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Game developers and streamers will already know the load. The company’s mics and podcasting products are great options for connecting to OBS, YouTube, Twitch, and anywhere you might go “live.” But as of today, there is an all-new sub-brand, Rode X, specifically tailored to their needs.
His first three products under the new brand include two mics and Stream His comprehensive desktop app for routing and mixing. The mic looks eerily familiar to fans of Rode products, but the company assures it has been “redesigned under the hood for optimal performance for streaming and gaming.”
The new mics are he XDM-100 ($249) and XCM-50 ($150). The clue to their difference is in the names – D for dynamic and C for condenser (you can read about the difference here). The XDM-100 at least physically resembles Rode’s podcaster, with a red top. The XCM-50 is a condenser microphone that appears to be built on the same platform as the NT-USB Mini and features a distinctive red button on the front.
Since neither microphone has an XLR connector, you can utilize both of them without an audio interface. Additionally, a headphone port is included for zero-latency monitoring. Depending on your interests and the room you are streaming from, you can choose which of the two you are most interested in.
The XDM-100 has a more traditional sounding “dynamic” mic. It might not be as rounded as the Rode Podmic or the Shure SM7B, but it feels better than the podcasters that resemble each other physically. If you are looking for a decent dynamic USB alternative, this seems like a reasonable price option. Particularly when coupled with the fresh Unify software
Bright sounds produced by the XCM-50 are ideal for “soft” or acoustically treated spaces. They sound incredibly similar when compared to the NT USB Mini Double, although the XCM-50 seems a little brighter to me.