How to Set Up the RØDE NT-USB+ for Rap and Vocals

The RØDE NT-USB+ is a condenser mic you plug straight into your computer or phone with USB-C. No interface needed. Here's how to set it up for recording rap and vocals.

1. Set it up right

Screw the mic into the ring mount and put that on the desk stand or a mic arm. Turn the mic so the gold dot faces you. That's the front. Use the included pop filter too. It sits between the mic and the ring mount and catches plosives, like a hard P.

2. Connect it to your computer

Connect the mic to your computer with the USB-C cable. The light turns blue when it's on. According to RØDE, your computer usually recognizes it on its own. If not, choose the NT-USB+ as your input and output in your sound settings. Then choose it as the input and output in your DAW too.

It works on a phone or tablet as well. If your device has USB-C, just use the included cable. For an iPhone with a Lightning port you need a separate cable.

3. Hear yourself without delay

You plug your headphones into the mic itself. There are two knobs:

• Bottom knob: your headphone volume.
• Top knob: how much of your mic you hear directly. All the way left, you don't hear your mic, only the sound from your computer.

RØDE recommends turning the top knob all the way right when you record and turning off monitoring in your DAW. That way you hear your voice without delay and without an echo.

4. Check your level

Rap your loudest part and watch the meter in your DAW. Make sure you don't hit the red. Want to adjust the gain or use extra processing? You can do that in the RØDE Connect app. There you'll find input gain, a noise gate, a compressor, a high-pass filter at 75 or 150 Hz, and the APHEX Aural Exciter and Big Bottom, among other things.

Using that processing? Record a short test first and listen back. What you turn on can end up in your recording.

More recording guides: how to set up your mic for rap recording at home and how to pick your best take.

FAQ

Do I need an interface for the NT-USB+?

No. It works over USB-C and gets its power from your computer.

Why do I hear an echo when I record?

You're hearing yourself directly through the mic and delayed through your DAW. Turn off monitoring in your DAW and turn up the top knob on the mic.

Which side of the mic should face me?

The side with the gold dot. That's the front.

Source: RØDE's NT-USB+ user guide.