Assessment: HyperX Quadcast USB Microphone

Can the HyperX Quadcast USB Microphone assist photographers with streaming, YouTube podcasts, vlogging, gaming or speaking with purchasers? We take a look at this more and more in style microphone so you may be taught extra about it and listen to it in motion.

The HyperX Quadcast USB Microphone is a pretty condenser microphone which glows pink, a glance that units the microphone other than most different microphones. It’s one of many causes these microphones have gained reputation with players and Twitch customers.

How is the microphone for vloggers, photographers, and content material creators? I used it for a number of Nightaxians Night Photography YouTube podcasts and the Night Photo Summit 2023 whereas testing the microphone. I’ll describe the way it went. You’ll be able to hear audio examples of the microphone throughout video podcasts as nicely.

Observe: Vlogsfan despatched us the HyperX Quadcast USB Microphone to overview and maintain. Nevertheless, this can be a utterly impartial overview. All ideas about this USB microphone are our personal.

Professionals

• Nice sound high quality
• Enticing microphone with pink glow which stands other than different microphones
• A big gain-control dial on the backside of the microphone permits you to alter the amount simply
• Constructed-in pop filter that truly works
• 4 polar patterns let you dial within the polar sample greatest for particular conditions
• Tapping or hovering excessive of the microphone mutes/prompts the microphone
• An LED mild signifies if the microphone is on or muted
• Monitor the microphone enter by way of a 3.5mm headphone jack
• The whole lot is well accessible on the microphone and simple to grasp

Cons

• I nonetheless can’t discover any!

 HyperX Quadcast USB Microphone — Technical specs

The entire technical specs for the HyperX Quadcast USB Microphone are from the official HyperX web site. The producer additionally states that the Quadcast is licensed by Discord and TeamSpeak and works with PC, PS, PS or Mac.

Microphone Specs

• Ingredient: Three 14 mm electret condenser capsules
• Polar Sample: Stereo, Omnidirectional, Cardioid, Bidirectional
• Frequency Response: 20Hz — 20kHz
• Sensitivity: -36dB (1V/Pa at 1kHz)
• Noise (RMS): ≤-95dBFS (A-weighted)

Headphone Output

• Frequency Response: 20Hz — 20kHz
• Most energy output: 7mW
• T. H. D: ≤ 0.05% (1kHz/0dBFS)
• SNR: ≥ 90dB (1kHZ, RL=∞)

Connections and Options

• Connection Sort: USB Mini-B, 3.5mm headphone output
• USB Specification: USB 2.0 (full velocity)
• Bit-Depth: 16-bit
• Energy consumption: 5V 125mA
• Lighting: Purple
• Connection Sort: USB Mini-B, 3.5mm headphone output
• USB Specification: USB 2.0 (full velocity)
• Bit-Depth: 16-bit
• Energy consumption: 5V 125mA
• Lighting: Purple

Bodily Specs

• Weight: Weight (Microphone): 0.55lb
• Cable Size (imperial) and kind: USB Mini-B to USB-A

HyperX Quadcast USB Microphone — Ergonomics and construct high quality

Simple set up

I used the microphone with a mid-2017 iMac. Upon connecting the USB plug in, the pc acknowledged the microphone immediately with out having to do something. This included not solely the Audio part in System Preferences, but in addition Zoom, Google Meet and Skype. Most USB microphones are plug-and-play as nicely, however nonetheless, it’s good to know this labored flawlessly.

Construct high quality

That is constructed for vlogging, streaming, video podcasts, and podcasts primarily. With its plastic physique, shock-mount and adapter, it’s not constructed for the trials of a business recording studio.

Nevertheless, for its supposed use, it appears good and strong. The dials for quantity, positioned beneath, and the dial for choosing the 4 polar patterns, really feel well-built and usually are not wiggly. The latter dial has a agency detent for every of the polar patterns.

HyperX Quadcast USB Microphone — Within the area

The whole lot is well-labeled and simple to make use of. In a considerably dimly-lit room, the icons for the polar patterns are tough to see. Nevertheless, since that is ordinarily a set-and-forget choice, I don’t see this as an issue.

Pop filter

Ideally, if you end up talking right into a microphone, it is best to speak previous the microphone, in a roundabout way into it. Regardless, this microphone has a built-in pop filter to cease “plosives,” lowering the prospect for breaths to create unprofessional lower-frequency percussive sounds. I’m completely satisfied to report that it really works remarkably nicely, even if you end up aiming your mouth straight into the microphone and saying “puh” sounds that sometimes produce problematic outcomes.

Anti-vibration shock mount

The QuadCast additionally comes with an anti-vibration shock mount, lowering rumbles. That is already screwed on to the physique of the microphone. I examined this inadvertently as a result of I’ve a behavior of drumming on the desk throughout podcasts or hitting the keyboard a little bit too onerous. Irrespective of. The shock-mount did what it was presupposed to, lowering vibrations going into the microphone.

Stand

The Quadcast got here connected to a pretty aluminum stand, which felt steady. Nevertheless, I unscrewed this and mounted it to a microphone increase arm that was connected to my desktop. The mount that screws on to the increase arm is fabricated from plastic. It has all the suitable changes however is just not as beefy as a metallic mount that you just would possibly discover in an expert recording studio.

Controlling the amount 

It additionally permits you to faucet or hover excessive to mute or activate the sound of the microphone. When the microphone is activated, the LED inside glows pink. When muted, the pink mild turns off. Cool!

I discovered the conveniently-located achieve management dial made it very straightforward to shortly alter mic enter sensitivity. Surprisingly, although, the knob turns far past the portrayed most and minimal achieve ranges on both aspect.

The microphone was intuitive and simple to make use of each step of the way in which.

Outputs

The microphone has a USB Mini-B port for connecting to your laptop in addition to a 3.5mm headphone output. These are positioned beneath the dial that selects the polar sample.

HyperX Quadcast USB Microphone — Sound high quality

The sound high quality of the Quadcast for my voice sounded wealthy and full. For voice, it was corresponding to a good-quality condenser microphone sometimes used for recording in studios. The design of its frequency response is voiced nicely for talking voices, and it does this successfully. That is very true since you may alter the polar sample for particular conditions, utilizing the null of the sample (the a part of the polar sample that’s not selecting up the sound) to reject sounds extra successfully. The stereo polar sample is most definitely greatest for enjoying music whereas recording or streaming.

I ought to level out right here that it’s completely pure for microphones to alter the sound considerably as you choose totally different polar patterns. As an illustration, a cardioid or bidirectional sample will exhibit better proximity impact. That signifies that the nearer you get to the microphone whereas talking, the extra bass response it’s going to decide up. Nevertheless, an omnidirectional microphone won’t exhibit this proximity impact. Moreover, because the identify implies, it’s going to decide up sound from all instructions equally and never favor specific instructions.

The SNR (Sign-to-Noise Ratio) is listed as ≥ 90dB. And certainly, the microphone was very quiet, not creating discernible self-noise throughout broadcasts.

HyperX Quadcast USB Microphone — Reactions from others

After I used the microphone for the primary time throughout the Nightaxians Night time Pictures YouTube Podcast, each the opposite photographers seen the microphone immediately. “Seems to be nice!” Tim stated. “Is that glowing?” Mike requested. They each talked about that it sounded nice and had a pleasant, wholesome quantity. You can listen to that specific video podcast here.

I didn’t must do very a lot adjusting throughout the podcast. Nevertheless, once I did, it was very straightforward to do whereas persevering with to talk or work. As a result of you may hover your finger simply excessive as an alternative of touching the microphone, you may mute the microphone with out making a tapping sound, which can also be fairly a pleasant function.

I then used it for my presentation throughout the Night time Photograph Summit 2023 on-line convention. Once more, the microphone carried out flawlessly.