Last month, we saw the launch of Sennheiser’s new Profile Wireless Microphone System for content creators. This month, it’s the turn of RØDE which has announced a tiny and easy-to-use wireless microphone that’s perfect for making TikTok films or Instagram Reels.
The RØDE Wireless Micro uses the same 2.4GHz technology as Australian brand’s innovative Wireless GO system that revolutionized the consumer wireless microphone market and spawned countless copycat products from the likes of Boya, JDI, Saramonic and Anker, now in use by social media creatives all over the world.
The new RØDE Wireless Micro is tiny and has a clip-and-go design while offering professional audio quality. The system consists of two pocket-sized wireless microphone transmitters and is available in both black and white colorways, with specific versions for USB-C or Lightning smartphones.
The kit also includes a slimline receiver that clips directly onto a smartphone interface without the need for any cables. The whole system is no bigger than the charging case for a pair of true wireless earbuds. You can put the RØDE Wireless Micro in your pocket and be ready to make videos with great sound at a moment’s notice.
The two ultra-compact transmitter units have integrated clips and magnetic attachments that make them easy when attachingf to a presenters’ clothing, but they are still small enough to hardly notice on screen, unlike the larger RØDE wireless mics that many content creators already using.
The built-in microphones in each of the two transmitters are housed in acoustic chambers using a patent-pending design that captures exceptionally clear audio and reduces wind noise when shooting outdoors. If the wind is howling, there are also fluffy windshields included to tame the gales.
With intelligent GainAssist technology, the RØDE Wireless Micro mics get the recording level spot on without the need to make any fiddly settings. The microphones weigh just 12g and they are splashproof, which means they can handle a little bit of rain or humid conditions. When you’re not shooting, the whole system is contained in a pocket-sized charging case where everything is kept safe and fully charged.
The compact charging case for storing the mics and receiver in has enough power onboard for two full recharges of the mics, that’s a total of 21 hours with the battery in the mics and in the case, which is enough to shoot throughout the day and into the night.
The transmitters automatically pair with the RØDE Wireless Micro receiver and are always ready to go within seconds by plugging the receiver into the smartphone and then start filming. There are no cables and you don’t need to use a particular app to capture video and audio because the receiver automatically becomes the default mic for the smartphone when it’s connected.
RØDE’s intelligent GainAssist technology automatically adjusts the recording levels on-the-fly and that does away with the need to monitor the settings via headphones when you should be concentrating on filming. GainAssist also eliminates the risk of clipped or quiet recordings and means there’s no need to edit the sound during post-processing.
So why would you want to use wireless mics like the RØDE Wireless Micro when smartphones already have great microphones built in? Well, it’s all about consistent sound. As you move closer or further away from your subject, the sound levels change and other sounds can drown out the audio that you are trying to record. With wireless mics clipped onto your presenters’ clothing, you get consistent sound levels and close-up audio even when you are a long way back from your subject.
The microphones have an omnidirectional pickup pattern for picking up sound from all around, making placement and audio capture easy. Along with GainAssist, this makes it almost impossible to capture poor-quality sound. Videos with bad audio are one of social media’s biggest turn-offs and nothing gets people swiping left faster.
The Wireless Micro is RØDE’s big push into the burgeoning market for consumer wireless microphones that is currently being fueled by creators producing content for social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Unlike RØDE’s wireless mics which are aimed more towards moviemakers, the Wireless Micro doesn’t include inputs for Lavalier mics and neither does the receiver have an output for feeding audio into an analog device. This is a wireless microphone system strictly for smartphones, which brings me to my one small criticism of the superb RØDE Wireless Micro.
RØDE has decided to produce two versions of the Wireless Micro: one for USB-C and one for Apple Lightning smartphones. I would have preferred to see one product with adaptors for both types of interface because manyf people with Lightning iPhones may soon be upgrading to new iPhone’s with USB-C interfaces. So, think about which direction you are heading in. I would advise buying the USB-C version and get yourself a Lighting OTG-to-USB-C adapter as a transition solution then you don’t need to worry when you upgrade to a new iPhone but can still use the RØDE Wireless Micro with your ageing Lightning phone.
Verdict: The RØDE Wireless Micro is a super-convenient wireless microphone system for making TikTok, YouTube or Instagram content. The system is so simple to use and can be up and running in seconds. There are no frills or fancy features such as a Lavalier input or microphone monitoring, but for use with smartphones wireless mics don’t come any more simple or easy to use. The audio quality is typical RØDE quality with superbly clear capture and the GainAssist function works perfectly. If you want a wireless microphone system for your smartphone with two mics, then you can’t go wrong with the RØDE Wireless Micro. The price is pretty good too.
Pricing & Availability: The RØDE Wireless Micro is available now and priced at $149.
Tech Specs:
- Polar pattern: Omnidirectional.
- Frequency range: 20Hz – 20kHz.
- Maximum SPL: 135dB SPL.
- Equivalent Noise (A-Weighted): 21dBA.
- Signal-to-noise Ratio: 73dB.
- Transmission range: More than 100m.
- Connectivity: USB-C [for Wireless Micro (USB-C)] / Apple Lightning [for Wireless Micro (Lightning)].
- Operating System requirements: iOS 14 and above (for Lightning and USB-C) / Android 11 and above (for USB-C only).
- Battery capacity: 490mAh.
- Charging time: 3 hours.
- Total charges: 2 charges (extra 14 hours of operation).
- Connection type: USB-C
- Transmitters: x 2.
- Receiver: 1 x (USB-C or Lightning)
- Weight charging Case: 61g.
- Microphones: 12g / 18g (with magnet).
- Receiver: 6g.
- Combined weight: 102g.
- Mic dimensions: 40 x 20 x 17mm.
- Charging case dimensions: 44 x 24 x 9mm.
- Accessories: 1 x SC22 USB-C to USB-C Cable, Windshields.
- Colorways: Black or White.
