Before you arrive at the studio, there are a couple of things to look out for which will help your recording session go smoother. Our studios connect to the mics using a RØDECaster Pro interface, which you use to control all volumes, trigger sounds and especially record.
You have two recording options:
A. Record with your laptop
B. Record directly onto your microSD
Here's a video of James from Pirate explaining the steps to getting set up using the RODECASTER PRO.
A. Recording with your laptop:
To record this way, you will need to bring with you:
- your laptop
- a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) installed. We like Ableton, Logic Pro X and Garageband, but it’s up to your individual knowledge and preference.
- a USB C cable - the Rodecaster has got a USB C port, so you will need a cable that suits your laptop ports too.
- Windows users - IMPORTANT: PC users will need to download (here) and install the third-party audio driver ASIO4All for it to work correctly with your DAW. Once downloaded:
- Go to the Windows Start Menu and open ASIO4ALL Offline Settings.
- Select your interface by clicking the button next to it. It will light up blue when selected.
- Open the input/playback settings menu of your DAW and select ASIO4ALL as the input/playback device. See below for your DAW settings menu.
B. Recording directly onto your microSD card:
IMPORTANT! Always remember to save your recording and eject your microSD card successfully before your session ends. If you let the power in your room go out, your recordings will likely be lost and we will not be able to recover them for you nor compensate for any damage or loss. Please remember to save on time - simply hit the REC button on time, to allow the Rodecaster save the recording without issues.
You can also choose to record directly from the RØDECaster onto a microSD card, and import the audio to a DAW for editing later. Please bring a microSD card to your session as they’re not supplied. Here are the recommended brands. To record onto your microSD card:
- Towards the left of the back of the device, there will be a slot to fit your microSD card.
- Simply push the micro SD (logo facing up) into the slot until it stays in; you will feel a click when it's set.
- On the touchscreen, you will see a microSD symbol when your card is recognised.
- Using the hardware menu you can check the capacity of your microSD card and erase/format it if needed. It will erase ALL microSD card data, so proceed with extreme caution.
- Push the microSD card to eject it. Do not pull the card out or as this will damage both the card and the Rodecaster Pro port.
If you chose to record on a SD card in multi track mode, the session will be recorded as a single PolyWAV file.
Don't worry! You only need to open the file with a DAW that accepts it (eg. Reaper, and it's free!) and it will then be transformed automatically in 14 separate tracks, the first 2 being the full stereo mix and all the other separate tracks. All information about this process can be found here.
Read more information at RØDECaster.
If you're using Garageband, here's a step by step tutorial to setting up multichannel recording: Garageband Multichannel Set Up Tutorial
C. How to use Advanced FX and Processing
To enhance your voice and podcasts as you record, you can use the onboard effects that the Rodecaster provides. Check out this section from their official page which includes all main tutorials about this topic.
D. Playing Audio from your Laptop/Mobile/Tablet
There are two options to let you connect your device, which lets you accept and listen to calls (Google Meet, Skype etc.) or play music from your through the RØDECaster interface.
1. Using a cable:
You’ll need to use your own AUX cable to connect your device to the AUX input at the back of the interface.
- Before adjusting the volume fader under the mobile icon, make sure you turn the media volume up on your device.
- Adjust the volume on the Rodecaster to your desired level ["Mobile" icon channel]
2. Using Bluetooth:
If you don’t have an AUX cable, use the Bluetooth feature.
- Hold down the Bluetooth button underneath the REC button for three seconds then release.
- Select yes and wait for the screen to the right to appear.
- You’ll then need to go to the Bluetooth settings on your device to select the RØDECaster Pro as the device to pair.
- Confirmation of connection will appear on the touchscreen.