Thanks for the review Harris. Been waiting for this one. My biggest gripe with the Mainstream is that you can't reassign the volume knobs in the software. Bought one of these on release day and noticed the software wasn't out yet, contacted support with my questions and they confirmed that even when the software is released that the knobs are pretty much assigned how they're assigned and it doesn't create virtual channels for you to assign say music to one knob, discord chat to another, etc. Hoping that the new Roland Bridge Cast X coming out in a few weeks has that feature.
I could hear the hiss from the beginning, but to be fair I tend to hear more subtle stuff than all my friends, so I think most people still wouldn’t quite hear or mind it indeed, great video by the way !!!!
I noticed the "sound" before you pointed it out. I thought it was my speakers but yeah... glad they said its only that device you had making that sound lol. Stoked Mackie made this, was interested in the rhode version but it was too expensive in my opinion. Might be interested in getting this all-in-one device for my secondary setup!
Id like to see a follow up to this once the software comes out and the gain issue is fixed (or you get a replacement unit that doesn't have that 'bug').
Damn this is the one I needed. I bought a lewitt connect 6 a month ago, and it's pretty good appart from the fact that there's barely any physical control, you can't even mute yourself, let alone control the volume of seperate audio sources. And this mackie can do 10 times more while being barely more expensive
I like it but I'm still not getting rid of the go XLR until someone comes out with a true all-in-one 4K variable refresh rate pass through and all the sound mixing. And I also wanted to point out you definitely know you're sick this is the first video that I've seen that you have footage out of focus that I've noticed. Hope you feel better man. Plus my daughter just turned 3 today I hope your daughter is doing great.
My one issue with the Rode Streamer X and possibly this is that they have NO Elgato Stream Deck support. It sucks not being able to just press a single button to mute my monitor/stream audio on my stream deck using one. I know they have Midi support but I'm talking more native, directly from the software. As for the Wave Link software, be warned. After a while it really starts to mess up. Mine crashes my pc on me at least once a day while streaming, it's insanely annoying. Especially since no one seems to be talking about it and I can't find any way to fix it. I've unintalled and reinstalled the software, I've done a clean windows install on my pc, nothing.
You should ask him to send you another video using the mic in a quiet room. It’s hard to detected the noise you were experiencing with the noise he had in the background. You shouldn’t have to turn the volume all the way up to get decent volume. I love Mackie and use many of their products but have been disappointed with their mic preamps on the computer interface devices as of late.
my hardware is so bad, I only noticed the noise floor when you did 7b and 100% gain.. i find when editing the audio, noise is so much more apparent on it's own than when it's on top of other audio, game or music.
This is a wonderful device. And I REALLY dig the USB expansion idea. What Mackie really needs to do here (Mackie employees take note) is incorporate a USB typc C port/s that is able to do EVERYTHING. Connect to multiple devices, be used a USB hub and also for external recording. Even if it's only one of the 3 USB C plugs. What might also be a cool idea, would be to add a streamdeck+ like competitor that links with this device to offer a streamdeck+ alternative.
Yikes the preamp hiss is insane thats exactly what my rodecaster duo was doing so i returned it and went to the good old beacn mic and ive been pretty happy
as such and influential voice in the streamer items market i really appreciate you going out of your way to check about the gain issue! 💯 such a good creator!
I did hear it in the beginning of the video when you were saying that something was wrong and I heard some bussing, idk the exact time but it was somewhere in the beginning
I love the fact that this is an all in one that accepts webcams. Hoping the Mic mute button works with my Brio. I don't do high end stuff but a hardware cam and video mute would be great. I also have options if I upgrade gear (which is likely this year). I have a streamdeck but to have different mute buttons for Teams, Zoom, Google Meet etc is a PIA.
Mackie was acquired by Rode in early December. As far as I know, they are being run as separate companies, but I would not be surprised if it will get rebranded.
I'm an old head. Never count Mackie out. I learned non-linear audio editing on their first HUI. They and Pro Tools literally created having a physical interface with sound mixing/editing software. This was 20-25 years ago.
Even after the hiss was addressed your voice sounded flat compared to your other videos. Was this setup eq'd similarly or is there something else I'm missing?
I have been looking for something like this for the Wife. She has just started getting into streaming and I think my setup is too much for her. Thanks as always.
Love this. I'm trying to figure out the best setups and hardware for a new channel I am getting started for a company I just started working with on their Board. As always, thanks for these review videos!
Curious if the software will work with the larger boards as well. That could be a game changer if they beat Rode to adding more digital inputs/outputs.
Regarding the deal breaker... those of us who already have a cloud lifter, think that will help with the volume issue, since we'll be essentially boosted before coming in to device?
Harris, how concerned are we about Rode gimping these Mackie devices as they incorporate/integrate the popular features since they have acquired Mackie? Or will they keep their products at near quality level instead of taking them down a tier? Definitely a slight bummer that the PC link is USB 3.1 despite a 3.2 being part of the hub. I wonder what the limitation was for that decision. Still looks like a nice device if you get one not containing the hiss.
Okay. I have been looking everywhere for an answer. I love this product already but how would you use this in a dual pc setup? To narrow it down more, How do I plug in my microphone into this interface and have that sent to both my gaming pc and streaming pc? Or am I just overthinking this?
Been watching countless of these kinds of products, but it always seems atleast 1 thing is off from my usepoint or else it's super expensive models like RODEcaster. Streamer X is close, but needs more buttons. Wave XLR needs passthrough and buttons EVO4 needs passthrough and buttons Rodecaster costs a fortune This one misses the option to control your own mix (i listen to my own voice at like 20% volume) In the end i don't think the ultimative device will ever be there and if i have to get streamdeck, soundcard or capturecard seperate anyways, why compromise and not just get all the things seperate, atleast it will be easier to upgrade. luckily i'm not in a hurry, so there is time for other things to get released.
Yeah that whine/hiss is fkn ridiculous and I don't think I have a trained ear, I have a headache now lmao I have heard the whine since the beginning of the video and I have a Razer Kraken headset.
Am i the only that noticed that he said dials in this video multiple times but when he does elgato videos he constantly says "knobs" and makes a point to point the "knobs" 😂😂
I'm not going to lie, at some point the capture cards being able to do anything higher than 4k60 is not going to matter because of the bitrate and ISP upload speeds. So many people in the US have ISP's that don't offer an internet plan with enough of an upload speed to justify trying to stream at anything higher than 1080p60. It's honestly better to try streaming at a higher bitrate on a more accessible resolution because you can improve the quality of the stream. A really low bitrate 4k30 stream will look terrible compared to a high bitrate 1080p60 stream
Could be a good upgrade from my scarlet solo that I use with a sm7b . I don’t have any other products so having a all in one that does a little of everything kinda makes sense especially with that price point
Hi. I want to combine my video streaming with audio using an external audio player. To which input can I connect my audio controller to my mackie so I can listen to music in my transmissions? thanks
Excellent tutorial friend...... I have this beautiful device, the only thing I can't do is connect my webcam. This is an Insta360 Link camera. When I connect it directly to my PC the camera works correctly, when I connect it to the USB 2.0 or 3.2 ports it does not turn on the camera when I try to open it with the OBS program, I need your help, what am I doing wrong?
If Amaran is sponsoring content creators now, can someone please talk to them about making a way to control the lights with a Stream Deck directly? Please?! Also, the PreSonus Revelator io44 has a similar hiss/noise problem, but I found it to be highly dependent on how I was routing my XLR cable. Seemed like it just had bad grounding and/or wasn't correctly handling balanced signals generally, but in that case, it wasn't limited to my unit, it's an overall problem.
Not sure if you have the equipment for this but would love to see comparisons of the headphone outputs on these interfaces. For example the wave xlr and scarlett are far worse in this department compared to a Topping E2x2 or Motu M2
It can't not be a comparison to the Streamer X Since Mackie Owns Rode 😂 😂.. When I saw this I immediately thought well that's gonna compete with a product you now own thru acquisition
An All-in-One device kind of needs to do it all. Think this thing is missing anything important?
Linux support 🤓🤓
Dude the amount of out of focus detail shots was really triggering. Don't you monitor your camera ? 🙄
Thanks for the review Harris. Been waiting for this one. My biggest gripe with the Mainstream is that you can't reassign the volume knobs in the software. Bought one of these on release day and noticed the software wasn't out yet, contacted support with my questions and they confirmed that even when the software is released that the knobs are pretty much assigned how they're assigned and it doesn't create virtual channels for you to assign say music to one knob, discord chat to another, etc. Hoping that the new Roland Bridge Cast X coming out in a few weeks has that feature.
a 2nd XLR port
Agreed, @joromonni. I would move to Linux if an alternative software with good features became available.
That pre-amp squeal had me checking my audio interface for a few seconds until you mentioned the "issue". Glad it wasn't my end 😂
The preamp hiss is LOUD
Yeah it’s really bad
I’m hearing also a high pitch squeal - anyone else?
Well he said he got a faulty unit, as always watch other reviews befor you form an opinion or even buy anything
@@EmilyMcVicker Yeah, it's actually painful in the literal sense. I had to switch from headphones to speakers to watch this...
@@PLAYCOREE This just draws light to other issues, like quality control.
I deadass thought I had gotten coil whine in my PC in the beginning of the video because I heard the whine a tiny bit in my speakers lol
from the very beginning of the video i heard the same thing
dude i could barely watch the video, using sennheiser headphones so yeah, not great....
before and after lighting, absolutely amazing, it even changed the top you were wearing..... WOW what a set of lights that is
I could hear the hiss from the beginning, but to be fair I tend to hear more subtle stuff than all my friends, so I think most people still wouldn’t quite hear or mind it indeed, great video by the way !!!!
I also bought a mainstream and I do not have this preamp hiss at all. Glad you were able to clear up that issue with Mackie
Great review! I would love to see your take on the Roland Bridge Cast X all-in-one.
I noticed the "sound" before you pointed it out. I thought it was my speakers but yeah... glad they said its only that device you had making that sound lol. Stoked Mackie made this, was interested in the rhode version but it was too expensive in my opinion. Might be interested in getting this all-in-one device for my secondary setup!
I learned so much about this device today! Mostly that I absolutely don't ever need this 🤣🤣
Id like to see a follow up to this once the software comes out and the gain issue is fixed (or you get a replacement unit that doesn't have that 'bug').
Thanks , great video. BTW If you are on a budget, an SM57 will do the job at much lower price point than an SM7B.
at the start of the intro i was unplugging and replugging my interface as i thought it was on my end lol
Just an aside: Love the color coding between inputs and outputs! It's consistent between the ports and the face of the device too :D
Damn this is the one I needed. I bought a lewitt connect 6 a month ago, and it's pretty good appart from the fact that there's barely any physical control, you can't even mute yourself, let alone control the volume of seperate audio sources. And this mackie can do 10 times more while being barely more expensive
I like it but I'm still not getting rid of the go XLR until someone comes out with a true all-in-one 4K variable refresh rate pass through and all the sound mixing. And I also wanted to point out you definitely know you're sick this is the first video that I've seen that you have footage out of focus that I've noticed. Hope you feel better man. Plus my daughter just turned 3 today I hope your daughter is doing great.
My one issue with the Rode Streamer X and possibly this is that they have NO Elgato Stream Deck support. It sucks not being able to just press a single button to mute my monitor/stream audio on my stream deck using one. I know they have Midi support but I'm talking more native, directly from the software.
As for the Wave Link software, be warned. After a while it really starts to mess up. Mine crashes my pc on me at least once a day while streaming, it's insanely annoying. Especially since no one seems to be talking about it and I can't find any way to fix it. I've unintalled and reinstalled the software, I've done a clean windows install on my pc, nothing.
I have a streamer x, and you can do that, it take a little time to setup but once it’s working it’s basically the press of a button
Would you be willing to make a video showing the process?@@mr.shrimps
@@ItsScapeGoated I found a tutorial on Reddit, if I find it I’ll link it
oh yes please do! That'd be great since I'm looking for all in one type of devices@@mr.shrimps
You should ask him to send you another video using the mic in a quiet room. It’s hard to detected the noise you were experiencing with the noise he had in the background. You shouldn’t have to turn the volume all the way up to get decent volume. I love Mackie and use many of their products but have been disappointed with their mic preamps on the computer interface devices as of late.
i have a mackie big knob studio, love it
my hardware is so bad, I only noticed the noise floor when you did 7b and 100% gain.. i find when editing the audio, noise is so much more apparent on it's own than when it's on top of other audio, game or music.
Pre-Amp issue was only noticeable for the button click, and then the demo of it.
I normally wear some type of headsets or earbuds to watch videos, so I did hear the noise in the beginning of the video
This is a wonderful device. And I REALLY dig the USB expansion idea. What Mackie really needs to do here (Mackie employees take note) is incorporate a USB typc C port/s that is able to do EVERYTHING. Connect to multiple devices, be used a USB hub and also for external recording. Even if it's only one of the 3 USB C plugs. What might also be a cool idea, would be to add a streamdeck+ like competitor that links with this device to offer a streamdeck+ alternative.
Yikes the preamp hiss is insane thats exactly what my rodecaster duo was doing so i returned it and went to the good old beacn mic and ive been pretty happy
as such and influential voice in the streamer items market i really appreciate you going out of your way to check about the gain issue! 💯 such a good creator!
I did hear it in the beginning of the video when you were saying that something was wrong and I heard some bussing, idk the exact time but it was somewhere in the beginning
The color grade on this is lovely, I can’t wait for you Luts!!
Hercules Stream 200 XLR is a new streaming interface on the scene you probably want to check out!!!!!
Something I did not hear you mention in the video with the preamp. I feel like you have a lot less low end than usual in your voice with this setup?
Noticed it the moment you said there was a deal breaker. Just heard it hissing at me.
I love the fact that this is an all in one that accepts webcams. Hoping the Mic mute button works with my Brio. I don't do high end stuff but a hardware cam and video mute would be great. I also have options if I upgrade gear (which is likely this year). I have a streamdeck but to have different mute buttons for Teams, Zoom, Google Meet etc is a PIA.
Thank you Harris! Outstanding review. As usual.
Listening to this on headphones is torture 😩
I herd the whine from your mic from 0:00. ARGHHHH!
honestly i thought that was the issue you were gonna mention cuz i heard it the whole time haha
Why have you not done a review on the Bridgecast yet? It’s the only mixer I’ve found that would actually checks most boxes off for me
Mackie was acquired by Rode in early December. As far as I know, they are being run as separate companies, but I would not be surprised if it will get rebranded.
why is there static in the audio
I'm an old head. Never count Mackie out. I learned non-linear audio editing on their first HUI. They and Pro Tools literally created having a physical interface with sound mixing/editing software. This was 20-25 years ago.
Even after the hiss was addressed your voice sounded flat compared to your other videos. Was this setup eq'd similarly or is there something else I'm missing?
I am glad you said about a "trained ear" because I can hear the very high pitch tone which I thought was something wrong with my brain but...
I have been looking for something like this for the Wife. She has just started getting into streaming and I think my setup is too much for her. Thanks as always.
Love this. I'm trying to figure out the best setups and hardware for a new channel I am getting started for a company I just started working with on their Board. As always, thanks for these review videos!
Thats a sick little mixer. Pretty fair price too.
i didnt notice it at first. but after the cut from sponser to this mic again i noticed it directly
Great vid Harris, though it seemed to me the top-down camera was at times out of focus :(
i heard it, but i am also an audio engineer and I look for that type of stuff when people review them
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who checked their bands lol.
I saw that spike and thought my own board was suddenly dying.
ignoring the hiss it still sounds better with the mics internal pre amp off
I don't really know anyone running a SM7B without a cloud lifter or something.
Curious if the software will work with the larger boards as well. That could be a game changer if they beat Rode to adding more digital inputs/outputs.
9:40 I currently do this with the m-game dual and just use the sonar app with it.
I noticed that noise, i had to turn the volume down, it felt like someone running they're fingers on chalk board xD other then that, it sounds great!
NGL I'm kinda bummed to see that they didn't have a XLR/USB-C combo jack for microphone input.
yes i notices the interfearense when you tested the clicketiclick buttons the F buttons.
Regarding the deal breaker... those of us who already have a cloud lifter, think that will help with the volume issue, since we'll be essentially boosted before coming in to device?
Hey Harris, yeah I did notice right away when you turned up the gain on the device it made a high humming sound. Love your TH-cam videos, 🤓
PLEASE ASK THEM TO ADD VST3 TO THE MIXER! being able to use vst plugins to mix vocals live instead of editing would be a game changer
So i can plug a mirrorless camera in one of those HDMI ports?
I just wish they would use display port instead of hdmi, and give a high refresh rate option.
Thanks Harris
Harris, how concerned are we about Rode gimping these Mackie devices as they incorporate/integrate the popular features since they have acquired Mackie? Or will they keep their products at near quality level instead of taking them down a tier?
Definitely a slight bummer that the PC link is USB 3.1 despite a 3.2 being part of the hub. I wonder what the limitation was for that decision. Still looks like a nice device if you get one not containing the hiss.
Yes, the whistle is pretty notisable from the begining of the video.
Okay. I have been looking everywhere for an answer. I love this product already but how would you use this in a dual pc setup? To narrow it down more, How do I plug in my microphone into this interface and have that sent to both my gaming pc and streaming pc? Or am I just overthinking this?
Been watching countless of these kinds of products, but it always seems atleast 1 thing is off from my usepoint or else it's super expensive models like RODEcaster.
Streamer X is close, but needs more buttons.
Wave XLR needs passthrough and buttons
EVO4 needs passthrough and buttons
Rodecaster costs a fortune
This one misses the option to control your own mix (i listen to my own voice at like 20% volume)
In the end i don't think the ultimative device will ever be there and if i have to get streamdeck, soundcard or capturecard seperate anyways, why compromise and not just get all the things seperate, atleast it will be easier to upgrade.
luckily i'm not in a hurry, so there is time for other things to get released.
Did you try that cranky preamp with other mics then SM7B? With some kind of condenser mic? Everything else looks fantastic !!!
Looks good for an intro bit of kit, especially in price point.
Need to manual focus that overhead camera 😂
Yeah that whine/hiss is fkn ridiculous and I don't think I have a trained ear, I have a headache now lmao I have heard the whine since the beginning of the video and I have a Razer Kraken headset.
Am i the only that noticed that he said dials in this video multiple times but when he does elgato videos he constantly says "knobs" and makes a point to point the "knobs" 😂😂
@Senpai I did notice the humming and I can hear it throughout the entire video. I do have audiophile level headphones though
I made it to 4:34 before I had to pause. I couldn't tell you what the clicking sounded like because that 10K+ whine HURT.
Well, possible replacement for my GoXLR. Wish it had a couple more sliders though
I'm not going to lie, at some point the capture cards being able to do anything higher than 4k60 is not going to matter because of the bitrate and ISP upload speeds. So many people in the US have ISP's that don't offer an internet plan with enough of an upload speed to justify trying to stream at anything higher than 1080p60. It's honestly better to try streaming at a higher bitrate on a more accessible resolution because you can improve the quality of the stream. A really low bitrate 4k30 stream will look terrible compared to a high bitrate 1080p60 stream
Could be a good upgrade from my scarlet solo that I use with a sm7b . I don’t have any other products so having a all in one that does a little of everything kinda makes sense especially with that price point
Can you review the Roland Bridge Cast? Same price as this but doesn’t have a capture card installed. Would like your feedback on it :))
Hisssss (in the background)
Bro I thought the hiss from the pre-amp was me I almost tweaked out!
I've been thinking on starting a streaming channel, would you recommend this for a starter like me?
Could you provide feedback on the Roland Bridge cast or bridge cast X?
Hi.
I want to combine my video streaming with audio using an external audio player. To which input can I connect my audio controller to my mackie so I can listen to music in my transmissions?
thanks
I thought I heard something but dismissed it until you pointed it out, As Always 👍
FOCUS!
Excellent tutorial friend...... I have this beautiful device, the only thing I can't do is connect my webcam. This is an Insta360 Link camera. When I connect it directly to my PC the camera works correctly, when I connect it to the USB 2.0 or 3.2 ports it does not turn on the camera when I try to open it with the OBS program, I need your help, what am I doing wrong?
oh yeah i noticed the feedback right away but id like to see your opinion on the Bridgecast x by roland, some interesting features for sure.
If Amaran is sponsoring content creators now, can someone please talk to them about making a way to control the lights with a Stream Deck directly? Please?! Also, the PreSonus Revelator io44 has a similar hiss/noise problem, but I found it to be highly dependent on how I was routing my XLR cable. Seemed like it just had bad grounding and/or wasn't correctly handling balanced signals generally, but in that case, it wasn't limited to my unit, it's an overall problem.
Theres a wine/hiss coming from it.... Big deal breaker.
dude...i can't unhear it...
that preamp noise is ruining the device IMO.
@senpai yes i heard it all the way trough the video
Just noticed the chair, 117!
The mic preamp noise might be from a ground loop or just some RF interference.... but hell it's terrible to listen to.
Pls, never subject us to that pain again
Not sure if you have the equipment for this but would love to see comparisons of the headphone outputs on these interfaces. For example the wave xlr and scarlett are far worse in this department compared to a Topping E2x2 or Motu M2
i kept having to rub my eyes trying to focus them during the overhead shots haha
I couldn't hear it after TH-cam compression on a M1 MacBook Pro.
Great Video. Whats the Mix Minus like on Live Phone Calls
It can't not be a comparison to the Streamer X Since Mackie Owns Rode 😂 😂.. When I saw this I immediately thought well that's gonna compete with a product you now own thru acquisition
Um, Rode owns Mackie.
reminds me of mr mackie from southpark, MMMKAY
Instant buy if this had dual usb connection for dual PC