RØDE PSA1+ Professional Studio Arm with Spring Damping and Cable Management,Black

Product Information

Finally, the tops of the neoprene panels now have built-in cable management loops. Those cable loops allow you to snake an XLR or USB cable along the contour of the arm and save you from having to dangle or loop your wires from it. The previous version of the arm used Velcro ties, so this change is another simple, but valuable, improvement. Smooth Operator One complaint I had with the previous model is that, in certain positions, the internal springs could sometimes rattle from vibrations that my keyboard produced. This was problematic because mic stands and arms need to be silent. Thankfully, the new PSA 1+ features neoprene sleeves and a redesigned internal spring system that Rode claims is now fully damped; both of which should help significantly reduce these noises, and in testing, I heard none of the rattling that I did with the PSA1. Extended reach and 360-degree rotation, offering maximum flexibility in any home or studio application In the full review below, I’m going to look at why the Rode PSA1 is a game-changer for podcasting and streaming, and what you should know before buying one. The real test for the Rode PSA1 is during recording. As I’ve mentioned, one of the best aspects is the ability to move the position of the mic without having to unscrew nuts or make any adjustments. So to make the most of this review I used the PSA1 in a recorded interview and was really impressed with how different it felt.

For me, the most impressive feature is the unit is almost silent when being moved in any direction – up, down, or side to side. This alone makes it a very useful piece of gear for interviews and recording.

Specifications

But this is the point of the PSA1 – a live-streamer isn’t going to sit completely still, they will be animated and moving around, and Rode clearly realized this when designing this stand.

As part of a studio rebuild I bought four of these booms to replace some aging and very twangy booms of dubious origin! Our main studio uses the SM7B and the PSA-1 supports these very well, balance is perfect and with a little patience feeding the mic cable through the channel in the upper leg of the arms and down through the centre of the base spigot gives a superbly sleek finish. As our guest positions were a custom made desk it was great to to use the circular flush desk mount drilled into the surface with its neat nylon collar (to avoid metal on metal) and a chrome bezel with the Rode logo on it. Nice touch of quality from end to end. The SM7B is hung from the spigot in it's classic formation and looks the part but he only point to note is the microphone's XLR connector casting restricts the horizontal movement a little at extremes but this isn't detrimental to normal use. One of the standout features of the Rode PSA1+ is its remarkable versatility and adjustability. The dual-axis swivel mount enables me to effortlessly adjust the arm's height, angle, and reach to suit my specific needs. Whether I'm sitting or standing, the microphone arm can be positioned at the perfect distance and angle, ensuring optimal audio capture. This flexibility is especially beneficial for long recording sessions, as it allows me to find the most comfortable position for extended use.Not a huge issue overall, and certainly not a deal-breaker, but this could put certain users off. For example, journalists and podcasters who travel for interviews may find transport awkward, but not impossible. Final Thoughts

Another showing of the PSA1+’s quality was the fact that the unit holds the weight of the microphones when fully extended. Evidently, this has been a problem with many of the cheaper microphone boom arms, where it does a good job at supporting weight when retracted, but as soon as you stretch it out, it topples over. No biggie with the PSA1+. Straight out of the box you can tell that the Rode PSA1 is built to a high standard of quality. This should be of little surprise to existing RØDE customers, who appreciate the strong build quality of their products.The Rode PSA1 Plus Professional Studio Boom Arm builds on the success of the original PSA1, adding a ton of new features to optimise the design and flexibility of the boom arm. The new and improved design features an innovative parallelogram spring design, providing smooth and precise placement, whilst remaining stable once in place. Unboxing will present you with 4 separate parts, which works well for someone like me who hates having to spread moving parts over the floor like a jigsaw!