Elevate your enterprise data technology and strategy at Transform 2021.
AVerMedia continues to step up its offerings for content creators. It has long had some of the best consumer-level capture cards, and it recently expanded into solid webcams that outshine competitors like Logitech. The company’s latest attempt to win over that audience is the Live Streamer Nexus, which is an audio mixer and touchscreen control center for anyone making content on Twitch or YouTube.
And the idea here is obvious: AVerMedia wants to make one product to replace popular tools like Elgato Gaming’s Stream Deck and TC Helicon’s GoXLR. And considering the price of the Nexus, AVerMedia is now a competitor in this space.
The AVerMedia Live Streamer Nexus is available now for $380. That puts it in a good position against the $500 GoXLR and the $150 Stream Deck. And in most cases, the singular Nexus device does the job that previously required me to use both the GoXLR and Stream Deck.
It can route audio, which is one of its most appealing features … and a major reason people spend $500 on a GoXLR. With the Nexus, I can record a reaction video over Discord with GamesBeat reviews editor Mike Minotti. With the Nexus, I route audio so Mike can hear me and the video without hearing himself. That is a complicated thing to do with computer audio, but the Nexus makes it simple.
Other important features of the Nexus include an XLR audio jack. It has an array of knobs for adjusting its various audio channels. You can push in any of those knobs to mute the source.
Live Streamer Nexus is your command center
What really sets the Nexus apart from the GoXLR is the large, programmable touchscreen. The 5-inch IPS display has great viewing angles. And that is handy because you can do a lot with this Stream Deck alternative. At launch, Nexus has hotkeys and widgets built in to control the Nexus, AVerMedia’s own RECentral, OBS Studio, YouTube, Twitch, Spotify, and StreamLabs OBS.
So like with the Stream Deck, I have one screen set up so I can mute all audio and switch between three scenes. But unlike the Stream Deck, the Nexus supports large widgets so you can place your Twitch or YouTube chat right on the secondary display. And in many other ways, I prefer the Nexus over the Stream Deck. For example, the touchscreen makes it easy to swipe to a different set of buttons and options. That is something you need to dedicate a button to on Elgato’s hardware.
But where AVerMedia comes up short is in software. The appeal of the hardware is undeniable, but Elgato has spent years building out support for the Stream Deck. And that shows when you compare it against the rookie Nexus. The Stream Deck has an option for fading in/out audio from your soundboard, and you can program buttons to send messages to Twitter or your YouTube chat. I’m optimistic that AVerMedia will continue improving the capability of the Nexus as a control panel, but you should only buy the device based on what it can do today.
The device is laggy across the board. And that’s not great when in a live environment. I tried to set up a cough button, because pushing the mic knob is a bit loud. But it takes about a second for the button to activate the mute. And latency is a problem for a lot of its functions. It takes a moment for the light indicators around each source to update with the correct volume as you adjust the knob, for example.
A really good price if you want audio routing, XLR, and basic commands
But nothing about the Live Streamer Nexus is a deal-breaker for me. I think that this is a solid deal for $380. The Nexus works well for what you want it to do. It makes routing audio simple. You can get live mic processing with a compressor, noise gate, echo, and reverb. The AVerMedia device brings powerful controls to your fingertips on a touchscreen that works very well.
It also enables you to step into the world of XLR audio if you’ve previously used USB. Conveniently, AVerMedia has the new dynamic XLR Live Streamer Mic 330, which is $100 and even comes with an XLR cable. That mic works well, and does a good job of isolating your voice. Its built-in pop filter struggled to keep up with my plosives, but I was able to get around that by positioning the mic to the side of my mouth.
But that value proposition is tough to beat. For $480, you get the mic, XLR cable, and the Nexus. That’s opposed to $650 for the GoXLR and standard Stream Deck before you even pick up an XLR mic and cable. At this price, I would recommend the Live Streamer Nexus to anyone who wants to take more control over their livestreams.
And if AVerMedia improves the capabilities of the device in the future, that’s a bonus.
GamesBeat
GamesBeat’s creed when covering the game industry is “where passion meets business.” What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you — not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. How will you do that? Membership includes access to:
- Newsletters, such as DeanBeat
- The wonderful, educational, and fun speakers at our events
- Networking opportunities
- Special members-only interviews, chats, and “open office” events with GamesBeat staff
- Chatting with community members, GamesBeat staff, and other guests in our Discord
- And maybe even a fun prize or two
- Introductions to like-minded parties
