ROCCAT Torch USB Microphone Review
ROCCAT Torch USB Microphone
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ROCCAT has no zero chill, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. This brand has been pumping out new, quality products at an astounding rate. They appear to be continually honing their craft, listening to user feedback, and making design improvements constantly. This is helping them bolster their reputation as one of the top PC accessory brands across the globe. These days, little makes us as excited as the prospect of a new ROCCAT accessory to test. Today’s gem is the ROCCAT Torch studio-grade USB microphone. Let’s dive right in!
We’ve been eyeing the ROCCAT Torch USB microphone for quite a while now, and are thrilled to have the opportunity to test it. There are a couple things that make the Torch unique and, in our eyes, worth adding to your shopping cart. First, there is the price. Coming in at $99 USD it is possibly the most affordable studio-quality USB microphone we have seen to date. Oh, and if you’re worried that this means ROCCAT has sacrificed quality to match that price point, you’d be dead wrong. After many hours of testing and rigorous use, not only did we find that the Torch provided a crisp, clean sound with a noticeably quieter background than our Blue Yeti, but it also had a much more consistent pickup for our voice comms.
The second wow factor enjoyed by the ROCCAT Torch is the hand gesture muting. I am sure all of us get into situations in life where we need to quickly swap between our PC comms and our real life conversations. The hand-gesture mute is actually a phenomenal tool to help accomplish this. It doesn’t matter if your controller is still in your hand, you don’t have a dedicated mute hotkey or any other quality of life settings for your mic, just wave your hand over the top of the mic and bam – it is muted.
The reactive lighting is an easy indicator to determine if you are muted, or whether your mic is idle or live. When live, the sides of the mic light up and LIVE will be lit at the bottom. This means that a program is actively using sound coming through your microphone – so watch your words! Conversely, when you are muted, the ROCCAT logo will turn red, the side lighting will disappear and instead of LIVE you will see a microphone image with a line through it on the bottom display. These indicators are very handy and, paired with the hand-gesture muting, make the Torch one of the most convenient out-of-the-box USB mics ever.
But it doesn’t stop there. The ROCCAT Torch is also equipped with three different pick-up patterns, Cardioid (our go-to), Stereo and Whisper. Cardioid will only take sound from directly in front of the microphone, useful for minimizing external noises while gaming or streaming. Stereo will grab any and all sound, perfect for musical recordings. Finally, the Whisper mode will amplify the sound so that even at a low voice, you will be heard crystal clear on the other end. There is also a volume knob and gain slider on the front of the mic base, providing most basic options you would ever need to adjust. The Torch also offers boom arm support, increasing its versatility.
Overall, the Torch delivers exactly as promised. An uncompromising studio-quality USB mic at a phenomenal price, with features that will make its competition envious. Not only do we highly recommend this mic, but it has also jumped to the very top of our list for USB microphones.
Learn more about the ROCCAT Torch here: https://www.roccat.com/products/torch