Hi there! The quality of sound is definitely better at the beginning of the video when the Rode microphone was being used than in the end of the video with the Pixel Microphone. Thanks Ashley!
Ashley, thank you so much for doing the comparison review! You did a great job with sharing the pros and cons for those of us that are teaching virtually!
Amazing review! Truly appreciate your honesty.. you JUST helped me make my decision ... The Pixel voical air sounds like a great starter for me. Thank you!
Thanks Ashley! My husband bought the Pixel 2 months ago as I started teaching virtually for the 1st time...I didn't want to make a big investment and was on the fence of committing to teaching online...knowing how much I did want to continue teaching during this time of social distancing my hubby bought it as a gift to try the whole virtual arena out without the investment. So far, so good! It does the job and I've continued teaching three x a week online! I didn't need an extra adapter as the wire it came with connected directly to my phone and Samsung Galaxy notebook. No issues at all. So I think the Pixels Vocal Air is a great choice for Yoga teachers just starting out in the virtual arena of Yoga!
Yes it has everything to connect to a phone or tablet. It’s the computer you’d need the additional USB cord. I’m glad it’s working well for you! I’m still testing it out and looking forward to using it at my yoga studio tomorrow.
I’m trying to make the decision for one or the other tonight. Thanks for this! I’m leaning towards the cheaper with everything for now. Such a difficult decision! I love to hear clear sound.
I just did a demo in my yoga studio. I'll be uploading that video tonight. The pixel voical air sounds super great. The lav mic is a little choppy, but if I just use the mic box on my shirt, it sounds super clear and amazing. I'm impressed. Oh, and I also think that the Rode is still sold out. So you might have to go with the other one.
Your videos are so helpful! For the record, I splurged and got the Rode. I use it for business presentations and my wife uses it for teaching yoga and meditation. We already had an external mic (Manufacturer is Zoom) for recording musical instruments that has a mic input and USB output, so I didn't have to buy the 2 additional cables, but I may still do that just to streamline the setup.
Awesome! So far I really just love the Rode. I'm also completely an Apple products girl, so in some ways, I think that makes sense. I don't usually try to cut corners with technology. But this Pixel mic has some options that the rode doesn't have. Such as a headphone jack on the transmitter and the ability to have two (or possibly more) microphones connected to one receiver. As a yoga teacher, I don't need those options. But it would be great for business presentations and what-not.
Another great and informative video. I noticed a loud background hissing noise in the Pixel. Sound like it comes with a great package and the value is great. I wonder if the sound will be clear enough for self taping and public speaking. Thanks again! Very informative!!
Good comparison. I tried the pixel voical air and the noise was just too much and driving me crazy. It’s good as a backup mic for me. I got the Røde wireless go 2 and could not be happier.
I have the Rode Wireless Go 2, as well. I haven’t used it yet. I have no need for 2 microphones, but I thought I’d do a demo or find some way to use it. How are you using 2 mics? Or is one just a back-up?
I sometimes do interviews and I need two mics. But the wireless go 2 is so much more. It has digital audio to the phone or laptop so you don’t have noise. It also has stereo with the two mics so when I do things like record or stream a church organ I can do that. The safety channel feature is nice because sometimes a singer or speaker will exceed the level and clip and your recording is ruined. The safety channel has one channel recorded lower as a backup. Finally the fact that it can record on the mic itself instead of just be w wireless mic means if the wireless part doesn’t work due to interference you still have a backup recording. My use case is different to yours but for me it’s worth it as I use all the features. If you’re doing a single person speaking and a simple camera setup I wouldn’t see it as necessary.
@@n2rj Thank you for this! I bought it because I'm obsessed with the first one I've been using for a year. And I think in the future I'll want to do interviews or two-person workshops... or something. I wonder if this would be good for yoga sound baths, based on your comment about the sound of an organ. I don't usually recommend the Rode mic for sound bath type things because tibetan bowls sometimes cut out. Would that be the "stereo" setting? I'm not as familiar with settings and tech-speak. I just know what works and I stick to it.
For recording you can use the two internal mics. They are omnidirectional so they’ll work for ambience recording. You can connect an external stereo mic as I do but if you’re just recording I would use a dedicated recorder like the Zoom H6 or H8. My H8 is my Swiss Army knife and I use it for all sorts of audio recoding and even live sound like events and such.
This is really helpful thank you. If I'm co-teaching a class I'm assuming I need to buy two but I'm wondering if two mics can be hooked up to my computer and in use simultaneously. Have you co-taught with this mic before?
The Pixel Voical Air transmits through radio channels, so as long as you have two microphones set to the same channel, you should be good to go. There is an option on Amazon for a package with 2 mics. The Rode Wireless Go is different. It is not radio channels. You would need to by the TWO version (that comes with 2 mics).
The Pixel mic DOES have a headphone input!! I guess that’s what a lot of people were happy about. I forgot to mention it. I’m going to make another video tomorrow of me actually using it for yoga teaching. Today was basically an initial reaction.
Thanks for all your great videos and help. I've been using the Pixel Voical Air for nearly a year but the transmitter has stopped working- it just won't turn on. I've charged it and tried everything I could think of. I cannot seem to find the manufacturer to contact, I've tried numerous methods and sent notes on amazon etc... but have not gotten any other feedback. Any suggestions? thanks!
This is so helpful! I'm still unsure how you to hear my students. If a student has a question during class, do you have a headphone or something so that you can hear? Thank you!
Yes I noticed this, too. This was only the second time I used the Pixel, so I’m not really sure, yet. I am going to test it more fully tomorrow when I have another environment to move around in (my yoga studio.) So, there will be more coming. I saw other videos that the Pixel is a “Rode Killer” but I really don’t believe that. So basically, I need more time with the Pixel mic before making a full assessment.
@@AshleyHagen Also because she is maxed out on both RX and TX in this video. That's what she even said. Also if connected to a camera depends on what your camera is set to.
I don't think any Mac computers have an audio input. I can't speak for other brands or computer types since I'm not a tech channel, but I'm sure you are correct.
Interesting, your lav mic was very choppy/inconsistent sound, compared with the Pixel Voical Air mic box by itself. I use a non-RODE lav mic with the RODE Wireless Go, so now I'm wondering if it also sounds worse than just the box. My students say the sound is good, but I shall do some recording tests to check. One point - the first TRRS>TRS adapter that I used for the lav mic (it came with it) was just a straight stick design plugged into the box, and it broke/snapped off when I was wearing the RODE clipped to my hip pocket and rolled over on the floor, whilst teaching a yoga class. The students had to unmute themselves on Zoom and let me know the sound had cut off. Luckily I could go back to just clipping the RODE onto my bra strap (which I don't really like to do - i.e. having WiFi waves right next to my heart and breast). So, in order to avoid the same thing happening again, I bought an L-shaped TRRS adapter plug which kind of hugs the top of the RODE mic and so is not vulnerable to snapping off like the previous one. Hope that makes sense! It is possible to get TRS plug lav mics (so no adapter needed), but I couldn't find (an affordable) one with an L-shaped plug.
Oh interesting. Maybe I didn't plug it in all the way or something? I don't usually use a lav mic. My students usually say the sound is good even if it's just my laptop, haha. They're just happy I'm there. But I am not happy with the recording if I don't have decent sound. I will do another comparison of the two of these in my yoga studio tomorrow. Where the environment is very echo-y. I just wanted to make this quick as a first test-run. I was so curious why my other two lav mics didn't work with the Rode. Now I realize what you mean. I likely need an adapter. So many adapters and cables for the rode! I will probably just continue to risk the wifi waves and use the little box deal under my shirt.
If the headphone jack input jack works, use it. It's important to test it first. On some new Macbook Airs, this is also the case. Macs have headphone jacks, too. It just doesn't work. I'm not an expert and have no idea why this is the case, nor am I partnered with the companies besides having an affiliate link through Amazon. I don't know all the answers.
@@AshleyHagen So how your Rode mic holding up and how's business doing yoga over the net? I think its great you can do it that way and also do one on one sessions. Also if you have a decent sized space at home, you dont have to spend a fortune on a space at a mini mall or something. Plus, youre not limited to the size of class either! Well, maybe if you got a ton of people in one session asking questions it might be smart to have the session size capped. One draw is the one to one physical help that you cant provide over the internet, such as adjusting someone's posture and things like that. anyways, best of luck!
@@d3tach3d Thanks! The Rode mic has held up great. I still use it all the time. Business is going well. I live in a small apartment, but was doing 6am Zoom yoga classes every weekday for over a year. I own a beautiful yoga studio 1/2 mile from my home and my lease goes through next February. I'm not 100% sure I want to own a yoga studio (I took over this studio 5 months prior to shut-down), but I have to pay the rent so I'm doing what I can. I love working from home and online doing more consulting, coaching and video/course creation. The online coaching business is going great. I'm not as excited about the studio business anymore.
@@AshleyHagen As a business owner myself I can relate to so many things you said. I teach Glass Blowing for Beginners to Advanced and also fill production orders for distributors. Being able to teach glass blowing over classes and consulting work over Zoom is so much more convenient and it opens up my customer/student base to the world instead of just locals, which is huge for growth! So many new opportunities, Ideas, and foresight into my businesses potential and future. Ever since I started Teaching over the web, It got to a point to where there was too much work to handle but thats a good thing! Its pushed me to expand and hire another teacher too keep up with the workload. Since I'm still growing and changed my workflow for the web I can only see good things to happen. With the internet these days, being a teacher in the private sector has unlimited potential. Again, best of luck to you
Pixel is actually only $100. It's better than nothing and great for people on a very limited budget. Because I have both, I'm actually more concerned about the physical materials it was made of. It's like comparing an iphone vs. a cheap plastic version of some other cell phone. I'm always going to choose iphone, even if it costs 5-10x more. I have the pixel mic now as a back-up now and will continue using the Rode until it craps out (then probably buy another one).
@@igniteyoursoulfire I actually have to go in an update the links on all my videos for that. Now, you can buy the Rode Wireless Go II with just one of the microphones. And that what most people are doing. Here's my equipment page: www.amazon.com/shop/ashesyoga/list/EEXNXOMZTZN7
📷 Updated equipment links can be found in my Amazon store at www.amazon.com/shop/ashesyoga/list/EEXNXOMZTZN7
Hi there! The quality of sound is definitely better at the beginning of the video when the Rode microphone was being used than in the end of the video with the Pixel Microphone. Thanks Ashley!
Ashley, thank you so much for doing the comparison review! You did a great job with sharing the pros and cons for those of us that are teaching virtually!
Amazing review! Truly appreciate your honesty.. you JUST helped me make my decision ... The Pixel voical air sounds like a great starter for me. Thank you!
Thanks Ashley! My husband bought the Pixel 2 months ago as I started teaching virtually for the 1st time...I didn't want to make a big investment and was on the fence of committing to teaching online...knowing how much I did want to continue teaching during this time of social distancing my hubby bought it as a gift to try the whole virtual arena out without the investment. So far, so good! It does the job and I've continued teaching three x a week online!
I didn't need an extra adapter as the wire it came with connected directly to my phone and Samsung Galaxy notebook. No issues at all. So I think the Pixels Vocal Air is a great choice for Yoga teachers just starting out in the virtual arena of Yoga!
Yes it has everything to connect to a phone or tablet. It’s the computer you’d need the additional USB cord. I’m glad it’s working well for you! I’m still testing it out and looking forward to using it at my yoga studio tomorrow.
I’m trying to make the decision for one or the other tonight. Thanks for this! I’m leaning towards the cheaper with everything for now. Such a difficult decision! I love to hear clear sound.
I just did a demo in my yoga studio. I'll be uploading that video tonight. The pixel voical air sounds super great. The lav mic is a little choppy, but if I just use the mic box on my shirt, it sounds super clear and amazing. I'm impressed. Oh, and I also think that the Rode is still sold out. So you might have to go with the other one.
Your videos are so helpful! For the record, I splurged and got the Rode. I use it for business presentations and my wife uses it for teaching yoga and meditation. We already had an external mic (Manufacturer is Zoom) for recording musical instruments that has a mic input and USB output, so I didn't have to buy the 2 additional cables, but I may still do that just to streamline the setup.
Awesome! So far I really just love the Rode. I'm also completely an Apple products girl, so in some ways, I think that makes sense. I don't usually try to cut corners with technology. But this Pixel mic has some options that the rode doesn't have. Such as a headphone jack on the transmitter and the ability to have two (or possibly more) microphones connected to one receiver. As a yoga teacher, I don't need those options. But it would be great for business presentations and what-not.
Another great and informative video. I noticed a loud background hissing noise in the Pixel. Sound like it comes with a great package and the value is great. I wonder if the sound will be clear enough for self taping and public speaking. Thanks again! Very informative!!
It’s fine for that (live sound and PA). For video I pass. Get the Røde if you’re using it for video.
I am so happy to find you!!! BEst overall overview thanks for all your virtual technical tipps!
These videos are so helpful!
Good comparison. I tried the pixel voical air and the noise was just too much and driving me crazy. It’s good as a backup mic for me. I got the Røde wireless go 2 and could not be happier.
I have the Rode Wireless Go 2, as well. I haven’t used it yet. I have no need for 2 microphones, but I thought I’d do a demo or find some way to use it. How are you using 2 mics? Or is one just a back-up?
I sometimes do interviews and I need two mics. But the wireless go 2 is so much more. It has digital audio to the phone or laptop so you don’t have noise. It also has stereo with the two mics so when I do things like record or stream a church organ I can do that. The safety channel feature is nice because sometimes a singer or speaker will exceed the level and clip and your recording is ruined. The safety channel has one channel recorded lower as a backup. Finally the fact that it can record on the mic itself instead of just be w wireless mic means if the wireless part doesn’t work due to interference you still have a backup recording. My use case is different to yours but for me it’s worth it as I use all the features. If you’re doing a single person speaking and a simple camera setup I wouldn’t see it as necessary.
@@n2rj Thank you for this! I bought it because I'm obsessed with the first one I've been using for a year. And I think in the future I'll want to do interviews or two-person workshops... or something. I wonder if this would be good for yoga sound baths, based on your comment about the sound of an organ. I don't usually recommend the Rode mic for sound bath type things because tibetan bowls sometimes cut out. Would that be the "stereo" setting? I'm not as familiar with settings and tech-speak. I just know what works and I stick to it.
For recording you can use the two internal mics. They are omnidirectional so they’ll work for ambience recording. You can connect an external stereo mic as I do but if you’re just recording I would use a dedicated recorder like the Zoom H6 or H8. My H8 is my Swiss Army knife and I use it for all sorts of audio recoding and even live sound like events and such.
Thanks for the information, and great video.
This is really helpful thank you. If I'm co-teaching a class I'm assuming I need to buy two but I'm wondering if two mics can be hooked up to my computer and in use simultaneously. Have you co-taught with this mic before?
The Pixel Voical Air transmits through radio channels, so as long as you have two microphones set to the same channel, you should be good to go. There is an option on Amazon for a package with 2 mics. The Rode Wireless Go is different. It is not radio channels. You would need to by the TWO version (that comes with 2 mics).
Super helpful, thank you! I hope someone comes out with a wireless mic that also has a headphone jack to monitor audio from the computer.
The Pixel mic DOES have a headphone input!! I guess that’s what a lot of people were happy about. I forgot to mention it. I’m going to make another video tomorrow of me actually using it for yoga teaching. Today was basically an initial reaction.
@@AshleyHagen Awesome! That solves a lot of problems for virtual teachers. Looking forward to your next video.
Hi Ashley! This is so helpful! Are you able to use this mic for zoom?
Yes! If you are using a computer, You may have to use the USB cable (sold separately) that I mention in my videos in the description.
Thanks for this informative videos. Can the pixel voical air also be plugged into a speaker for voice amplification?
Yes. I believe so. Use the cord that says "camera" on it. It worked when I tested with my old Bose speaker.
Thanks for all your great videos and help. I've been using the Pixel Voical Air for nearly a year but the transmitter has stopped working- it just won't turn on. I've charged it and tried everything I could think of. I cannot seem to find the manufacturer to contact, I've tried numerous methods and sent notes on amazon etc... but have not gotten any other feedback. Any suggestions?
thanks!
This is so helpful! I'm still unsure how you to hear my students. If a student has a question during class, do you have a headphone or something so that you can hear? Thank you!
As you say the Rode has a much crisper sound.
I notice that there is a background hissing noise when you use pixel voical mic which is absent in the rode. Care to comment on this?
Yes I noticed this, too. This was only the second time I used the Pixel, so I’m not really sure, yet. I am going to test it more fully tomorrow when I have another environment to move around in (my yoga studio.) So, there will be more coming. I saw other videos that the Pixel is a “Rode Killer” but I really don’t believe that. So basically, I need more time with the Pixel mic before making a full assessment.
@@AshleyHagen Also because she is maxed out on both RX and TX in this video. That's what she even said. Also if connected to a camera depends on what your camera is set to.
You don't necessarily need that cable. It's depends on what computer you are using. A lot of them have an audio input. Yours doesn't.
I don't think any Mac computers have an audio input. I can't speak for other brands or computer types since I'm not a tech channel, but I'm sure you are correct.
Interesting, your lav mic was very choppy/inconsistent sound, compared with the Pixel Voical Air mic box by itself. I use a non-RODE lav mic with the RODE Wireless Go, so now I'm wondering if it also sounds worse than just the box. My students say the sound is good, but I shall do some recording tests to check. One point - the first TRRS>TRS adapter that I used for the lav mic (it came with it) was just a straight stick design plugged into the box, and it broke/snapped off when I was wearing the RODE clipped to my hip pocket and rolled over on the floor, whilst teaching a yoga class. The students had to unmute themselves on Zoom and let me know the sound had cut off. Luckily I could go back to just clipping the RODE onto my bra strap (which I don't really like to do - i.e. having WiFi waves right next to my heart and breast). So, in order to avoid the same thing happening again, I bought an L-shaped TRRS adapter plug which kind of hugs the top of the RODE mic and so is not vulnerable to snapping off like the previous one. Hope that makes sense! It is possible to get TRS plug lav mics (so no adapter needed), but I couldn't find (an affordable) one with an L-shaped plug.
Oh interesting. Maybe I didn't plug it in all the way or something? I don't usually use a lav mic. My students usually say the sound is good even if it's just my laptop, haha. They're just happy I'm there. But I am not happy with the recording if I don't have decent sound. I will do another comparison of the two of these in my yoga studio tomorrow. Where the environment is very echo-y. I just wanted to make this quick as a first test-run.
I was so curious why my other two lav mics didn't work with the Rode. Now I realize what you mean. I likely need an adapter. So many adapters and cables for the rode! I will probably just continue to risk the wifi waves and use the little box deal under my shirt.
That USB to Mic cable is only for MACs. Most Windows Laptops have a Mic jack on them
If the headphone jack input jack works, use it. It's important to test it first. On some new Macbook Airs, this is also the case. Macs have headphone jacks, too. It just doesn't work. I'm not an expert and have no idea why this is the case, nor am I partnered with the companies besides having an affiliate link through Amazon. I don't know all the answers.
@@AshleyHagen So how your Rode mic holding up and how's business doing yoga over the net? I think its great you can do it that way and also do one on one sessions. Also if you have a decent sized space at home, you dont have to spend a fortune on a space at a mini mall or something. Plus, youre not limited to the size of class either! Well, maybe if you got a ton of people in one session asking questions it might be smart to have the session size capped. One draw is the one to one physical help that you cant provide over the internet, such as adjusting someone's posture and things like that. anyways, best of luck!
@@d3tach3d Thanks! The Rode mic has held up great. I still use it all the time. Business is going well. I live in a small apartment, but was doing 6am Zoom yoga classes every weekday for over a year. I own a beautiful yoga studio 1/2 mile from my home and my lease goes through next February. I'm not 100% sure I want to own a yoga studio (I took over this studio 5 months prior to shut-down), but I have to pay the rent so I'm doing what I can. I love working from home and online doing more consulting, coaching and video/course creation. The online coaching business is going great. I'm not as excited about the studio business anymore.
@@AshleyHagen As a business owner myself I can relate to so many things you said. I teach Glass Blowing for Beginners to Advanced and also fill production orders for distributors. Being able to teach glass blowing over classes and consulting work over Zoom is so much more convenient and it opens up my customer/student base to the world instead of just locals, which is huge for growth! So many new opportunities, Ideas, and foresight into my businesses potential and future. Ever since I started Teaching over the web, It got to a point to where there was too much work to handle but thats a good thing! Its pushed me to expand and hire another teacher too keep up with the workload. Since I'm still growing and changed my workflow for the web I can only see good things to happen. With the internet these days, being a teacher in the private sector has unlimited potential. Again, best of luck to you
Rode is much much much better audio quality!!! Pixel is absolute garbage for "just $150"
Pixel is actually only $100. It's better than nothing and great for people on a very limited budget. Because I have both, I'm actually more concerned about the physical materials it was made of. It's like comparing an iphone vs. a cheap plastic version of some other cell phone. I'm always going to choose iphone, even if it costs 5-10x more. I have the pixel mic now as a back-up now and will continue using the Rode until it craps out (then probably buy another one).
@@AshleyHagen $150
Use this link: amzn.to/30i4SXj Here, it is $119.99 and apply the coupon for $20 off so it's $99.99.
@@Estereos And for clarity, I'm not disagreeing with you about the quality. I much prefer the Rode.
The Pixel is nowhere near the rode! Ok you get more with the pixel but not worth it! Stick with tha rode! Good review comparison though.
The Pixel Voical Air is no longer available :(
It's true! I'm going to pin this comment. I'm so sorry about that. Please look at the description for some alternatives.
@@AshleyHagen the rode is also unavailable:(
@@igniteyoursoulfire I actually have to go in an update the links on all my videos for that. Now, you can buy the Rode Wireless Go II with just one of the microphones. And that what most people are doing. Here's my equipment page: www.amazon.com/shop/ashesyoga/list/EEXNXOMZTZN7