The new RODE Wireless Go II package includes two microphone/transmitters with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, each with their own snap on windscreen. With spring loaded clips they can attach to a piece of clothing (a jacket’s lapel, for example) like a traditional lav style mic, but in this case, the mic and transmitter are all in one! These Wireless mics send their signal to a receiver, and acts as a controller for the microphones. There’s a small display screen showing level, wireless signal strength and battery life, which is about seven hours per charge. What’s quite amazing is the size of these units, they are small enough to fit both transmitters and receiver in the palm of the hand!
Recording is pretty easy overall, and out of the box we had no issues, with 40 hours of on-board record time it’s quite powerful, and for additional editing options the audio can be split into separate channels, or even just hard left/right panning for giving that “in the room” feel. For additional control options, and under the hood features, RODE has that covered in an app; “Rode Central,” which allows for firmware updates, exporting audio and easy adjustment of the transmitters and receiver.
The big key is this system can be paired up as an on-board mic system for a DSLR camera — simply connect the receiver into the mic input of your camera, and now interviews can be done with two separate mics. This configuration can also be applied to smartphones or tablets, however you will need specific adapter cables for your device(s), for connectivity.
Overall, the audio quality is very good, and in a space with background noise, there was plenty of separation between the sound sources. The ability to have this audio quality embedded in the video file, and not have to sync up audio and video made this a pretty great tool. It makes the interview process seem more natural, rather than an interviewer pushing a mic in the face of a person each time a question is asked. We wouldn’t be surprised to see YouTubes on the floor of NAMM next January using these for interviews, considering their small size, light weight and functionality (not to mention affordability).
For video podcasts, and live streams with multiple mics and no mess of wires, microphone mounts and such, these make a lot of sense. We’re hard pressed to find a simple, small rig that makes doing high quality audio something that’s less of a technical process, and more of a fire and forget system that allows the user to just get to work. We know from experience that these new RODE units will come in handy for our own A/V productions this year. Highly recommended.
PROS:
Simple, compact, great audio
CONS:
None
STREET PRICE:
$299