Genesis Radium 400 Rapid Review

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Fast Facts

USB Version		2.0
Direction		Cardioid
Microphone type		Condenser
Colour		Black
Microphone frequency response		30 – 16000 Hz
Microphone sensitivity		-38 dB
Communication		Wired
Cable length		250 cm
Connectors		USB Type-B, USB Type-A
EAN		5901969417548
Catalog number		NGM-1377

For this review, I want to preface with the fact that I have been doing audio work, including podcasts for the last two years, using various microphones of varying different qualities. Still, I was recently given a chance to try out this condenser microphone.  How does it weigh up to the other microphones I have used.

Most microphones I have used in the past aren’t exactly the most appealing piece of technology to look at, ranging from varying different design concepts such as circular, 360 degrees audio on the Snowball microphone (the Blue Yeti is a standard piece of kit for any budding Youtuber/Streamer/Podcaster) and the bog-standard microphone included on the vast majority of Gaming Headsets on the market.

The Genesis Radium 400 is an incredibly good looking piece of technology, with the design of it being very clean and straightforward. There are no optional extra enhancements on the microphone itself, such as volume control, bass adjustment and feedback reduction. If these were to be added onto the base unit itself, it would struggle for real estate space on the unit to be able to put the microphone up.  In addition to this, the microphone itself is very well built and is surprisingly heavy. Just by looking it at, you wouldn’t think it was.

Included within the box of the Radium 400 was an adjustable arm mount, a Pop Filter and sponge microphone cover.  This was something that I was massively impressed with. With previous microphone purchases, such as the Blue Yeti, I have always had to make additional purchases of Pop Filters and mounts, which can be frustrating for any person that wants to get started with any audio-related projects in a hurry.  However, with these being included within the retail package was a reasonably nice surprise. It meant that I was able to unpack everything supplied and get started within minutes!

Adjustable Arm Mounts for a microphone has always been a serious point of contention for me personally.  I had previously made a purchase of a couple of different models via online retailers like Amazon, and the ones provided were either a relatively cheap and terrible build quality, or they were ergonomically designed for the microphone I was using at the time.  However, the one provided with this particular microphone is fantastic. While being what appears to be made from steel, it is very surprisingly lightweight and very easy to make adjustments to.

The microphone itself is attached via a ring that connects to the arm, which is fairly typical for most condenser microphones.  However, the good thing about this ring is that, once again, it is very solid in its build quality, even to the point where I found it very difficult to take it off of the microphone when I was in the process of renovation work in my house, and the microphone has been stored away.

Except for the arm and microphone, the other accessories included within the box are pretty much like for like with the majority of other filters on the market.  They aren’t necessarily bad by any stretch of the imagination, but if I had to pay extra to get them, it might have affected how I felt about them. This is a moot point though, as they were graciously provided in every retail purchase of the Radium 400.

The Radium 400 is the first condenser microphone I have used since my first piece of audio work around two years ago, where I personally decided to stay away from them, as the one I had previously was a somewhat temperamental piece of technology.  However, with the Radium 400, I found that I would be happy to use condenser microphones again.

Set-up of the microphone was very straight forward.  Once I had put the whole thing together, with the microphone attached to the arm and the pop filter/microphone filter added, it was as simple as plugging in the USB cable into my computer.  No additional software to install and no drivers to update. It is a reasonably straight forward, plug and play microphone, that has a vast array of different uses. During this review, I tried out a fair few different methods of testing it, such as streaming via Twitch, a few podcast recordings and multiple conversations I have had on Discord with my podcast co-host.

The audio quality captured will require a bit more discussion and dissection, as reviewing a microphone is not necessarily easy.  As someone who isn’t an audio technician by trade, I found myself having to tinker around with a lot of different audio settings within the virtual mixer programme I was using (for reference, it is Voicemeeter Banana).  After roughly about 2 hours of constant tinkering with the gain settings, bass reduction, equalisers and such, I was finally ready to capture the audio.

As I have stated above, I was reasonably impressed with the initial set-up being straightforward and easy.  However, getting the microphone to a state that I found to be perfect for what I was using it for, mainly podcasts, was much less simple and a lot more of a grind.  This is no reflection of the microphone itself, probably more my inept understanding of audio engineering. The fact that the microphone can be used straight out of the box, with no additional plugins I found to be a mark on the positive side, rather than a negative one.  However, a person who understands the audio medium more than myself may get a real kick out of the technical ‘fiddling around’.

Due to the previous experience I had with a vast array with microphones, including condenser style microphones, I was reasonably trepidatious about being given a chance to review this particular model.  However, my fears were almost completely quashed as soon as the package arrived. The Genesis Radium 400 is an excellent piece of kit, which is sturdy and robust, as well as simplistic to plug in and use simply.

However, to get the absolute most out of this excellent piece of technology, I would advise using a few different Youtube video tutorials or speak to anyone you may know who specialises in audio quality, as getting the settings to a preferred standard can be somewhat complicated, which is no fault of Genesis as a company, or the Radium 400 as a product.  I found my time using it a complete joy. It has now become my go to microphone when recording a podcast.

4 out of 5

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