Each time anyone asks “what’s the most productive microphone” the reaction is normally “smartly it relies what you’re recording.” Rode’s new VideoMic Move II, because the identify suggests, wouldn’t be appropriate for podcasting. Would it not?
Very obviously, the VideoMic Move II used to be designed to sit down atop a digital camera. That’s only a truth, however with USB and three.5mm outputs and compatibility with Rode Attach – the corporate’s USB-friendly podcasting app – it seems this light-weight, $99 mic might be extra flexible than it first turns out.
Should you are in search of a mic to your DSLR, know that the VideoMic Move II has a chilly shoe mount, the aforementioned 3.5mm out (which can be used for tracking) and it comes bundled with a Rycote surprise mount and a windscreen within the field. There’s no secondary/protection/stereo recording right here or on-mic achieve keep an eye on, however that’s commonplace for one thing on this worth vary.
Efficiency-wise, the sound is strangely wealthy for a mic of this dimension with out sounding too “useless.” There’s no notable distinction between the audio you get out of the USB port in comparison to the three.5mm port bar a bit of variation in achieve. When evaluating it towards Rode’s VideoMic Me and VideoMic NTG, the VideoMic Move II may smartly be my favourite of the bunch. It’s herbal, targeted with simply the correct quantity of environment/sense of house.
The place the VideoMic Move II will get extra fascinating is the way it plays in different use instances. When plugged into a pc and put on a table the VideoMic Move II sounds simply as tough as way more pricey dynamic microphones. Such a lot so it threw me for a second.
Possibly the most productive representation of that is once I examined it towards the $400 Shure SM7B and Rode’s personal $99 NT USB Mini. For the reason that either one of the Rodes on this take a look at are condenser microphones and value about the similar, chances are you’ll assume the ones two will be the closer fit, nevertheless it seems that the VideoMic Move II sounded a lot nearer to the SM7B. This isn’t to mention it’s as just right because the SM7B (there’s a bit of extra intensity within the Shure and a marginally extra dynamic vary in all probability) however given the disparity in worth, it certainly wasn’t anticipated.
This similarity is additional compounded while you imagine that the other form of pill – Rode’s condenser as opposed to Shure’s dynamic – by myself would in most cases give them an overly other sound. You’ll be able to pay attention all 3 microphones within the pattern beneath. It begins with the Shure, then the VideoMic Move II after which the NT Mini. The transition between the primary two is refined, but the final one is apparent. Oh, and the VideoMic Move II used to be about two inches additional clear of my mouth than the SM7B used to be.
After all, this is only one take a look at, in a single situation in a single particular room. However for a fast comparability of what a $400 mic can do off the cuff in comparison to a $99 one, it’s a just right start line. In spite of the loss of on-device controls, there are some configurable choices by way of Rode Central. When attached to the app (cellular or desktop) you’ll give you the option to tweak the achieve stage, observe a excessive move clear out / high-frequency spice up and alter the tracking quantity. It’s much less handy than bodily on-mic controls, however nonetheless lets in you some keep an eye on over the way it sounds or responds to other inputs. (If you are questioning, the audio above begins with the SM7B and switches to the VideoMic Move II at “two condenser microphones”).
For the reason that Rode added compatibility for Attach, and the USB choice makes it telephone and tablet-friendly, the VideoMic Move II may just really well be a just right all-rounder for the fee. A mic that has video chops however too can do double accountability as a podcast mic (and, due to this fact an all-purpose laptop mic) there seems to be numerous bang for the veritable greenback.
After all, for those who in reality do want one thing that data a security channel, has bodily variable achieve controls or if XLR connectivity is a will have to, this isn’t the only to move for. However for many normal writer makes use of? It after all may now not completely “rely on what you’re recording.”
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