u/Waradu

I'm thinking about buying a Rode PodMic with a Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen, either the 2i2 or the Solo, mainly for gaming, Discord, and some recording.

These are the options that fit my quality and aesthetic preferences best.

I'm leaning more toward the Solo because it’s smaller, cheaper, and I also don't need the extra XLR input. But the Solo only has 57 dB of mic gain, and since the PodMic has a sensitivity of -57 dBV, I often read that it works best with around 60 to 70 dB of gain. That's where the 2i2 seems better, since it offers 69 dB.

So my main question is: how important is that gain difference in real use?

My mic would usually be quite close to my mouth, and I’m not a particularly quiet speaker.