Rode Wi-fi Micro: one-minute overview
Rode’s Wi-fi Micro is its smallest-ever wi-fi mic system, designed squarely for smartphone content material materials creators, significantly vloggers. It’s the audio massive’s best wi-fi mic however: you’ll be up and dealing inside seconds and recording smartphone-beating audio top quality, all the whereas being cable-free and discreet.
It’s a full tools that options two mics (moreover often known as transmitters) with magnetic attachments, plus one receiver, all of which can be saved in a charging case – these components may be present in black or white finishes. Furthermore, you get two windshields plus a charging cable, though neither of those match throughout the case.
Collectively, the mics, receiver and charging case are a featherweight 3.6oz / 102g, with each mic weighing merely 0.42oz / 12g and measuring 40 x 20 x 17mm. It’s a appropriately tiny tools, and regardless that the mic fashions are bodily larger than the rival DJI Mic Mini’s, your complete tools is way smaller, and purpose-built for smartphones.
For individuals who’re looking out for a compact, devoted wi-fi mic that’ll ship fantastic audio in your smartphone vlogs, the Rode Wi-fi Micro is hard to beat.
Rode Wi-fi Micro: value and launch date
- $149 / £134 / AU$259 for the compete tools with 2x mics, receiver and charging case
- Receiver on the market in USB-C and Lightning variations
- Accessible now, in black or white finishes
The Rode Wi-fi Micro’s itemizing value is $149 / £134 / AU$259, and for that you just get a compact charging case with two transmitters (mics, with magnetic attachments), plus one receiver, all in black or white. Moreover throughout the subject are two wind shields and the required charging cable. You could need to decide which mannequin of the receiver you need, USB-C or Lightning, on account of the connector is built-in.
Not just like the rival DJI Mic Mini, the components are often not on the market individually, and I really feel Rode is missing a trick proper right here, on account of not every shopper needs two mics. Nonetheless, most likely 9 out of 10 clients will want the entire tools, and for these the Rode Wi-fi Micro is great value.
Rode Wi-fi Micro: specs
Dimensions | Transmitter: 40 x 27 x 17mm (L x W x H) Receiver: 44 x 24 x 9mm (L x W x H) |
Weight | 12g (transmitter, with out magnet), 102g for your complete tools |
Transmission differ | Over 100m |
Connectivity | Receiver: USB-C or Lightning |
Battery | 7 hours, plus two additional prices from the case |
Audio | 24-bit |
Noise cancelling | No |
Rode Wi-fi Micro: Design
- The whole tools weighs merely 102g and fits in a tiny charging case
- Components may be present in black or white finishes
- Receiver has a USB-C or Lightning adapter inbuilt
Rode has designed the Wi-fi Micro to be primarily the simplest shopper experience potential for smartphone content material materials creators, and it’s carried out a beautiful job of it – you would not hope for an easier-to-use and further reliable wi-fi mic.
The mics and receiver are routinely paired by benefit of residing within the an identical charging hub. You merely plug the receiver into your cellphone after which adjust to the message that flashes up in your cellphone’s show.
When you may have Rode’s free app put in (on the market for iOS and Android) you’ll be taken to the app, the place you’ll pair the mics and receiver, and choose to how route the receiver enter: break up for left and correct channels, or merge audio into one channel. You can also exchange the mic’s firmware by the app and look at sound ranges.
For me, using a Google Pixel 6, I wished to choose the wired mic selection in my cellphone’s video menu throughout the digicam app (it in every other case routinely selects the cellphone’s built-in mic). Nonetheless as quickly as these selections are all sorted, setup is full and away you go.
You can be up and dealing in seconds after plugging the receiver into your smartphone’s charging port, and armed with a wi-fi mic system that takes care of all the audio ranges for you – Rode says its Intelligent GainAssist experience will get “good audio every time”.
The mics can clip onto garments, or join magnetically with a robust keep by skinny garments, and they also’re on the market in black or white, so you’ll choose the top that’s extra prone to combine in collectively along with your garments increased.
The connection type is inbuilt to the receiver, so that you may need to select the USB-C or Lightning mannequin on the time or purchase, and there’s full compatibility with every Android and iPhone fashions. The DJI Mic Mini, nevertheless, has a slot to restore the USB-C or Lightning connector into place, so that you simply solely need one receiver even for many who use every connection kinds (though the Lightning adapter is a separate purchase).
The DJI Mic Mini moreover choices Bluetooth connectivity, and you may on account of this reality bypass the receiver altogether for 16-bit audio (although a receiver provides a stabler connection and, throughout the Mic Mini’s case, 24-bit audio), whereas the Wi-fi Micro depends upon its receiver.
Wind shields are constructed into the mics as part of Rode’s patent-pending acoustic chamber design, plus there are additional furry windshields throughout the subject that clip throughout the receiver for clearer outside recording on breezy days, although these additional windshields is not going to match into the charging case.
Rode Wi-fi Micro: Effectivity
- Transmission differ is over 100m
- 7 hours working time, charging case can current one different two prices
- No noise low cost, nevertheless Intelligent Purchase Assistance will get you clear vocals
My experience with the Rode Wi-fi Micro has been as headache-free as I would hope for. As quickly as I had the Rode app put in (though you do not need to utilize the app to utilize the mic), I was up and dealing and capturing high-quality 24-bit audio with my Google Pixel 6 cellphone in a matter of seconds.
Rode says the Wi-fi Micro’s transmission differ is over 100m, which is extra sturdy than you may assume to fully check out within the true world; how often – and positively, why – would you may need to report audio onto a cellphone digicam from over 100m away?
The upshot is that for vlogging, the Wi-fi Micro provides a gentle and reliable connection, with an working time for each mic being spherical seven hours.
That working time will probably be extended by the charging case, which features a 490mAh battery and may cost a transmitter an extra two situations, efficiently delivering an basic working time of 21 hours. Briefly, with a charged case you should have adequate juice for a weekend of vlogging.
If you happen to want to know a few of the technicals, the Wi-fi Micro choices 24-bit audio, a 20Hz to 20kHz frequency differ, a most 135db SPL, a 73db signal-to-noise ratio and an A-Weighted equal noise of 21dBA. For reference, these specs are roughly identical to these of the Rode Wi-fi ME, a pricier wi-fi mic that moreover works with cameras.
Rode’s ‘Intelligent GainAssist’ tech routinely controls audio ranges for well-balanced sound, enhancing vocals, and liberating you to take care of creating. You miss out on noise low cost, nevertheless till you might be in notably loud environments it isn’t a problem – I’ve been ready to get clear recordings of my voice in a loud soccer stadium, even when the animated crowd added to the video’s actually really feel.
I’ve recorded vlogs in a diffusion of eventualities; indoors, open air, and in noisy environments, and I’ve been very happy with how crisp my voice sounds. Put merely, for those who want increased audio with out the fuss, this Rode mic is definite to please.
Should I buy the Rode Wi-fi Micro?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Rode Wi-fi Micro: moreover take into consideration
Header Cell – Column 0 | Rode Wi-fi Micro | DJI Mic Mini | DJI Mic 2 |
---|---|---|---|
Dimension | Transmitter: 40 x 27 x 17mm (L x W x H)Receiver: 44 x 24 x 9mm (L x W x H) | Transmitter: 26.6 x 26.1 x 16mm (L x W x H)Receiver: 46.5 x 29.6 x 19.3mm (L x W x H) | Transmitter: 46.1 x 31 x 21.8mm (L x W x H)Receiver: 54.2 x 28.4 x 22.5mm (L x W x H) |
Weight | 12g (transmitter, with out magnet), 102g for your complete tools | 10g (transmitter, with out magnet) | 28g (transmitter, with out magnet) |
Transmission differ | 100m | 400m | 250m |
Connectivity | Receiver: USB-C or Lightning | Receiver: USB-C or Lightning, 3.5mm jack | Receiver: USB-C, 3.5mm jack |
Battery | 7 hours (plus two additional prices from the completely charged case for an entire of 21 hours) | 11.5 hours (transmitter), 10.5 hours (receiver), as a lot as 48 hours with completely charged case | 6 hours (plus two additional prices from the completely charged case for an entire of 18 hours) |
Audio | 24-bit | 24-bit (drops to 16-bit by the use of Bluetooth) | 32-bit float, 24-bit |
Noise cancelling | No | Two-level, auto | AI |
Bluetooth | No | Certain | Certain |
How I examined the Rode Wi-fi Micro
- Used often for over a month in quiet and noisy environments
- Examined alongside the rival DJI Mic Mini
- Paired primarily with a Google Pixel 6
There aren’t numerous strategies by which you will have the ability to try the Rode Wi-fi Micro: it handles audio ranges, clipping and vocal enhancement routinely, and that’s it attraction for a lot of clients. The mics and transmitter are auto-synced by the charging case, you plug the receiver into your cellphone, and away you go.
I did however make certain to examine the audio top quality of the Wi-fi Micro in blended environments – the quiet indoors, the nonetheless open air, in wind, and in noisy environments. I was moreover reviewing the DJI Mic Mini on the same time, and so was ready to run comparability assessments to see which bought right here out on prime.
Almost all assessments have been carried out by pairing the Wi-fi Micro to my Google Pixel 6.