If you are streaming online, then you might be on the hunt for some quality but affordable equipment for your daily streams. To have the best stream, you need the best equipment for sure. Along with video quality, there is an important factor that will give you some extra viewers and that is audio quality.
GoXLR is almost considered as the standard equipment for audio among streamers nowadays, but it is quite expensive. For that reason, many people have been looking for a GoXLR alternative on the net. But, how do you choose between all these affordable options?
In this GoXLR Alternative review, we included three affordable GoXLR alternatives for streamers or anyone looking for a quality audio device.
If you are interested in these models, keep reading our GoXLR Alternative review for more information below. We will discuss the features of each affordable GoXLR alternative to find the one that is best suitable for your needs.
Our Top Pick: Behringer Xenyx 1204USB Premium
Features: The Behringer Xenyx 1204USB mixer is a fantastic versatile audio mixer with a lot of features. What is more, it comes at a really affordable price. It has a number of built-in features. Those features are good choices for small settings, and its USB possibilities can be used at home studios or for podcasting.
The Behringer Xenyx 1204 USB mixer has a lot of features but you should learn the basics first. The best thing about this mixer is that it features four phantom-powered mono channels. These are ideal for microphones.
On those channels, the XENYX preamps provide ultimate natural sound quality. The sound quality is exceptional with the best dynamic range and frequency. Connecting your mics via this mixer will give you the result equivalent to a studio.
This is especially useful if you are using those channels for musical instruments. Aside from the outstanding sound quality provided by the preamps, the mixer provides two more techniques to improve sound quality.
You can use them on the stage or at home, it is up to you. Each of the four mono channels has built-in compressors that are controlled by separate knobs with LED signaling. This comes really handy if you are working with inputs with a wide dynamic range.
What we mean is microphones or multiple musical instruments. If you are working with these, you will find the features this mixer offers invaluable. Each of your primary 8 channels has dedicated neo-classic British-style 3-band equalizers that may give your mix a lot of warm analog feel.
Runner Up: Roland VT-4 Vocal Transformer
Features: Roland has released the VT-4 and it still has the four front-panel sliders as the previous model. Pitch, Formant, Balance, and Effect mix are all included in this vocal transformer. The design of the box deserves a mention from us for sure. This device can be powered with USB or battery power and we liked the versatility it has to offer.
The center mode dial that you could see on the previous models has been replaced by an Auto pitch dial. This auto pitch dial allows soft or strong quantization of your vocals. We think that this new addition is a great feature that actually sells Roland VT-4 Vocal Transformer.
The VT-4 has three modes. Robot mode is an expressionless cybernetic tone with four variations. The other mode is called Megaphone, which gives your voice a megaphone-like quality. It also comes with four variations.
The main mode according to us is the Vocoder mode, which can be stimulated either by your voice alone with Auto pitch or by choral MIDI input. This input can come from your DAW or a keypad.
The addition of a direct MIDI input makes the VT-4 far more versatile than the previous models. The sound quality is great when using any external MIDI DIN or USB MIDI source to control the pitch of the Vocoder mode or the Robot mode.
We have to mention that Robot mode is automatically selected when adding a DIN MIDI signal, and this is a huge convenience. You will create wonderful natural monophonic vocoded sounds with Roland VT-4 Vocal Transformer.
The clarity of the diction and detail, as well as the readability of this Roland mixer, are superb. The booster option enables even stronger tones if needed.
Best for Budget: Pyle Professional Audio Mixer Sound Board Console System PMXU43BT.5
Features: DJs, artists, music producers, and entertainers in nightclubs, meetings, churches, and live stage settings will benefit from the Pyle Pro PMXU43BT. This is a compact 4-channel Bluetooth-enabled audio mixer that can almost do any sound mixing.
Two XLR-1/4″ combo jack inputs and one stereo set of 1/4″ jacks are included in the box. The microphone preamps have a 48V phantom power switch and a gain range of up to 64 dB, which is enough for streams and small live events.
Three-band EQ and peak indicators are available on all input channels. The signal is sent to the inbuilt 16-bit DSP effects engine through a per-channel send knob, which offers 16 effects presets to choose from. If you want to use external effects, there is a mono 1/4″ aux output and return.
Streaming music from your mobile device to the built-in Bluetooth receiver is really easy with Pyle Professional Audio Mixer. You can also use the USB Type-A connector to play MP3 audio files from your flash drive.
When linked to a computer, the USB port also functions as an audio interface. There is an option to connect a set of headphones to the 1/4″ stereo headphone connection, which has dedicated level control to make things easier for the user.
This tiny DJ Mixer would provide absolute dynamic control for the ultimate in power and purity, thanks to closed rotational knobs that prevent dust and filth. This very adaptable mixer is ideal for on-stage performances, live shows, and Karaoke.
Why use a mixer for streaming?
If you have a USB microphone, you will not need a mixer, but if you are using or planning to use an XLR mic, you will definitely need one. Audio mixers improve audio quality, as the name suggests, and help you find the sound you want for your steams.
The mixers we have listed above are expected to be used by the majority of streams over the net. Make sure that the mixer you are planning to buy has inputs such as a headphone jack, and allows you to modify your voice by altering the EQs.
How to get good sound using audio mixers?
To avoid picking up any ambient noise, you should always decrease your gain down to the minimum level. The importance of compression cannot be overstated. The compress knob shrinks the softest and strongest parts of your song, bringing them closer together.
Audio mixers increase the volume when you are speaking softly and lower the volume when you’re speaking loudly. Thanks to this feature of audio mixers, your streams will not have to adjust their volume settings every time you are changing your voice levels.
Also, turning up the volume on your low and high knobs by 6 dB each seems to help a lot for streamers. If you do that, the lows will enhance while the highs will get that real crisp high-end sound. This will provide you with high-quality audio for your streams.
The greatest mixer can allow you to modify the audio levels of your output quickly, effortlessly, and efficiently. The GoXLR alternatives we have mentioned above will offer you fantastic results.
Conclusion: GoXLR Alternative [2023 Review]
Are you looking for a gadget that can and will increase the quality of your audio during your streams? Then you should think about investing in a good GoXLR alternative that we have listed above. You should consider them according to your own needs, but we are confident that any of these can step up your sound game.
Despite the fact that GoXLR is arguably the greatest mixer on the market, these three we picked are still great GoXLR alternatives. We have compiled a list of some amazing GoXLR alternatives for you to consider.
You can be sure that these GoXLR alternatives we picked are really close to the original and will not disappoint you. We hope you liked our GoXLR Alternative review and it was helpful.