Rode RODECaster Pro II

Console gamers stay away – *If you want to use it with Gaming Consoles (Nintendo Switch ect) DO NOT BUY* I was gifted this as a Christmas present in 2022 from my partner. We bought from a reputable online store - first thing I noticed was it wasn’t sealed. Or have security tape (like you’d find with a new mobile phone). This is strange, and from viewing many unboxing videos and other reviews it appears this is how they are shipped.

I primarily dual PC stream. It’s what it was bought for. After many hours in many days I have been able to get the settings to an acceptable level to do basic streaming. MANY hours of frustration of settings configuration with Discord - again to a basic level that doesn’t annoy the chat lobby.

The worst part. These DO NOT work with Nintendo Switch. I’ve read other forums with people not being able to get clear audio from other Gaming consoles ie PS5/XBox. It’s a very loud distorted high pitched audio that is painful to your ears. How this has any accreditation is beyond me - it’s painful to have the audio from a gaming console to the Caster Pro 2 - which is what the Caster Pro 2 is Primarily marketed to. Gamers and Streamers. To add insult to injury, RODE is aware of this issue and has no fix. Considering the Caster Pro 2 has been released for 2 years now, and that this is the second version of the product - a reasonable person would assume they would have had this fixed.

Con’s. - the set up is confusing at first. You’ll need to search YouTube vids to figure it out. - RODE online help vids are somewhat helpful - but don’t address the many faults when setting up. - if you run too many audio channels at once it will hard reset/shut down. Running two cables channels and one Bluetooth channel at the same time seems to be its limit. - the sound Pads are poor quality and will turn themselves on without you knowing (due to poor fixtures. Touching once will sometimes double click ect) - Discord integration is non existent. Good luck figuring that out - it took me days to figure out how to not have your audio running through your voice channel (another issue they are aware of and no fix) - once connected to your PC the Caster will not allow you to turn on your PC without the Caster Pro being turned on first. Another known issue, no fix. - Help/technical assistance through online is tedious and takes a week to get a response. Don’t waste your time, YouTube or trouble shoot until you figure it out. - mixers can sometimes fault if you move them slowly and distort audio/cutout audio.

Pros. - looks cool. These do look really cool. - once setup; will perform basic audio mixing. - sound effects are fun.

Conclusion. If you really want one for basic audio mixing or multiple mic input recording (Podcasts) then yeah sure go for it. If you’re using it at all for Console gaming audio mixing I cannot recommend the RODE Caster Pro 2. It was marketed as a do all personal audio mixer and doesn’t deliver. Not even close to the mark. And, for near $900Aud I’m sure there are better products to be sourced, even if they’re not designed in Aus.