The software side of this looks amazing, im not super into the software side of like obs or anything, but this looks great! The mics also sound pretty clear from what you sound like and its a seemingly simple setup interaction
Sonar has been incredible. I've been using it for a few weeks now, I don't have any steelseries peripherals and the software was seamless and easy to setup and work through. The open eq working for any devices you are using is awesome.
been using sonar for a while now. exactly what i needed. kudos to steelseries for providing sonar software for free. the fact that it can be use with any audio peripherals not just theirs is freaking W.
Thanks for the info Frank! Appreciate the breakdowns of sound quality and features. I think for product reviews, chapters are a must. Saves a lot of time for those of us looking for specific information. Thanks again for the content!
The plosives are what broke this mic for me. I tested it out because I've used Sonar for over a year now and love it - was excited to see SS do a mic. But my god this thing has NO built in pop filter. It was picking up even the lightest wind movement from my ceiling fan. No idea why more ppl don't address this because it was THAT bad. Even having the mic around 12 or so inches from my mouth didn't fully eliminate plosives. They made a compelling product but completely gave planted on practical usability and function. Unfortunate.
I own the Alias Pro mic and gotta say : Sonar (The software) is RAM heavy. 2GB sometimes if you have features enabled so it is great but it comes with a cost.
Genuine question, is that only with the microphone? I use a SteelSeries headset and isn't nearly as heavy on performance (around 300 mbs) I am wondering since I am considering it.
The plosives are what broke this mic for me. I tested it out because I've used Sonar for over a year now and love it - was excited to see SS do a mic. But my god this thing has NO built in pop filter. It was picking up even the lightest wind movement from my ceiling fan. No idea why more ppl don't address this because it was THAT bad. Even having the mic around 12 or so inches from my mouth didn't fully eliminate plosives. They made a compelling product but completely gave planted on practical usability and function. Unfortunate.
Sonar is nice when it works. I have the Arctis Nova Pro wireless headset. Many times when there's an update, it changes settings and makes my headset not work until I change things again. Annyoing. Nice headset but the software does need some work.
I am curious if they would ever consider just releasing just the mixer. I think that would be my question to steel series. the dual PC capability is intriguing to me!
i also am curious of the preamp in the mixer. What made the elgato wave so great bang for buck wise was the preamp making it capable of running a gain heavy microphone like the Shure Sm7b.
it was a video about alias or about sonar? you didnt show which cables did you use and where, like, dual pc? only the usb c for both pc would get me to hear both of them at the same time? alias pro allow me to use the same mic for both pc at the same time? do i need to switch somewhere? both pc need sonar for alias pro work? the line out option in the back, is it used for like, speakers? would it work for both pc? if you dont have a steelseries product to control your volume or audio, dont use sonar. I only use headset while chatting, otherwise im using speakers, but for sonar, if i want to switch between them, I have to switch de device output in sonar for >every single mixer line< doesnt have a output master config. if you try to use your volume dial in keyboard, wont work, neither the volume in windows itselft, only INSIDE the sonar. yeah sure you can select the mixer audio line in the output windows sound, like, "game" output, but, if you are playing and listening to some music, if you turn down the volume, only work for the "game" output, because spotify is on media mixer line and wont turn it down and it doesnt have a "sonar master output" to control everything.
This sounds like a great mic, but that plosives rejection is really difficult to take the mic as it is. They probably need to beef up that windscreen for the next version, or create an external attachment.
i wish they had made the right dial free spinning with a led volume indicator below like the rode streamer x. then they could have made it color coded and let you toggle between the different submmixes to adjust any mix instead of only being able to adjust one.
So does that mean sonar makes it to you only need one microphone input on streaming software like OBS and Streamlabs? Instead of having individual ones for each of your audio sources?
So I currently am looking at getting the HyperX Quadcast 2S. I have been recently wanting an upgrade. The Alias Pro caught my eye as it looks amazing and its an xlr mic that comes with an interface. As someone who is not an expert on that sort of thing, it seems like a pretty entry-level mic for someone like me. But I guess my real question is: is it worth spending the money for the Alias pro? Is it better than the quadcast s on ps5? PLS HELPP I don't rly know anything about mic and streaming shit so pls if anybody knows anything about this type of shit comment
Also the difference. The sound. The xlr interface just sounds better. When it switched from the xlr to usb I've heard all kinds of compression artefacts and a lot more static pops with xlr it was just clean.
Man....I wish these come out a while back. I have a Rodecaster Pro 2 and a SM7B. I could've saved some money with this set up. Both mics sound nice and I love how both mics look.
Yep, this is the type of device that will make me upgrade my mic. I think my current rode podmic is incredible, but my mixer is meh, no buttons on the podmic I originally took as a positive as I couldnt bump anything and mess with settings but now with experience with it afterwards is that I wish it had buttons ON the mic. lolol And I just need something a bit simpler tbh. Love what steelseries is doing for audio, their software is awesome and I'm already using it for virtual channels on my computer, and the mixer being that simple would be so hard for me to fuck up lol
As someone who doesn't want to use the software, or maybe would want to set it up and then not have it running, does it have to run in the background normally?
Hey I have a huge question Frank! I am currently building a husband hers game room. My wife would like to stream as well and we play different games is there a way to stream in the same room without interrupting each others microphones??
The plosives are what broke this mic for me. I tested it out because I've used Sonar for over a year now and love it - was excited to see SS do a mic. But my god this thing has NO built in pop filter. It was picking up even the lightest wind movement from my ceiling fan. No idea why more ppl don't address this because it was THAT bad. Even having the mic around 12 or so inches from my mouth didn't fully eliminate plosives. They made a compelling product but completely gave planted on practical usability and function. Unfortunate.
I already have the arctic nova pro wireless and arena 7s. My only complaint with the wireless nova pros is the mic. Oh well, guess it looks like i have to complete the set then 🤷♂️
Man....I know this is mean...and I shouldn't, I am sorry...but I saw that side view of the mic and RFP's head and compared the shapes and laughed for a solid 15 seconds
i think its about $100 more if you account the microphone. but i think there is a lot to say for the addition of the dual usb c access. which i do no believe el gato has.@@daymianhogue1634
Capsule size does not equal presence. Even this video is a strong example for that, as there's a very noticable drop in vocal presence as Frank switches from his main mic to the Alias Pro. And what mic is he using? A *small*-diapraghm condenser, the Sennheiser MKH-416, which is the number one mic for voice-over. And why? Because of it's great presence boost. No idea why he fell for the marketing there
But you’re failing to mention my Sennheiser is $999 and is a shotgun mic. The Alias starts at $179 and is a cardioid condenser mic used at the setup for streaming. Two completely different mics and use cases
Concerning the prices, that is of course true but i didn't deem this information important to the point i was trying to make, as price also wasn't part of the conversation when you talked diapraghm sizes in the video. It was only about the generalisation that bigger capsule provide more presence to your voice. I would understand if you were to argue that Large diapraghm's tend to be a bit more boosted in the midrange from about 4khz compared to smaller ones, which are generally more flat. Now whilst midrange is where most sounds lie when streaming or playing instruments, having a mic like a small diapraghm condenser that deviates a bit from the Rest of the sound is what i'd argue makes it easier for your voice to cut through game audio and whatnot. Which is what i would call a boost in vocal presence, but this is to be interpreted by the individual, as the term isn't all that well defined. When you're talking usecases for microphones, i don't see why that should matter in a streaming Situation as pencil mics are a great option for indoor Vocal recordings and also help to isolate your voice from let's say a noisy Keyboard or Computer Fan with their more focused pickup-pattern and are therefore just as viable for streaming if not more so, but this just depends on your Situation and preferences. Again though, this is not really relevant for what i was arguing. But honestly thank you for the Quick and calm-mannered answer, it's rarity on the Internet and i very much appreciate that. And sorry for the harshness of my first comment
@@Sortamike Yes as the conversation was just about characteristics. And for example, in professional voice over, where you'd be very close to the mic not unlike streaming, the MKH416 or other SDC Mics are still a popular choice just for their vocal presence even if a large diapraghm were an option. Like how you might choose the 416 over the more expensive Neumann TLM103 for that reason. Which uses a larger diapraghm
@@footballtalk4857 Dude that is completely fine, whatever feels better for you... i tried sonar but didn't like some of the bloat the software had, for me it felt less responsive and i didn't even see the option to control it with MIDI (that one might have been on me).
@@footballtalk4857 VM-s UI definitely takes time to get used to, but that is why i use a hardware midi interface so i don't have to look at it. Also i have set up MIDI over the network so i can trigger multiple devices at the same time with my phone or any other MIDI enabled device. I hope this doesn't sound too complicated since it really is not, if you want more info on how to set it up just ask.
@@k1vd03_2 I mean it's not for everyone but you can always turn off the things you don't like with voicemeeter for me the audio would sound weird or not record at all
Frank, if you turn the mic upside down the gain dial will still turn the same direction
Lol😂
He doesn't have a 3d brain that can flip things mentally 😂
Also it works how he wants, but it just turned around 😂 if you turn around the mic and look at it from behind, it turns up the gain clockwise
The software side of this looks amazing, im not super into the software side of like obs or anything, but this looks great! The mics also sound pretty clear from what you sound like and its a seemingly simple setup interaction
It works for all mics and headsets. So its very good
Sonar has been incredible. I've been using it for a few weeks now, I don't have any steelseries peripherals and the software was seamless and easy to setup and work through. The open eq working for any devices you are using is awesome.
been using sonar for a while now. exactly what i needed. kudos to steelseries for providing sonar software for free. the fact that it can be use with any audio peripherals not just theirs is freaking W.
Thanks for the info Frank! Appreciate the breakdowns of sound quality and features. I think for product reviews, chapters are a must. Saves a lot of time for those of us looking for specific information. Thanks again for the content!
i feel like there is a lot of popping
The Steelseries Alias microphone set.
Mic test at 4:06
It's crazy how you're one of the few TH-cams who i enjoy watching every single video, thank you for the high quality content
The plosives are a bit harsh IMO
The plosives are what broke this mic for me. I tested it out because I've used Sonar for over a year now and love it - was excited to see SS do a mic. But my god this thing has NO built in pop filter. It was picking up even the lightest wind movement from my ceiling fan.
No idea why more ppl don't address this because it was THAT bad. Even having the mic around 12 or so inches from my mouth didn't fully eliminate plosives. They made a compelling product but completely gave planted on practical usability and function. Unfortunate.
Dangit Frank... I just got an Elgato Wave... Now i have to go and grab one of these because you make it sound amazing
😂i know right?!
idk why but the mic makes you sounds slightly robotic(?). It is like this weird static mono sound.
Oh, that routing interface looks neat.
I'm still struggling with the Wave Link software and this seems like it's made for dummies like me.
not really in the market to buy a new mic setup but here to support you Frank! nice review and keep it up!
The sound signature kinda sounds like what I would imagine if the listener wears those fluffy winter earmuffs. Clear but not exactly full.
I own the Alias Pro mic and gotta say :
Sonar (The software) is RAM heavy. 2GB sometimes if you have features enabled so it is great but it comes with a cost.
Genuine question, is that only with the microphone? I use a SteelSeries headset and isn't nearly as heavy on performance (around 300 mbs) I am wondering since I am considering it.
Well, the Alias Pro has the ability of 2 PC setup and Sonar is being routed that way. Are you using Sonar and Sonar Mixer as well ? @@notus97
I like how it sounds but it’s terrible with plosives. They requiere good microphone technique.
The plosives are what broke this mic for me. I tested it out because I've used Sonar for over a year now and love it - was excited to see SS do a mic. But my god this thing has NO built in pop filter. It was picking up even the lightest wind movement from my ceiling fan.
No idea why more ppl don't address this because it was THAT bad. Even having the mic around 12 or so inches from my mouth didn't fully eliminate plosives. They made a compelling product but completely gave planted on practical usability and function. Unfortunate.
Sonar is nice when it works. I have the Arctis Nova Pro wireless headset. Many times when there's an update, it changes settings and makes my headset not work until I change things again. Annyoing. Nice headset but the software does need some work.
I am curious if they would ever consider just releasing just the mixer. I think that would be my question to steel series. the dual PC capability is intriguing to me!
i also am curious of the preamp in the mixer. What made the elgato wave so great bang for buck wise was the preamp making it capable of running a gain heavy microphone like the Shure Sm7b.
it was a video about alias or about sonar? you didnt show which cables did you use and where, like, dual pc? only the usb c for both pc would get me to hear both of them at the same time? alias pro allow me to use the same mic for both pc at the same time? do i need to switch somewhere? both pc need sonar for alias pro work? the line out option in the back, is it used for like, speakers? would it work for both pc? if you dont have a steelseries product to control your volume or audio, dont use sonar. I only use headset while chatting, otherwise im using speakers, but for sonar, if i want to switch between them, I have to switch de device output in sonar for >every single mixer line< doesnt have a output master config. if you try to use your volume dial in keyboard, wont work, neither the volume in windows itselft, only INSIDE the sonar. yeah sure you can select the mixer audio line in the output windows sound, like, "game" output, but, if you are playing and listening to some music, if you turn down the volume, only work for the "game" output, because spotify is on media mixer line and wont turn it down and it doesnt have a "sonar master output" to control everything.
This sounds like a great mic, but that plosives rejection is really difficult to take the mic as it is. They probably need to beef up that windscreen for the next version, or create an external attachment.
the software is a huge plus for audio engineers too!
This was great info and I am interested in seeing how this could play into my OBS. Also what boom arm are you using with the microphone?
I wanted to know which boom arm too. If anyone knows, drop it here please
i wish they had made the right dial free spinning with a led volume indicator below like the rode streamer x. then they could have made it color coded and let you toggle between the different submmixes to adjust any mix instead of only being able to adjust one.
That plosive is really bad. Gotta buy that good old filter.
So does that mean sonar makes it to you only need one microphone input on streaming software like OBS and Streamlabs? Instead of having individual ones for each of your audio sources?
So I currently am looking at getting the HyperX Quadcast 2S. I have been recently wanting an upgrade. The Alias Pro caught my eye as it looks amazing and its an xlr mic that comes with an interface. As someone who is not an expert on that sort of thing, it seems like a pretty entry-level mic for someone like me. But I guess my real question is: is it worth spending the money for the Alias pro? Is it better than the quadcast s on ps5? PLS HELPP I don't rly know anything about mic and streaming shit so pls if anybody knows anything about this type of shit comment
oh wow! it seems sick! especially that it comes with its own Audio Mixer!! Pog!
what kind of headphones would go nice with this? and how can i use it on the ps5?
i need help setting my sonar up man i always get like little errors next to whats running
Also the difference. The sound. The xlr interface just sounds better. When it switched from the xlr to usb I've heard all kinds of compression artefacts and a lot more static pops with xlr it was just clean.
I can't hear any difference~
I definitely can't wait to get my hands on that XLR!
first time i've ever caught a video that was uploaded 8 seconds ago
Saw the video and bought the Alias pro before I even got to the end. It seems to be exactly what I’ve been looking for.
Man....I wish these come out a while back. I have a Rodecaster Pro 2 and a SM7B. I could've saved some money with this set up. Both mics sound nice and I love how both mics look.
You're better off with your setup. The plosives on this thing are horrendous. I tested it when it released.
Yep, this is the type of device that will make me upgrade my mic. I think my current rode podmic is incredible, but my mixer is meh, no buttons on the podmic I originally took as a positive as I couldnt bump anything and mess with settings but now with experience with it afterwards is that I wish it had buttons ON the mic. lolol
And I just need something a bit simpler tbh. Love what steelseries is doing for audio, their software is awesome and I'm already using it for virtual channels on my computer, and the mixer being that simple would be so hard for me to fuck up lol
As someone who doesn't want to use the software, or maybe would want to set it up and then not have it running, does it have to run in the background normally?
Nope you need to use it if you don’t want to
ngl the less nasal eq actually made it sound more nasal lmao
this mic looks so slick!
I can't seem to find it online, is the Steelseries Stream mixer available by itself if I already have a microphone setup I like?
I don't think so
I’ve used ss sonar for a year and had no idea how good it was… still some questions honestly
Hey I have a huge question Frank! I am currently building a husband hers game room. My wife would like to stream as well and we play different games is there a way to stream in the same room without interrupting each others microphones??
My headphone mic its failing and Im looking for a upgrade without spending too much since the cash its low
Too bad there isn't any external VST support, like with Elgato.
And it's quite prone to plosives.
I mean if your using obs or others you can you VST's.
The plosives are what broke this mic for me. I tested it out because I've used Sonar for over a year now and love it - was excited to see SS do a mic. But my god this thing has NO built in pop filter. It was picking up even the lightest wind movement from my ceiling fan.
No idea why more ppl don't address this because it was THAT bad. Even having the mic around 12 or so inches from my mouth didn't fully eliminate plosives. They made a compelling product but completely gave planted on practical usability and function. Unfortunate.
I already have the arctic nova pro wireless and arena 7s. My only complaint with the wireless nova pros is the mic. Oh well, guess it looks like i have to complete the set then 🤷♂️
i had originally gone with the wireless version but returned it for the wired version because the mic sounds better
These are nice Frank!
Man....I know this is mean...and I shouldn't, I am sorry...but I saw that side view of the mic and RFP's head and compared the shapes and laughed for a solid 15 seconds
the mic sounds nice but i feel like it picks up alot of plosives.
Can you please review the razer huntsman v3 pro lineup?
Will these work on ps5
I wish sonar would let me switch between my headphones and speakers for everything in just one click
Make sure the switch different devices is turn on in the settings
This or Shure MV7? pls help guys
What Mic stand are you using with this?
i feel like this is going to take the place of the elgato wave series, it has really similar execution and features
the sonar software itself is free. and can use with any audio peripherals is amazing.
It's over like double the price though
i think its about $100 more if you account the microphone. but i think there is a lot to say for the addition of the dual usb c access. which i do no believe el gato has.@@daymianhogue1634
what microphone arm is he using?
looks like the elgato low profile
Glad Frank is listening to the new Blink182 as well 😂 its so freakin good!!
Capsule size does not equal presence.
Even this video is a strong example for that, as there's a very noticable drop in vocal presence as Frank switches from his main mic to the Alias Pro. And what mic is he using? A *small*-diapraghm condenser, the Sennheiser MKH-416, which is the number one mic for voice-over. And why? Because of it's great presence boost.
No idea why he fell for the marketing there
But you’re failing to mention my Sennheiser is $999 and is a shotgun mic. The Alias starts at $179 and is a cardioid condenser mic used at the setup for streaming. Two completely different mics and use cases
Concerning the prices, that is of course true but i didn't deem this information important to the point i was trying to make, as price also wasn't part of the conversation when you talked diapraghm sizes in the video. It was only about the generalisation that bigger capsule provide more presence to your voice. I would understand if you were to argue that Large diapraghm's tend to be a bit more boosted in the midrange from about 4khz compared to smaller ones, which are generally more flat. Now whilst midrange is where most sounds lie when streaming or playing instruments, having a mic like a small diapraghm condenser that deviates a bit from the Rest of the sound is what i'd argue makes it easier for your voice to cut through game audio and whatnot. Which is what i would call a boost in vocal presence, but this is to be interpreted by the individual, as the term isn't all that well defined.
When you're talking usecases for microphones, i don't see why that should matter in a streaming Situation as pencil mics are a great option for indoor Vocal recordings and also help to isolate your voice from let's say a noisy Keyboard or Computer Fan with their more focused pickup-pattern and are therefore just as viable for streaming if not more so, but this just depends on your Situation and preferences. Again though, this is not really relevant for what i was arguing.
But honestly thank you for the Quick and calm-mannered answer, it's rarity on the Internet and i very much appreciate that. And sorry for the harshness of my first comment
@@Armbrust210ok buddy.
“$800 price difference isn’t important information”
@@Sortamike Yes as the conversation was just about characteristics.
And for example, in professional voice over, where you'd be very close to the mic not unlike streaming, the MKH416 or other SDC Mics are still a popular choice just for their vocal presence even if a large diapraghm were an option. Like how you might choose the 416 over the more expensive Neumann TLM103 for that reason. Which uses a larger diapraghm
lol I might buy the xld the usb seems less
PLEASE SELL JUST THE MIXER; Godsend for dual pc setups 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Holy shit those prices... no thanks.
Need that hoodie
Okay but if deep voice boosts the bass, does that mean people with deep voices will be clearer?
since bass means lower freq sounds, i think it will be the opposite
@@Weepsy_ well I guess my wording wasn’t very good, but unrelated to clarity, will my voice pick up better if I have a deep voice
Prices are ridiculous
This is a tough one! The design is a killer, total innovation, but the features... nah...
Yo P daddy use your right hand to turn the volume knob, feels better man.
sonar is a 11/10
virtual audio cable, voicemeteer and a 50$ midi controller and you will not want to use anything else
Sonar is way better than voicemeeter with the same features but more user friendly and for me works way better
@@footballtalk4857 Dude that is completely fine, whatever feels better for you... i tried sonar but didn't like some of the bloat the software had, for me it felt less responsive and i didn't even see the option to control it with MIDI (that one might have been on me).
@@footballtalk4857 VM-s UI definitely takes time to get used to, but that is why i use a hardware midi interface so i don't have to look at it. Also i have set up MIDI over the network so i can trigger multiple devices at the same time with my phone or any other MIDI enabled device. I hope this doesn't sound too complicated since it really is not, if you want more info on how to set it up just ask.
@@k1vd03_2 I mean it's not for everyone but you can always turn off the things you don't like with voicemeeter for me the audio would sound weird or not record at all
Hey Frank, I really enjoy your content. I am a new youtuber and am slowly building my channel. Do you have any pointers for a new tech youtuber?...TIA
steam deck review maybe?
So what you're telling me is this is a straight rip off Elgato and an exact clone of Wave Link?
Steelseries sonar has been there for a little minute and it works with any mic/headset
@@footballtalk4857 you must be new to elgato
I am confused. Why is the video called "my favourite microphones" whilst there is only one microphone presented in it?🙄🙄🙄
You must be confused often because there’s clearly 2 mics….
@@randomfrankpmy bad.....sorry for the stupid comment😂
are they
franky having trouble finding the mics hidden button.
Plausives rejection is so bad on this mic! My ears are still hurting. Very bad.
I love Sonar GG Software, it has helped so much with dual PC streaming!
I love my pro
No they're not, as you can see from your previous videos.
These look... Just weird...
I think I'd be embarrassed to stream with those mics...
Hmm I actually like the design it stands out from the same old design mic to me
nice
hey!
MXL 770 sounds way better then all of these
nice design but have very simple performance and your voice sounds like a random chip mics to me 🧠🧠🤷♂🤷♂🎙🎙
cool
🤗🤗🤗
Ez First
First
That mic is a super amazing steelseries alias and alias pro 👍 i love it @randomfrankp