SteelSeries Alias Microphone Review - A Great Way To Jump In
The world of content creation is growing by the day. From streaming to YouTube to TikTok, more and more people are diving into the challenge of using their voice in a public arena. The problem is, it can be quite daunting to jump in. Software, hardware, green screens, prompters and accessories can get pretty confusing pretty quickly. SteelSeries is looking to make part of that challenge a little more approachable with the release of their Alias Microphone, a mic aimed at content creators looking to step up from a standard headset mic but aren’t ready for a full-on professional setup. I have to say, SteelSeries has nailed the brief on this one.
The first thing that struck me about the Alias was the sleek look that it sports. I know it is a small thing in the grand scheme but it has a striking and unique design that makes it stand out from the various microphones I have used over the years. It is also wonderfully sturdy, with a solid base, flexible yet firm adjustment points and a casing that feels like it could take some serious punishment (not that I suggest you punish your mic in any way.) The Alias is compatible with boom arms, though it didn’t quite fit on mine. I imagine that could be fixed fairly easily with an adaptor of some kind and considering the price of an arm on Amazon, it is not a major deal.
Another part of the aesthetics that I appreciate is the clear information presented on the unit. Often with microphones, it is hard to tell if it is picking up a clear signal or even if it is on mute but thanks to a series of lights that sit under the microphone cloth mesh it is easy to get this information. A series of LED lights indicate that the Alias is receiving noise and at what level, allowing users to adjust positioning on the fly. It is a wonderful system and one I really appreciated when podcasting as it allowed me to make sure I was always in range without constantly checking the recording software running in the background.
Perhaps the biggest selling point for the Alias comes down to how it records sound. There is a whole bunch of techno mumbo jumbo as to what is going on with the internals. Things like a big capsule surface area, a dedicated cardioid capture pattern and AI noise cancellation are all crammed into the mic, but for most of us that doesn’t mean much apart from a string of words jammed together. What all of this tech babble translated into is a clear, crisp and deep sound recording that only picks up what you want it to pick up. I used the Alias on multiple videos and podcasts and each time it picked up my voice clearly without picking up my keyboard, mouse or noisy bloody children downstairs. It was so good in fact that I didn’t even need to run a noise reduction filter over the recordings in the post, something that is almost impossible in a house without a closed and dedicated recording room.
It also meant that no matter how fiddly, how I rolled my chair around and how animated my arms got, the recording wasn’t affected at all. It still recorded clearly, at stable volumes. This all adds up to a much easier time going from recording to publishing, with less need for filters and AI tools in the post. To support this further, the excellent Sonar software (which I have talked about before in my Arctis Nova Pro review) is working in the background, following your preset instructions on how to behave. It is really the first time I have seen a mic and its software actively work to make life easier in the post-recording editing process and I am wholeheartedly a fan of anything that makes my life easier.
The big problem with the Alias isn’t new to SteelSeries products and it has nothing to do with the quality of the product but what the product costs. If you are lucky you can find one in Australia at around the $300 mark (the pro version goes for almost double that.) Now there is no denying that there is a range of mics that fall under that price and these mics are nothing to sneeze at. Audio Technica, Yeti and Logitech all offer cheaper solutions that are undeniably good products. That said, I don’t think any of those options have the complete package down pat, whereas, in my humble opinion, the Alias does, so the premium price is, at least somewhat, justified. But of course, only you can say what is too expensive for your needs.
It is becoming a bit of a tradition for SteelSeries to become the market high water mark for audio products and the Alias continues that trend. For a plug-n-play USB mic, I have never used anything better. Its capture is wonderfully crisp and rich, the unit itself is of high quality and the visual indicators on the mic are a game changer. With the Alias, SteelSeries only further increases its reputation as perhaps the best supplier of audio products to the gaming market out there. It will not let you down.
Specifications
Microphone
Type – Condenser
Capsule – 1″/25mm ClearCast
Connection – USB-C (Plug & Play)
Polar Pattern – Cardioid
Resolution/ Sample Rate – 24 bit/48 KHz
Frequency Response – 50 Hz – 20 KHz
Max SPL – 120 dB
RGB Lighting – Prism
Monitoring
Mic Monitoring – 3.5 mm Headphone Port
Mounting
Detachable Desk Stand -Anti-Vibration Shock Mount
Boom Arm Adapter – 3/8″ and 5/8″ thread (Boom Arm not included)
Dimensions – W 110 x D 130 x H 230mm (Stand mounted)
Weight – 750g (with stand) / 205g (without stand)
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