The Rodecaster series of podcast mixers have become a mainstay among audio creatives. Last year, the company expanded the line with its first multimedia model — the Rodecaster Video. It was a more niche proposition, aimed at streamers, video podcasters and live producers, and, at $1,200, people with deeper pockets. Today, Rode returns with the Rodecaster Video S (RCV-S), a streamlined version that offers much of the same functionality for less than half the cost of the original ($499).
If you currently use Ecamm Live, OBS, a Stream Deck, a Rodecaster Pro/Duo, a video capture card or Blackmagic Atem type switcher, then there’s a good chance the RCV-S does something, or many things, useful to you. Maybe it can replace all those products, some of them or enhance your workflow. It’s a little complicated, but within that complication is a lot of versatility.
With three HDMI inputs, one USB webcam/mic input and up to four NDI/wireless camera inputs, video is clearly the focus here. But there are also two XLR/Combo ports for studio microphones and instruments and the option to connect up to two of Rode’s wireless lav mics (such as the Wireless Go) directly without the need for a receiver. The RCV-S, like Blackmagic’s popular Atem Mini, outputs over HDMI at 1080p/60 (no 4K) or can be used over USB as a virtual camera just like you’d find in Zoom or Teams.
Unlike the Rodecaster Pro or Duo, there are no faders; instead, there are two rows of pads for switching between video sources and scenes. There’s 20GB of onboard storage for media — such as overlays, graphics and audio/video clips — and you can record shows directly onto USB hard-drives or stream natively to Twitch, YouTube and other platforms via RTMP/S. There’s a lot going on, and how you want to use it all is largely up to you. While the RCV-S leans more toward “live” productions such as streaming or podcasts, you can use it for conventional YouTube-style video production, depending on your workflow or video preferences.
Rodecaster Video versus Rodecaster Video S
The huge price difference between the original Rodecaster Video and the new S model might lead you to expect some serious feature trimming this time around, but Rode’s garden shears have been fairly kind. Most notably, the number of sources you can connect has been reduced from six to four. Meanwhile, the number of “scenes” you can create is now five, down from seven. As mentioned above, there are three HDMI inputs, not four, and only one USB webcam/mic input, down from two on the original. There are still nine channels of audio with two headphone outputs, but the line outputs on the original are no longer here. The SD card slot for media has also been removed in favor of internal storage. In short, there’s a little bit less connectivity, but not enough for it to feel hobbled, especially for the more casual users this is clearly aimed at.
In-use
At its most basic, the RCV-S is an all-in-one video switcher. You don’t need to connect it to a PC, just plug in your video and audio sources and you can jump between them in real time with a choice of transitions. For a more polished production you can create “scenes” via the menu with a selection of layouts for multiple cameras, picture-in-picture and so on. That could be two talking heads for a podcast, overlaying your web camera on top of your gameplay or a top-down camera mixed with a different perspective for cooking tutorials or presentations.
You can create scenes directly on the device in advance or live via templates, but things get a lot easier and more creative when you use Rode’s companion Rodecaster app. Here, you’ll find a “scene creator” tool that’s both visual and intuitive, plus it has the option to make custom layouts where you can freely resize and place all your different media wherever you want, add borders or rounded corners and so on.
While the main pads are primarily for switching between sources and scenes, they can also trigger media — pre-made video clips, overlays and graphics, for example. You can assign media to them without reducing the number of sources/scenes that are available to switch between, just tap the Media/Overlay button to temporarily change the functionality of the pads. You can also set up chromakey/green screening directly on the device or via the Rodecaster App, too.
Once you have everything set up, you can directly record output onto a USB SSD, again, without the need for a PC. There’s even the option to record only the main output (“program”) or a multi-track version which will export a recording of every input as a separate file that you can edit as you see fit. This is helpful if you’re using apps like Adobe Premier or Davinci Resolve. If you shoot multi-camera dance tutorials, for example, you can jump between your main and wide camera and then to a close up without having to hunt-down the right part from each file you recorded on different memory cards.
Rode recently updated the Rodecaster Video firmware to add support for up to four “NDI” wireless cameras as additional sources. Typically these are remote or security-style cameras, but Rode’s Capture mobile app also supports NDI streaming, meaning you can use your phone wirelessly as another camera that you can switch to, which is particularly useful. Though do note, the Rodecaster Video will need to be hard-wired to your router on the same network as your phone for this to work.
Audio
While the RCV-S offers nine audio tracks, it’s fair to say it isn’t really designed for live audio mixing in the pure sense since there are no faders. Instead, you have to access different channels via the menu on a small display and a dial — It’s a lot of hunting and pecking. If you’re connected to a PC, the Rodecaster app does offer a software mixer with faders though, which makes adjusting levels on the fly much easier.
The good news is that some voice enhancement tools, such as Depth, Sparkle and Punch have been carried over from the Rodecaster Pro/Duo, giving you a little more fine-grained control over how you or your guests sound.
There’s a slight drawback when using the RCV-S as a standalone unit, in that you need to physically push the buttons to change the scene, which might not be ideal if you’re trying to make a polished recording or can’t always be near the console. Thankfully, Rode has a solution in “auto switching.” I’m mentioning it here, in the audio section, as the RCV-S can switch cameras based on which one has the strongest audio or based on user-defined priority. Typically, that would be whoever is talking in a podcast, but it could also be in-game sound or when you switch to playing a musical instrument.
Auto switching works well, but it’s not quite dependable enough to rely on for full autonomy in a professional environment — say while recording a panel at a conference — but it solves a problem if you’re on your own, and it could at least save some time in a casual podcast situation.
Things to consider
It’s clear that the RCV-S, despite having fewer inputs than the original Rodecaster Video, is still quite a complex, open-ended tool. If you already have a streaming setup you like and the software and interfaces you need, then the appeal of the RCV-S will be down to whether it can do what you need more efficiently. For live video production, it’s an easier sell, as there aren’t many all-in-one devices to compete with it that can be used standalone.
For example, Blackmagic’s Atem series is incredibly popular, and until now, had the advantage on price with the Mini Pro costing just $330. Even the Mini Pro ISO ($550) that exports multi-track video was half the price of the original Rodecaster Video. The RCV-S now offers comparable connectivity, onboard recording, more expansive audio features and multi-track export for $50 less.
For general content creators it’s a little trickier. As someone that makes YouTube videos, the appeal to me is the chance to consolidate a few devices into one and remove some friction in my recordings. Right now, I have a Rodecaster Duo handling my audio, a capture card for my main camera and I swap out that camera for a smaller one if I am shooting top-down footage or need a second angle. That means I have several different devices on my desk, and I’m constantly doing a dance of unplugging things and juggling media or different recordings before I get everything ready to edit.
With the RCV-S I can ditch my standalone capture card and permanently leave multiple cameras connected to the Rodecaster so that they are ready to go at any time. I can even remove the Rodecaster Duo and bring it back out again on the occasions I need more immediate control over multiple sources of audio (which is sometimes, but not often). The appeal in my case is fewer devices on my desk, and the ability to record multi-camera video without having to set up every shot, every single time, which saves significant time that I can then use to actually get more work done.
There are, of course, some limitations. Not least of all is the lack of 4K. I’m still inclined to record on camera for my primary shot to ensure I still have a 4K copy for YouTube and then use the Rodecaster Video S for everything else, but as a small creator, convenience and flexibility is very appealing. For streamers and live video production, the Rodecaster Video S is a very capable tool that offers a wide range of functionality for an accessible price that will no doubt become the central hub for many creators.
The real kicker here is the price. Let’s be clear, $500 is still significant money. But at less than half the price of the original Rodecaster with decent connectivity and basically the same functionality, it's an easy recommendation to those who were holding off based on price alone. Likewise, if you’re just starting out with content creation and need something with solid video credentials and audio chops, Rode makes a good case for itself with the Rodecaster Video S.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/rodecaster-video-s-review-compact-and-comprehensive-video-production-230000221.html?src=rss