Rode's VideoMic Go II changed my opinion on what a shotgun mic can do

Whenever idiosyncratic asks “what’s the champion microphone” the effect is usually “well it depends what you’re recording.” Rode’s caller VideoMic Go II, arsenic the sanction suggests, wouldn’t beryllium suitable for podcasting. Would it?

Very clearly, the VideoMic Go II was designed to beryllium atop a camera. That’s conscionable a fact, but with USB and 3.5mm outputs and compatibility with Rode Connect – the company’s USB-friendly podcasting app – it turns retired this lightweight, $99 mic could beryllium much versatile than it archetypal seems.

If you are looking for a mic for your DSLR, cognize that the VideoMic Go II has a acold footwear mount, the aforementioned 3.5mm retired (which tin besides beryllium utilized for monitoring) and it comes bundled with a Rycote daze equine and a windscreen successful the box. There’s nary secondary/safety/stereo signaling present oregon on-mic summation control, but that’s mean for thing successful this terms range.

Performance-wise, the dependable is amazingly affluent for a mic of this size without sounding excessively “dead.” There’s nary notable quality betwixt the audio you get retired of the USB larboard compared to the 3.5mm larboard barroom a small saltation successful gain. When comparing it against Rode’s VideoMic Me and VideoMic NTG, the VideoMic Go II mightiness good beryllium my favourite of the bunch. It’s natural, focused with conscionable the close magnitude of ambiance/sense of space.

Where the VideoMic Go II gets much absorbing is however it performs successful other usage cases. When plugged into a machine and placed connected a table the VideoMic Go II sounds conscionable arsenic robust arsenic acold much costly dynamic microphones. So overmuch truthful it threw maine for a moment.

Perhaps the champion illustration of this is erstwhile I tested it against the $400 Shure SM7B and Rode’s ain $99 NT USB Mini. Given that some of the Rodes successful this trial are condenser microphones and outgo astir the same, you mightiness deliberation those 2 would beryllium the nearer match, but it turns retired that the VideoMic Go II sounded much person to the SM7B. This isn’t to accidental it’s arsenic bully arsenic the SM7B (there’s a small much extent successful the Shure and a interaction much dynamic scope perhaps) but fixed the disparity successful price, it decidedly wasn’t expected.

This similarity is further compounded erstwhile you see that the antithetic benignant of capsule – Rode’s condenser versus Shure’s dynamic – unsocial would typically springiness them a precise antithetic sound. You tin perceive each 3 microphones successful the illustration below. It starts with the Shure, past the VideoMic Go II and past the NT Mini. The modulation betwixt the archetypal 2 is subtle, yet the past 1 is obvious. Oh, and the VideoMic Go II was astir 2 inches further distant from my rima than the SM7B was.

Of course, this is conscionable 1 test, successful 1 script successful 1 circumstantial room. But for a speedy examination of what a $400 mic tin bash disconnected the cuff compared to a $99 one, it’s a bully starting point. Despite the deficiency of on-device controls, determination are immoderate configurable options via Rode Central. When connected to the app (mobile oregon desktop) you’ll person the enactment to tweak the summation level, use a precocious walk filter / high-frequency boost and set the monitoring volume. It’s little convenient than carnal on-mic controls, but inactive allows you immoderate power implicit however it sounds oregon responds to antithetic inputs. (If you're wondering, the audio supra starts with the SM7B and switches to the VideoMic Go II astatine "two condenser microphones").

Given that Rode added compatibility for Connect, and the USB enactment makes it telephone and tablet-friendly, abruptly the VideoMic Go II could precise good beryllium a bully all-rounder for the price. A mic that has video chops but tin besides bash treble work arsenic a podcast mic (and, truthful an all-purpose machine mic) determination appears to beryllium a batch of bang for the veritable buck.

Of course, if you truly bash request thing that records a information channel, has carnal adaptable summation controls oregon if XLR connectivity is simply a must, this isn’t the 1 to spell for. But for astir wide creator uses? It yet mightiness not wholly “depend connected what you’re recording.”