The Asus ROG Carnyx jogged my memory that it’s simpler than ever to stream your gameplay nowadays. There are extra titles to select from, quite a few platforms to stream on, and extra {hardware} that can assist you broadcast all of it. It’s not stunning then that beforehand uninterested gaming manufacturers are leaping on the bandwagon and including microphones to their wares.
The ROG wing of Asus already affords nearly every thing a gamer might hope for therefore it was solely a matter of time earlier than we noticed a brand new top-spec microphone from the model. The ROG Carnyx is a premium-level microphone aimed toward avid gamers who want to take content material creation somewhat extra severely.
A £169.99/$179.99 USB contender, the Carnyx goes face to face with numerous the most effective microphones for streamers and gaming and enters an already crowded market. So does ROG have what it takes to face out, or is that this microphone simply going to get misplaced within the noise?
Design & Options
From a design standpoint, the ROG Carnyx is concurrently outlandish and easy, which is a formidable combine to drag off so successfully. The microphone itself is a reasonably fundamental tube that’s held aloft by a everlasting shock mount and stand combo that’s all funky and angular. It’s very “gamer” and really on-brand for ROG with numerous logos and design thrives within the combine.
Construct high quality is usually sturdy with a metallic casing on the primary microphone physique complimenting the all-metal stand and mount, however a pair of plastic ends to the microphone quite spoil it as they really feel low-cost and misplaced. It’s additionally an unbelievably huge unit, far too huge in my view as a result of sitting 25cm off the desk at its highest level it’s a lot too massive to suit below a monitor with out blocking a good a part of it. With among the best seize playing cards, a stream controller, in all probability two screens, and among the best webcams already taking over house on a desk, microphones like these do not assist themselves by being this massive. There’s little adjustment on supply within the stand to assist this both, just a bit tilt forwards and backwards and no option to rotate it to a horizontal place.
I think about many will go with out the stand altogether and as a substitute bolt the ROG Carnyx straight onto a mic arm. Whereas it needs to be fairly universally appropriate with arms from completely different manufacturers, you’ll must dig out a screwdriver to take away the baseplate which is much much less user-friendly than it needs to be. Certainly ROG might have discovered a thumb screw to make use of as a substitute?
You’ll discover the USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack simply accessible on the again of the Carnyx and the multi-function dial on the entrance is properly textured. The dial enables you to change between controlling mic acquire and headphone output ranges, in addition to toggling the onboard excessive cross filter. It’s an intuitive management scheme however the dial wants a surprisingly agency press to activate so be warned that you simply’ll ship your mic flying until you maintain on to the again of it too.
A touch-sensitive mute button sits on high of the ROG Carnyx and whereas it’s easy sufficient to fireplace off you’ll want to concentrate to the place you’re tapping as a result of it doesn’t cowl your complete floor. The microphone itself could also be 55mm throughout however the working space of the mute button is just the center 20mm or so with no ring indicator to let you realize the place the hidden button ends and plain plastic begins. It made for a fiddly expertise attempting to rapidly mute myself whereas testing. I discovered I virtually all the time wanted a number of faucets to get it to set off.
You’ll undoubtedly know once you’ve discovered the proper spot although as a result of the within of the ROG Carnyx will ignite in a fiery purple glow from inside once you’re muted. It’s an attention-grabbing impact that you simply’ll do nicely to overlook because the LEDs are punchy and supply sturdy shade with even brightness. In concept, it’s best to be capable to do much more with the LEDs onboard the ROG Carnyx by using the Aura Sync results contained in the Armoury Crate desktop app. I say in concept as a result of after greater than an hour of uninstalling, reinstalling, unplugging, and restarting I might by no means get the app to acknowledge the Carnyx and finally gave up. I’m positive the lights would have been very fairly although.
Efficiency
A single USB cable is all it’s worthwhile to get began with the ROG Carnyx and there’s a generously lengthy 3m braided USB-C to USB-A cable included within the field. Each my streaming PC and OBS immediately acknowledged the mic as quickly as I plugged it in, making it much more baffling that ROG’s personal software program was none the wiser. Fortunately, the EQ choices on supply contained in the app are both obtainable in OBS or utilizing the Carnyx’s onboard controls anyway so I wasn’t lacking out on a lot. Maybe just a few software program patches will assist issues.
Just like the SteelSeries Alias and SteelSeries Alias Professional microphones, there’s knowledgeable grade 25mm condenser capsule tucked away contained in the ROG Carnyx and all through my testing, I discovered it delivered spectacular audio. All the pieces I captured was clear and well-rounded, significantly once I bought somewhat nearer to the microphone itself. Whereas this can be a condenser microphone so mic etiquette is nowhere close to as necessary and the pickup space is pretty extensive, I discovered the ROG Carnyx provided a far deeper, smoother sound once you addressed it from 10-15cm away.
Shifting additional again to a extra conventional streaming and gaming distance of round 30cm launched some roominess and pulled again on the richness. It nonetheless sounded clear and I used to be glad general however my voice started to sound somewhat extra withdrawn and misplaced a few of its podcast really feel. This isn’t uncommon for condenser microphones although, the ultimate sound is simply extra pure such as you’re sitting within the room with somebody quite than watching a extra produced broadcast. The profit nevertheless is the liberty of motion obtainable across the entrance of the microphone. Even once I pushed this nicely exterior the restrict of how far somebody would seemingly transfer whereas gaming the ROG Carnyx continued to choose up my voice clearly with little to no drop-off in general high quality.
The three.5mm headphone jack works precisely as you’d count on it to, no complaints there however ensure you run just a few checks with the onboard excessive cross filter earlier than going reside. It actually works, although maybe somewhat too aggressively as in my quiet and barely handled setup, I discovered it had a detrimental impact on my general sound quite than serving to enhance it. I’ve no use for a excessive cross filter although so this wasn’t essentially stunning. On the similar time, I would not suggest simply leaving it on and blindly assuming it can make issues higher since my voice was extra rounded and crammed out with it off.
Must you purchase the Asus ROG Carnyx?
The streaming microphone house is a crowded one so becoming a member of its higher echelon is all the time going to be a troublesome ask. The ROG Carnyx actually holds its personal and arrives as an excellent possibility that is priced considerably moderately. Sadly, it does not essentially stand out from others at this value vary consequently. The big diaphragm does ship the sturdy, clear sound ROG guarantees and by paying somewhat additional consideration to mic etiquette it is able to producing nice vocals.
Frustratingly, it’s a lot too massive for a home-targeted microphone and it makes it awkward attempting to suit it into a typical gaming setup. For avid gamers not blessed by mountains of house at among the best gaming desks, that is virtually a non-starter consequently, regardless of how good it could actually sound at occasions. If you happen to’re flushed with desktop actual property then the Carnyx is certainly price a glance, however there are equally sturdy choices from manufacturers like Elgato and SteelSeries in far smaller packages.
How we examined the Asus ROG Carnyx
I added the ROG Carnyx to my desktop PC setup and used it for devoted testing, streaming, and normal requires a few weeks. It was mounted each on the included stand and an Elgato Wave Arm mic arm however was used with out the accompanying software program as this was not acknowledged.
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