--- title: 'Elgato Wave 3 The Microphone That Got a Revamp!' source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=ztJG8pBdi4o' video_id: 'ztJG8pBdi4o' date: 2026-07-27 duration_sec: 460 --- # Elgato Wave 3 The Microphone That Got a Revamp! > Source: [Elgato Wave 3 The Microphone That Got a Revamp!](https://youtube.com/watch?v=ztJG8pBdi4o) ## Summary The video is an unboxing and first-impressions review of the new Elgato Wave 3 microphone. The creator highlights key improvements over the original Wave: a cloth-wrapped anti-tangle cable, redesigned front panel with per-function LED indicators, on-board VST processing, better clip guard, and smartphone/tablet compatibility. ### Key Points - **Introduction and reason for revamp** [00:04] — The original Wave microphone is aging, so Elgato released a new version alongside the Wave Link 3 software with new filters and VST plugin support. - **Unboxing starts** [01:00] — The package includes the microphone, a cloth-wrapped anti-tangle USB cable, an adapter for microphone arms, and a QR code linking to the manual. - **Visual comparison with old model** [03:21] — The new Wave 3 has a different front panel: instead of a row of dots, each function (mic, headphones, mix) has its own LED dot. It also shows icons for voice focus and VST plugins. - **On-board processing advantage** [04:09] — Unlike the old model that processes effects in software, the new Wave 3 processes VST plugins and voice focus on-board. This reduces latency, allowing the user to hear effects in real-time while monitoring. - **Improved clip guard** [04:50] — The new clip guard better protects listeners from sudden loud noises, such as screams during horror streams or excitement. - **Smartphone and tablet compatibility** [05:04] — The Wave 3 works with smartphones and tablets, a feature the creator was surprised to find. - **Microphone positioning tips** [05:18] — For best results, speak into the side with the Elgato logo from about 20 cm away. The microphone works best on an arm or raised stand. - **Sound test** [06:23] — The creator tests the microphone with effects: expander on, voice tune weak, voice focus strong. They note the option to add compressor and equalizer. ### Conclusion The Elgato Wave 3 is a solid upgrade with better cable, on-board processing, improved clip guard, and smartphone compatibility, making it a good choice for streamers and content creators. ## Transcript It's an amazing microphone. I really love it, especially for that price. And it's getting kind of old. Like it's been on the market for quite a long while. At least that's what Elgato microphone, but Elgato thought it was it was it was up for a revamp. Yeah, they said that. Yeah, let's go make a new version. So now we have the Wave 3 think the reason why they did this is because they recently came out with the because they recently came out with the Wave Link 3 software and they are having new filters and stuff like that and this one actually works better with the VST plugins and stuff like that that are built in into the microphone. So let's unpack this microphone and see what's inside inside and let's compare it to the other one. Open. Microphone. Got to figure out how to get that out off it without ripping it. Piece by piece, which I'm doing right now. things. >> [laughter] >> But I guess that makes it like an honest review. perfectly that doesn't look like honest. >> All right. I unpacked this part. I unpacked this part. Cool. Little box with a QR code, um which I think is going to the uh manual. cable. It is wrapped with cloth now, which makes it anti-tangle, which wasn't the case with the other one. Little present. Ah. Uh this is like a piece that if you have a microphone arm, you can use this to make sure that arm, you can use this to make sure that it will fit on your microphone arm. Important safety instructions is also still in the box. The first thing we saw is the cable is different. It's a better cable. cuz I someone tried to like wrap it around it. But I think I failed, you know. Okay. Cool. Can I get it back? The back looks identical. But the front looks a little bit different. I'm I hope you can see it with the light because they're black and yeah. is going to be harder, but I hope you can see it. Um the old one has the microphone headphones and um the arrows, which is like the the mix basically, icons. And underneath there's basically, icons. And underneath there's like a row of dots, which is the lights. And for this one instead of the row, it's one dot for each. With the microphone, there's also three not sure if you can see it. I hope you can see it. But, that indicates that it does have voice focus and VST plugins and stuff like that. So, what it does is inside this microphone, it does already process uh your VST plugins and the voice focus. Which with this one, it does it in the software, making it faster on this one than it does in this one. Making it if you listen to yourself with this one if you have effects on, you can probably not listen to yourself that that nicely one, you can listen to yourself when you have effects on. So, that is really cool. That is a really cool new feature. It also has better clip card, which if you're a horror streamer, you might scream. Otherwise, you still might scream from excitement. Uh it will better protect people's ears. That that enormous annoying feeling when somebody screams, that feeling people will be protected from that better with the new microphone. Does it work with smartphones or tablets? It does. It does. I didn't think it would, but it does. Um speak, it will be the one with the Elgato logo right on this side. So, don't speak on this side. Speak on this side. About 20 cm uh so, about like about like this. Be like a do bro and then do like this the microphone. >> [laughter] >> Yeah, then you then you're good. If you put it down, as you might notice, I'm a little bit too far away from it. Uh it's still okay, but I would recommend putting it on arm uh because that is a little better. You would get better audio from it being on a microphone arm than it would be standing here on your desk. Or if you have a desk stand that will make it higher and be like around will make it higher and be like around here, that would also work. Can you use the pop filter from the first microphone pop filter from the first microphone into the new microphone? Yes, it works. So, you can just reuse it. So, you can just reuse it. Or just buy one of those, I guess. It will work. It It's the same. It will work. work. I quickly connected the Wave 3 to the computer so you guys can listen to how it sounds like. I kind of like already said everything I wanted to say just at the table. So, it is kind of awkward that I don't So, it is kind of awkward that I don't have any text anymore. But, um, I need to say something so you guys can listen how it sounds like. So, I'm just talking so you guys can listen to it. All right. So, this is just the bare minimum. Uh, see are there any effects? There is an effect on. So, the expander is on and the voice tune is on weak. We can put a compressor on and an equalizer on. Um, so that is how it sounds right now. Uh, the voice focus is on on pretty strong as well. So, this is how it sounds like, the Wave 3 microphone, the new and improved one. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you Elgato for sending me this new Wave 3. I really appreciate it. It is a beautiful. Thank you so much. If you guys want to see some more Elgato products, I would recommend these videos here and some other streaming related videos. And I hope to see you in one of videos. And I hope to see you in one of my other videos.