In Summary

Known initially for the Focusrite Studio Console, and more recently the all-conquering little red boxes seen everywhere, Focusrite now have a solution for creators from any background. We look at what gets the Vocaster onto the shortlist for Podcasters and pros alike.

Going Deeper

The worlds of studio production for music and post have been basking in the convenience of the DAW for a while now. With that, a whole vista of affordable studio gear has now been available for decades, however it’s only more recently that the content creation boom has started to benefit from job-specific gear. Covering professionals with backgrounds in print journalism and radio, and new creators too finding themselves with mics and headphones in their kit, a new subset of desktop audio interfaces has emerged. These set out to replace the traditional broadcast studio (and the engineer) with an audio hub that can handle everything, often for the same price as a decent dynamic mic.

Focusrite are one of many marques that have ridden the 21st Century wave of changing studio habits. This can be seen in their venerable range of red boxes that serve solo musos right up to professionals who need networked interfaces. These have all sported the same red paint job up until now, however their latest Vocaster range of products is aimed squarely at anyone who has a story to tell. Here are we outline what should get Vocaster onto the shortlist for Podcasters and pros alike.

Good To Go

In the past, getting up and running could be a headache for any engineer working with a computer, juggling drivers, firmware, OS versions, and other moving targets. While most engineers can consider those days over, its easy to forget that ‘simple’ acts such as getting the control software and/or drivers down is not an everyday task for 99.9% of regular people. Plugging Vocaster in for the first time guides the user to where all the good stuff is as well as how to register their new device.

On the same note, its built-in presets help creators towards a pro sound simply by pressing the button with the wand icon on it. Power users can set which preset is on this button using the Vocaster Hub, but for others, it just sounds good out of the box. Vocaster’s range of voice presets can effectively even out levels and kill proximity boominess among other things.

Lots Of Gain…

How much mic amp gain should an interface have? When working with ‘deaf’ dynamic mics the answer is always “More”. For Pros, the Vocaster’s credentials as a serious desk-dweller can be found in its juicy mic preamp (with two of them on the Vocaster 2). With 70dB of clean gain in hand, this up-to 20dB improvement on the rest is ten times more sensitive than some other creator-level boxes, and a great deal juicier than many pro ones as well. Those producing audio content who are unaware of things like this just need to know that it will work. When they plug their shiny new SM7B or RE20 into the Vocaster, things will happen exactly as they should. In fact, no amount of pro knowledge will sound better under the same circumstances on lesser gear.

…That Sets Itself

On the subject of juice, the next question is how much to apply. Most pros might instinctively open up the Gain for that off-mic guest, or cover that control for when they shout or move in. In contrast, the non-technical creator will have other things on their mind. Enter Auto Gain. The talent presses a button that will automatically set the level while it listens to the source. The challenge here is when the test audio itself is wrong, but at least recordings stand a fighting chance of mixable levels being captured. Though not unique, circuits that automatically set mic amp gain are still far fewer and further between than creators might hope; Vocaster’s level setting chops help it stand out.

Camera Shy?

As the definition of content creation itself continues to change, so too must the gear behind it. One huge area is the production of mixed media, with the podcast studio frequently augmented with lights and cameras as well as mics and headphones. While professional radio-with-cameras can make it as far as linear TV, the creator equivalent effectively sees YouTube or similar platforms hosting audio podcasts.

Vocaster’s dedicated Camera TRS output makes it a good choice for piping its mix of mics, mobile device sound, and stereo loopback directly into a camera or streaming device for a pro-sounding audio feed for video. Two headphone outs on the Vocaster 2 also mean that remote and virtual sources can be heard without going down the mics.

Hold That Thought…

Anyone who works with speakers and microphones knows the importance of being able to kill sounds fast. Before the advent of self-op broadcasting or streaming, those working in radio studios were well acquainted with the Cough Button to spare audiences and guests from any sudden loud noises. In the creator studio with headphones on people’s heads, that approaching cough or sneeze will not wait for a leisurely browse of the manual or a scramble for the mouse. With a nod to the broadcast gear of old, Vocaster’s input mute button that sits exactly where you might want it will hold any back any kind of unwanted outburst from Host or Guest alike. Rounding off the compliment of real buttons are ones for voice presets and Auto Gain, making time away from the screen even easier.

Anything Else?

As the creator revolution continues, non-technical podcast producers now have the tools to get their story out there. The features that we would look for in pod-specific production hub begin with ease of setup, after all nothing else matters if the recording can’t happen. Creators can’t be expected to know exactly why their old recordings were too quiet and/or noisy; to the rescue are generously specced mic amps that not only have the juice, but can also set themselves thanks to tech such as Focusrite’s Auto Gain feature.

Being able to hook up to cameras is becoming increasingly common in pro settings, although those new to the craft can now get a slice of the action with TRS stereo mix outputs. This will eliminate any support calls from the user who can’t figure out why they can’t hear any centre signals to camera out of the monitor speaker output…

While the Vocaster is not a unique product for the creator market, the choice of tools that match its features makes the list of contenders a short one. For pros, using it as a second interface for mobile or multimedia work is also an option.

A Word About This Article

As the Experts team considered how we could better help the community we thought that some of you are time poor and don’t have the time to read a long article or a watch a long video. In 2023 we are going to be trying out articles that have the fast takeaway right at the start and then an opportunity to go deeper if you wish. Let us know if you like this idea in the comments.

Camera photo by cottonbro studio

Coughing photo by Towfiqu Barbhuiya