analog equipment (such as an audio interface, mixer or outboard gear) via its XLR output. To do so, plug the female end of an XLR cable (three holes) into the base of the microphone (three pins) – if you need a high-quality cable, our XLR-CABLE is available in both 3-metre and 6-metre lengths with an array of different colours. Before connecting the other end of the cable to your mixer, audio interface or similar device, ensure the input volume is fully down to avoid unexpected feedback or loud sounds.

Note: Be sure to disengage phantom power on your device, as this will affect the PodMic USB’s output level.

Using the PodMic USB with a Computer or Mobile Device

As well as an analog XLR output, the PodMic USB features a digital USB-C connection for recording or streaming directly into your computer, laptop or mobile without the need for an external audio interface. Simply plug one end of the supplied USB-C cable into the rear of the PodMic USB and plug the other end into your device.

If your computer doesn’t feature a USB-C port, you’ll need to use a USB-A to USB-C cable such as the SC18 instead. For iOS smartphones, you’ll need to use a Lightning Accessory Cable like the SC21.

Using the PodMic USB with Your Audio Software

Once connected to your computer, you’ll be able to select “RØDE PodMic USB" as an audio input in both your computer’s device settings as well as within your audio or media software, just like you would with your built-in laptop microphone or a channel from an audio interface.

Monitoring Your Audio

To listen to what you’re recording with your PodMic USB when connected via USB, simply connect your headphones to the 3.5mm output on the microphone’s rear and adjust the volume control to taste. Pressing the volume control in will enable or disable zero-latency monitoring, allowing you to monitor the audio that the microphone’s picking up without any latency. The LED on the rear will turn green if zero-latency monitoring is enabled, and red when it’s disabled.

You can also send any computer or mobile device audio to this headphone output by selecting “RØDE PodMic USB” as your audio output device in your computer’s device settings.

Note: When using the PodMic USB with either RØDE Connect or UNIFY (see below), pressing the volume control in will mute your microphone channel in the software as well as disable zero-latency monitoring.

Using with RØDE Central

RØDE Central is a companion app for a range of RØDE products and can be used to update your PodMic USB firmware as well as adjust the microphone’s input gain and advanced audio processing settings (see below for more details).

Settings configured via RØDE Central persist in the PodMic USB, meaning you can close the app and use the microphone with other devices or software with these settings and effects enabled.

Using the Advanced Audio Processing

The PodMic USB features powerful on-board digital signal processing (DSP) that can be fully accessed and configured via RØDE Central on desktop. With your PodMic USB connected to a computer, open RØDE Central, click the PodMic USB icon on the left-hand side, then click ‘Audio Setup’.

VoxLab™ Processing

Here, you can adjust the VoxLab™ processing for quick control over Depth, Sparkle and Punch. These three settings control a number of different parameters of the advanced processing (below), giving you quick access to powerful sound-shaping tools.

Advanced APHEX® Processing

Clicking ‘Advanced’ will give you granular control over each parameter in the PodMic USB’s powerful advanced processing, including a noise gate, compressor, high-pass filter and the legendary APHEX® Aural Exciter™ and Big Bottom™ processors.

Once configured, any audio processing settings will remain active on the PodMic USB’s digital (USB) output, even after RØDE Central has been closed. This means you can use these settings with other software and devices.

Using with RØDE Connect

Download and install RØDE Connect on desktop to access extra features for your microphone, including advanced audio processing and the ability to connect up to four PodMic USB or other RØDE USB microphones to a computer simultaneously.

1. Ensure your microphone is connected to your computer via USB and open RØDE Connect
2. Click and drag the PodMic USB from the ‘Available Microphones’ section to one of the four microphone spaces in the top row (if it doesn’t show up there by default) and click ‘Next’
3. Configure your virtual channels (if required) by dragging them to their desired spaces and click ‘Next’
4. Click ‘Finish’ to exit the setup assistant (you can access the assistant again whenever you want by selecting the three-dot icon next to the RØDE logo)
5. Click on the menu in the top-right of RØDE Connect and navigate to ‘Preferences’. From here, select the output you’re using under ‘Monitor Out’ (for instance, ‘External Headphones’) and also select ‘Microphones Included’ under ‘Monitor Mix’.
6. Click the channel number for the PodMic USB (e.g. the ‘1’ with the pink coloured tag) to view its configuration settings 

Here, you can adjust the microphone’s input gain, adjust the VoxLab™ processing, and access granular control over advanced processing, including a noise gate, compressor, high-pass filter and the legendary APHEX® Aural Exciter™ and Big Bottom™ processors.

Check out the RØDE Connect user guide for more details on how to use the software for recording podcasts and streaming.

RØDE Connect will automatically prompt you to update your PodMic USB firmware when you run the software with the microphone connected and an update is available.

Using with UNIFY

UNIFY is a powerful virtual mixing software for streaming and content creation, giving you supreme control over your audio routing, mixing and processing with one intuitive interface. Along with these powerful features, UNIFY also allows you to access the PodMic USB’s advanced audio processing parameters, set the input gain and update the firmware.

Using the XLR Cover

The PodMic USB comes with a rubber cover to protect the XLR output when not in use. Simply insert the cover into the XLR hole when storing your PodMic USB or using just the USB connection.