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Every control on the unit, explained in plain English.

Front panel

Knobs

Headphone Volume 1–4

Each guest gets their own headphone loudness knob so you can dial in a comfortable level for everyone individually.

tip: As the host, always use output 1 (or the front jack) — only that output lets you hear the solo and mute buttons working.

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Four independent knobs setting the level of each of the four rear headphone outputs. Knob 1 also controls the front 3.5mm headphone jack.

Monitor Volume

The volume for speakers plugged into the back.

tip: You can bypass this knob entirely (Settings > Advanced > Audio > Operations > Disable Level Knob) to send a fixed line level to a recorder or broadcast gear so it can't be accidentally turned down.

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Single knob controlling the level sent to the two rear balanced monitor (speaker) outputs.

Sliders & faders

Channel 1–4 Faders (Microphone)

Slide up to make that person louder in the show, slide down to make them quieter. Pushing to the fifth line from the top is 'unity' — a neutral, safe starting level.

tip: Set your gain/level on the touchscreen first, then use the fader only for live mix balancing. In default recording mode fader moves aren't recorded, so you can fix balance later.

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Four vertical volume sliders, one per XLR microphone channel, controlling how loud each mic sits in the main mix.

USB Channel Fader

This is your computer's volume in the mix — game audio, a Spotify track, or an online caller all come in here.

tip: When recording into a DAW, mute the DAW's track outputs but keep this fader down until playback to avoid feedback loops.

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Controls the level of audio coming in from a connected computer over USB, including music, sound bites, and remote guests via Zoom/Skype/Discord.

Bluetooth Channel Fader

Volume for anything beamed in wirelessly — a phone call, a music app, or a remote guest on a Bluetooth-connected device.

tip: Max out the volume on the connected device and use this fader (about halfway to start) for control, rather than the device's own volume.

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Sets the level of audio arriving wirelessly over Bluetooth from a paired phone, tablet, or computer.

Smartphone Channel Fader

Volume for a phone plugged in with a cable — great for taking a caller live on the show without echo.

tip: Turn the phone's own volume to maximum before plugging in, then ride this fader for level. You must use a TRRS cable, not a plain TRS one.

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Controls the level of a phone or device connected via the rear 3.5mm TRRS jack, with automatic mix-minus so the caller doesn't hear themselves.

Sound Pads Channel Fader

Master volume for all your jingles, stings, and sound effects. Push it to the fifth line from the top before triggering pads.

tip: If you tap a pad and hear nothing, this fader is the first thing to check — it needs to be up for pads to be audible.

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Sets the overall playback level of the eight sound pads in the mix.

Buttons

Channel 1–4 Numbered Buttons

Press the button for a channel to jump straight to all the settings for that microphone on the touchscreen.

tip: Each channel has its own colour that carries through the screen and the XLR-ID cable rings — a fast way to see which mic is which at a glance.

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Colour-coded buttons above each mic fader that open that channel's settings screen (mic type, level/gain, phantom power, voice settings, audio processing).

Bluetooth Pairing Button

Press this to make the RØDECaster findable, then select 'RØDECaster Pro' in your phone or laptop's Bluetooth menu.

tip: For two-way audio with a laptop, make sure the RØDECaster is set as both input and output device in the computer's Bluetooth audio settings.

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Puts the Bluetooth channel into discoverable/pairing mode; flashes blue while searching for a device.

Mute Buttons (per channel)

Instantly cuts a channel — handy to silence a coughing guest, a ringing phone, or a channel that's feeding back.

tip: Press mute AND solo together on the host and a comms channel to enter 'Producer Mode' for off-air talkback with remote guests.

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One mute button per channel that silences that channel in the main mix and recording.

Solo Buttons (per channel)

Press to isolate one channel in your headphones only, so you can check a source on the fly without anyone else noticing.

tip: If your whole podcast suddenly goes silent in the headphones, a solo button is probably accidentally engaged. Solo only works on the host's Channel 1 headphone output.

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One solo button per channel that lets the host privately listen to just that channel without affecting the mix everyone else hears or the recording.

REC Button

Your record button. Press to start, press again to stop.

tip: Press and hold it mid-show to pause recording (bathroom break, guest swap) — press again to resume the same recording.

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Large button that starts and stops recording to the microSD card; a timer counts on the screen while recording.

Sound Pads (8)

Tap to fire off music, intros, sound effects, or pre-recorded segments — like buttons on a DJ deck.

tip: Press and hold any active pad for three seconds to cancel playback in any mode. Store up to 8 banks of 8 sounds (64 total) in 512MB of internal memory.

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Eight backlit trigger pads that play stored audio clips; each lights in its assigned colour and supports playback modes (Latch, Pause, Replay, Play, Swear Button, Trash-Talk, Loop).

Display & indicators

Touchscreen Display

The brain of the unit — everything you can't do with a knob happens here by tapping.

tip: Turn on 'Broadcast Meters Mode' (in advanced settings) to see exact dBFS peak markings if you want precise level readings.

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Colour touchscreen that shows level meters, the SD card status/time remaining, and all menus for channel, effects, sound pad, and system settings.

Jacks & connectors

Front Headphone Output (3.5mm)

A convenient headphone plug on the front for the host, using standard mini-jack headphones.

tip: Because it mirrors output 1, this is the correct place for the host to plug in — it's the only output that lets you hear solo/mute functions.

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A 3.5mm headphone jack on the front that shares the same feed and volume knob as rear Headphone Output 1.

Side panels

Buttons

Power Button

The main on/off switch, located on the back rather than the front.

tip: After a firmware revert the unit switches itself off — just press this again to finish the process.

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Red button on the back that powers the unit on and off (mains supply must also be switched on).

Jacks & connectors

Power (DC) Input

Where the power supply plugs in; it twists to lock so it can't be yanked out mid-show.

tip: With the optional DC-USB1 and a USB power bank you can run the whole unit off battery and record anywhere with no wall socket.

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Locking DC input for the included power adaptor.

XLR Inputs 1–4

Plug your microphones in here — one per numbered channel. USB mics won't work; it has to be an XLR mic.

tip: Dynamic mics like the PodMic need noticeably more gain than condensers like the NT1 — expect to set the level higher for them.

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Four balanced XLR microphone inputs feeding mic channels 1–4, each capable of supplying 48V phantom power.

Smartphone Input (3.5mm TRRS)

Where you plug a phone in by cable to bring a caller onto the show without echo.

tip: Must be a TRRS-to-TRRS cable (a normal TRS cable won't carry both directions). For Lightning/USB-C phones you'll need a certified headphone adaptor. A -6dB pad is available in settings if the caller hears distortion.

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A 3.5mm TRRS jack for connecting a phone for two-way audio on the smartphone channel, with automatic mix-minus.

Headphone Outputs 1–4 (1/4-inch)

One headphone socket for you and each in-room guest, so everyone can hear the show.

tip: These are large 1/4-inch jacks, so you'll need 1/4-inch headphones or an adaptor like the HJA-4. For high-impedance (250–600 ohm) headphones, turn on 'Boost Headphone Volume' in settings.

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Four independent 1/4-inch headphone outputs, each with its own front-panel volume knob.

Monitor Outputs (1/4-inch TRS, L/R)

Where you connect speakers, or send the finished mix to another device.

tip: Use balanced TRS cables to avoid electrical hum. Enable 'Automatically Mute Outputs' so speakers cut when faders go up, preventing feedback in a live room.

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Two balanced 1/4-inch TRS outputs for a stereo pair of speakers or for feeding external recorders/broadcast gear.

microSD Card Slot

This is where your recordings are saved — no computer needed.

tip: Use a Class 10 or faster card (SanDisk Ultra Plus/Extreme are recommended) and format it in the unit before first use. Multitrack recordings are large, so pick a high-capacity card.

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Slot for a microSD card that stores recordings; the screen shows remaining time and turns the card icon green when ready.

USB-C Output

The single cable that links the unit to your computer for recording, streaming, or configuring it.

tip: Use the included USB-C to USB-A cable, or the SC17 cable if your computer only has USB-C. For comms apps like Zoom, always set the app to 'RODECaster Pro Stereo' — 'Multichannel' will cause a feedback loop for your guest.

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USB-C port that connects to a Mac or PC for recording, streaming, MIDI control, and the Companion App; appears as 'RODECaster Pro Stereo' or 'RODECaster Pro Multichannel.'