The media could not be loaded. This is a very cool audio console for the beginner or intermediate level podcaster OR someone who wants to do some basic voice over work. The "Pro" sound effect with everything adjusted to personal preferences using the included XLR mic sounds EXACTLY like making a recording from a sound booth. This would be an ideal setup for someone recording their voice while reading a script.

CONSOLE FEATURES:
For the price, it is definitely the most capable console I have used. There are a lot of options here that are not found on others in this price range, and a few that work substantially better. The ability to adjust LO, MID, and HI as well as the recording volume and microphone volume all at the same time is the main selling point for the console. You can't get anything else at this price that does ALL of that and has the extra features. This brings the CONSOLE up to intermediate level, for sure.

I had a lot of fun with the different voice pitches, too. The female voice can get glitchy, but if you adjust how you talk you can get a nice effect. If you speak too softly, the audio does sort of vanish, though. The other voice effects sounded fine, though. Robot voice....eh....more like B-Movie Monster. It's not bad, really, but should probably be labeled differently.

Some of the built in sound effects are great. Kids cheering, applause, booing, and the crow sounds are pretty useful. Would like to see a firmware update allow you to overwrite these with your own effects, though. That'd be pretty useful. Definitely more useful than only having only four programmable buttons.

Music Only, Side Chain, and Loop Back work as expected. No complaints! The De-Noise button, however, cuts words off very abruptly causing some distortion if you have a lot of short pauses and it will take practice to use. If you speak clearly and fluidly, this may not be an issue for you...I, however...pause often... Luckily, with the foam cover on it there isn't much background noise on the recordings anyway. I didn't use the De-Noise button, and I didn't have to do any cleanup in post.

The auto-tune works really well overall. I'm not much of a singer, but I imagine this could be useful for someone who wants to do a little bit of music work. There are definitely a plethora of outputs and in inputs to facilitate song production for someone just starting out.

My recording software picked the device right up. Output through USB-C to PC was flawless. I didn't have any issue crossfading through the sound effects or music (using my MP3 player). It just worked really well and is pretty intuitive. Big labeled buttons and wheels are a lot easier to understand than thirty tiny knobs like my first console.

MICROPHONE:
The included microphone is just okay. It's going to give you a voice-over sound, but it isn't anything special. I would absolutely advise investing in either a quality lapel mic or even a shotgun mic or two to pair with this. It has TWO microphone inputs so you can easily set this up for interviews during a podcast. I prefer the audio I get using a powered shotgun mic with built-in gain settings.

One thing I want to make note of here is that this does NOT supply enough power to run other XLR microphones through the console and included XLR to 3.5mm cable. I have not tried using this in conjunction with a phantom power supply, however....If you plan to, do so at your own risk! It does provide enough oomph to power basic shotgun mics, desktop microphones, and all other mics natively meant for or compatible with the 3.5mm jack.

CONCLUSION:
If you're just starting and want a solid audio experience that just works and doesn't have a huge learning curve...This thing is great. This is absolutely podcast making gold, even using the included beginner microphone. If you have a good 3.5mm mic, I can see this being a great upgrade to more inexpensive consoles. If you've got a nice console already, this isn't going to bring you much you don't already have. For me, this is a total upgrade. I'm still experimenting with different microphones, but the console itself is well worth it.

Perfect for content creators and professionals- it reaches beyond gaming and extends itself into a professional field for creatives- high quality and does not feel like it skimped a single feature ðŸ‘👠perfect

Edit at the bottom.

This things is a hunk of junk! With so many hookups/hardware, this is the one that just fails at every turn. Try to record, no sound. Try to stream, no sound. The effects barely work. This is a cheap piece of hardware that seriously lacks if you're doing anything professional. If you're just a YouTube talking podcaster with the bare minimum, im sure it'll work great for you. Anything above that, forget about it. Do not recommend.

Edit: So they reached out to me and sent me a new one. This one works perfectly! There was an issue with one of the ports on the original item, but they made it right and I could not be happier! Outstanding customer service! I am not happy with the resent item as it works perfect!!

I believe this is a great entry level audio interface, it includes everything that you need out of the box for a streaming/podcast setup or even great for a teacher like me to do online classes or record voice overs.

First of all the setup is driverless (I tested it on windows 11 as well and it worked fine).
The included cable is a USB-C which is a huge plus over Micro-B.

Features:
- It has hardware level control (knobs) over the microphone input and the music, as well as the ability to adjust LOW, MIDS and HIGHs. as well as the ability to adjust Echo (Reverb) on the fly.
- As for the included effects (Opening/ Applause etc.) they're alright but I wish you could re-program them maybe through a software version down the line, but at least you get 4 extra buttons that you get to record whatever you want on them (could be an intro and an outro to a class or a podcast or whatever).
- You get additional effects such as Pitch in which you can change your voice to a deeper sound or female voice. which are my favourite to mess around with in discord calls with friends.
- a Denoise button which is really good if you record in a place with a constant distortion such as Air conditioners or a Fan.

-PROs:
1- The kit pretty much comes with everything you want to start a streaming setup/podcast or record voiceovers.
2- you get hardware level control over Master Volume, microphones, music etc. with the addition of effects.
3- The microphone stand is really sturdy on the AU-AM200-S4, it comes with a shock mount which a big plus.
4- Runs on battery which means you can pretty much use it on the go if you plan on streaming off a mobile phone, or even do classes/meetings on the go.
5- The setup was easy and driverless.
6- bluetooth connection.

-Cons:
1- The Microphone is good but not amazing, considering the price I can't complain as good microphones would cost as much as this entire thing.
2- The microphone input is not XLR, rather they give you an XLR to 3.5mm jack input which means you don't get (phantom power), In case you want to replace the microphone you should be looking for one that doesnt require phantom power.
3- I wish you had the ability to change some of the pre-programmed buttons.

Conclusion:
If you're someone who is just starting out and looking for an interface and a microphone, this setup is pretty much as easy as it gets with few extra quirks that are useful. Its an amazing starter kit that includes easy documents as well as hardware level controls and a microphone thats really decent, much better than any typical headset mics. I'd highly recommend it for someone looking to stream/record voice overs or even starting a podcast. It has digital levels where you can monitor how loud things are on the fly without relying on windows. the denoise button is also great.

I recently invested in the MAONO Podcast Equipment Bundle, and it has been a fantastic addition to my podcasting setup! This all-in-one podcast production studio is incredibly user-friendly and versatile, making it perfect for live streaming, podcast recording, and even use with my PC and smartphone.

The audio interface is top-notch, providing crystal-clear sound quality that elevates my recordings. The 3.5mm microphone included in the bundle captures my voice with amazing clarity, making my podcasts sound professional.

The MaonoCaster is an absolute powerhouse, with intuitive controls that make managing audio levels a breeze. It's also compact and portable, so I can take my podcasting on the go.

As a Christmas gift bundle, it's beautifully packaged and offers fantastic value for the price. This setup has truly streamlined my podcasting process and enhanced the overall quality of my content.

If you're serious about podcasting or live streaming, the MAONO Podcast Equipment Bundle is an excellent choice. Highly recommended!