Audio Review Streaming

TC-Helicon GoXLR Mini: First Impressions and Review

GoXLR Mini promises excellent audio which is one of the most important aspects when it comes to content creation. Whether…

GoXLR Mini promises excellent audio which is one of the most important aspects when it comes to content creation. Whether you’re streaming or creating podcasts, your audience will notice a high quality microphone. The GOXLR is marketed at content creators and promises to be the ultimate all in one mixer, audio interface and sound card.

First impressions of the GoXLR Mini

Unboxing the GOXLR Mini was a very pleasant experience, with a minimalistic box and great packaging the mixer arrived without any damages. Underneath the plastic foil from the front of the device reveals a high quality glossy black finish with silver faders.

Taking a look closer we can see the 4 pre-set mixer faders: Mic, Chat, Music, System. Each of those channels are assignable in your system and can control any application of your liking. I set my Spotify to Music, and TeamSpeak to Chat. I left system sounds as default, so I can easily adjust sounds from Chrome, etc for instance.

TC Helicon GOXLR Mini Fader Channels.

GoXLR Mini setup and usage

In this section I want to get into setting the mixer up: Firstly, in my setup I use a Shure SM7-B Dynamic Microphone and secondly, a FetHead Preamp to provide additional 20db gain in case the Preamps in the GoXLR are not powerful enough.

My first test was connecting the Shure SM7-B directly to the GoXLR. In addition, going into the app and selecting the dynamic mic option. This allowed me to preview the audio and see the gain required. I had to set mine to around 50db to get a good signal. In other words, this made a lot of noise.

Second test connecting the FetHead inline with the SM7-B. Going to the mic setup and choosing “Condenser Mic +48v”. This is required as the FetHead needs phantom power to provide additional gain. Therefore this setup I was able to set the gain slider to about 25db, resulting in a much better audio signal.

GoXLR Mic Settings with Shure SM7-B and FetHead

In addition, connecting headphones to the GoXLR Mini has been great. I’ve successfully tested my power hungry Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro 250 Ohm. Furthermore, you can connect a wireless gaming headset, but make sure to read the previous guide, as it requires a bit more setup.

Conclusion and recommendations

In conclusion, the GoXLR Mini by TC-Helicon is an excellent audio interface and mixer. It’s perfectly suited for content creators that are looking for an all in one device.

Closeup view of the sliders and buttons on the GoXLR Mini.

However, it does still have some downsides. For example, the application still feels like it is at a very early development stage. For instance, you can not specify the app to open on start-up minimised, meaning you will always need to close the app manually when you turn on your PC.

Another small downside is that the GoXLR doesn’t turn off the LEDs when your computer goes to sleep. This was already requested by users, and TC-Helicon promised an update.

However, one user has found a workaround to get the GoXLR into sleep mode when turning off their computer together with the Elgato StreamDeck:

Closing thoughts

With a few software improvements, the GoXLR Mini still gets my solid recommendation. It’s ease of use and unique features make it an excellent choice for content creators.

You can currently purchase the GoXLR Mini by TC-Helicon at Thomann with EU shipping, or on Amazon for US/international orders.

Make sure to also check out my Content Creation Gear page!

8
Zine
Review

The GoXLR Mini by TC-Helicon is an excellent audio interface and mixer. Offering a large range of flexibility, beep button, ample amounts of gain for power hungry microphones and audio processing that makes you sound like a pro. It's perfectly suited for content creators looking for an all in one device that can do it all.

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