Thanks for the review Harris. Been waiting for this one. My biggest gripe with the Mainstream is that you can't reassign the volume knobs in the software. Bought one of these on release day and noticed the software wasn't out yet, contacted support with my questions and they confirmed that even when the software is released that the knobs are pretty much assigned how they're assigned and it doesn't create virtual channels for you to assign say music to one knob, discord chat to another, etc. Hoping that the new Roland Bridge Cast X coming out in a few weeks has that feature.
I could hear the hiss from the beginning, but to be fair I tend to hear more subtle stuff than all my friends, so I think most people still wouldn’t quite hear or mind it indeed, great video by the way !!!!
I don't get it why everyone dumped line-in as input. I am still using original Rodecaster Pro as Rode refuses to put line-in in newer ones. This Mackie unit brings me hope it is such as small and cleverly designed unit.
All 4 xlr combo jacks on rodecaster pro II support line in. Costs a few bucks to get a cable that goes from stereo 3.5mm to mono 1/4, or to two 1/4 for stereo. I take line in from my desktop for alert sounds, and from my capture card to mix game audio using the mixer rather than in obs
There’s another device coming out and that’s the bridge cast X. Sadly that one may cater to single pc setup because no VRR or high refresh rates pass through.
I noticed the "sound" before you pointed it out. I thought it was my speakers but yeah... glad they said its only that device you had making that sound lol. Stoked Mackie made this, was interested in the rhode version but it was too expensive in my opinion. Might be interested in getting this all-in-one device for my secondary setup!
Damn this is the one I needed. I bought a lewitt connect 6 a month ago, and it's pretty good appart from the fact that there's barely any physical control, you can't even mute yourself, let alone control the volume of seperate audio sources. And this mackie can do 10 times more while being barely more expensive
Id like to see a follow up to this once the software comes out and the gain issue is fixed (or you get a replacement unit that doesn't have that 'bug').
My one issue with the Rode Streamer X and possibly this is that they have NO Elgato Stream Deck support. It sucks not being able to just press a single button to mute my monitor/stream audio on my stream deck using one. I know they have Midi support but I'm talking more native, directly from the software. As for the Wave Link software, be warned. After a while it really starts to mess up. Mine crashes my pc on me at least once a day while streaming, it's insanely annoying. Especially since no one seems to be talking about it and I can't find any way to fix it. I've unintalled and reinstalled the software, I've done a clean windows install on my pc, nothing.
I didn't hear the slight whine from the device issue, but I did notice how much I preferred the audio in the sponsor section to how the SM7dB sounded through the Mackie Mainstream. From the first words of the video I thought it sounded tinny and was wondering what was wrong with the mix, but I have no idea if that was the device(s) used or just being used to the shotgun mic setup.
I do a lot of online remote training and travel for recruiting and prospect hunting and swapped to this from an older EOL Soundblaster K3+. All in 1 devices like this are nice but agree that there is a sacrifice in performance for the convenience factor.
You should ask him to send you another video using the mic in a quiet room. It’s hard to detected the noise you were experiencing with the noise he had in the background. You shouldn’t have to turn the volume all the way up to get decent volume. I love Mackie and use many of their products but have been disappointed with their mic preamps on the computer interface devices as of late.
Mackie was acquired by Rode in early December. As far as I know, they are being run as separate companies, but I would not be surprised if it will get rebranded.
I love the fact that this is an all in one that accepts webcams. Hoping the Mic mute button works with my Brio. I don't do high end stuff but a hardware cam and video mute would be great. I also have options if I upgrade gear (which is likely this year). I have a streamdeck but to have different mute buttons for Teams, Zoom, Google Meet etc is a PIA.
I'm an old head. Never count Mackie out. I learned non-linear audio editing on their first HUI. They and Pro Tools literally created having a physical interface with sound mixing/editing software. This was 20-25 years ago.
Thanks for taking the time on the review and for all your content. I love the streambeats. One suggestion; could you up the aperture of your overhead camera and manually focus to just above desk height? The focus hunting on the video made me a bit nauseous and I had to just listen to the audio (I may be a minority)
This is a wonderful device. And I REALLY dig the USB expansion idea. What Mackie really needs to do here (Mackie employees take note) is incorporate a USB typc C port/s that is able to do EVERYTHING. Connect to multiple devices, be used a USB hub and also for external recording. Even if it's only one of the 3 USB C plugs. What might also be a cool idea, would be to add a streamdeck+ like competitor that links with this device to offer a streamdeck+ alternative.
Regarding the deal breaker... those of us who already have a cloud lifter, think that will help with the volume issue, since we'll be essentially boosted before coming in to device?
Curious if the software will work with the larger boards as well. That could be a game changer if they beat Rode to adding more digital inputs/outputs.
Yikes the preamp hiss is insane thats exactly what my rodecaster duo was doing so i returned it and went to the good old beacn mic and ive been pretty happy
Love this. I'm trying to figure out the best setups and hardware for a new channel I am getting started for a company I just started working with on their Board. As always, thanks for these review videos!
The main thing these devices are all missing is the Digital routing channels. I am so frustrated that there are so few options for an industry standard feature for content creators.
The question is, does it look like the Rode Streamer X in Windows/OBS, or the TC-Helicon. I know, I know.. A ton of people say do it on the software... They never had software fail on that. It's nice to have direct access in OBS to the multichannel spread out and the capability to change discord on the fly, instead of program capture and making the hardware nobs useless.
my hardware is so bad, I only noticed the noise floor when you did 7b and 100% gain.. i find when editing the audio, noise is so much more apparent on it's own than when it's on top of other audio, game or music.
as such and influential voice in the streamer items market i really appreciate you going out of your way to check about the gain issue! 💯 such a good creator!
This seem like a powerful tool. From an audio standpoint I feel a bit lacking. I have a fethead, so if i get bit I will be ok. But if you didn't, then it'll be an extra cost. I have been considering a new capture card for 3+ cam inputs and this is definitely on my radar. We will see if this fits my specific situation. Thanks for the video!
I heard something at the start, but couldn't identify what it was that I heard that was throwing me off. But when you isolated it, I couldn't un-hear it for the rest of the video....
Well, sounds like Mackie might have a quality control issue. Those pre-amps...not acceptable for a new product marketed for streamers who might want a hungry gain mic.
Could be a good upgrade from my scarlet solo that I use with a sm7b . I don’t have any other products so having a all in one that does a little of everything kinda makes sense especially with that price point
Harris, how concerned are we about Rode gimping these Mackie devices as they incorporate/integrate the popular features since they have acquired Mackie? Or will they keep their products at near quality level instead of taking them down a tier? Definitely a slight bummer that the PC link is USB 3.1 despite a 3.2 being part of the hub. I wonder what the limitation was for that decision. Still looks like a nice device if you get one not containing the hiss.
i did notice the pre-amp almost off the bat. I wonder if its a problem with the fact of the pre-amp in the sm7db and the mainstream it might be better if you just use a normal sm7b.
I did hear it in the beginning of the video when you were saying that something was wrong and I heard some bussing, idk the exact time but it was somewhere in the beginning
Okay. I have been looking everywhere for an answer. I love this product already but how would you use this in a dual pc setup? To narrow it down more, How do I plug in my microphone into this interface and have that sent to both my gaming pc and streaming pc? Or am I just overthinking this?
Not sure if you have the equipment for this but would love to see comparisons of the headphone outputs on these interfaces. For example the wave xlr and scarlett are far worse in this department compared to a Topping E2x2 or Motu M2
For the PC nerd like me, the sound you have with you device is name " coilwhine" which can appear with a power supply, a graphic card and even a motherboard. There is no way to know in advance if a device will have this type of problem, and even high hand GPU ( rtx 4090 sometimes has this type of problem so price is not a solution). Hope it learn something to somebody in the comments =).
I like it but I'm still not getting rid of the go XLR until someone comes out with a true all-in-one 4K variable refresh rate pass through and all the sound mixing. And I also wanted to point out you definitely know you're sick this is the first video that I've seen that you have footage out of focus that I've noticed. Hope you feel better man. Plus my daughter just turned 3 today I hope your daughter is doing great.
Yeah that whine/hiss is fkn ridiculous and I don't think I have a trained ear, I have a headache now lmao I have heard the whine since the beginning of the video and I have a Razer Kraken headset.
If Amaran is sponsoring content creators now, can someone please talk to them about making a way to control the lights with a Stream Deck directly? Please?! Also, the PreSonus Revelator io44 has a similar hiss/noise problem, but I found it to be highly dependent on how I was routing my XLR cable. Seemed like it just had bad grounding and/or wasn't correctly handling balanced signals generally, but in that case, it wasn't limited to my unit, it's an overall problem.
Excellent tutorial friend...... I have this beautiful device, the only thing I can't do is connect my webcam. This is an Insta360 Link camera. When I connect it directly to my PC the camera works correctly, when I connect it to the USB 2.0 or 3.2 ports it does not turn on the camera when I try to open it with the OBS program, I need your help, what am I doing wrong?
Yeah I noticed the whining sound as soon as the video started, it's so bad. I wonder if it was some kind of grounding issue or something. People would definitely hear that on stream or yt
Hi. I want to combine my video streaming with audio using an external audio player. To which input can I connect my audio controller to my mackie so I can listen to music in my transmissions? thanks
I didn't notice the sound but I was also eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch. So if your audience is eating crunchy cereal they won't hear it either, easy fix.
An All-in-One device kind of needs to do it all. Think this thing is missing anything important?
Linux support 🤓🤓
Dude the amount of out of focus detail shots was really triggering. Don't you monitor your camera ? 🙄
Thanks for the review Harris. Been waiting for this one. My biggest gripe with the Mainstream is that you can't reassign the volume knobs in the software. Bought one of these on release day and noticed the software wasn't out yet, contacted support with my questions and they confirmed that even when the software is released that the knobs are pretty much assigned how they're assigned and it doesn't create virtual channels for you to assign say music to one knob, discord chat to another, etc. Hoping that the new Roland Bridge Cast X coming out in a few weeks has that feature.
a 2nd XLR port
Agreed, @joromonni. I would move to Linux if an alternative software with good features became available.
That pre-amp squeal had me checking my audio interface for a few seconds until you mentioned the "issue". Glad it wasn't my end 😂
The preamp hiss is LOUD
Yeah it’s really bad
I’m hearing also a high pitch squeal - anyone else?
Well he said he got a faulty unit, as always watch other reviews befor you form an opinion or even buy anything
@@EmilyMcVicker Yeah, it's actually painful in the literal sense. I had to switch from headphones to speakers to watch this...
@@PLAYCOREE This just draws light to other issues, like quality control.
I deadass thought I had gotten coil whine in my PC in the beginning of the video because I heard the whine a tiny bit in my speakers lol
from the very beginning of the video i heard the same thing
dude i could barely watch the video, using sennheiser headphones so yeah, not great....
before and after lighting, absolutely amazing, it even changed the top you were wearing..... WOW what a set of lights that is
I also bought a mainstream and I do not have this preamp hiss at all. Glad you were able to clear up that issue with Mackie
I could hear the hiss from the beginning, but to be fair I tend to hear more subtle stuff than all my friends, so I think most people still wouldn’t quite hear or mind it indeed, great video by the way !!!!
I don't get it why everyone dumped line-in as input. I am still using original Rodecaster Pro as Rode refuses to put line-in in newer ones. This Mackie unit brings me hope it is such as small and cleverly designed unit.
All 4 xlr combo jacks on rodecaster pro II support line in. Costs a few bucks to get a cable that goes from stereo 3.5mm to mono 1/4, or to two 1/4 for stereo. I take line in from my desktop for alert sounds, and from my capture card to mix game audio using the mixer rather than in obs
Great review! I would love to see your take on the Roland Bridge Cast X all-in-one.
There’s another device coming out and that’s the bridge cast X. Sadly that one may cater to single pc setup because no VRR or high refresh rates pass through.
I noticed the "sound" before you pointed it out. I thought it was my speakers but yeah... glad they said its only that device you had making that sound lol. Stoked Mackie made this, was interested in the rhode version but it was too expensive in my opinion. Might be interested in getting this all-in-one device for my secondary setup!
9:40 I currently do this with the m-game dual and just use the sonar app with it.
Do the over the shoulder top down shots seem out of focus to anybody else?
Damn this is the one I needed. I bought a lewitt connect 6 a month ago, and it's pretty good appart from the fact that there's barely any physical control, you can't even mute yourself, let alone control the volume of seperate audio sources. And this mackie can do 10 times more while being barely more expensive
Id like to see a follow up to this once the software comes out and the gain issue is fixed (or you get a replacement unit that doesn't have that 'bug').
My one issue with the Rode Streamer X and possibly this is that they have NO Elgato Stream Deck support. It sucks not being able to just press a single button to mute my monitor/stream audio on my stream deck using one. I know they have Midi support but I'm talking more native, directly from the software.
As for the Wave Link software, be warned. After a while it really starts to mess up. Mine crashes my pc on me at least once a day while streaming, it's insanely annoying. Especially since no one seems to be talking about it and I can't find any way to fix it. I've unintalled and reinstalled the software, I've done a clean windows install on my pc, nothing.
I have a streamer x, and you can do that, it take a little time to setup but once it’s working it’s basically the press of a button
Would you be willing to make a video showing the process?@@mr.shrimps
@@ItsScapeGoated I found a tutorial on Reddit, if I find it I’ll link it
oh yes please do! That'd be great since I'm looking for all in one type of devices@@mr.shrimps
Just an aside: Love the color coding between inputs and outputs! It's consistent between the ports and the face of the device too :D
at the start of the intro i was unplugging and replugging my interface as i thought it was on my end lol
Thanks , great video. BTW If you are on a budget, an SM57 will do the job at much lower price point than an SM7B.
I didn't hear the slight whine from the device issue, but I did notice how much I preferred the audio in the sponsor section to how the SM7dB sounded through the Mackie Mainstream. From the first words of the video I thought it sounded tinny and was wondering what was wrong with the mix, but I have no idea if that was the device(s) used or just being used to the shotgun mic setup.
I do a lot of online remote training and travel for recruiting and prospect hunting and swapped to this from an older EOL Soundblaster K3+. All in 1 devices like this are nice but agree that there is a sacrifice in performance for the convenience factor.
You should ask him to send you another video using the mic in a quiet room. It’s hard to detected the noise you were experiencing with the noise he had in the background. You shouldn’t have to turn the volume all the way up to get decent volume. I love Mackie and use many of their products but have been disappointed with their mic preamps on the computer interface devices as of late.
I learned so much about this device today! Mostly that I absolutely don't ever need this 🤣🤣
Mackie was acquired by Rode in early December. As far as I know, they are being run as separate companies, but I would not be surprised if it will get rebranded.
I love the fact that this is an all in one that accepts webcams. Hoping the Mic mute button works with my Brio. I don't do high end stuff but a hardware cam and video mute would be great. I also have options if I upgrade gear (which is likely this year). I have a streamdeck but to have different mute buttons for Teams, Zoom, Google Meet etc is a PIA.
I'm an old head. Never count Mackie out. I learned non-linear audio editing on their first HUI. They and Pro Tools literally created having a physical interface with sound mixing/editing software. This was 20-25 years ago.
Thank you Harris! Outstanding review. As usual.
Thanks for taking the time on the review and for all your content. I love the streambeats.
One suggestion; could you up the aperture of your overhead camera and manually focus to just above desk height?
The focus hunting on the video made me a bit nauseous and I had to just listen to the audio (I may be a minority)
The color grade on this is lovely, I can’t wait for you Luts!!
This is a wonderful device. And I REALLY dig the USB expansion idea. What Mackie really needs to do here (Mackie employees take note) is incorporate a USB typc C port/s that is able to do EVERYTHING. Connect to multiple devices, be used a USB hub and also for external recording. Even if it's only one of the 3 USB C plugs. What might also be a cool idea, would be to add a streamdeck+ like competitor that links with this device to offer a streamdeck+ alternative.
I made it to 4:34 before I had to pause. I couldn't tell you what the clicking sounded like because that 10K+ whine HURT.
Regarding the deal breaker... those of us who already have a cloud lifter, think that will help with the volume issue, since we'll be essentially boosted before coming in to device?
Curious if the software will work with the larger boards as well. That could be a game changer if they beat Rode to adding more digital inputs/outputs.
Yikes the preamp hiss is insane thats exactly what my rodecaster duo was doing so i returned it and went to the good old beacn mic and ive been pretty happy
I can actually hear that ring sound throughout the hole video, it’s SUPER noticeable when you cut to your intro
Love this. I'm trying to figure out the best setups and hardware for a new channel I am getting started for a company I just started working with on their Board. As always, thanks for these review videos!
Pre-Amp issue was only noticeable for the button click, and then the demo of it.
i have a mackie big knob studio, love it
The main thing these devices are all missing is the Digital routing channels. I am so frustrated that there are so few options for an industry standard feature for content creators.
The question is, does it look like the Rode Streamer X in Windows/OBS, or the TC-Helicon. I know, I know.. A ton of people say do it on the software... They never had software fail on that. It's nice to have direct access in OBS to the multichannel spread out and the capability to change discord on the fly, instead of program capture and making the hardware nobs useless.
@Senpai I did notice the humming and I can hear it throughout the entire video. I do have audiophile level headphones though
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who checked their bands lol.
I saw that spike and thought my own board was suddenly dying.
my hardware is so bad, I only noticed the noise floor when you did 7b and 100% gain.. i find when editing the audio, noise is so much more apparent on it's own than when it's on top of other audio, game or music.
as such and influential voice in the streamer items market i really appreciate you going out of your way to check about the gain issue! 💯 such a good creator!
I normally wear some type of headsets or earbuds to watch videos, so I did hear the noise in the beginning of the video
I am glad you said about a "trained ear" because I can hear the very high pitch tone which I thought was something wrong with my brain but...
This seem like a powerful tool. From an audio standpoint I feel a bit lacking. I have a fethead, so if i get bit I will be ok. But if you didn't, then it'll be an extra cost. I have been considering a new capture card for 3+ cam inputs and this is definitely on my radar. We will see if this fits my specific situation. Thanks for the video!
Anybody know if this would be recognized by android devices?
I heard something at the start, but couldn't identify what it was that I heard that was throwing me off. But when you isolated it, I couldn't un-hear it for the rest of the video....
i didnt notice it at first. but after the cut from sponser to this mic again i noticed it directly
Hercules Stream 200 XLR is a new streaming interface on the scene you probably want to check out!!!!!
That was indeed loud. I’m glad it’s just that one specimen. (I feel like there’s a better word that I want, but, oh well… unit!) 😂
Well, sounds like Mackie might have a quality control issue. Those pre-amps...not acceptable for a new product marketed for streamers who might want a hungry gain mic.
honestly i thought that was the issue you were gonna mention cuz i heard it the whole time haha
Could be a good upgrade from my scarlet solo that I use with a sm7b . I don’t have any other products so having a all in one that does a little of everything kinda makes sense especially with that price point
How about you follow up with some device specific instructions, especially how to set up my Switch the way you alluded to?
Please? ❤
Harris, how concerned are we about Rode gimping these Mackie devices as they incorporate/integrate the popular features since they have acquired Mackie? Or will they keep their products at near quality level instead of taking them down a tier?
Definitely a slight bummer that the PC link is USB 3.1 despite a 3.2 being part of the hub. I wonder what the limitation was for that decision. Still looks like a nice device if you get one not containing the hiss.
1:35 I don't get lighting I think before looks better
I could hear the issue when you demonstrated it, but due to my tinnitus, I didn't catch it at the beginning.
i did notice the pre-amp almost off the bat. I wonder if its a problem with the fact of the pre-amp in the sm7db and the mainstream it might be better if you just use a normal sm7b.
PLEASE ASK THEM TO ADD VST3 TO THE MIXER! being able to use vst plugins to mix vocals live instead of editing would be a game changer
Can anyone else hear that high pitched sound when Harris is using the Mackie Mainstream?
Yes, the whistle is pretty notisable from the begining of the video.
I did hear it in the beginning of the video when you were saying that something was wrong and I heard some bussing, idk the exact time but it was somewhere in the beginning
Okay. I have been looking everywhere for an answer. I love this product already but how would you use this in a dual pc setup? To narrow it down more, How do I plug in my microphone into this interface and have that sent to both my gaming pc and streaming pc? Or am I just overthinking this?
why is there static in the audio
Not sure if you have the equipment for this but would love to see comparisons of the headphone outputs on these interfaces. For example the wave xlr and scarlett are far worse in this department compared to a Topping E2x2 or Motu M2
Well, possible replacement for my GoXLR. Wish it had a couple more sliders though
Listening to this on headphones is torture 😩
For the PC nerd like me, the sound you have with you device is name " coilwhine" which can appear with a power supply, a graphic card and even a motherboard. There is no way to know in advance if a device will have this type of problem, and even high hand GPU ( rtx 4090 sometimes has this type of problem so price is not a solution). Hope it learn something to somebody in the comments =).
So i can plug a mirrorless camera in one of those HDMI ports?
I like it but I'm still not getting rid of the go XLR until someone comes out with a true all-in-one 4K variable refresh rate pass through and all the sound mixing. And I also wanted to point out you definitely know you're sick this is the first video that I've seen that you have footage out of focus that I've noticed. Hope you feel better man. Plus my daughter just turned 3 today I hope your daughter is doing great.
I'm glad you said you were sick, I thought the device was making you sound congested LOL
The mic preamp noise might be from a ground loop or just some RF interference.... but hell it's terrible to listen to.
Yeah that whine/hiss is fkn ridiculous and I don't think I have a trained ear, I have a headache now lmao I have heard the whine since the beginning of the video and I have a Razer Kraken headset.
9:07 This never ever focused.
Weird.
i kept having to rub my eyes trying to focus them during the overhead shots haha
I just wish they would use display port instead of hdmi, and give a high refresh rate option.
Hey Harris, yeah I did notice right away when you turned up the gain on the device it made a high humming sound. Love your RUclips videos, 🤓
rode and mackie are one and the same rode bought out mackie a month or so ago
If Amaran is sponsoring content creators now, can someone please talk to them about making a way to control the lights with a Stream Deck directly? Please?! Also, the PreSonus Revelator io44 has a similar hiss/noise problem, but I found it to be highly dependent on how I was routing my XLR cable. Seemed like it just had bad grounding and/or wasn't correctly handling balanced signals generally, but in that case, it wasn't limited to my unit, it's an overall problem.
Thanks Harris
Excellent tutorial friend...... I have this beautiful device, the only thing I can't do is connect my webcam. This is an Insta360 Link camera. When I connect it directly to my PC the camera works correctly, when I connect it to the USB 2.0 or 3.2 ports it does not turn on the camera when I try to open it with the OBS program, I need your help, what am I doing wrong?
Yeah I noticed the whining sound as soon as the video started, it's so bad. I wonder if it was some kind of grounding issue or something. People would definitely hear that on stream or yt
Why have you not done a review on the Bridgecast yet? It’s the only mixer I’ve found that would actually checks most boxes off for me
I don't really know anyone running a SM7B without a cloud lifter or something.
Love all your content!
Could you provide feedback on the Roland Bridge cast or bridge cast X?
Great vid Harris, though it seemed to me the top-down camera was at times out of focus :(
I noticed a little bit of noise when you quietly clicked the button. Perhaps you boosted the gain on that clip or something. Otherwise it sounds good.
NGL I'm kinda bummed to see that they didn't have a XLR/USB-C combo jack for microphone input.
I herd the whine from your mic from 0:00. ARGHHHH!
yes i notices the interfearense when you tested the clicketiclick buttons the F buttons.
i heard it, but i am also an audio engineer and I look for that type of stuff when people review them
Any "Big Boi" speakers you recommend?
Can you review the Roland Bridge Cast? Same price as this but doesn’t have a capture card installed. Would like your feedback on it :))
Mackie has really been making STRIDES.
Hi.
I want to combine my video streaming with audio using an external audio player. To which input can I connect my audio controller to my mackie so I can listen to music in my transmissions?
thanks
Can i connect usb tipe c one for macbook and other to ps5 to use one mic for both divices?
I didn't notice the sound but I was also eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch. So if your audience is eating crunchy cereal they won't hear it either, easy fix.