Review: Dual M-Game Streaming Mixer and Audio Interface

Gaming is one thing, with tech needed to connect your controller to the console or computer that allows you to dictate the world of your game, processors within your computer to handle the graphics, gameplay and audio. Streaming your gameplay has become a great way to connect with other players, for your audience to relax to or stress in real time along with you, but streaming requires no less processing power than gaming itself, as well as the connectivity, monitoring solutions and low latency required for a successful stream. The RGB Dual from M-Game (who fall under the famous M-Audio banner) may be just the solution to all this. As its name suggests, the RGB Dual is a Dual USB interface with processing dedicated to the game audio and to the streaming audio. It’s not uncommon for streaming and gaming to exist on different software that feed into the streaming platform, and the RGB Dual solves this, in an all-in-one package.

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The RGB Dual is the larger cousin of the RGB Solo, a single audio interface in an equally tidy package. The RGB Dual has a lot of connectivity, all available on the back panel and away from its main faceplate. The RGB Dual is powered by an included 6V DC adapter, and connected to your computer via USB-A, and there’s also a dedicated optical connector for your console if it accepts it! There’s a TRS foot switch input, and besides this are an Aux In, Main (Monitor) Out, Headphone Output and a Mic In that accepts either TRS jack or XLR, with a mic gain pot on the back for you to set and forget. The mic input is full fidelity and reproduces everything from 20Hz-20kHz, and the TRS and XLR offer 0.0033% and 0.0015% THD respectively. The dynamic range is between 110dB and 113dB so they’re reasonably clean, low distortion and clear enough for streaming, and would work great as regular music recording mic preamps. While we are in the middle of Game Audio month here at Mixdown, streaming extends to musicians and artists playing and performing live on stream for their audiences, and the RGB Dual from M-Game would be a great purchase for the more music minded streamer, as well as a gamer.

The RGB Dual from M-Game is built for both streamers starting out and need an all-in-one solution, and experienced gamers with existing, overcomplicated streaming rigs who need a more cohesive solution. The RGB Dual allows you to connect everything to one place, ensuring everything syncs together faster and smarter. The faceplate itself features all the volume faders, on/off channel switches you could need, and they’re all easily routed within the software matrix included with the RGB Dual. For those who have tried to stream before, connecting multiple sources all at once can result in some glitchy and fragile audio, partly due to most computer’s abilities to only recognise one sound card/interface at a time, let alone bringing a mixer into the fold when running multiple platforms to stream audio, visual, and allow users to see and hear you as a player. The RGB Dual moves to solve this, bringing it all into one unit that connects easily and is largely plug-and-play.

In use, the RGB Dual is a breeze. So much so that I forgot for a moment about the review and moved to toggling, mixing and making sounds within the matrix and on the faders themselves. The left side of the unit has a single fader with a Mute, Sound FX and dedicated $%^#* button, with the Mute and fader controlling both mic inputs. The middle of the unit features a big master knob, as well as sound effects and sample buttons to fire off different sounds to keep your audience engaged. The right side of the Dual RBG is where it really comes into its own, with four faders and dedicated mute buttons for different types of audio content to be adjusted easily on the fly, or maybe most helpful of all, easily set for consistent streaming throughout your time online. The Mixing Matrix ties all of this together, with easily configurable options for sending and monitoring audio both within the software and on the unit itself. Multiple sources can be sent to single faders for easy control, or everything can be laid out individually for a totally improvised stream.

The RGB Dual from M-Game really holds the banner for M-Game and M-Audio as a whole. Streaming is relatively new to the wider community, and products like this make it more accessible to more people. The Dual allows you to connect two PCs at once when needed, while the Solo is a single PC solution, both having merit depending on your needs and budget. The Dual, however, won’t require any future upgrades as you’ve already got everything you need for a super involved and professional stream, even before you’ve started to route different sounds and sources within the software matrix. While its focus is game streaming, the Dual would do equally for streaming of any kind, even beyond the realms of gaming. Musicians, artists and other content creators would find equal value in the RGB Dual. As routing audio can be super complicated, even for the more experienced amongst us, keeping consistent low latency audio and visual for your streams is required to keep your audience growing and excited. The RGB Dual from M-Game helps take the stress of it off you so you can focus on engaging streams for your viewers.

For more information, head to M-Game. For local enquiries, visit Electric Factory.