Roccat Torch review

Our Verdict

80%

A great value, versatile microphone, although it has a bizarre wiring setup.

The Roccat Torch is one of the most peculiar USB/streaming microphones around – yes, even compared to the gangly-looking Trust GTX 241 Velica. The oddness stems from Roccat’s decision to mount all the device’s extra features – of which there are many – on its base rather than the mic itself. As a result, an extra cable is required to run from the microphone to the base, and then a second cable runs from the base to your PC.

This arrangement works perfectly well in and of itself, other than creating a bit of extra cable clutter, but it has one glaring issue – if you want to mount the microphone on any stand other than its default base, you lose all the extra features in the base, because the 3/8in mounting screw for attaching the microphone to another stand is on the underside of the microphone, not the base. You could use a longer USB cable to run between them, but that would be an awkward workaround.

That’s a shame, as the feature set here is great. Round the back of the base there’s a headphone jack for PC output and microphone monitoring, a mode selector for adjusting the sensitivity of the ‘no touch’ motion-sensing mute button, and a brightness control for the RGB lighting. The mute button is an intriguing addition. It works reasonably well, though it takes a while to get used to the slight delay in response and lack of tactile feedback.

Meanwhile, round the front you’ll find a dial for switching between three different pickup patterns (created by the Torch’s two condenser capsules), adjusting headphone volume, muting the mic and adjusting mic gain. Finally, finishing off the features list is a little display at the front to indicate whether the mic is muted or not.

The Torch is one of the few streaming microphones we’ve tested that actually includes meaningful RGB lighting, with a backlit Roccat logo in the center and further lighting hidden behind the edges of the metal grille. Whether you love or loathe RGB lighting, at least it serves a genuinely useful purpose on the Torch, with the side lights indicating the volume of your voice, plus the lights are compatible with Roccat’s AIMO lighting control software.

The Torch’s two mic capsules provide three pickup patterns, consisting of stereo, cardioid, and a proprietary option called Whisper. The latter is just a gain-boosting pattern that will be a little better at picking up your quieter musings than a standard pattern.

When it comes to overall sound quality, the Torch doesn’t quite match up to more expensive options, such as the Blue Yeti, Elgato Wave 3, or Shure MV7, as it has a touch less spaciousness and clarity. However, it’s still more than up to the job of game streaming, and the addition of a stereo mode makes it useful for a wide range of applications.

Roccat Torch pros and cons

Pros

• Packed with features
• Multiple pickup patterns
• Decent sound quality
• Great value

Cons

• Strange wiring setup
• Sound quality can’t match pricier mics

Roccat Torch specs

The Roccat Torch specs list is:

Roccat Torch price

The Roccat Torch price is $90, making it a mid-priced microphone whose value is boosted by some extra features, making it good value. 

Roccat Torch review conclusion

The Roccat Torch is an impressively versatile microphone for a surprisingly low price. To get multiple pickup patterns, a host of controls, RGB lighting effects, and even a whizzy ‘no touch’ mute button is excellent value for $90, especially as sound quality is decent too. It can’t quite compete with pricier options in terms of sheer clarity, but its quality will be sufficient for most gamers. The only problem is the bizarre wiring arrangement – it works if you’re strictly using this mic with this stand, but won’t play well with mic arms.