Steelseries Alias USB Streaming Microphone
Feature
Gaming just found its voice
Design
The Alias comes with a mount stand and has a cupholder style design, with the microphone itself suspended within the cupholder via a series of elasticised cables. The cup is screwed into the base, but removing the screw allows the mic to be removed and attached to a boom. In its mounted form though, the screw allows users to adjust the angle of the microphone, which can be further accentuated via the suspension cabling.
The mounting stand is a weighty device, designed so that there is minimal movement when in use. When used on the stand, the Alias is about 23cm tall, and with a base of around 11cm, doesn’t take up much desk acreage. This is ideal for those gamers with a smaller desk setup or those without a boom.
The front of the microphone features a Mute button and a Headphone Gain control dial. The mesh also covers five built in LEDs that provide live feedback. The LEDs – in indeed most of the front of the device is covered with a charcoal-coloured mesh, giving it a professional look. The top half rear of the device also features this fabric mesh whilst the bottom half features a Microphone Gain control, the USB-C input, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Features
Although the Alias can be used straight out of the box with connection via the included USB-C to Type-A cable, much of the configuration requires the Sonar software within the downloadable Steelseries GG software. I had used the Sonar software previously and had found it somewhat unwieldy to use, but the recent updates to the software have resulted in much more user-friendly experience.
The Sonar software has become more intuitive, allowing users to customise their recording and listening experience. Gamers can simply drag and drop their apps into the different audio streams. For example, gamers using Discord can simply drop the Discord App into the Chat Stream and then set various volumes for each. More professional streamers can delve deeper into the settings for each stream and configure them according to their own personal preference. Streamers can start with the simple presets and then tweak them as required, giving them a studio grade sound.
The Alias does have some RBG lighting which is also configurable via the software. But apart from the small spotlight at the base of the microphone, this lighting does little to accentuate the device. If you’re a fan of RGB lighting this may be somewhat disappointing, but the small spotlight can be configured to coordinate with the rest of your peripherals. As mentioned, there are also functional LED indicators on the front of the Alias, and these too, can be synchronised to your RGB tastes.
Performance
The Alias features a 1" condenser capsule for deep rich audio. This capsule is 3x larger than existing microphone setups and provides a wider capture frequency. The suspended style is also designed to prevent noise from vibrations, including those from keyboards. And combined with the Sonar software settings allows for a superb combination for noise cancellation – ensuring that the vocals are the focus.
When using the Alias during a Teams call with colleagues, that were barely able to hear me typing during the call. Considering I have a reasonably loud mechanical keyboard at home, this was quite impressive. This did require some basic tweaks to be made via the software though, but this was a simple process, and one that, with a little experimentation could have even been refined further. More importantly, vocals are crisp for both calls and streaming, enabling gamers or workers to get their messaging through with clarity.
Although there is only a 3.5mm audio jack available for headphone input, the Alias can still be used with a USB controlled headset. Of course, this sort of set up would require ample USB ports on your machine, even moreso if you’re gaming with a wired keyboard and mouse as well. The 3.5mm audio jack is sufficient though and works well, particularly when the outputs have been fine tuned via the Sonar software.
Verdict
At a RRP of $399 (AUD), the Alias is on the pricey side, but if you're a streamer or someone who is working from home and is constantly on calls with colleagues, then the Alias is a worthwhile investment. The clarity of recording is wonderful, and the customisations of the settings within the Sonar software make it simple to configure each aspect of the audio experience. The functional LEDs on the front work well, but the RGB spotlight at the bottom feels a little tacked on. Having said that, the Alias is an impressive debut into the standalone microphone market.
In the Box
Alias Microphone
Microphone Stand
Boom Arm Adapter
USB-C to USB-A cable
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