I’ve been making gaming content on YouTube for 10 years now, and if there’s one thing that I’ve added to my setup that I now couldn’t bear to part with, it has to be the RodeCaster Duo. If I’m totally honest, this overpowered little audio interface isn’t even that helpful when making the video essays I make. It’s undoubtedly the best streaming mixer on the market right now, but the main use I get out of it day-to-day is for creating cozy vibes while gaming.
I am shocked and overjoyed to tell you that even though the RodeCaster Duo barely ever gets discounted from its lofty $499 price, it’s just dropped by $100 to a record-low we’ve never seen before. That brings the Duo down to $399 at Amazon, and while that may still seem like a lot of money, I honestly believe it could be a cozy gamer’s best friend and new obsession.
The RodeCaster Duo is a high-end audio interface that has four physical faders for controlling all sorts of audio outputs, as well as two virtual faders you can control via the device’s touchscreen.
In many ways, it felt like it was born out of the popular Go:XLR mixers seemingly dominating the market for streamers and podcasters who were trying to manage multiple audio sources on the fly. It’s a smaller and more affordable version of the RodeCaster Pro II, which is used by professional audio engineers.
If you’re a podcaster who needs to ensure the correct levels for you and other hosts or interviewees, this thing is going to be the holy grail of your setup. If you’re a streamer and you want perfect fades of music and game audio, or you want to ensure a Discord call with partners isn’t going to burst your Twitch chat’s eardrums, this is the endgame tool.
While I stream semi-regularly on YouTube and Twitch, the main use I get out of my RodeCaster is mixing music and other audio while I’m gaming, and beyond all of the content creation power this thing gives you, I’d recommend it for everyday PC gaming most of all. Let me paint a picture for you.
You’re playing a cozy lil game on a cool autumn evening. Maybe it’s a city builder or a management sim, or something that doesn’t require too much listening attention. With the RodeCaster Duo, you can throw on some music to have on in the background, map it to a physical fader, and set it at the level you want it at while you play.
Maybe a friend or two wants to hang out. Don’t feel the need to stop the music; you can have that on in the background while you play the game, and fade in your friend’s audio. Using the Duo’s clever mix-minus settings, you won’t feed through an echo to your friends. Only the audio you want to go to each of the Duo’s multiple outputs will go there.
Cozy vibes? Accomplished. A perfect solution to Windows 11’s lackluster audio settings? Achieved.
Yes, you could do channel all of this audio into one of the best gaming headsets, but mixing all of those sources on the fly when you need to adjust volume levels would be a nightmare without something like the RodeCaster. I really believe this is the optimum way of sourcing all of your PC and gaming audio into one amazing and controllable device. There’s compatibility with USB and XLR microphones, although I’d recommend the latter so you free up the Duo’s two USB-C slots for PC connections. You can also hook your phone up via Bluetooth to one of the two virtual faders for even more audio power.
And if you are using it for content creation purposes, you’re going to have an endless suite of audio settings at your fingertips. You can adjust your microphone to have perfect noise gates, de-essers, extra bass, you name it. There are even presets available for some of the most popular microphones out there, including the Shure SM7dB. If you want to add sound effects for your livestream, there are six RGB-lit SMART pads that you can configure to your liking.
When I’m enjoying a cozy evening of gaming or doing a live stream, the RodeCaster Duo adds so much to the mix, and its premium build quality means you feel like a professional radio DJ when you’re adjusting the faders.
If you haven’t guessed, this is hands-down one of my favorite bits of technology. Yes, it’s designed for streamers, podcasters, and other content creators, but its power in a gaming setup is endless, and if you’ve got the money to add it to yours, I cannot recommend it more.
Shop for all the audio interfaces at Amazon
RodeCaster Duo: $399 at Amazon
BEACN Mix Create: $179 at Amazon