Rode Rodecaster Pro II Review

To outsiders looking in, the Rode Rodecaster Pro II might seem like an obscenely expensive bit of kit for livestreaming and/or podcasting. However, for those of us who have been building out our setups over many years, adding different components each costing multiple hundreds of dollars, the Rodecaster Pro II’s $699 RRP boasts extreme value with the added bonus of consolidating all of the functions we need into one device. Put simply, this product changes the game for content creators in a big way and it’s only going to get better.

All-in-one solution

It’s difficult to concisely summarize the features offered by the Rodecaster Pro II, as there are just so many. The main highlights include premium built-in preamps, which handily powered my Earthworks Ethos and Shure SM7B (without an in-line booster); four premium inputs for a combination of mics, instruments, and/or line-level devices; nine individually assignable channels, of which six have physical faders; built-in processing and on-board effects which can be assigned to multifunctional pads; two USB-C ports for mobile and dual-PC connectivity; and even Bluetooth support for bringing in phone calls and other audio.

I should also mention the 5.5” touchscreen which looks fantastic and way better than it needs to. Tapping functions will see them applied instantly thanks to the powerful internal CPU. It’s also possible to record to a microSD card or USB storage device, if a PC isn’t available. Oh, and there are four high-power headphone outputs and balanced ¼” line outputs for monitoring and casual listening.

The long game

What’s more, the above features are just Rodecaster Pro II 1.0. There are sure to be more bells and whistles added in future firmware updates, as experienced by the first iteration. Rode has built a strong reputation as a company that continues to support its products post-launch.

For my usage, I have but scratched the surface of what the Rodecaster Pro II can do. I use two of the mic inputs at most, two of the outputs for my headphones and speakers, and the built-in processing to spruce up my voice recordings. I use the individual channels to manage my own mic, Discord chat, music, game sounds, and system sounds. Of course, I also have the pads equipped with some funny noises and effects.

There is so much more to explore and make use of on the Rodecaster Pro II and it’s that room to grow which makes me certain that I’ll be using this for many years to come. The GoXLR has been incredible, but its limited microphone inputs, low number of faders, and occasionally glitchy software make me feel as though I’ve already hit the ceiling with that product.

Versatile and built to last

In an industry where you have to be quick to adapt to new ideas, to bring on more people or experiment with new features, it’s great when the hardware can step up to the task. With the Rodecaster Pro II, there’s a level of versatility that I haven’t seen before.

I’m clearly impressed by the functionality, but I should also note how well-built the Rodecaster Pro II is. It feels incredibly solid and makes me confident that it could be taken on the road for use during events or, for those in a pinch, in hotel rooms. It is a tad bulky, however, which could be a challenge for desks (though you can mount it on an arm) and/or bags.