Elgato Wave:1 Microphone Review

Corsair snapped up Elgato a few years ago, and ever since, it's been easy to see why they wanted them as part of the Corsair family. Elgato has an exceptional array of products tailored towards the gamer, streamer and content creation market. Their Keylights, Streamdeck, capture cards and much more are already big hits. Of course, they've now added some new microphones to their range, the Wave:1 and the Wave:3 launch today and I've got the Wave:1 to play with. I predict it will be great, but let's dive in a little further shall we?! Elgato Wave:1 Microphone For your average gamer, it's not a cheap microphone at £129.99, but it's hardly expensive either. If you've ever looked into a professional recording setup, you'll know that a big stack of money doesn't go far, and hundreds and even thousands can be spent on just a few bits. It is well equipped though, with built-in controls and LED indicators. There's 24/48 analog to digital, zero-latency monitoring, and an optional mounting system. With Razer, HyperX and a few others having similar products for a similar price, the market is competitive, but it seems Elgato are (as usual) putting their best foot forward. Features DIRECT CONTROL - Tweak the dial to adjust monitor volume and press to mute.CONDENSER CAPSULE - Tuned for speech, with a tight cardioid pattern to capture - every vocal nuance with precision.SUPERIOR CIRCUITRY - Up to 24-bit / 48 kHz analog to digital conversion delivers lush detail.INTERNAL POP FILTER - Multilayered noise shield keeps plosives at bay.HEADPHONE OUTPUT - Connect for direct, zero-latency monitoring.FLEXIBLE MOUNTING - Mount on any boom arm using the included adapter.CUSTOM ACCESSORIES - Add an external pop filter and shock mount. What Elgato Had to Say "Great passion, thought and effort has gone into making Wave. It’s the first of its kind in two ways: a microphone built from the ground up for creators like you, and mixing software designed for your unique audio workflow, one which will evolve to incorporate community feedback and ultimately become the best broadcast audio application for all creators. Throughout this guide you will discover what distinguishes WAVE:1 from the rest." - Elgato Wave:1 or Wave:3? Elgato is also launching the Wave:3 today, it's basically the same microphone as the Wave:1 but with a few minor upgrades. Andy's checking that one out on YouTube, the video is below, but I'll link it again on the last page of this review also. Read on! Packaging & Specifications The specifications of the Wave 1 are pretty decent, offering a 17mm Electret microphone with a 70-20000 Hz frequency response. It runs at a 28-bit resolution with a 48 kHz sample rate. Honestly, it should sound pretty fantastic just based on that alone. However, I suspect it'll be the trick software that will give it the edge on the competition. The box is nicely designed, compact and durable. It's pretty heavy too, albeit I suspect that's mostly the microphone. Around the back, you can see a little bit of a teaser on the mixing software as well as a few features of the microphone. It's nothing we haven't covered so far though. In the box, you'll find... A BOX! In the box in a box, you'll find a bag, and ANOTHER BOX! In the bag and box in the box and a box, you'll find... A MICROPHONE AND CABLE. It's very well packaged and honestly, I think Elgato could ease up on the use of materials here. A Closer Look Included in the box, Elgato give you this handy mounting adaptor. If you're using one of the larger screw tripods or mounts of your own, this will be a welcome adaptor. The cable is a USB Type-C, which is fantastic, and I'm always happy to see hardware adopt the newer form factor. Of course, it's not a proprietary cable, so you can easily swap out your own custom one at any time. The Wave:1 It looks pretty fantastic the moment you take it out of the box. It's very clean looking, with a really nice finish to it. The all-black hardware means it doesn't stand out. However, the subtle curved edges, rounded corners and very dark black shine to it give it a premium look that does draw your attention a little too. There's a small Elgato logo recessed into the top section. The actual microphone section has a built-in foam head, as well as that perforated metal exterior. I like this kind of design as you can bash and knock the thing extensively and not cause it any real harm. It's built to last. Towards the bottom, there's a simple control for adjusting the volume, or push it for a quick mute/unmute. There's an LED indicator ring around it too. The base is weighted, so a firm knock shouldn't topple the microphone. It'll stop it sliding around and also reduce any resonance in the microphone. I should point out that Elgato do see a shock mount too, as well as an external pop filter should you really need it. The volume wheel has a good tension to it and is easily adjusted in small increments. However, the microphone needs to be braced at the back while hitting the mute button or it'll topple over as the button needs a firm press. So like this... Not like this... Down the side, you'll find adjustment screws, allowing the angle to be adjusted. On the other side, you'll find a USB port and headphone jack. The USB is not optional, it provides both power and data between the computer and the microphone. It also means it can only be used with a computer, as it doesn't have an analogue input/output option. There's a headphone jack too, so you can get direct and lag free monitoring. The base has a rubber grip on it, which stops it sliding around and also stops it scuffing up your desktop. It's completely removable too, allowing you to use your own tripods, arms, or any other mount really. Performance The first step is always microphone placement. You can tip it whatever way you want, although Elgato recommends you tip it lightly away not towards you. So in this, you would be sat to the right side of the image, not the left. Their setup guide is pretty straight forward, at least this one is from our review guide. It tells you how to angle it, how to distance from it, and how to setup the gain levels. It's pretty basic stuff, but it can make a HUGE difference in the overall performance. So this, would be pretty much as wrong as I can get it. But hey, maybe you're hanging upside down to the side of your desk. I actually can't find my tripods, they're somewhere behind a COVID-19 pile of PC cases in the garage, the spiders own them now. However, as an example, the little clam mount worked just fine. I like that you can use your own mount though, it makes it limitless for installation options. Plus, the Elgato Streamdeck is fully compatible with the microphone. Of course, it would have been more surprising if it wasn't. My Streamdeck is having issues with the motherboard in my arcade, long story, but I can't bloody use it till I get a new motherboard. But I digress. With a fully working streamdeck (any size), you can use switch monitoring, adjust volumes, mute/unmute, adjust the mix, balance, etc. You can add them to custom buttons and configurations too. So one button can trigger an on screen overlay, dim your keylights, pause the discord chat and mute the microphone if you wanted, it's awesome. When it's running, you get an indicator LED on the front, which is basically telling you you're live. It turns red when muted, and dims when you adjust the overall gain down and becomes brighter when turned up. It's pretty straight forward really. If you follow the setup guide, you'll have great sound quality in a few minutes from taking it out of the box. Everything installed without a hitch and it worked in Discord, Skype, Facebook Messenger and anything else I threw at it really. For our weekly staff Discord chat, it's been great and it's a big step up from the built-in headphone microphone I've been using for most of them. Plus, when playing Elder Scrolls Online we tend to chat in the discord before doing Trials and it's been nice to have a desktop microphone that I can put off to the side as I generally detest boom microphones in front of my face. I'm no professional streamer, but I can still appreciate having great sound quality for both myself and my team mates. How Much Does it Cost? It's pretty fairly priced at £129.99 for the hardware and features you get. However, the HyperX QuadCast has a lot of cool features of its own and is about £10 cheaper. The Razer Seiren X is about £30 cheaper, and honestly, that's no slouch either. But I still think Elgato has the edge due to their class-leading software. Overview If you're going to spend £100 on a microphone, you're not short of options. There are some great ones out there. Elgato is a little more expensive but I think their brand is strong enough that they can get away with it. Corsair is often a little more expensive on their high-end stuff too so it's to be expected. However, if you've got Elgato Keylight, green screen, multi-mount, Dock, and Stream Deck, or any combination of them, you're going to complete the set. Streamdeck That's the strongest card in the deck for me. A lot of streamers and gamers are using Streamdeck. The powerful shortcut and macro controller is a big hit. Being able to set gain levels, adjust the mix and more on the fly while you're gaming is a big advantage. Rival products require you to tab out to their software to do any major adjustments. Is that worth paying a little more for? Absolutely. Build Quality It's pretty robust overall, and it looks ultra-clean and stylish at the same time. Aesthetics are a big deal for streaming. You want your channel to look professional and Elgato has nailed that part nicely. Plus, they've used quality materials throughout, and it really is the sum of its parts there. The Type-C cable is a welcome addition too, one less thing to fuss about. More is More The Wave:1 is impressive and I think it's more than enough for just about any streamer or those recording at home. However, they've also launched the Wave:3, which offers a touch-sensitive mute button, on-board input gain controls, crossfade control, and offers u a 96 kHz sample rate. That model is £159.99. Which one is right for you? Well, that's for you to decide, but I'm quite happy with the Wave:1 myself. Andy's been using the Wave:3 on our YouTube, check it out here. Elgato Wave:1 Microphone Review