TEN YEARS AGO, if someone had told you
that gaming peripheral makers would
one day move into production of high-
end gamer-branded microphones, you’d
have had a pretty hard time joining the
dots. To the older generation here at
Maximum PC, it doesn’t seem so long
ago that a swingarm mic on a headset
was considered a luxurious boon.
But the advent of YouTube and Twitch
have changed the face of gaming in
many ways. For those who stream
themselves playing, it’s essential to offer
their audience the clearest audiovisual
experience possible. And for those who
watch those who stream themselves
playing, that high-end equipment is
deeply aspirational. So, here we are with
a $140 USB microphone on our desk.
And let’s get this out of the way: A very
good one it is, too. The spec sheet doesn’t
really tell that story, though—there isn’t
much to distinguish the QuadCast from
its competitors, such as the almighty
Blue Yeti or Razer’s Seiren series mics,
when it comes to frequency response
(an ample 20Hz–20kHz) or sample and
bitrate (CD-quality 48kHz/16-bit).
Indeed, since we aren’t generally
as well trained at spotting great mic
attributes in the gaming community as
a great graphics card, the suspicion
might be that perhaps “gaming” mics are
simply cheaply produced and low-quality
studio mics, but that’s not the case. The
QuadCast really is suited to gaming.
That’s because of the little details.
First is that it’s supplied with a shock
mount, which keeps the microphone
itself from picking up every little knock
and scratch from your desk. It might
sound like a minor point, but if you’ve
ever imposed the red light of terror on
yourself and streamed live, you know how
much of a difference it makes. There’s
also a mic stand adapter included, so you
can set the QuadCast up on a boom arm
above yourself or to one side.
The controls are also perfectly suited
for gaming. We particularly enjoy theTesting, testing.... Is this
thing on? HyperX enters the
streamer mic market
HyperX QuadCast
9
VERDICT HyperX QuadCastFOURSOME Sturdy shock
mount; crystal clear; looks the
part for streamers.
QUAD DAMAGE It’s not an XLR studio mic.
$140, http://www.hyperxgaming.comSPECIFICATIONSFrequency Response 20Hz–20kHz
Sample/Bitrate 48kHz/16-bit
Cable Length 3 metres
Polar Patterns
Stereo,
omnidirectional,
cardioid, bidirectional
Element Electret condenser
Power Consumption 5V 125mAtouch-sensitive mute control positioned
at the top of the mic. Just a tap and
it’s muted or back on, without any of
the clicks or pops that often creep in
when a mechanical switch operates the
mute function. And if you were in any
doubt, there’s a red light that lets you
know whether the microphone’s on or
not. Controlling the gain is also simple
enough to achieve mid-stream via a dial
at the bottom of the mic. Again, it’s free of
pops and crackles.POLAR BLARE
It’s also nice to have the option of a few
different polar patterns, although you’ll
generally want to stick to the narrower
cardioid pattern for solo streaming, to
avoid picking up background noise. The
stereo option is handy for podcasting with
one other person, and the omnidirectional
pattern can handle groups of more than
two, although background noise does
naturally increase as a result. In cardioid
configuration in particular, the recording
and broadcasting sound quality is really
exceptional, easily on a par with similarly
priced studio mics at recreating vocals.
Sibilant sounds are captured brilliantly,
and the high end is noticeably detailed—
it’s lacking the warmth of pricier studio
mics, but you’d expect that from a sub-
$200 USB mic aimed at gamers.
And thus our only real reservation
with the QuadCast isn’t specific to the
product at all, but gaming microphones
as a “prosumer” prospect. Investing in
an XLR audio interface and a studio mic
yields better results and more options
for home recording, and although the
QuadCast makes the best case yet
for choosing an option tailor-made for
gaming, with its easy controls, from
a consumer standpoint, it’s still less
desirable than a pro audio solution. Still,
HyperX’s mic is a galaxy away from the
swingarm mics on gaming headsets.
For the vast majority of users, that’ll be
enough to warrant a place for that shock
mount on their desks. –PHIL IWANIUKin the lab
88 MAXIMUMPC JUN 2019 maximumpc.com