A hugely improved Stereo Mic from RODE and a very exciting Video Mic HD to come

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March 2012 DSLR/ Large Chip Camcorder Australia/ NZ workshops. Click above for more info

 

Ethics statement: Rode supplied me with a RODE Stereo Mic to play with and are also sponsors of my workshop tour in March. I have a relationship with them therefore, but I use their products on all my projects and have done well before I started working with them as a company. They are my mics of choice for on camera mics and shotgun mics. Read more in my ETHICS STATEMENT here

Recording sound in camera using DSLRs has always been a problem. The inbuilt mics are in my opinion not usable. So I have always recorded my b-roll sound using first the old Rode Video Mic (which is directional) then the much improved Video Mic Pro at the start of the last year. They took the already good mic, made it better and importantly MUCH smaller.

I have to be honest, I really don’t like the original Rode Stereo Mic – it’s heavy and ugly as sin. The sound is fine but with the awful Canon Pre-Amps WAY too low making the sound very hissy! This happened to a lesser degree on the original Rode Video Mic and was fixed with the +10 and +20db gain on the mics.

Rode have just released the hugely improved Rode Stereo Video Mic Pro. Taking the old mic (that is actually quite old and pre-dates DSLR video by a long way) and making it head and shoulders better.

The new Stereo Video Mic Pro
The old Rode Stereo Video Mic

 

The new one is much sleeker, has better sound, and is a fraction of the weight. The only thing I don’t know is the price, which I will post as soon as I get it. But just on my limited use with it (I have yet to shoot a project with it, as everything I have shot since getting the mic has been timelapse) is impressive!

Here are the specs of the mic and you can read more about it here. 

It should be on sale any day now…

In six months or so, Rode are bringing out something revolutionary. A Rode Video Mic HD. A shotgun on-camera mic with a built in recorder. Perfect for recording on-camera sound, monitoring it, recording it in camera and recording it in a much better quality in the mic on SD card. It’s coming out later in the year and specs can change but this is how it is looking right now!

18 comments

  1. The Rode Video Mic HD seems like it could be a very practical mic. I currently film with a Canon 600D/T3i and there is no way to monitor sound when I’m recording. So having this feature built into that mic is a huge benefit.

    The built-in recorder for that mic will probably also record at a much better quality than my camera, which is ok, but not great.

    Looking forward to it and hope to see a not-so-steep price tag 🙂

  2. Thanks Philip.

    How did you get on with the (I think it was) Zoom H4N recorder? I already own the “old” Rode stereo mic so cannot justify the all-in-one solution above. There seem to be quite a few alternatives out there.

  3. It is unfortunate that the Tascam DR100 has very noisy pre-amps.
    The BBC field recorder standard is Marantz (PMD 661 and PMD 620).
    The PMD 620 is truly amazing and perfect for VDLRs. Wish it had XLR connectors….

    Thanks

    Johnnie

  4. I’m not a big fan of the very popular Zoom H4N and like you prefer the Tascam DR100.

    I’ve yet to try a Rode mic although and they have built up a good reputation they could really do with someone like Sir Jonathan Ive to give a hand with the design. Whilst the design is a step forward it still looks a bit like a practice tennis ball in a cup.

    Their idea to put a recorder in a mic for DSLR filming is truly brilliant.

  12. Philip,

    Just to clarify, do you think that the A Rode Video Mic HD will be capable of recording more than B roll? Thanks in advance and congrats on 30 million visitors!

    Best,

    -Alan

  13. Hey Philip,

    I am trying to found best solution for recording interviews on the streets with canon 5D mk II.
    My concern in about recording the sound. You probably have faced situation like that so maybe you can recommend some solutions and products for street interviewing and vox populi. I would love to use wireless microphone for the host.
    Hope you can help me.

    Thanks,
    Keep up the good work!

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