Today, HyperX released the brand new QuadCast microphone aimed at streamers. For $139.99, the QuadCast is a shock-mounted USB condenser microphone full of features that will appeal to streamers as well. Head below for our full video review.
HyperX is a growing brand with some heavy hitting offerings in the gaming industry. Their headphones are very popular, with good reason. The QuadCast is aimed directly at the growing streaming/podcast community. Coming in at $139.99, this condenser microphone offers four polar patterns, 20Hz -20kHz frequency response, adjustable gain on the microphone, a built in pop filter and a 3.5mm jack for direct monitoring and output.
QuadCast: Inside the Box
Inside the box, we see some HyperX literature, a quick start guide, a three meter USB cable and an adapter to mount the microphone on a mic stand or boom arm.
The base feels very solid with good weight and the rest of the microphone feels durable and well constructed. Design of the QuadCast could be more subtle without the red shock webbing and glowing pop filter, but I think it works for its intended audience. When plugged in and live, there is an LED light illuminating the red foam pop filter around the microphone. When muted by pressing the tap to mute area on top, the LED light turns off. On the back of the microphone is the four-way selector for the polarity pattern, and the USB and 3.5mm jacks.
QuadCast: Video
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6beAg3_Df6M&w=560&h=315]
QuadCast: Mic Check 1, 2
The QuadCast is meant to work with PC, Mac and PS4 Pro. I tested it on my PC and it was very simple to get up and running. I just plugged it in and my computer instantly recognized it as the QuadCast. The 3.5mm jack on the back lets you plug headphones into the back of the mic for direct monitoring as well as audio output.
QuadCast: Gain control
The gain control dial on the bottom of the microphone is a nice touch and is easy to operate – maybe too easy. I would like to see a little more resistance to the adjustment. You could easily bump the gain when adjusting the mic because it is such a large dial and moves very easily. The dial also adjusts far beyond the labeling, leaving those ranges kind of ambiguous with no reliable gauge.
QuadCast: Tap to Mute
Tap to mute on the QuadCast is handy, and extremely easy to activate. The LED lighting on the interior of the microphone lets you know when you’re live or muted. It also looks sharp. While playing with some friends and chatting over Discord, they did report a popping noise when toggling the tap to mute. If you touch it very lightly you can minimize the pop, but with any reasonable force there is an audible noise. Check out the video above for an example of how that sounds.
QuadCast: Polar patterns
To make the microphone even more versatile, the QuadCast has 4 selectable polar patterns – Omni, cardioid stereo and bidirectional. This lends itself to different types of content. Whether you’re a streamer speaking only from one direction or hosting a podcast with a few people around a single microphone, having different patterns to choose from is a nice feature.
QuadCast: Audio Quality
Overall, I was very pleased with the audio quality. It sounded neutral when recorded into Audition and by adding some compression and a bit of EQ, I was easily able to get my voice over for the video where I wanted it. Check out the video for an example of audio without effects vs. with effects. Hyperx X claims 20hz -20khz frequency response on the QuadCast and it looked like that was pretty accurate inside of Audition.
QuadCast: Streamers rejoice
HyperX is really growing as a gaming brand with a number of great options. Their headphones are very popular with good reason, and I think this microphone is a great option as well. For $139 it has some great features and sounds really good in my opinion. The solid design lends itself to be appealing for streamers as well. It looks good and is easy to use.
There are many other options out there for USB microphones, like the Blue Yeti, but the QuadCast offers great audio quality and an impressive list of features for the price. For more essential audio gear, check out list of podcast gear from earlier this year.
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