Status, October 2026: current. Elgato still lists the Wave:3 MK.2.
What it is
The Wave:3 MK.2 is a USB condenser microphone from Elgato for streaming, podcasting and video. Elgato announced it on 3 March 2026 with Wave Link 3.0, and it went on sale the same day (KitGuru, Elgato product page). It succeeds the original Wave:3, which opened the Wave line in 2020, and keeps its shape, desk stand and USB-C connection; the changes are inside. The capsule is a 16 mm condenser with a cardioid pattern, and Elgato rates the dynamic range at 110 dB against the original's 95 dB and the maximum SPL at 130 dB against 120 dB (Elgato comparison). It records at 24-bit, 48 kHz; the original's 96 kHz option is gone.
The Wave FX Processor, a chip Elgato developed with LEWITT Audio, runs on the microphone: first Clipguard 2.0, which Elgato says uses stacked converters, 32-bit floating-point processing and limiters to make clipping "virtually impossible", then five DSP effects (a low-cut filter, expander, compressor, four-band EQ and Voice Tune) with no latency and no load on the computer, and a VST Insert that routes the signal through plug-ins in Wave Link (Elgato). The settings stay on the mic.
A dial on the front sets gain, Voice Tune, headphone volume and monitor mix, and holding it for five seconds runs the Auto Gain Wizard; a touch on the top mutes it, and an LED ring shows level and mute. A 3.5 mm jack on the back monitors the processed sound without delay. Wave Link is a free download for Windows 11 or macOS 14.2 and later. The mic weighs 250 g, 570 g with its stand, and mounts on a 1/4" thread with 5/8" and 3/8" adapters. The box holds the mic, the desk stand, a 250 cm USB-C cable and the adapters; the Wave Shock Mount is extra. The streaming microphone guide sets it against dynamic mics such as the Shure MV7+.