Video Tools: Rode VideoMicro Compact On Camera Microphone

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I’ve been making videos for quite a while, so I’m obviously a fanatic of video tools and gear as well.

Today I wanted to talk about the Rode VideoMicro as a way to improve your audio quality over the onboard mic of your camera.

So what is the VideoMicro?

This is a mini “shotgun” style mic that plugs directly into your camera’s audio input with no batter or external power needed.

That makes it an easy way to improve your audio quality without having to worry about extra batteries, external recorders, preamps, etc.

Sure…there are more advanced options, but I get asked often what is a quick and easy way to improve your audio, and this fits the bill.

The idea behind this mic is to be directional, where your on camera mic is usually just picking up everything, this focuses more on what’s in front of the mic and attempts to reduce the noise coming from the side and behind.

Is it hyper directional? Will it totally eliminate any sound not directly in front of it? Nope…but it still does a good job of focusing on capturing the audio of what is being filmed compared to most on board camera mics.

Oh yeah, it also comes with a built in shock mount from Rycote to reduce any noise from movement and camera handling.

Quick Specs

So what do I think about it?

I think it’s a good way to improve your audio quality, sure it may not sound as great as a higher end mic with built in preamps and such, but for the price, it’s a quick way to step your audio game up a bit.

I use it in various ways. Many times I just leave it plugged into my camera, but I’ve also went directly into a Zoom H1 which has better preamps than my camera, and captured audio that way.

It’s flexible as well since you can mount it to a cold shoe on top of your camera, a tripod, or any other accessories with a 3/8 mount as well.

I also like that it’s super small, plus it comes with the windscreen which really works wonders when you’re outside dealing with wind noises.

For the price I definitely dig it, it gives me a much more focused audio recording than the camera mic itself.

Any noise issues I may find can easily be fixed when editing so that’s not a problem either.

I’m definitely always looking into different ways of capturing audio, and I may pair this with a dedicated preamp, external recorder, or even look into other mics to see how it can improve my setup, but I can say this is definitely worth looking at if you don’t have anything besides your onboard mic for audio.

This is also easier than dealing with one or more lav mics.

Let me know what you think about this, or what you use to capture audio for your video work.

2 Comments

  1. Think I’ll get 2 for that pretty low price,for my 9 year old JVC GY-HM100 to fix that expensive camera with a crappy mounted mic it came with.
    That RODE looks likes it will boost strong in the front with a directional pattern.

    Reply

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