This free Rode app just made podcasting much easier — here’s how

This costless Rode app but made podcasting much easier — here'southward how

(Image credit: Rode)

Rode has produced some of the best microphones for domicile recording, and its software could exist a game-changer for making your own grouping podcasts and livestreams.

Rode Connect is a new, gratis app for Windows and macOS that lets you tape and stream the input from multiple microphones at one time, all on a single calculator. Nonetheless, it's simply compatible with the Rode NT-USB Mini mic, and so Blue Yeti fans will need to stick to more circuitous setups.

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The reason information technology's usually then hard to utilize several microphones with a single PC or Mac is that without boosted hardware and software, the computers tin only recognize i USB mic at a time. Buying highly specialized gear similar a USB audio interface is therefore a common, if expensive and inconvenient solution.

Rode Connect, by dissimilarity, is gratuitous to install, uses a simple UI and integrates multiple audio peripherals without needing any other external hardware. You can connect up to iv NT-USB Mini microphones and control their volume levels, including muting, from a single screen. Podcast hosts volition likely appreciate the ability to add fades and pinch likewise, every bit well every bit fix separate channels "Virtual" and "Organization" channels.

These allow yous to simultaneously record music and soundboard ditties from the aforementioned figurer, also every bit stream the audio of someone who might be calling in over a Skype or Zoom call. Hosts can apply the same controls as the locally continued microphones.

For the most part, Rode Connect sounds like an excellent solution to a problem that'due south all the same to take a truly accessible, like shooting fish in a barrel-to-utilise solution. It doesn't just need to benefit group podcasts, either: solo streamers might desire multiple microphones, and aspiring musicians can use several mics to tape their instruments.

However, only being compatible with the NT-USB Mini is a huge limitation; y'all tin't even utilise the Rode Podcaster, our favorite dedicated podcasting microphone. The NT-USB Mini costs $99 and so isn't expensive, even past the standards of the best microphones for gaming, streaming and podcasting, simply hopefully Rode finds a mode to at to the lowest degree aggrandize support to other models in its own range.

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James joined Tom'due south Guide in 2020, bringing years of experience in consumer tech and production testing. As Audio Editor, James covers headphones, speakers, soundbars and annihilation else that intentionally makes noise. A PC enthusiast, he also covers the occasional spot of computing and gaming news, ordinarily relating to how hard it is to observe graphics bill of fare stock.