If you’ve had your eyes set on the RØDECaster Pro II but found yourself not pulling the trigger because it was either “overkill” for your production needs or maybe too expensive, then the RØDECaster Duo might be what you’re looking for.
The RØDECaster Duo is designed for those who don’t need as many physical inputs but still want the same powerhouse of features to up their audio recording game.
RØDE RØDECaster Duo
A powerful all-in-one audio production solution. Condensing a complete professional broadcast studio into a compact and intuitive console, it gives you everything you need to record high quality audio with ease.
DUO vs Pro II
Comparing the RØDECaster Duo to the Pro II reveals a very compact audio mixer designed for smaller-scale productions, tight desk spaces, and budget-conscious creators. Echoing the dependable performance and processing prowess that RØDE is renowned for, the Duo retains the same low-noise, high-gain Revolution preamps, APHEX audio processing, and a vivid 5.5-inch colored touchscreen within its smaller chassis.
Understandably, there are a few tradeoffs here, but for the most part, at least in my experience, nothing significant enough to make me miss my larger Pro II too much.
The most significant change lies in the reduction of the Duo’s inputs and outputs. The Duo’s streamlined configuration features two Combo XLR-1/4" TRS inputs and outputs (down from four), which is the main consideration when determining if the Duo is suitable for your recording needs, or if the Pro II is the better way to go.
For those seeking simultaneous recording of three to four inputs—say, a larger podcast or multiple instruments—the Pro II retains its advantage. Similarly, if you foresee the need to expand your production in the future, it might be worth investing in the Pro II now so that you can unlock its full potential later. On the flip side, if your audio projects usually require one or two inputs and outputs at most, the Duo is all you’ll need.
With fewer inputs and outputs, the Duo uses four physical faders (down from six) while still supporting three additional virtual faders, totaling seven channels compared to the Pro II’s nine.
The Duo features six Smart Pads (down from eight), but with four programmable pages, ample triggers are at your disposal. Smart Pad can trigger sounds, voice effects, and programmable actions like scene changes or overlays in live streams.
A surprising perk exclusive to the Duo is its front-facing 3.5mm TRRS jack, allowing you to quickly connect headphones or headsets, which could be helpful when you’re in a pinch or want to take your production on the road and don’t want to pack your bulkier XLR gear. This could also be a great way to use your favorite gaming or conference headset, something that wasn’t really possible with the Pro II.
Some Minor Quirks
While not immediately obvious, I found a few other subtle changes that I’m not necessarily a fan of.
The Headphone Encoders now infinitely spin in either direction when you’re adjusting the XLR output volume. To see the level of the output, you have to look at a surrounding LED ring light which fills up depending on how much you’ve turned the knob. To nitpick, I noticed that it can be difficult to tell much you’ve increased your levels by when you’re sitting at your desk, as a good portion of the top side of the ring is blocked by the knob itself.
In contrast, the Pro II has a fixed 0 and 100, which I preferred as it allowed me to make quick level adjustments, to say 50%, without looking at the LED ring light. Others may not be as annoyed by this, but I felt it was worth mentioning.
Similarly, RODE has replaced the physical start/stop recording button on the Pro II with a digital icon at the top left of the Duo’s screen. While the Duo’s solution provides haptic feedback, it lacks the tactile satisfaction of the Pro II’s larger, clickable button. You’ll still see at a glance if the Duo is recording on screen and how long it’s been, but there’s still something special about hitting that record button that I miss from the Pro II.
While I’m obviously not a product engineer, I’d still speculate that retaining the previous button layout to the right of the Rotary Encoder would still have been possible without cluttering space too much. Perhaps these were decisions further to differentiate the Pro II lineup from the new Duo and entice more “pro” users to spend the extra $200, or it could just be that they wanted to keep the recording “button” on the left side for the sake of continuity. Who knows?
Connectivity
Given my focus on mostly solo recording for voiceovers, talking head videos, or gaming, transitioning to the Duo hasn’t posed any challenges. The RØDECaster Duo shares the same two USB-C ports on the rear panel designed to accommodate a variety of setups, including computers or supported smart devices.
For my setup, I’m using the main USB-C port to seamlessly route audio from my Macbook Pro to my Edifier S360db bookshelf speakers via the 1/4-inch Balanced Line Outputs. My newly added RØDE PodMic is connected to one of the XLR/TRS Neutrik Combo Inputs, while my RØDE NTH-100 headphones feed out through 1/4-inch Headphone Output, serving my monitoring needs while recording.
Connected via the Duo’s second USB-C port, I am also using a ROG Ally which serves as my gaming and streaming computer. The dual USB-C connections allows me to simultaneously share the RØDE Duo’s input and output, sharing the same mic and speaker combo, without the need for any tedious switching.
Once I’m done working for the day, I can quickly hop from my Mac over to my gaming desk and jump into Overwatch 2 with the same high-quality audio setup.
Even if you only plan on using one computer, you can connect to additional devices, such as smartphones, through the second USB-C port. You can use this to play music from another device, or for podcasting scenarios, routing audio calls from guests into the interface.
Just as easily, you may also choose to use the Duo’s Bluetooth as a convenient alternative if you want to conserve that second USB connection for something else.
For musicians and instrumentalists, the Duo’s XLR/TRS Neutrik Combo Inputs come in handy for effortlessly connecting instruments like electric guitars or bass to add as digital inputs in an audio workstation (DAW) without needing to buy or mess with other adapters or interfaces. It’s simple, clean, and works. Programs like Garageband had no issues detecting the Duo’s output channels.
Finetuning
The RØDECaster Duo uses the same 5.5-inch high-definition touchscreen we saw on the Pro II. Visually, it’s bright, sharp, and easy to read and use.
Although it may seem a little overwhelming when you first dive into its menus, here you’ll find pages to make adjustments to your device settings, inputs, effects, as well as access your sound banks. Everything feels snappy, and the screen’s responsiveness feels on par with a modern smartphone.
Configuring your XLR inputs is made especially simple if you use one of 5-stack’s newer or more popular microphones as they have several built-in presets specifically tuned to make those mics sound their best.
When I switched over to the RØDE PodMic a few months ago, I selected it from the list of microphone presets and I was ready to record with no tweaks required on my end. Of course, the Duo also includes a few generic options like condenser, dynamic, or instrument, which you can use as a starting point, but understandably there’s a bias towards their lineup.
When customizing your inputs, there are three default presets—Neutral, Podcast Studio, and Broadcast—which can instantly transform how your audio sounds with just a click. These presets can function as they are or serve as the foundation for additional customized adjustments with the Duo’s Aphex processing.
Within the Processing tab, three essential controls are available: depth, sparkle, and punch, for fast adjustments if you don’t want to get into the nitty-gritty. If you know what you’re doing or are willing to learn a little, there’s also an advanced section that has controls for Compressor, EQ, De-esser, Aural Exciter, Noise Gate, Big Bottom, High Pass Filter, and Panning.
Each Aphex processor takes you to a virtual space where parameter refinement happens via the rotary encoder, and real-time visualization offers immediate feedback on signal processing changes. Once you’re happy with the new sound, you can save your presets here by tapping the + button to switch between them or add them to other inputs quickly.
While not everyone’s cup of tea, you can take things up a notch and use the Smart Pads to activate voice effects such as Pitch Shift, Large Reverb, Robot, Monster, and Echo to add some unique character (or characters even) to your audio production. Although these are mostly playful, these effects underscore the real-time processing prowess of the RØDECaster Duo.
Small Package, Big Impact
While the core functionality of the Duo mirrors that of the Pro II, one of its “biggest” selling features is its compact size. Let’s be clear: the versatility to connect a third or fourth instrument or microphone was undeniably handy when collaborating with others, but ultimately, it resulted in a bulkier mixer than my average everyday needs demanded, and I’d imagine that’s the case for most other creators, too. While the Pro II remains a key player in my setup, especially for musical collaborations, the Duo has solidified its position as my daily driver.
In contrast to the Pro II, which necessitated a relatively large dedicated corner of my desk, the advantage of the Duo becomes all the more apparent for those with modestly sized or clutter-prone workspaces like myself.
Unsurprisingly, the Duo is also significantly more portable. While RØDE eventually released a dedicated backpack for the Pro II, it still required effort and plenty of space to pack it up. While I haven’t yet needed to, the Duo could easily be packed with your regular gear bags without adding too much space or weight.
If you want to take a high-quality, and small-scale production on the road, the Duo won’t be a burden.
The RØDECaster Most People Need
Whether you’re a content creator, podcasting enthusiast, or aspiring musician, the Duo presents itself as a well-balanced audio mixer solution without overtaking your entire workspace or stretching your budget too far. Provided you’re able to work with its reduced inputs and outputs, the compact Duo is a production powerhouse ready to accompany you on your audio journey.
