Rode VideoMic Pro Microphone Review
Audio is 50% of what makes a good movie or video good, and getting that means at the minimum getting some semblance of a decent mic that isn’t buried in the camera. The Rode VideoMic Pro provides users with a solid step up from on camera sound in a solution that’s good enough to last a while as an intermediate step between nothing and serious audio gear.
Unfortunately, the world of audio gear and microphones is as vast and deep as the world of cameras and lenses we’re used to. The Rode Video Mic Pro is one of a number of relatively lower-end microphones that have been brought to market and targeted at the DSLR videographer.
Unlike their higher end cousins, these mics build a lot of the functionality you need to get going right into the package. The Video Mic Pro, for example, has a build in shock mount with a hotshoe mount molded into the bottom, it also doesn’t require external power, has multiple pre amplification modes, and connects directly to the camera with a standard 1/8” TRS/Phone plug. In comparison, your typical shotgun mic uses a balanced XLR cable, and often requires phantom power to be provided by the recorder.
In short, the Video Mic Pro makes a decent first step before going seriously all out with the audio gear.
Features
- Built in power source
- 3 gain settings (-10db, 0db, and +20db)
- Built in low cut filter
- Built in shock mount
- Built in hot shoe foot
- 1/8” TRS connector for easy connection to VDSLRs
Power
Instead of requiring, the camera provide plug-in power on its mic jack, the Video Mic Pro uses an internal 9V battery to power its operation. Rode claims the battery will get over 70 hours of operation. I’ve yet to actually reach this number yet so I cannot yet verify it.
Gain Modes
One of the features differentiating it from the Rode VideoMic, is that the VideoMic Pro has 3 gain settings, -10db, 0db, and +20db. The -10 db mode is designed to be used when recording extremely loud conditions where even reducing the camera’s gain would still cause the audio to clip.
The 0db position does nothing to modify the microphones output, and relies on the camera or audio recorders preamps to do all the amplification. This can be problematic in some cases if the camera has poor quality amps.
The final mode Rode added is the +20db mode. In this mode, the internal electronics amplify the signal by 20db prior to sending it to the camera or audio recorder. I usually have my mic in this mode as it allows me to reduce the amplification being done by my camera or audio recorder, which generally seems to improve the audio quality.
Low Cut Filter
The standard range of the Video Mic Pro is 40Hz to 20KHz, however, many sounds such as fans, AC units and passing traffic can be eliminated by reducing the low end response. When the low cut filter is activated, the mic’s low-end frequency response rises to 80Hz from 40Hz.
Shock Mount and Hotshoe Adapter
If there’s one thing I find somewhat frustrating with the Video Mic Pro, it’s the shock mount. It works well enough if the mic is on camera or at least oriented that way or inverted. However, when the mic is on its side, or an angle close to that, the elastic support bands aren’t able to overcome the weight of the mic and it essentially rests against the side of the shock mount. This isn’t an issue under normal operation on an SLR, but becomes somewhat more problematic if you’re using the mic on a boom where someone is holding it and can cause it to shake.
Sound Quality
I’m the first to admit, I have a very difficult time judging or testing this. The simple reality is that I don’t have a similar style microphone of higher quality to compare it to, nor do I have a suitable way to test the response objectively.
The following 3 demo tracks show the comparative differences in sound quality between the Video MicPro, the Nikon ME-1 and the Canon 5D mark III’s built in microphones. The files have been volume matched and high-pass filtered to remove low frequency noise (lower than 88Hz).
Compared to either the built-in mic or ME-1 the VideoMic Pro has a much better response on the low end.
| Rode VideoMic Pro | Nikon ME-1 | Canon 5D3 Internal |
| 9′ open room distance. | ||
| 5′ open room distance | ||
| Boomed mic scenerio (2′ working distance) | ||
Directionality
The VideoMic Pro is a directional microphone with a super cardioid polar pattern. That said, I’ve found it’s also very sensitive and can pick up reflected sounds and general ambient sounds extraordinarily well. I’ve found in normal use that it’ll easily pick of fan noise and other noises even when placed close to a subject and adjusted appropriately.
Conclusions
In the long run, the Rode VideoMic Pro isn’t going to be your final solution for video sound, well at least not as long as you’re also doing your own sound. Eventually you’re going to want to move up to a proper shotgun microphone and the associated goodies. However, in the short term the VideoMic Pro provides a significant degree of flexibility and a huge boost in sound quality over anything that’s built into the camera.
That said, some consideration also needs to be placed on the type of content you’re intending to shoot. Shotgun style microphones work amazingly well when the objective of the operator is to control who or what are being recorded, but since they’re directional devices they aren’t ideal for gathering overall ambience.
Put another way, I recently worked on a personal project recording an oral history with my grandmother, for that my focus is on what she’s saying to the exclusion of everything else, and a shotgun mic is ideal for that purpose. On the other hand, if I was going to record sound at a family gathering or birthday party, I would probably opt for a stereo microphone to get a more immersive sonic environment.
Comments
It is a very bad microphone that should definitely be avoided. How come a product that says “pro” is manufactured with a built-in, unchanging crappy cable? I’ve been having a pitch noise problem since I got it. The reason is probably that the cable is stuck somewhere. It is not possible to understand how such a product can be made without a jack (I can offer which has get it with a double-sided jack in the cheaper model “micro”).
The second big problem is the plastic crappy battery cover, you have to wrestle with the microphone to insert and remove the battery. Worst battery cover I’ve ever used in my life. I would never have guessed that a battery cover could turn my life upside down so much. After about 10 uses, the tabs of the battery cover (naturally) broke and black electrical tape is holding the battery cover now. This product costs around 200 USD. Kindergarten children who aged 0-6 would have designed this product better than Rode. As for the sound quality, if I can ignore the ongoing pitch noise -which I can’t- if you’re making news, making documentaries or having the opportunity to connect it to something like a boom etc., takes the human voice fine, but not too much better than my zoom. its terrible design should definitely lead you to other options.
I’m sorry it sounds like you were sold a defective mic, as your experience with the Video Mic Pro doesn’t reflect mine at all. Mine is near 10 years old at this point, the cord still works fine, there’s no high pitch noise (and never was), and the battery door hasn’t broken. In any event, Rode has a 10 year warranty on their Video Mic Pros, so I’d encourage you to contact Rode about getting yours repaired or replaced.
Yes my experience was awful, all microphone could have some kind of troubles , in rode case because of design problems you cant check is that cable issue, or something else.
I quess pro stuff should have better cable option. I bought mine 4-5 years ago second hand and seller didnt give me bill. When i call Rode they said “we cant do anything”. if something happen this microphone you cant repair. Rode says we only change if you have bill otherwise this is garbage. I dont understand why is it garbage because of stupid 3.5mm jack? Change cable. But no. I guess Rode doesnt like environmental awareness things too:) And battery cover has really nightmare for me.
My intention is only to inform peopele about my bad experience on this model. Otherwise i know there is a lot of good rode iptions too.
Unfortunately, since you bought the mic used, the warranty was never going to help anyway. Rode’s warranties, both the standard (1 year) and the extended (up to 10 years) warranties require that you buy the mic from an authorized Rode dealer, and in the case of the extended warranty that you are the original purchaser and registered the product. Unfortunately, most consumer goods either don’t have long lasting warranties and the vast majority of them don’t transfer when the item is sold second hand either.
As for your noise problem, it doesn’t really sound to me like a problem with the cord. Though you are right that changing the cord would be the first logical step in testing. However, in my experience, cords tend to just break and that causes the connection to die completely — or at least become intermittent. If you’re hearing noise (a hum or whine), to me, it sounds like either the capsule or the electronics were damaged. Unfortunately, that leaves the mic as a write off unless you’re willing to take it apart and see if you can fix it yourself (which may not even be possible).
In all fairness, I find it a little disingenuous not to disclose that your mic wasn’t bought new from a dealer, while insisting that it should be avoided as a bad product. No product is unbreakable, and there’s a big difference between having problems with a new product shipped from the factory and one with an unknown history of use or abuse from a prior owner. Unfortunately, when buying on the used market (especially person to person, and not from a reputable used equipment dealer) there’s always a risk that the previous owner abused or damaged the product and isn’t being completely honest about it. This is one of the reasons that I personally tend to avoid buying used gear in general. Though when I do, I always make sure to test and inspect the equipment as completely as possible before I hand over any money, or buy it from a reputable used gear dealer with a reasonable return policy.
It sucks, that you ended up paying good money for a bad mic.
My criticism is a sincere criticism about the design of the device. You are making a connection between the fact that the device’s Jack cable does not change and where I bought the product from.I do not find this approach sincere. This device cable and battery cover has awful design and in my opinion it shouldnt be on”pro” level devices. Thats my honest review about this product. I am consumer about production stuff and i can say my opinion which i used.
With your approach book critics cant write anything if they read the book from pdf.In the world tousands of people using that micophone and everyone has right to say their opinion, good or bad.In youtube you can find videos about complaint and how repair that product cable.
And denying to repair products awful for future of the world nature(i am saying for all companies who has that company policy)
What I’m saying is that the ethical thing to do is to disclose factors that can impact the impartiality, understanding, and contextualization of a review for the reader, and/or the suitability/function of the product being reviewed. In this case, the fact that your mic was used, and clearly not fully functional at that, meets several of those points.
That said, you’ve made your point that there are potential problem areas with the mic that people should be aware of. Given the evolution of the discussion anyone who reads it can also see that your mic was bought used and can weight your position as they see fit.
I appreciate that you’ve taken the time to share your experiences.
In regards to the side-by-side audio comparison in the May 8, 2013 review of the Nikon ME-1 the Rode VideoMic Pro, the conclusions made by listening to the recorded “sound quality” were not correct. Here’s why: It’s clear that the ME-1 had lots of reverb at the 9ft, 5ft, and 2′ distances and was picking up lots of reflections from the walls in the room. In that respect, the VideoMic Pro did sound better, having less echo (reflections) and provided a louder presentation of the author speaking. But that is where the conclusion of the relative sound quality between the two breaks down. The ME-1 is a STEREO microphone, so of course it will favor sound coming from the sides. The VideoMic Pro, on the other hand, is a mono shotgun microphone that focuses its sensitivity directly forward. Both microphones were performing as intended. The ME-1 will work well when you want a nice stereo presentation (for example, outside or in larger rooms that are not reverberant). The VideoMic Pro is designed for picking up audio directly in front (i.e. interviews and blogging), and therefore amplifies the speaker’s voice and does not pickup many echoes. If needed, one can combine both techniques by recording 3 tracks (stereo mic into the camera and mono mic into a digital recorder) and then combining in post production. True, both of these microphones are aimed at the enthusiast photographer and are not at “pro” level performance, but these products are decent quality overall and certainly do a much better job than a camera’s internal microphones.