$99 Compact Shotgun Microphone With USB-C Connectivity

Sound high quality is clearly vital when selecting a microphone, however connectivity choices can typically be missed. The favored RØDE VideoMic GO has been a trusted shotgun microphone for content material creators since its launch again in 2015. This 12 months’s VideoMic Go II brings that very same dependability in an much more compact package deal, and now might be related through a USB-C cable. This makes it simpler and faster to output on to extra units—together with telephones, tablets, and laptops.

The brand new VideoMic GO II is competitively priced at $99, making it among the best worth shotgun microphones which not solely sounds nice however gives much more by way of options and value. Particularly as content material creation shifts to being extra cellular, with many people now ditching our devoted cameras in favor of utilizing our telephones as an alternative to crank out movies quicker, it is nonetheless vital that we will nonetheless seize high-quality audio on the go. In contrast to different price range shotgun microphones, the VideoMic Go II is efficiently adapting to this transformation with out compromising sound high quality.

You’ll want to try my in-depth video evaluation for the VideoMic Go II the place I present a number of indoor and outside exams and comparisons to the Deity D4 Duo, certainly one of my different favourite compact shotgun microphones due to its distinctive design of getting two microphones which might be set to document with both each concurrently, simply the entrance one, or the entrance and an exterior TRS enter of your selection.

My side-by-side examples embody demoing the mics for voiceovers, vlogging, and podcasting. About midway via the video, I additionally present an outline of how one can pair and use the microphone with RØDE’s Join and Central PC/Mac apps to unlock its extra options and customization. We’ll speak extra in regards to the software program facet of issues later.

Overview

When related through USB-C, the VideoMic Go II gives zero-latency audio monitoring or a second output through its 3.5mm jack. Past being an amazing shotgun mic, the VideoMic GO II can mainly substitute your devoted USB mic too. Whether or not you are vlogging, recording an interview, podcasting, streaming, or doing voiceovers, that is one microphone that may deal with all of it.

The USB-C output is plug-and-play, enabling you to simply document into your cellphone, pill, or pc with out the necessity for adaptors. Even higher, similar to with the RØDE NTG USB microphone—certainly one of my favourite decisions for voiceovers and podcasting—utilizing the USB-C connection together with your pc permits you to join and document a number of VideoMic Go IIs directly while not having extra {hardware}, although you have to to obtain an app.

Utilizing its software program for cellular units and computer systems—RØDE Join and RØDE Central—unlocks the power to assign channels and customise the settings of a number of of RØDE’s newest USB-C appropriate microphones. You may tweak the sound earlier than recording to chop down on time enhancing later or fixing it in submit.

What’s Included?

• VideoMic GO II
• SM80R Digital camera Shock Mount
• Foam Windshield
• SC14 TRS to TRS Cable

It is a barebones set, and there is quite a lot of objects notably lacking, which you’ll wwant to contemplate buying as properly:

• USB-C Cables. In a lot of my exams I used the non-obligatory RØDE SC-15 (USB-C to Lightning) and SC-16 (USB-C to USB-C) cables to pair the microphone with my iPhone and on to my MacBook Professional. Any third-party cable ought to work advantageous, nevertheless, with this being particularly marketed to be used with good units, it will have been good if these cables had been included within the field.

• Protecting Carrying Bag or Case. Though this microphone roughly falls beneath the price range class, some competing shotgun microphones include a pleasant hard-shell protecting case. I am not essentially involved with this microphone getting broken in transport, nevertheless, on the very least a protecting carrying bag for the microphone and its wires can be nice.
• “Deadcat”. The included wind muff is nice for indoor use and alright outside, however not good when it is very windy. If you happen to plan on utilizing this rather a lot outside, I’d recommend getting the WS12 useless cat which does a greater job at slicing down on these low rumbles.

Design & Construct High quality

Regardless of being very compact and light-weight, weighing simply 3.14oz (89g) and measuring 5.91 inches (150mm) lengthy, the all-black microphone has a rugged all-metal physique that feels very properly constructed and sturdy. Just like RØDE’s different microphones, you may anticipate this to final a very long time and take a beating.

It is not the smallest mcirophone round, nor does it have a really distinctive design, particularly when in comparison with the even smaller Deity D4-Duo which has a entrance and rear microphone.

In comparison with the RØDE NTG and the RØDE Micro, its measurement falls nearly in the midst of these two. That stated, it is nonetheless small and light-weight sufficient to throw in a bag and carry round whenever you want it. Extra importantly, due to its small measurement and weight, it means you may simply add this to a gimbal setup with out it requiring a lot, if any re-balancing. As a videographer who does a whole lot of wedding ceremony movies, it is nice to have the ability to connect or take away the microphone shortly after I want with out it messing up the gimbal’s steadiness.

As is frequent with RØDE’s different microphones, the wind sheild has a big white RØDE brand, and the underside of the mic itself additionally has RØDE and “Made in Australia” in massive font.

A giant focus of the RØDE VideoMic Go II is after all its good options, nevertheless, with none bodily buttons on the microphone itself, all changes have to be made with its software program.

Key Options

Extremely Directional Sample

The VideoMic Go II has the identical extremely directional microphone as the unique mannequin, permitting it to give attention to the audio supply in entrance of it whereas minimizing undesirable background noise. In my outside exams it does an amazing job at specializing in my voice and hardly picked up the encompassing ambient noise. Particularly from its sides and behind the microphone, it dramatically cuts down on sounds from these instructions.

USB-C Connection

With the USB-C output, you may both use the usual 3.5mm TRS connection for monitoring or as a second output supply. When related through USB-C to your PC or Mac utilizing the RØDE Join and RØDE Central apps, you can also make changes to the microphone’s settings. Due to its digital output, the VideoMic Go II can simply be added as a part of a 4-input recording session via RØDE Join.

Plug & Play Flexibility

The VideoMic Go II does not want batteries, nor does it have to be turned on to make use of. I discover it irritating when some microphones require batteries or have to be turned on earlier than utilizing them. I’ve had many unlucky experiences the place I’ve forgotten to activate the microphone or not seen that the batteries had died, solely to wreck a complete recording.

Past this, the VideoMic Go II will routinely output to USB-C when it is related while not having extra software program, drivers, or any modes switched.

Utilizing its USB-C or 3.5mm outputs is equally straightforward and having the selection between the 2 with none compromise is usually a gamechanger. With most new telephones and tablets eliminating the headphone jack and most laptops missing a devoted mic jack, establishing a TRS enter might be difficult and time-consuming, typically requiring extra adaptors or dongles which might be hit and miss.

My iPhone 13 Mini routinely defaulted to utilizing the RØDE VideoMic Go II when it was related. When utilizing the mic with my MacBook, the microphone was immediately acknowledged as an out there enter. Even with out opening or making changes in RØDE’s software program, you may shortly swap to utilizing the microphone as your enter.

Having the 2 outputs is a large profit for me, particularly after I need to have a redundant recording as a backup. Moderately than needing splitters or a mixer, I can output through USB-C and the three.5mm TRS proper off the microphone. Past this, if for instance, my devoted audio recorder was fully useless, I’d at all times have peace of thoughts realizing I may nonetheless document immediately into my cellphone (offered I had a appropriate cable on me).

Shielding

Additionally essential (at the least to me), is its very efficient shielding which permits the RØDE VideoMic Go II to attach immediately into units just like the RØDE Wi-fi Go II and different comparable transmitters and recorders with out inflicting that annoying hum or static sound.

Sound High quality & Comparability

The VideoMic Go II has a really full sound profile that excels within the decrease frequencies. In comparison with the Deity D4-Duo from about 6-12 inches away, I discovered the VideoMic Go II to be hotter and barely (3-4db) louder as properly.

At additional distances of 3-5 ft away the tone variations weren’t as noticeable from my exams, nevertheless, the Go II did appear to do a significantly better job at isolating my voice and never choosing up as a lot of the ambient sounds together with vehicles passing by, the fan on my video gentle, and the slight hum from the fridge within the kitchen.

For essentially the most half, I may confidently use the VideoMic Go II’s uncooked audio stream for many of my movies if it was about 6-12in away from my face. It wasn’t till the video gentle’s followers kicked as much as 100% that the background noise grew to become noticeable, and I felt it will want some noise discount.

With some very minimal EQ tweaks, you may push this to a different stage and get some unbelievable sounding audio. Greater than possible, I might be switching to utilizing this for many of my voiceover and video evaluation productions.

Wind Noise

Utilizing the included windshield, the VideoMic Go II does alright with the wind blowing immediately in entrance of it, nevertheless, with the wind hitting it from the facet, there was a noticeable low-rumble which, whereas did not make the audio fully unusable, positively wasn’t as much as the quietness I would really like. Once more, I feel in case you are planning on utilizing the microphone outside rather a lot, investing in useless cat is important.

Superior Options & Customization

RØDE Central cab be used to make the changes to the VideoMic Go II together with enter stage, a high-pass filter, high-frequency increase, PAD(Passive Attenuation Machine), and monitoring ranges for the three.5mm TRS. For a $99 microphone, this stage of configuration is exceptional.

The truth that the microphone has upgradeable firmware may recommend new options or enhancements sooner or later. With RØDE Join, you may document or add as much as three different appropriate USB-C RØDE microphones and regulate their ranges individually. For the superior settings, nevertheless, RØDE Central remains to be required.

Here is the place issues get fascinating but in addition just a little complicated due to RØDE’s two completely different software program packages. It felt unusual having to modify forwards and backwards between the 2 completely different apps. I seen that when RØDE Join was opened after I had already made changes to my monitoring stage of the VideoMic Go II, and for some motive it jumped up by about 15dB. I am undecided why this occurred, however after closing RØDE Join, they returned to regular.

Much more complicated, nevertheless, is when recording or monitoring via RØDE Join, the degrees of the VideoMic Go II don’t appear to precisely mirror the adjustments in enter stage which you made in RØDE Central. This might maybe be a software program bug that will get fastened with future updates, but it surely did make a few of my exams just a little tough as I could not see if I used to be clipping the audio. I wish to see RØDE combine each apps right into a single resolution versus having to leap between the 2.

Your New All-Spherical Mic?

The RØDE VideoMic Go II is a really spectacular shotgun microphone at simply $99. It is compact, sounds nice, and has a number of superior options because of its USB-C connection, that nothing else at this worth level comes near providing. For a lot of purposes, this may be your one microphone for all of it.

Lower than stellar wind noise and clunky software program integration are price noting, however taken as a complete, it is a compelling package deal that brings rather a lot new to the desk. Just like the RØDE Wi-fi Go II, I anticipate the competitors to try to catch up by copying a few of these good options.

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