Elgato is a well-known name in the streaming and content
production landscape. From capture cards to lights, up to green screens, its
catalog covers many of the needs of a streamer who wants to make quality videos
or live streams. However, something was missing in the Elgato line-up and today
we can say that this is more complete thanks to the Wave 3 , the first
microphone made by the German company, owned by Corsair.
We are not faced with yet another low-cost microphone, but
rather a superior quality solution but without going too high with the price,
of 169.99 euros on Amazon, which seeks its space in an offer characterized
today by many brand microphones unknown, often of poor quality.
For its realization Elgato collaborated with Lewitt, an
Austrian company specializing in professional microphones, which provided its
know-how to create a product that proved to be decidedly valid.
Sales pack and build quality
Elgato Wave 3 is sold in a sales pack that incorporates the
classic colors seen in other products by the company. The microphone sits
securely inside a cardboard cover and the bundle includes a quick use guide, a
USB Type C - USB Type A cable and an adapter for attaching to a boom arm, i.e.
to install the microphone. In its basic configuration, however, the Wave 3 has
its own stand to place it on a table and use it quietly in this mode.
Once the microphone is picked up, the build quality
immediately appears very good, with the use of metal and plastics of excellent
workmanship. The support base is wide and keeps the Wave 3 firmly stable on the
table, in addition the rubberized lower part increases the grip and reduces
vibrations, which can affect the audio quality.
The real microphone, on the other hand, is made for the most
part in high quality black plastic, while the grille that covers the internal
components is made of metal.
At the top there is the button to mute the audio while on
the back we find the USB Type C for connection to the computer and the audio
output for 3.5 mm headphones , in this way you can monitor the recording
without latency.
On the front, illuminated with LEDs, there is the adjustment
of the microphone input volume and that of the headphones. You can also set the
volume of the listening track, separate from the track that is actually being
streamed.
Technical specifications, software and user experience
Elgato Wave 3 is a condenser microphone , with all the
benefits of the audio quality on the front. These microphones use a thin metal
membrane inside them, which is vibrated by the voice and in general by the
sounds present in the air. The condenser microphones offer a higher sensitivity
than the more traditional dynamic models, which translates into a better
frequency response, in this case from 70 to 20,000 Hz. The input signal reaches
up to 24 bits and 96 kHz and up to 115 dB, after which a filter intervenes
which reduces the volume. Elgato calls this technology Clipguardand integrated
it directly into the microphone DAC: in this way, when the input sound exceeds
115 dB, it is cut off, preventing too loud sounds from being reproduced.
Condenser microphones allow for high recording quality but
are also much more sensitive to ambient noise and vibrations . In this sense,
the presence of Clipguard technology and the possibility of adding a pop filter
and a shock mount help to keep the recording quality high. However, the two
accessories are sold separately at € 29.99 for the first and € 39.99 for the
second.
Precisely to reduce the risk of capturing unwanted sounds
Elgato has chosen a cardioid type configuration, which captures sounds coming
from in front of the microphone. This focuses the recording more directly on
the voice.
For the management of the microphone Elgato offers the Wave
Link software , simple to use but with everything you need. From here you can
create two independent tracks, one for the user and the other for the listener,
thus controlling their volume, or use up to 8 audio channels. The options are
not many but there is everything you need to control the audio during a live broadcast,
thanks to full compatibility with Obs and with Elgato stream decks.
Our user experience is mainly based on using the Wave 3 as a
microphone for live on Twitch and we were pleasantly impressed. Voice is
captured in excellent quality, which manages to cover the sound spectrum very
well, from the lowest to the highest frequencies. This allows for a warmer and
more full-bodied reproduction of the vocal inputs, much higher than that of the
Snowball Blue that we used as a yardstick. For most streamers, the Wave 3
represents a clear step forward compared to low cost solutions, without however
going too high with the price.
The only limitation is the absence of further polar
patterns. Other models offer more choice, for example for an interview with a
second person positioned behind the microphone this Wave 3 would not be
suitable. Its features make it ideal for streamers who have no other
interlocutors. Attention must also be paid to ambient sounds, because high
sensitivity can become counterproductive if you don't have an unsuitable
recording environment. The installation is very simple, in fact just connect
the microphone to the USB socket and you are prepared to go, even if the Wave
Link software has proved useful to manage it more finely, but no further
configurations are necessary: the Wave 3 works very well right out of the box .
