A few years back I decided to watch a movie that inspired me to create my own content for my own private enjoyment. I love to create (when I find any time) and manipulate sound. In my newfound desire I discovered the harsh reality of connectivity issues. The best mics are XLR based, and at the time I had to purchase an Audio Interface to get one to connect to my PC. It’s ultimately a hassle. Steelseries puts a stop to the nonsense with the new Steelseries Alias Pro. The XLR microphone comes with everything you need right in the box.
Setup
This is something I’ve come to expect from a premium brand like Steelseries. After all, they still have the best gaming headset available tucked under their product belt. Just opening the Alias Pro feels premium, and it’s so nice to find I don’t have to go buy more stuff just to make it work. Inside the beautifully organized box, you will find the microphone, an XLR cable, mic stand, and XLR Stream Mixer (Audio Interface) included. They are all wrapped to perfection, and setting the devices up has never been so easy.
In fact, anyone could set this up, and it’s immediately detected on my PC. The XLR cable fits perfectly into the microphone and the Mixer, and the stand is built so there is no awkward angle for the cable. The Mixer itself attaches to my PC via USB-C and I’m off and running.
The fact that I can attach the Steelseries Alias Pro to two different PCs at once is also a major win and gives me a versatile setup for the laptop I also set on my desk. Two knobs on the mixer allow me to adjust my microphone volume on the fly, or fade music in and out so the user can focus on the stream as well. Of course, all of this requires some decent software, and Steelseries includes this as a free download in their “GG” app as well. I now use this app every single day.
The Steelseries GG App
Steelseries GG includes some pretty slick options. “Moments” automatically captures my great, well, moments in a game. Sure, I can record clips here and there with NVIDIA’s capture options via my graphics card, but it sure is nice to have it automatically happen. I love watching my perfect Rocket League goal later on and knowing I don’t have to perform an action to make it happen. Now my gameplay is uninterrupted with frantically trying to hit the right hotkeys to record. The real star here though is Sonar. Sonar is an interface that allows me to set default options for all audio inputs. If I want my gaming audio to come out of my headset, I can drag and drop that audio to happen there. If I want music out of my speakers from Spotify, I just drop Spotify into my “Media” section. It’s handy, it’s fast, and it works.
The Steelseries GG app also has a free 3D Aim Trainer. Admittedly, I did not get a chance to try this out, but you can select what game you are wanting to improve aim in, and it sets up a simulator for practice. I probably need it, but I choose to keep dying in my games within two minutes instead. The big difference is now I am shot and when I complain about it, my voice comes through insanely crisp.
Unmatched Sound
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset has a decent mic on it, but there isn’t a comparison. I get comments from people online about how well my voice comes through now compared to using a headset microphone. I can also adjust pitch and tone in the app if I want to tweak how I sound. The difference is night and day. I even tried a few YouTube voiceovers, and I’m thrilled with the quality. I now prefer to use the Steelseries Alias Pro with the Alias Boom Arm. If you are curious on how it sounds, check out this video my son made recording a small portion of Weezer’s “Say it ain’t so” on a classical guitar. Keep in mind this video is recorded without any tweaking. It’s just a straight up grab the guitar and go. Easy and a thing of beauty.
Summary:
The Steelseries Alias Pro is a phenomenal microphone and it’s even better when paired with the Alias Boom Arm. The boom arm is much higher quality than the cheap ones you’ll find on Amazon. The combo allows for fantastic sound and versatility while saving space on the desk. Beginners and professionals alike will appreciate the simplicity and ease of use this setup brings. Whether streaming, creating content, or just gaming, it’s hard to pass up the quality and fun of this fantastic device.
