[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vADNi8QsLJw&w=560&h=315]
The look, the feel
At first glance, the Seiren Pro by Razer looks very striking with its matte black finish and chrome accents around the mic itself and the Razor logo, which to me sets it apart from other USB mics on the market. The look and feel of the mic goes hand in hand. With a heft to it that makes it not feel like a toy, it has a nice solid metal base for stability. The OLED display on the front is easy to read, something I will touch on later in the review.
“What’s in the Box?!”
When you buy the Seiren Pro you will get a few options that you won’t find on the Razer Seiren. The first thing would be the High Pass Filter Toggle switch at the bottom of the mic. What this switch will allow you to do is to cut down on ambient noise while in use which from my use has worked great in my test recordings. The unit will also come with a 5-pin XLR splitter cable for use with an XLR system and an audio extension cable to give you a little more length on your headphone connection.
I will add that I recommend getting the pro version of this mic for the High Pass Filter Toggle switch if you are serious about streaming or recording your vocals.
Along with those extras, you will get a very sturdy shock mount, a pop filter, and a braided micro USB cable.
Set Up
The mic comes with the base attached. From there all you have to do is find some space on your desk to place it. If that’s not an option and you have a not-so-sturdy mic arm, I recommend having a beefy one to handle the combined weight of the mic and shock mount. Attaching the unit and the shock mount is easy because the stand is detachable by removing two screws on the sides.
For digital recording setup, it’s very easy and fast. Just connect the USB cable, make some adjustments to your audio settings on your PC or Mac, and you are more or less ready to go. Use your favorite streaming software or recording program and it will fit right in with ease.
Part of the set up is the picking of the sound patterns you want to use; this is where the OLED display comes into play. On the back of the mic is a knob that lets you switch on the fly the pattern settings. It has four settings: Cardioid which is used for stream and podcasts, stereo for vocals and instruments, omnidirectional is great for events or a conference call, and bi-directional which is more used for two people using one mic. Every time you use the knob your choice will be reflected on the display. In my testing, I used primarily the cardioid setting.
The XLR set up did not work for me because I do not have a mixer that has the inputs required for the use of the included XLR splitter cable. But based on the USB hook up and the sound the Razer Seiren Pro was able to produce, I don’t imagine getting a bad sound from it. Also, keep in mind this is a condenser mic so if you are going the XLR route for the set up make sure your mixer has phantom power because that is what is needed to power the mic.
Use
Use of the mic was easy once I got it in a comfortable position. To top it off, because of the construction of the mic, it looks great on camera. I just wished my mic arm was able to handle the weight of the mic overall. But that’s not a negative on Razer’s product because there are mics that are just as heavy. I just need a better mic arm!
Once I attached the pop filter it gave it an added look of excellence, in my opinion, which easily attached either at the bottom of the mic when the stand is attached or on the shock mount once set up.
Summary
Overall this is a mic I would recommend for anyone that is serious about vocals for a podcast and streaming. The price is a bit much, but I must emphasize that the quality of this mic is along the lines of a professional mic in build and cost so you won’t regret the purchase at all.