Review: Rode Podmic
If you’ve got money for an SM58, but want a mic built for podcasting, Rode’s got you covered.
By Mark Davie
1 May 2019
When Rode released the Rodecaster, it felt like someone in the audio biz was finally taking podcasts seriously. Up until that point, most podcast products had been USB mics – something simple a dreamer could buy to try out their big idea without breaking the bank.
The Rodecaster still kept things simple, with basic controls and vocal presets for specific Rode mics. One of those mics is the Podmic. It’s an end address large diaphragm dynamic microphone — a la Rode’s broadcast-looking Procaster — but just over half the length. It looks the part, with its yoke stand mount allowing you to suspend it from a sprung boom arm like Rode’s PSA1. The Podmic is surprisingly heavy for its size, but the tensioners on the yoke keep it firmly in place while you swing it around the studio.
There are no bells and whistles, it’s simply got an XLR output on the rear. However, it is perfectly set up for podcasting. Out of the box, it has high sensitivity, which means you don’t need to push a cheap preamp into its nasty ranges. And if you do happen to shout into it, the internal pop filter will help keep your plosives from blowing out the recording. It also comes voiced with a moderate high-pass filter and a presence peak, so it won’t need a lot of processing when you fire it up.
If you do happen to have a Rodecaster to record your podcast, just flip through the onboard presets and find one that suits you. Like a lot of Rode products, the Podmic’s price puts it firmly in the category of no-brainer. If you’ve been itching to get off the mic you borrowed from a friend and look like a real podcaster, the Podmic costs about the same amount as an SM58.
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