In April, Rode released the Rode Connect software and it was met with great reviews, but also a wish list. The company has come back with a response that should please a lot of consumers.
The software, compatible with the Rode-NT USB Mini microphone, has the capability to mix four microphones as well as two virtual sources, which could be anything from music to a remote caller. This was the first USB mic software to come in to compete with Elgato’s Wavelink software, but took the extra steps to include a recording function and Digital Signal Processing found in the Rodecaster Pro.
Rode Connect 1.1, the first in a number of planned upgrades, moves the software even closer to becoming a clone of the Rodecaster with the addition of sound pads. You can now add your own music, stingers and sound effects to your podcast or stream at the press of a button. You can upload up to sixty four sounds or use the ones that come preloaded.
Each pad can be customized to play in three different playback styles:
Toggle – Click the button to play the sound and click it again to stop anytime.
Hold – The sound will play as long as you are holding down the button.
1 Shot – You can play the sound from the beginning each time you click, regardless of how far into the sound you are.
The soundpad also includes a swear and trash talk feature. The Swear button mutes all sources and outputs the classic beep sound and the Trash Talk feature will mute your virtual sources so any dial in participants cannot hear you. Also added in the update is the solo feature, allowing whoever is assigned to microphone 1 to isolate and monitor individual sources as the broadcast is going on.
With such a significant upgrade delivered so quickly, we will be staying tuned in to see what else Rode has up their sleeve. The software is available as a free download on Rode’s website.
