If I have the Deity D3 Pro connected directly to the camera, will it turn off when I turn the camera off, and then turn on when I turn the camera back on? (without me pushing any buttons?)
The internal pre-amp on the GH5 is a bit hot compared to some cameras (canons for example) ...so you need to be able to pull the gain on the mic down as far as you can to balance that out a lot of the time. The lowest setting on the D3 for example, or -10dB on Rode VMP.
Killer review man! Love the comparison between the two mic sounds. Can't wait to get this thing! Just sold my 1st Gen Røde Videomic Pro that I've been running for the last 3 years, and am flipping that cash right back into this Deity.
Great review Scott! I been looking at picking up some Deity gear for a while now. This just reassures me that I need to add a few of their mics to my wish list. Keep up the awesome content! 😀🎥
Hi Great video. Thank you for taking the time to create it. I couldn't quite work out what you were saying when discussing the gain required for both the MKE600 and the D3 Pro. Did you have to turn up the gain higher on your F4 on one mic to match the volume of the other? If you have time, please come back to me. Thanks, Peter.
Hi! Thanks so much. It's been a while so I'm not positive, but I think I tried to set the levels on the F4 identically, and match levels using the gain knob on the D3 Pro itself (set at around 4-5). Hope that helps!
@@ScottDumas Ok 👍 Thanks Scott for that. If you were in the market today like me, which would be you mic of choice? Also, since you made the video a while ago, is there anything else on the market comparable for a similar price? Thanks, Peter.
The Rode VideoMic NTG is another great choice. I think it costs a bit more than the Deity, and the sound is great with both. I think price would be the main factor, and/or if you prefer the sound of one over the other. I also do like that the auto power on works better with the Rode at least in my experience. The Deity is killer for the money though and has held up amazingly over time.
Interesting drop in voice level. To my ears, it sounds like your stereo mic is picking up a lot more ambient noise which is adding to your level. Since the Deity is more directional, rejecting that noise, just your voice is taking up all the gain. Even so, your voice has more bass with the Deity and there's not rumble in either mic. I thought maybe the Sennheiser was picking up low energy from the cars and boosting the registered gain but I couldn't hear any.
Dang that’s a sweet mic! Something to consider. I’ve just purchased the rode video mic pro + which in finding great but I really like the ability to hook the Deity up to an XLR cable for boom work. Great review 👍🏻
The VMP+ is definitely a great mic as well, it gets the job done and is a huge improvement on the original version. Happy to see there's some solid competition on the market now with the D3 though :) Thanks for watching!
Thanks so much! If you're filming outdoors, I'd highly recommend the deadcat. I've used it without but even a small to medium wind can cause issues. Maybe alright for a vlog or something, but that's about it :)
Do you have a tutorial explaining how to set up the camera audio settings vs deity gain settings and the reasoning behind them? I just picked one up with my a7iii, but I have little knowledge behind the audio settings.
I don't unfortunately, but I feel like I remember seeing somewhere that around "6" was the sweet spot for this mic (could be wrong), so then adjust your camera audio as needed. I have no problem boosting this up to 8 or 10 if needed though when audio is quiet or if I want to lower the audio levels in my camera. If your camera has noisy pre-amps, sometimes boosting the mic more and lowering the camera levels will sound better. It may depend a bit on a camera-to-camera basis since the in camera pre-amp quality differs quite a bit. Because of that, general advice is to use the gain on the mic more than raising the in camera levels.
If I want to mount one on a pole and straight into my camera with a 3.5 jack but don't need the XLR adaptor should I buy the standard kit and a separate pole shock mount grip. It's a bit confusing to me as the mount that comes with the standard kit looks to be designed just for mounting in a camera and the location kit comes with the XLR adaptor that I won't use.
The shock mount that is included also has a screw thread on the bottom so you should be able to put it out on the end of a pole with that shock mount as well if your screw thread matches up. It's a 3/8" with a removable 1/4" adapter screwed into it so it should work in most situations.
The outdoor test with the three different gain settings sounded very similar to me. What is the best quality in your opinion, which gain settings do you recommend to use in which situation?
I typically use it somewhere around 6, with the audio dialed back in camera to make it work.... I heard somewhere at some point that 6 was the ideal setting and above/below that is like the +/- settings on something like the Rode VMP, so I try to stick with it unless I need more. If I do need more though I'll dial up the gain on the mic before the gain in the recorder/camera usually.
Awesome review!!! Do you know what the situation is for us FUJIFILM users??? Why FUJI isn't on the list of compatibility?? Do we have to use just a regular TRS cable, and if so, will the mic still power on when the camera turns on? FUJIFILM is becoming legit contenders in the video field with the XH1 (my camera) and now XT3 and I think there are alot of us out there that love this form factor that matches our cameras...seems like a perfect match.
As far as I know there shouldn't be any problems with Fuji, but like you said they're pretty recent (although strong) in the video market, so I'm guessing that's why they were left out of the list. The 3.5mm input jacks on Fuji cameras shouldn't be any different than those on Canon, Sony etc... otherwise other mics would likely have problems too. Just in case I've checked with Deity though and I'm just waiting to hear back from them now. I'll let you know if I hear anything different but I assume you shouldn't have any problems :)
@@ScottDumas Awwww, man you're awesome!! I just stumbled upon your channel researching this mic and now you have yourself a subscriber. I greatly appreciate it. I plan on investing on a new mic next month and I want it to be a DEITY over the RODE MIC PRO PLUS, so I want to make sure. So hopefully it works out for me because it would suck for DEITY to alienate all of us FUJI users haha. Keep me posted on the response. Thanks so much.
@@jaeAre200 Haha thanks so much for that! I really appreciate it :) I'll keep you updated for sure! Should hear back from them tomorrow. Thanks again :)
Hi Scott thanks for the review. Question, I got this but without the location kit but now I plan on using it with my tascam dr 40 on a boom pole for talking head. Will any 3.5mm xlr adapter work? It has internal battery so I dont need phantom power right?
Hi! Uhmmmm I'm pretty sure it will work with any XLR adapter, but I've only tried it with Deity's... and to the best of my memory it works fine without phantom power even using the XLR adapter :) Sorry for the super unconfident answer... it's too late and I probably should be sleeping now haha
I haven't tried that one specifically but I do like the Azden SGM-250CX, so I'm sure the SMX-30 sounds great as well :) Interesting to be able to switch back and forth for sure!
Have you used the Deity D3 plus with a Panasonic HC-X1? It has XLR inputs and I don't belive it has phantom power. It sounds like this Mic is already powered and there is the XLR adapter so my guess is I'm good to go but I'm not super techie so I apologize if this is a stupid question but I'd appreciate your input. Thanks for the awesome review. Really well done and impressive production value.
Thanks so much! I haven't used that combination but I think in theory it should work. If you want to sure before buying it, I'd say send Deity a message on facebook to ask, they're usually pretty good with responding there :)
You would need to send it in for servicing if you want it replaced. There is a 2 year warranty though and an additional 6 months if you register online. I believe that the standard D3 microphone uses a normal battery though so if you want something replaceable that will do the trick.
Hey, thanks for watching. You know, it's very very close but I think I actually like the D3 better and I've been contemplating switching out my MKE600 for the D3 as a boom mic for these videos. The only annoyance is that if it's already shut off (not standby mode but fully shut off), turning on the recorder doesn't turn on the D3 like it does the MKE600 because that's powered solely by phantom power (unless you use the battery). I'd have to be sure to turn it on manually each time I start making a video, BUT at least I don't have to remember to turn it off.
Thank you for your detailed reply, Scott. I currently use a Rode VideoMicro atop my GH5 when I go out because it has a shock mount and a furry windscreen and keeps wind noise controlled. But I always keep my eyes open for better mics I can mount on-camera. The only potential caveat with the D3 is size. The VideoMicro excels at being unobtrusive due to its tiny form factor. But the D3 seems to be a much higher quality choice, and I could use it indoors on a boom like you. Food for thought. Thanks for your video!
@@JDW- Yeah the Video Micro is a cool little mic for sure. Pocketable and solid build quality. The D3 can definitely be something I'd recommend though- I think the standard D3 is a bit smaller if size is an issue but it's only in length. I think anything that would be considered a step up from the Video Micro will be around the same size though because of the requirements like battery power to drive the built in preamps. Overall this is much more versatile than the VMP, for example, so if you were to jump up to something "higher" than the Video Micro, I'd say either the D3 or D3 Pro would be a solid choice :)
@@ScottDumas Thank you for the detailed advice. By the way, you can see how I tested the VideoMicro outdoors in the wind in my video here: ua-cam.com/video/-KhyWOSRREw/v-deo.html
Thanks so much! Yeah with any mic on camera will only be ideal if you're fairly close. The great part about the D3 though is you can easily pop it onto a boom pole or pretty much any setup and use it like that if necessary. Lav mics will do best when you're moving further away though even as a solo shooter.
Thanks for the great review 😊 I just connected my brand new V-Mic D3 Pro to the back of the Zoom H4n ('EXT MIC' input) using the supplied TRRS cable. I turned on the Plugin-Power in the Zoom, turned on the microphone (green light is on). I'm trying to record, but nothing. No audio. I wonder if you know what did I do wrong with the Zoom... Thanks, Edo
Hi! Been a while since I used the H4N but my first two guesses would be to double check the gain settings on the mic itself (so that it's not set to 0) and also the input settings for the H4N. There's some more info on that here if it helps: sites.google.com/a/hawaii.edu/laelabsedit/troubleshooting/howtochangeinputsettingsforexternalmicrophonesonzoomh4nrecorder
Hey Scott, thanks for this review. I just bought this mic, and I'm still having some trouble with hissing/buzzing noise in my videos. I'm working with a Canon T6i, I have the in-camera audio set at a little over half, and the D3's gain on 10 (+20db). Any advice?
Hi! I don't have experience with the T6i specifically, but if the in camera gain is over halfway I suspect that can be mostly the source of the noise. I'm surprised that much gain is necessary though, on most of the other cameras I've tried, especially Canon, using +20dB on the mic means I can turn the camera audio way down. My only advice if that's the case is to try and get your mic closer to the sound source or use some noise reduction in post (I'm assuming you'd rather not use an external recorder) Hope it helps!
the 75hz and 150hz will cut different levels of low frequency noise from your audio. If you see that those low frequencies are causing issues like peaking, you can use the low cut feature to cut those out and which you will use will just depend on how low frequency that audio is and what is necessary to cut it out. It will cause a difference in the audio quality though so I would say don't worry about it unless you can see that those noises are causing significant issues with your audio. As long as nothing is peaking you should be able to apply the filters in post as well. The gain knob is for when you need more input so you can lower your camera or recorder's level, since a lot of DSLRs for example have poor quality preamps built in. This way you can boost audio with the microphone instead of using the camera's preamp and you'll get better results. You could also use the gain control knob to lower the audio level even more when you have excessively loud noise like at a parade or concert. Turning the gain knob all the way down as well as the audio in your camera should help to avoid clipping even in those noisy environments. Hope that helps!
Do you prefer the Deity to your MKE 440? I currently have the Rode Micro and actually just ordered the MKE 440, but it hasn't come in yet. From watching a few reviews I like how the Sennheiser renders voices and at least imo the D3 Pro sounded a little bit muddier. But the D3 Pro definitely has a better feature set and price point.
I think I actually do prefer the D3 in a lot of situations, but it's a very close call. I love the MKE440 as well and sold my VMP+ because of it, so I think it's still a really great choice. Honestly, what bothers me the most about it is the little switches on the side are so small and especially when you have the furry windscreen on, near impossible to see or access. Sound wise, the D3 is a bit more muddy sometimes but I feel like it gives a more finished sound straight out of the mic, where the MKE440 is a bit "cleaner" and can use some EQ to make it shine. I love the stepless gain adjustment on the D3 Pro as well, but they're both fantastic mics :)
@@ScottDumas Thanks for the reply! I might have to pick up both mics and do my own comparison to see which works best. Currently shooting with an A7III, so I'm curious how big of a difference having the adjustable gain control makes.
@@ScottDumas How well has your Sennheiser held up? After receiving the mic I'm pretty concerned with how soft and stretchy that cable is, especially since you can't replace it.
It's been perfectly fine for over a year now, and I definitely haven't been gentle with it haha. I don't think you should need to worry about it too much :)
I’m debating whether or not to pair this mic with my Zoom h4n pro via phantom power as my boom option. Some people complain about h4n preamps. I would be using this combo solely for corporate interviews. Thoughts on the pairing?
it could definitely do the trick but if that's your main purpose I might recommend the S-Mic 2 instead (or one of their soon to come "indoor mics") ...true XLR output, probably a better match for a recorder if you aim to use it that way most of the time. I think the D3 Pro does great as a dual purpose mic, but needing the adapter for XLR would steer me away if that was the only use. Sorry for rambling on haha.. it's late and I'm half asleep ;)
Is zero gain on the mic silent? I'm looking for a mic that I can use with my camera that has way too hot preamp and it's not adjustable.. Normal speaking voice clips. I need to attenuate the incoming signal and I would like to know if I can adjust the gain to keep the camera from clipping.
Zero's not silent just quieter than usual... I think around 5 or 6 is their "0" point, so pulling the dial back to zero will pull back the signal to help with cameras like that. I'm not 100% sure of that without re-checking, but I think you'd likely be ok.
@@ScottDumas One other question: Is the location kit portion of the bundle available separately? I might like to buy the mic first, then add the handle and XLR adapter later. I checked the Rycote web site but am not sure that any of the handles there are the same one that comes in the bundle.
I could find the XLR adapter no problem, should be about $24 separately, but I'm not totally sure about the Rycote pistol grip... however I'm pretty sure it's the same or nearly the same as the standard Rycote pistol grip from what I can see online... in any case, that should work just as well but you might save some money overall buying the kit together I'm guessing.
Hi! Newbie here. Just got my new Deity D3 Pro. What is the best setting for Gain at the other end of the mic? Are there factors to consider when setting the gain up?
Hi! Typically you'd want to set the gain on the mic around the middle probably... but if you need more gain because your audio is not loud enough, turning it higher on the microphone will probably give better results than turning it higher on the camera. Generally, you'll want to keep the mic levels on your camera fairly low (the actual number setting will depend on the camera brand/model) but after turning that low, adjust the gain on the microphone so that the peaks of your loudest audio are reaching around -12dB. That will leave a little extra space for unexpected sudden loud sounds, and then you can raise the audio a little in post for full volume. If you plan to use the audio/video straight out of camera without editing anything, you could raise the levels (on the mic, or camera if necessary) so that the loudest peaks are a little bit louder but generally you never want your audio to go above 0dB, so try and leave a little safe space. Hope that helps!
Thanks so much! I think the D3 Pro has a more good to go out of the box sound to it, while the Shure could use a little EQ. That's not a bad thing but it depends how you'd use it. The internal recorder on the Shure is something totally different though so it would be like comparing apples and oranges. Same for the fact that the D3 Pro is able to be taken out of the mount and used as any typical shotgun mic. They both have basically stepless gain control (if you record internally on the Shure) and things like low cut filters built in. The Shure has replaceable batteries while the Deity doesn't so it's going to depend on which features are most important to you :)
@@ScottDumas Exactly, it should basically be the same thing, but since each company has its own, there might be some silly policy like 'Nope, you can only use ours ...'
Haha yeah it happens... the D3 prides itself on being super cross compatible though so I do hope that it should work with the Rode, but I'll double check with them. If I don't reply again it's because it should be a-ok :)
Thanks for watching! The s-mic 2 does likely have a better sound quality than this even, but the D3 definitely wins in versatility and still has a solid audio quality of its own :)
It should sound pretty similar to this, the microphones themselves are nearly identical as far as I know, only the extras are different (volume adjustment, low pass filter, batter power etc). In terms of sound quality, it should be one of the best on the market :)
That's pretty strange... I haven't heard any issues with that so far so not sure what's going on. I'll check with Deity to see if there's any compatibility issues they know of.
Haha, when the video was posted he was one of the other first people to review the mic, this way the video would ideally show up as recommended for people watching his video as well :-P
@@ScottDumas Man, I guess I should start tagging Linus Tech Tips and MKBHD in my videos then lol! Good review though. I'm actually trying to get in touch with Deity to see if there's any way they'd work with me on getting a D3 Pro. I want to upgrade from my Rode VideoMicro
Haha, not sure if it actually helps or not ;) I heard it somewhere before and thought I'd try it out. Hope you're able to work things out with Deity! The D3 is an amazing mic :)
You can really tell based off your subscription feed when companies send out a certain product to youtubers and those videos start to pop up all at once, haha.
The main talking part is recorded with the Canon C200, and the outdoor part at the end is with the EOS-R (which is the camera I have it mounted on top of during some of the b-roll)
I am a recording engineer. To my ears both are very good but have different characteristics. The Sennheiser sounds more airy and you can hear the sibilant esses better. It's more articulate. The Deity sounds a little too bassy for my tastes and it has a rolloff in the upper midrange. Both mics sound excellent in the studio, but outside, I'd say the Sennheiser is very good while the Deity is just good. Either sonic deficiencies are quite minor and can be EQ corrected in post quite easily.
Not that I've heard so far but I haven't tested that point specifically, It shouldn't be any worse than any other mic on the market of this design though
The T7i seems to have a 2.5mm jack and this is a standard 3.5mm cable. Not sure if a 3.5-->2.5 adapter would work or not, but most mics will have 3.5mm jacks like this one.
How do these Chinese companies produce things so cheap with great quality comparable to other established companies with years of R&D, but they themselves pop up out of relative obscurity? Almost like they reverse engineer/copy other people's stuff. It's almost like magic.
Well Deity branched off from Aputure which is still relatively new but has a bit more history with their R&D. Both Aputure and Deity are Chinese brands I suppose but they're very International and I don't think their staff nor their research or design is limited to so-called "Chinese" brand standards. From my understanding a lot of them are creators themselves who truly enjoy what they do and create products they themselves would want to use (and do use) so they don't care so much about a huge overhead like name brands do. I know it's been difficult because of that for them to break into new markets but I'm glad they are because while some knock offs are definitely not going to last, I think Deity and Aputure both will and they're not stopping in terms of stepping up their game. I think social media has played a big role as well because they're very very interactive with their user base and that helps a lot to find out and develop products people actually want. Really glad to see companies that listen to their users becoming more and more successful :) Hope it lasts!
@@ScottDumas stepping up their game by stealing other companies R&D and then getting UA-camrs like yourself to shill their product for them on the cheap. Smart. They save money any way they can. Cheap labor, cheap overhead with practically no R&D and almost free advertising. The Chinese way! I prefer to invest my money where there's actual innovation, ie Rode, Sennheiser, etc. Same with how I choose where I get my content from(once I realize who's a shill for Chinese knockoffs that is).
LOL! I reallllly don't think that's the case. Actually, I know several people from the company personally and I KNOW that's not the case. But I also know at this point, putting effort into a reasonable reply will have no effect anyway. Sorry you won't want to get your content from this shill anymore!
To be completely honest, I do believe it is the best at the moment for a VIDEO mic... as in on-camera mic in this general design. Not saying it's the best microphone in general :)
Literally the best review of this mic. Thank you for being so thorough! Bought it & subscribed! :) (Also, your video and audio are so clean!)
Thanks so much! I really appreciate that and I think you'll absolutely love the mic :)
If I have the Deity D3 Pro connected directly to the camera, will it turn off when I turn the camera off, and then turn on when I turn the camera back on? (without me pushing any buttons?)
I have it, done interviews with it, it’s amazing. I really don’t see a need to get an XLR shotgun mic.
Scott, It is refreshing to have a to-the-point and relevant review....well done and thanks!
Thanks so much! Glad it could be helpful :)
How come my GH5 internal is set to -12 and my gain on my deity d3 is 3, it’s peaking when I shout
The internal pre-amp on the GH5 is a bit hot compared to some cameras (canons for example) ...so you need to be able to pull the gain on the mic down as far as you can to balance that out a lot of the time. The lowest setting on the D3 for example, or -10dB on Rode VMP.
Excellent review. I’ve heard nothing but positive things about the Deity D3 Pro.
Thanks so much! It's definitely hard to say anything bad about it :)
Haven't seen anyone commenting on recording of live music with this mic. Anyone have feedback on this? Thanks!
Killer review man! Love the comparison between the two mic sounds. Can't wait to get this thing! Just sold my 1st Gen Røde Videomic Pro that I've been running for the last 3 years, and am flipping that cash right back into this Deity.
You won't regret it... except that maybe it will make you hate all other video mics ;)
Excellent review. Love the off-axis tests and the use of different gain-staging. Thank you!
Thanks so much! Glad it was helpful :)
That’s crazy how the EQ curve of the D3 Pro is similar to the MKE 600. In fact, it’s closer to the MKE 600 than the S-Mic 2
Just ordered it! Could it work wirelessly with DJI mic(which I own)? No interference in that combo?
Great review Scott! I been looking at picking up some Deity gear for a while now. This just reassures me that I need to add a few of their mics to my wish list. Keep up the awesome content! 😀🎥
Thanks so much! Definitely love their mics and use them almost exclusively myself :) thanks again for watching!
Hi Great video. Thank you for taking the time to create it. I couldn't quite work out what you were saying when discussing the gain required for both the MKE600 and the D3 Pro. Did you have to turn up the gain higher on your F4 on one mic to match the volume of the other? If you have time, please come back to me. Thanks, Peter.
Hi! Thanks so much. It's been a while so I'm not positive, but I think I tried to set the levels on the F4 identically, and match levels using the gain knob on the D3 Pro itself (set at around 4-5). Hope that helps!
@@ScottDumas Ok 👍 Thanks Scott for that. If you were in the market today like me, which would be you mic of choice?
Also, since you made the video a while ago, is there anything else on the market comparable for a similar price? Thanks, Peter.
The Rode VideoMic NTG is another great choice. I think it costs a bit more than the Deity, and the sound is great with both. I think price would be the main factor, and/or if you prefer the sound of one over the other. I also do like that the auto power on works better with the Rode at least in my experience. The Deity is killer for the money though and has held up amazingly over time.
Interesting drop in voice level. To my ears, it sounds like your stereo mic is picking up a lot more ambient noise which is adding to your level. Since the Deity is more directional, rejecting that noise, just your voice is taking up all the gain. Even so, your voice has more bass with the Deity and there's not rumble in either mic. I thought maybe the Sennheiser was picking up low energy from the cars and boosting the registered gain but I couldn't hear any.
Hi can I use this microphone D3 PRO on my camera zv-1 thanks Khalid from bahrain
Dang that’s a sweet mic! Something to consider. I’ve just purchased the rode video mic pro + which in finding great but I really like the ability to hook the Deity up to an XLR cable for boom work. Great review 👍🏻
The VMP+ is definitely a great mic as well, it gets the job done and is a huge improvement on the original version. Happy to see there's some solid competition on the market now with the D3 though :) Thanks for watching!
Great review, we can record directly to computer, am i right?
Thanks so much! Yep, you should be able to :)
Great review! Just bought one of these for my videos. Do you think the provided foam is enough, or is it worthwhile to buy the deadcat mic cover?
Thanks so much! If you're filming outdoors, I'd highly recommend the deadcat. I've used it without but even a small to medium wind can cause issues. Maybe alright for a vlog or something, but that's about it :)
@@ScottDumas thanks for the reply! Is there a way to find the right size of deadcat, or should I just buy one and hope it fits?
@@GregMakesStuff Here's a list that should definitely work :)
Rycote Classic Softie 12cm (19/22)
Rycote Super Softie (19/22)
K-Tek AIRO AWRVM1
Reinhardt Whisper W130
Reinhardt Windsock 50-130
Boya BY-P120
Boya BY-T120
Auray WSS-2014
Bumblebee WindKiller Medium
Movo WS160
Do you have a tutorial explaining how to set up the camera audio settings vs deity gain settings and the reasoning behind them? I just picked one up with my a7iii, but I have little knowledge behind the audio settings.
I don't unfortunately, but I feel like I remember seeing somewhere that around "6" was the sweet spot for this mic (could be wrong), so then adjust your camera audio as needed. I have no problem boosting this up to 8 or 10 if needed though when audio is quiet or if I want to lower the audio levels in my camera. If your camera has noisy pre-amps, sometimes boosting the mic more and lowering the camera levels will sound better. It may depend a bit on a camera-to-camera basis since the in camera pre-amp quality differs quite a bit. Because of that, general advice is to use the gain on the mic more than raising the in camera levels.
Can I use it as a USB mic?
Not USB but you should be able to plug into a computer or quite a wide range of devices with the 3.5mm port
Very nice mic and offer a lot for the money. Nice detailed review man! 👍
Thanks so much for watching! :) It's definitely a great value
If I want to mount one on a pole and straight into my camera with a 3.5 jack but don't need the XLR adaptor should I buy the standard kit and a separate pole shock mount grip. It's a bit confusing to me as the mount that comes with the standard kit looks to be designed just for mounting in a camera and the location kit comes with the XLR adaptor that I won't use.
The shock mount that is included also has a screw thread on the bottom so you should be able to put it out on the end of a pole with that shock mount as well if your screw thread matches up. It's a 3/8" with a removable 1/4" adapter screwed into it so it should work in most situations.
The outdoor test with the three different gain settings sounded very similar to me. What is the best quality in your opinion, which gain settings do you recommend to use in which situation?
I typically use it somewhere around 6, with the audio dialed back in camera to make it work.... I heard somewhere at some point that 6 was the ideal setting and above/below that is like the +/- settings on something like the Rode VMP, so I try to stick with it unless I need more. If I do need more though I'll dial up the gain on the mic before the gain in the recorder/camera usually.
@@ScottDumas thank you very much for the quick reply, I appreciate that.
Awesome review!!! Do you know what the situation is for us FUJIFILM users??? Why FUJI isn't on the list of compatibility?? Do we have to use just a regular TRS cable, and if so, will the mic still power on when the camera turns on?
FUJIFILM is becoming legit contenders in the video field with the XH1 (my camera) and now XT3 and I think there are alot of us out there that love this form factor that matches our cameras...seems like a perfect match.
As far as I know there shouldn't be any problems with Fuji, but like you said they're pretty recent (although strong) in the video market, so I'm guessing that's why they were left out of the list. The 3.5mm input jacks on Fuji cameras shouldn't be any different than those on Canon, Sony etc... otherwise other mics would likely have problems too. Just in case I've checked with Deity though and I'm just waiting to hear back from them now. I'll let you know if I hear anything different but I assume you shouldn't have any problems :)
@@ScottDumas Awwww, man you're awesome!! I just stumbled upon your channel researching this mic and now you have yourself a subscriber. I greatly appreciate it. I plan on investing on a new mic next month and I want it to be a DEITY over the RODE MIC PRO PLUS, so I want to make sure. So hopefully it works out for me because it would suck for DEITY to alienate all of us FUJI users haha.
Keep me posted on the response. Thanks so much.
@@jaeAre200 Haha thanks so much for that! I really appreciate it :) I'll keep you updated for sure! Should hear back from them tomorrow. Thanks again :)
Hey so for Fuji it does need a regular TRS cable but any standard 3.5mm TRS cable will work no problem :)
@@ScottDumas Awesome!!! Thanks man for following up, greatly appreciate it.
Hi Scott thanks for the review. Question, I got this but without the location kit but now I plan on using it with my tascam dr 40 on a boom pole for talking head. Will any 3.5mm xlr adapter work? It has internal battery so I dont need phantom power right?
Hi! Uhmmmm I'm pretty sure it will work with any XLR adapter, but I've only tried it with Deity's... and to the best of my memory it works fine without phantom power even using the XLR adapter :) Sorry for the super unconfident answer... it's too late and I probably should be sleeping now haha
Have you tried the Azden SMX-30? It's more expensive but the ability to choose between mono and stereo seems very nice and convenient.
I haven't tried that one specifically but I do like the Azden SGM-250CX, so I'm sure the SMX-30 sounds great as well :) Interesting to be able to switch back and forth for sure!
Have you used the Deity D3 plus with a Panasonic HC-X1? It has XLR inputs and I don't belive it has phantom power. It sounds like this Mic is already powered and there is the XLR adapter so my guess is I'm good to go but I'm not super techie so I apologize if this is a stupid question but I'd appreciate your input. Thanks for the awesome review. Really well done and impressive production value.
Thanks so much! I haven't used that combination but I think in theory it should work. If you want to sure before buying it, I'd say send Deity a message on facebook to ask, they're usually pretty good with responding there :)
@@ScottDumas great idea. Thank you I will reach out to them. 👍
Is the internal Li-ion battery replaceable? Thanks for the review
You would need to send it in for servicing if you want it replaced. There is a 2 year warranty though and an additional 6 months if you register online. I believe that the standard D3 microphone uses a normal battery though so if you want something replaceable that will do the trick.
Scott, how would you say the D3 Pro compares with your MKE600 in terms of audio quality? Thanks.
Hey, thanks for watching. You know, it's very very close but I think I actually like the D3 better and I've been contemplating switching out my MKE600 for the D3 as a boom mic for these videos. The only annoyance is that if it's already shut off (not standby mode but fully shut off), turning on the recorder doesn't turn on the D3 like it does the MKE600 because that's powered solely by phantom power (unless you use the battery). I'd have to be sure to turn it on manually each time I start making a video, BUT at least I don't have to remember to turn it off.
Thank you for your detailed reply, Scott. I currently use a Rode VideoMicro atop my GH5 when I go out because it has a shock mount and a furry windscreen and keeps wind noise controlled. But I always keep my eyes open for better mics I can mount on-camera. The only potential caveat with the D3 is size. The VideoMicro excels at being unobtrusive due to its tiny form factor. But the D3 seems to be a much higher quality choice, and I could use it indoors on a boom like you. Food for thought. Thanks for your video!
@@JDW- Yeah the Video Micro is a cool little mic for sure. Pocketable and solid build quality. The D3 can definitely be something I'd recommend though- I think the standard D3 is a bit smaller if size is an issue but it's only in length. I think anything that would be considered a step up from the Video Micro will be around the same size though because of the requirements like battery power to drive the built in preamps. Overall this is much more versatile than the VMP, for example, so if you were to jump up to something "higher" than the Video Micro, I'd say either the D3 or D3 Pro would be a solid choice :)
@@ScottDumas Thank you for the detailed advice. By the way, you can see how I tested the VideoMicro outdoors in the wind in my video here: ua-cam.com/video/-KhyWOSRREw/v-deo.html
Great video. I have this mic on my GH5. On camera isn’t too good. It’s too quiet if you’re more than 5’ from talent.
Thanks so much! Yeah with any mic on camera will only be ideal if you're fairly close. The great part about the D3 though is you can easily pop it onto a boom pole or pretty much any setup and use it like that if necessary. Lav mics will do best when you're moving further away though even as a solo shooter.
can you plug the usb c into pc and use as a usb mic?
Not with USB, but you can plug in the 3.5mm jack to the computer and use it that way.
@@ScottDumas thank you
Thanks for the great review 😊
I just connected my brand new V-Mic D3 Pro to the back of the Zoom H4n ('EXT MIC' input) using the supplied TRRS cable. I turned on the Plugin-Power in the Zoom, turned on the microphone (green light is on). I'm trying to record, but nothing. No audio. I wonder if you know what did I do wrong with the Zoom...
Thanks,
Edo
Hi! Been a while since I used the H4N but my first two guesses would be to double check the gain settings on the mic itself (so that it's not set to 0) and also the input settings for the H4N. There's some more info on that here if it helps: sites.google.com/a/hawaii.edu/laelabsedit/troubleshooting/howtochangeinputsettingsforexternalmicrophonesonzoomh4nrecorder
You know this already but this review is super helpful. Many thanks.
Thanks so much, I always appreciate hearing that :)
Hey Scott, thanks for this review. I just bought this mic, and I'm still having some trouble with hissing/buzzing noise in my videos. I'm working with a Canon T6i, I have the in-camera audio set at a little over half, and the D3's gain on 10 (+20db). Any advice?
Hi! I don't have experience with the T6i specifically, but if the in camera gain is over halfway I suspect that can be mostly the source of the noise. I'm surprised that much gain is necessary though, on most of the other cameras I've tried, especially Canon, using +20dB on the mic means I can turn the camera audio way down. My only advice if that's the case is to try and get your mic closer to the sound source or use some noise reduction in post (I'm assuming you'd rather not use an external recorder)
Hope it helps!
Thanks Scott, I'll try tinkering a bit more.
great video. I want to shot youtube videos, and was looking into buying the Rode mic for my Canon 77D. This mic looks great am sold
Thanks! I think you'll absolutely love it.
nice comparison! thank you.
When should you use 75 hz and 150hz. Also when should you use the gain control knob
the 75hz and 150hz will cut different levels of low frequency noise from your audio. If you see that those low frequencies are causing issues like peaking, you can use the low cut feature to cut those out and which you will use will just depend on how low frequency that audio is and what is necessary to cut it out. It will cause a difference in the audio quality though so I would say don't worry about it unless you can see that those noises are causing significant issues with your audio. As long as nothing is peaking you should be able to apply the filters in post as well.
The gain knob is for when you need more input so you can lower your camera or recorder's level, since a lot of DSLRs for example have poor quality preamps built in. This way you can boost audio with the microphone instead of using the camera's preamp and you'll get better results. You could also use the gain control knob to lower the audio level even more when you have excessively loud noise like at a parade or concert. Turning the gain knob all the way down as well as the audio in your camera should help to avoid clipping even in those noisy environments.
Hope that helps!
@@ScottDumas Thank you so much!!! :) It helped a lot!
Do you prefer the Deity to your MKE 440? I currently have the Rode Micro and actually just ordered the MKE 440, but it hasn't come in yet. From watching a few reviews I like how the Sennheiser renders voices and at least imo the D3 Pro sounded a little bit muddier. But the D3 Pro definitely has a better feature set and price point.
I think I actually do prefer the D3 in a lot of situations, but it's a very close call. I love the MKE440 as well and sold my VMP+ because of it, so I think it's still a really great choice. Honestly, what bothers me the most about it is the little switches on the side are so small and especially when you have the furry windscreen on, near impossible to see or access. Sound wise, the D3 is a bit more muddy sometimes but I feel like it gives a more finished sound straight out of the mic, where the MKE440 is a bit "cleaner" and can use some EQ to make it shine. I love the stepless gain adjustment on the D3 Pro as well, but they're both fantastic mics :)
@@ScottDumas Thanks for the reply! I might have to pick up both mics and do my own comparison to see which works best. Currently shooting with an A7III, so I'm curious how big of a difference having the adjustable gain control makes.
@@nicholassmith7723 Let me know if you do, I'd love to hear the results :)
@@ScottDumas How well has your Sennheiser held up? After receiving the mic I'm pretty concerned with how soft and stretchy that cable is, especially since you can't replace it.
It's been perfectly fine for over a year now, and I definitely haven't been gentle with it haha. I don't think you should need to worry about it too much :)
I’m debating whether or not to pair this mic with my Zoom h4n pro via phantom power as my boom option. Some people complain about h4n preamps. I would be using this combo solely for corporate interviews. Thoughts on the pairing?
it could definitely do the trick but if that's your main purpose I might recommend the S-Mic 2 instead (or one of their soon to come "indoor mics") ...true XLR output, probably a better match for a recorder if you aim to use it that way most of the time. I think the D3 Pro does great as a dual purpose mic, but needing the adapter for XLR would steer me away if that was the only use. Sorry for rambling on haha.. it's late and I'm half asleep ;)
Is zero gain on the mic silent? I'm looking for a mic that I can use with my camera that has way too hot preamp and it's not adjustable.. Normal speaking voice clips. I need to attenuate the incoming signal and I would like to know if I can adjust the gain to keep the camera from clipping.
Zero's not silent just quieter than usual... I think around 5 or 6 is their "0" point, so pulling the dial back to zero will pull back the signal to help with cameras like that. I'm not 100% sure of that without re-checking, but I think you'd likely be ok.
@@ScottDumas Thanks!
@@ScottDumas One other question: Is the location kit portion of the bundle available separately? I might like to buy the mic first, then add the handle and XLR adapter later. I checked the Rycote web site but am not sure that any of the handles there are the same one that comes in the bundle.
I could find the XLR adapter no problem, should be about $24 separately, but I'm not totally sure about the Rycote pistol grip... however I'm pretty sure it's the same or nearly the same as the standard Rycote pistol grip from what I can see online... in any case, that should work just as well but you might save some money overall buying the kit together I'm guessing.
Rode VideoMic NTG Shotgun Supercardioid Mic or this Deity one?
we'll see very soon ;)
Hi! Newbie here. Just got my new Deity D3 Pro. What is the best setting for Gain at the other end of the mic? Are there factors to consider when setting the gain up?
Hi! Typically you'd want to set the gain on the mic around the middle probably... but if you need more gain because your audio is not loud enough, turning it higher on the microphone will probably give better results than turning it higher on the camera. Generally, you'll want to keep the mic levels on your camera fairly low (the actual number setting will depend on the camera brand/model) but after turning that low, adjust the gain on the microphone so that the peaks of your loudest audio are reaching around -12dB. That will leave a little extra space for unexpected sudden loud sounds, and then you can raise the audio a little in post for full volume. If you plan to use the audio/video straight out of camera without editing anything, you could raise the levels (on the mic, or camera if necessary) so that the loudest peaks are a little bit louder but generally you never want your audio to go above 0dB, so try and leave a little safe space. Hope that helps!
@@ScottDumas Wow! That was complete info. Thanks for helping! Really appreciate it.
@@celestialdrums486 No problem at all, happy to help :)
Is there impedance, like on the Rode NTG2? I'm assuming yes, because the battery?
According to the specs, the impedance is 200 ohms
Great review, how would you compare Deity V-Mic D3 Pro with Shure VP83F ?
Thanks so much! I think the D3 Pro has a more good to go out of the box sound to it, while the Shure could use a little EQ. That's not a bad thing but it depends how you'd use it. The internal recorder on the Shure is something totally different though so it would be like comparing apples and oranges. Same for the fact that the D3 Pro is able to be taken out of the mount and used as any typical shotgun mic. They both have basically stepless gain control (if you record internally on the Shure) and things like low cut filters built in. The Shure has replaceable batteries while the Deity doesn't so it's going to depend on which features are most important to you :)
@@ScottDumas thanks Scott, really helpful
Hey Scott, I've read that the D3 isn't compatible with the Canon C200... can you confirm?
With its current cable it's not. It might be something that's as simple as using a different cable, but I haven't messed with it yet myself.
@@ScottDumas Just got confirmation from DEITY, you need an XLR adapter to make it work
@@clydetower1933 If they mean the XLR adapter they make, it was too tight to fit in my C200
Awesome review, thank you!
Thanks for watching! :)
Thanks for this great review! I have one question: do you know if Deity mic also works with Rode vxlr+ adapter?
Thanks for watching! That's a very good question. I honestly don't see why not, but I haven't tried it myself.
@@ScottDumas Exactly, it should basically be the same thing, but since each company has its own, there might be some silly policy like 'Nope, you can only use ours ...'
Haha yeah it happens... the D3 prides itself on being super cross compatible though so I do hope that it should work with the Rode, but I'll double check with them. If I don't reply again it's because it should be a-ok :)
Actually just got a reply already- it should be fine :)
@@ScottDumas Nice, great to know! Thanks for checking!
"unlike some of the other microphones on the market." WE'RE LOOKING AT YOU RODE VIDEOMICPRO ! -.-
😅😅😅
thanks for this review, Ive been torn between this mic and the S mic 2
Thanks for watching! The s-mic 2 does likely have a better sound quality than this even, but the D3 definitely wins in versatility and still has a solid audio quality of its own :)
Scott Dumas I don’t like that the s mic 2 is lacking a lowpass filter and requires it to be done in recorder
@@Musiquedecor That is true, another plus for the D3 Pro :)
i will try this mic
Hope you love it! :)
Can anyone tell me how the normal D3 sounds directly connected to a Canon DSLR?
It should sound pretty similar to this, the microphones themselves are nearly identical as far as I know, only the extras are different (volume adjustment, low pass filter, batter power etc). In terms of sound quality, it should be one of the best on the market :)
Thanks!
great bro
impossible to acquisition with my canon 1dx II through line input, dissapointed
That's pretty strange... I haven't heard any issues with that so far so not sure what's going on. I'll check with Deity to see if there's any compatibility issues they know of.
at the very end (12:12), you labeled the mke440 as the mke600
Good catch! Sorry about that :)
so coool. 1:11 is that a hair band i find that cool. lol
Haha yeah, I keep it on there to hold a bit of the slack behind the mic :)
lol "Curtis Judd" is used as a tag in this video
Haha, when the video was posted he was one of the other first people to review the mic, this way the video would ideally show up as recommended for people watching his video as well :-P
@@ScottDumas Man, I guess I should start tagging Linus Tech Tips and MKBHD in my videos then lol! Good review though. I'm actually trying to get in touch with Deity to see if there's any way they'd work with me on getting a D3 Pro. I want to upgrade from my Rode VideoMicro
Haha, not sure if it actually helps or not ;) I heard it somewhere before and thought I'd try it out.
Hope you're able to work things out with Deity! The D3 is an amazing mic :)
Is it good for gilmmaking
Very good! Of course, it will depend on your needs but generally I think this would serve you well since it can be used in lots of different setups.
You can really tell based off your subscription feed when companies send out a certain product to youtubers and those videos start to pop up all at once, haha.
hahaha, that'll happen :-P
What camera are you using?
The main talking part is recorded with the Canon C200, and the outdoor part at the end is with the EOS-R (which is the camera I have it mounted on top of during some of the b-roll)
This video starts with you saying BEST... So do we need to watch the entire video?
Need? nahh lol... but some might wonder why or want to make the judgement for themselves based on their own preferences ;)
@@ScottDumas 👍
thanks dude, sweeet
Thanks for watching! :)
I am a recording engineer. To my ears both are very good but have different characteristics. The Sennheiser sounds more airy and you can hear the sibilant esses better. It's more articulate. The Deity sounds a little too bassy for my tastes and it has a rolloff in the upper midrange. Both mics sound excellent in the studio, but outside, I'd say the Sennheiser is very good while the Deity is just good. Either sonic deficiencies are quite minor and can be EQ corrected in post quite easily.
Really appreciate the insight! Thanks for watching and commenting! :)
Not sure if this was obvious, but inside he compared the deity to the mke600, and outside he compared it to the mke440
@@likebliss again, thanks for this catch. My bad! :)
any wifi / radio interference happened to this Mic?
Not that I've heard so far but I haven't tested that point specifically, It shouldn't be any worse than any other mic on the market of this design though
Scott Dumas thanks mate
Great review (I'll be buying it next month anyway) but terrible maths x
doesnt work with a canon t7i
The T7i seems to have a 2.5mm jack and this is a standard 3.5mm cable. Not sure if a 3.5-->2.5 adapter would work or not, but most mics will have 3.5mm jacks like this one.
How do these Chinese companies produce things so cheap with great quality comparable to other established companies with years of R&D, but they themselves pop up out of relative obscurity? Almost like they reverse engineer/copy other people's stuff. It's almost like magic.
Well Deity branched off from Aputure which is still relatively new but has a bit more history with their R&D. Both Aputure and Deity are Chinese brands I suppose but they're very International and I don't think their staff nor their research or design is limited to so-called "Chinese" brand standards. From my understanding a lot of them are creators themselves who truly enjoy what they do and create products they themselves would want to use (and do use) so they don't care so much about a huge overhead like name brands do. I know it's been difficult because of that for them to break into new markets but I'm glad they are because while some knock offs are definitely not going to last, I think Deity and Aputure both will and they're not stopping in terms of stepping up their game. I think social media has played a big role as well because they're very very interactive with their user base and that helps a lot to find out and develop products people actually want. Really glad to see companies that listen to their users becoming more and more successful :) Hope it lasts!
@@ScottDumas stepping up their game by stealing other companies R&D and then getting UA-camrs like yourself to shill their product for them on the cheap. Smart. They save money any way they can. Cheap labor, cheap overhead with practically no R&D and almost free advertising. The Chinese way! I prefer to invest my money where there's actual innovation, ie Rode, Sennheiser, etc. Same with how I choose where I get my content from(once I realize who's a shill for Chinese knockoffs that is).
LOL! I reallllly don't think that's the case. Actually, I know several people from the company personally and I KNOW that's not the case. But I also know at this point, putting effort into a reasonable reply will have no effect anyway. Sorry you won't want to get your content from this shill anymore!
@@ScottDumas glad to know it's an unbiased "best mic in the worlds!"review then 😉🙄🙄🙄🙄🤭
@@ScottDumas I'm sure the Deity pencil S1 isn't a nearly identical copy of the Oktava Mk 012 either 😉
Pretending is fun.
0
While definitely better then a lot of similar price point mics, calling it "the best" is not accurate.
To be completely honest, I do believe it is the best at the moment for a VIDEO mic... as in on-camera mic in this general design. Not saying it's the best microphone in general :)