Was looking at the Pro, and this was all the review that I needed - listening to each in turn it was head and shoulders above the others for natural sound (and I'm no audio pro). Thankyou - I have subscribed.
Damn, job well done! Thank you for making this. I'm currently contemplating a Wireless pro (after watching this) and contemplating switching from my Zoom H4N with Sony ECM 44b and this seemed to answer all of my quality concerns!
Best review I've found on the difference between these systems. I can tell you use them, you understand them and you can explain the difference between the wireless setups. I also really liked that you played the recordings of each system through the video. That really helped me narrow down which sound I preferred.
Man!!! The mkh50 or whatever, the way tou tuned it, placed it and set it up, sounds horrible compared to the rode pro and pretty much all of the tested ones today! ( yes the rode go doesnt make it really) Mike placement is the key. Period. Excellent and usefull review!! Thanks
Great video comparison you've made! I got the Lark Max, and the one thing I disliked about it is recording the volume of my voice very low. Gain on Lark Max is set at 0, on a Canon 650D is at the lowest mark. Looking at the audio feedback on the computer when I speak, it's always in the green / yellow zone, but the volume is too low and I feel like increasing it will clip. Did you experience the same? How did you fix this issue? In your video the recordings from all mics are set at roughly the same volume.
While I try to level-match them as best I can during recording, the actual level is normalized afterward so they are truly the same loudness. All my videos are normalized to -16 LUFS to make sure the level is consistent, and that is much louder than the level it is recorded at. Of course you don't want to record super-quiet but in general it's best to record at a safe level that is not in danger of clipping and then normalize in post where you can apply a limiter so that the audio does not exceed 0dB. Most video editing software includes an audio normalization feature of some type - I use Davinci Resolve and there are a couple of ways to normalize the loudness on the final audio, one of which is built right into the export/render settings. The method will vary depending on the software that you use but generally that's the best approach, unless of course you're in a live streaming situation where you can't edit after recording.
@@semiprotech Thanks for the comment! I'm also planning to use Davinci Resolve, so that's one good thing to know about it. If I don't really need to worry much about volume later when editing the video, I think I'll be fine. My concern was already being able to see the yellow on Resolve before even starting to increase it. I don't really know the software and its capabilities, but I'm learning. Once more, your comparison was very helpful. I got the Wireless Pro as well to compare both before deciding on what works best for me.
The lark has a nasty tint to the sound, dji sounds nutral and rode go 2 sounds well balanced i think wireless pro slightly sonds the best but not by much, pro might sound a little base heavey, but im nit picking
Great Video - You are a natural. Found the review fair and balanced. You were able to clearly distinguish between the main differences but in a way that helped one determine absolute must have vs what's really necessary given that even some of the most advanced camera systems don't even accomodate the advantages of the system (like the 32 bit recording capability - I just recent bought a Sony Alpha 7 iv - which has 16 bit functionality). So based on budget and what one would really need you gave a really good perspective on each of the different systems. As a result of your video I went from the Go II to the Wireless Pro but would not have a problem picking up the Hollyland Max or the DJI. 1 Year ago I would have had to go with the budget preference - this year I can go with a little more so Wireless Pro it is for me. Thank you!
Thanks for your review. I tried very hard but couldn't notice any significant difference between the mics. So the receivers are connected do a Mac ? Could the Mac be somehow levelling the sound of different mics? Then I put my wired Beyer headphone on. Still, no significant difference between DJI, GO II and Lark. But the sound of the Rode PRO was clearly better. Things changed considerably when you went outdoors and recorded to a camera. It was much easier to distinguish one mic from another and the better sound of the Rode Pro was more evident than it was indoors/Mac. I also think it would help to notice differences in the sound if you were using the same words, reading a paragraph again and again for example, than just talking. It would be easier to compare the sound. It's a jungle of wireless mics out there as you said yourself.
Thank God for your great knowledge. It is great. I think you can therefore guide me. I want to buy Wireless pro,because it can be used as hands free mic for church service etc,if connected through a mixer. But my concern is ,will there be any WiFi signal interferences in such a use ? If so ,it will be waste of money. So,PLEASE GUIDE me.Some earlie versions had that problem. Thanks.
About the sound of the built in mics, I am quite surprised to find, at least in this video, that : - the Rode GO II still sounds very pleasant and natural - the Rode wPro sounds muddy, dark and unoleasant - the Hollyland Lark is nasal - the DJI seems to stand in between all the others and maybe, all considered, still seems to be the best option
Interesting! I personally found the Rode wPro to be most pleasant by quite a significant margin, at least for this presenter's voice. It had (to my ears) a pleasing depth the low and mid-tones, and the Rode Go II sounded quite thin. I'm sure a lot could be done to match these with EQ and compression, but if these were the out-of-the-box settings, the wPro just sounded much closer to a boom mic. My second choice would be the DJI. But each to their own!
Thank you for the informative video! Something I didn't get: is it possible to use other brands lavalier mic with these systems? Or I can only use the rode lavs with the rode wireless go etc?
Yes! Any lav mic with a 3.5mm TRS connector that uses 2-4v plugin power will work with these transmitters. The only thing to watch out for is locking connectors. If the lav mic has a locking connector, you may have issues keeping it plugged into the transmitters that don't have a threaded plug. The Rode VideoMic GO II doesn't have a threaded plug but I actually don't have an issue with my locking connector lav mics plugging in. I do have an issue with the Lark Max and DJI Mic (and the newer DJI Mic 2) where lav mics that have a locking connector won't plug in far enough and just fall out very easily. The Wireless Pro has a threaded plug so no issues with any 3.5mm lav mic.
Why is no one talking about HollyLand's reliability? I purchased the Lark Max yesterday and they crapped out on me yesterday before I even got to use it. Out of the box, everything worked fine but hours later both mics got disconnected from the receiver and I haven't been able to get them to pair to each other. It seems this is an unresolved issue from the older Lark model. I only seen one vid on here discussing the issue and the comments are loaded with people having the pairing issue. Not even 24 hours in and they died and the company has not offered any support or explanation. Very bad look for them.
Thank you for the video! Can I ask if you know if the Pro vs GO2 sounds better with external mics? I have the HS2 which great, and use the ME but I feel that the sound could be better and find it distorts easily? Again, thanks for the video
I just did a test recording with the Lavalier II that is included in the Wireless Pro kit recording into the transmitter of the Pro and the GO II. They sound quite similar actually, with the frequency response being controlled by the external mic, the difference in audio between them is much less noticeable than when using the built-in mic on the transmitters. I could hear just slightly more low-end captured by the Pro but I had to listen closely to notice. Controlling the gain is another story...the GO II does have the different gain levels you can set from -30 up to 0 in steps, and it definitely clipped at 0 and was much quieter at -30 but the visual level meter on the receiver showed nearly the same level coming from the transmitter no matter how I had it set. That being said, once you know which level works best (it was -12dB for me) you can just set it on that and leave it. But the auto-gain on the Pro works great and the internal recording won't have any clipping issues because it's 32-bit float, so it's just less to worry about. But they did sound quite similar with the lavalier mic as the source.
Hey man, just needed an expert opinion. I have a cheap lav and a wireless mic, I edit them to make it presentable. Now I'm looking to buy either DJI or Hollyland Max, I've heard that you have to post process the audio. If I have to edit such an expensive mic, what's the point of buying it then ?
You may not love my opinion....I personally think post processing is a necessity for all audio to sound professional unless the intent is to represent the source sound with no alteration. For my videos when I'm not reviewing a microphone, I usually use a Sennheiser MKH50 and I process it every time. I don't mean severe tweaking of EQ or anything, I mean applying a high pass filter to eliminate low frequency noise, applying mild compression to smooth out the loudest & quietest parts of the dialog, mild EQ to eliminate muddy/boxy sound if needed, possibly de-essing if needed, and finally normalizing the level so it's consistent across my content. For mic reviews of course I don't do anything except normalize the level. If you have a template for processing your audio in your DAW, doing this is pretty quick because each plugin only requires small adjustments each time. Honestly even just applying a high pass filter and a little compression before normalizing goes a long way towards a more polished sound. That being said, the audio in this video wasn't processed, so if you hear anything from either one that sounds unpleasant or harsh to you, that would be a good indication of whether processing would be necessary. My take on the DJI and Lark Max is they each would benefit from a small adjustment in post to sound their best, but they are both usable without significant adjustments. To me the DJI sounds a little thin with less bass, but it's a bit smoother in the high frequencies. So if you have a deeper voice, the DJI may sound great without any EQ. If you don't have a deep voice, you may feel the need to add a little boost around 100Hz to make it sound more full - that's just how I feel about it on my voice. With the Lark Max, it has a bit more of a rich sound in the low end, but the higher frequencies are a tad harsh, so I personally would either use a de-esser plugin or maybe just use EQ to pull down the high frequencies a tad. I hope that helps! Let me know if there are any specific samples you'd like to hear from either mic kit and I can put them in my Soundcloud account.
Definitely the Wireless Pro for me!! I'm still within my 30 day return policy for my Wireless go II. This was the video i needed to help make by decision. I'm 100% subbing
The mkh50 is the worst. The other mics must be cancelling out your room ambience. For podcasting type audio, an sm7 is hard to beat, when you place it close, it removed most room ambiance which makes it sounds like a radio station,
To anyone NOT doing profesional work. Please YOU DONT NEED 32 bit float 😂😂 save the money for a better camera lens or acoustic paneling. Trust me. even a Neumann sounds like ass if don’t have a treated room and bad mic placement. Great video btw
Astounding video. What a brilliant way to test all the mics. For me, they all sound too tinny expect for the Rode Pro, which has the depth that resembles a boom mic.
Thank you! I agree, and with a high pass filter the low end of the Wireless Pro is a little bit more controlled. I don't find that it needs any other EQ if you do a gentle rolloff around 75-80Hz.
The review I have been looking for so long, scratching over youtube for couple of days! Good work!
Thank you! Glad it was helpful!
This is the comparison I needed to help make my decision. Well-done! Thank You!!
I'm glad it was helpful!
What did you go with and why? I am trying to figure out what to get
@@barrthom603 I bought wireless pro.
A rotating mic recordings demonstration! Exactly what we need!! Btw the Lark sounds so damn good and crispy tho
Was looking at the Pro, and this was all the review that I needed - listening to each in turn it was head and shoulders above the others for natural sound (and I'm no audio pro). Thankyou - I have subscribed.
Amazing review/comparison!
Thank you!
Very informative review - thank you for making it!
Thanks man, very useful review
Great video, thank you! Answered all my questions and showed very clearly what the different mics sound like.
Damn, job well done! Thank you for making this. I'm currently contemplating a Wireless pro (after watching this) and contemplating switching from my Zoom H4N with Sony ECM 44b and this seemed to answer all of my quality concerns!
amazing work put into it, hats down my friend.
exactly what i was looking for
thank you! glad it was helpful
This is an amazing review. To reference the MKH beside the Wireless Pro on pure audio quality made the decision very clear.
thank you very much! glad it was helpful
12:55 I have brand new unopened box of the rode wireless go 2.. the extra hundred dollars covers the cost of the chargers and lavalier mics alone
Best review I've found on the difference between these systems. I can tell you use them, you understand them and you can explain the difference between the wireless setups. I also really liked that you played the recordings of each system through the video. That really helped me narrow down which sound I preferred.
Truly the best review out there. THANK YOU!!!
Thanks for the detailed analysis!
Amazing review, really useful, thanks!
Awesome review. Clear, thoughtful and helpful.
Thank you!
I would like to know if you tried and your opinion on the NEEWER CM28 compared to the others you mentioned please
Man!!! The mkh50 or whatever, the way tou tuned it, placed it and set it up, sounds horrible compared to the rode pro and pretty much all of the tested ones today! ( yes the rode go doesnt make it really)
Mike placement is the key. Period. Excellent and usefull review!! Thanks
Very useful. Thank you!
wow the quality was perfect great review
Awesome video!!! Can you do a video for the BOYA BY-XM6-S2 wireless mic? Is a lot cheaper than all of those and I think it sounds very good as well.
it is not true that only the rode pro can record internal 32 bit. My wireless go 2 after I've updated it to current firmware has this capability too!
thank you ...this was very helpful in my decision. 💪🏾💯
The best sound quality is the Road Wireless Pro.
I loved it! Thank you very much
Great video comparison you've made! I got the Lark Max, and the one thing I disliked about it is recording the volume of my voice very low. Gain on Lark Max is set at 0, on a Canon 650D is at the lowest mark. Looking at the audio feedback on the computer when I speak, it's always in the green / yellow zone, but the volume is too low and I feel like increasing it will clip. Did you experience the same? How did you fix this issue? In your video the recordings from all mics are set at roughly the same volume.
While I try to level-match them as best I can during recording, the actual level is normalized afterward so they are truly the same loudness. All my videos are normalized to -16 LUFS to make sure the level is consistent, and that is much louder than the level it is recorded at. Of course you don't want to record super-quiet but in general it's best to record at a safe level that is not in danger of clipping and then normalize in post where you can apply a limiter so that the audio does not exceed 0dB. Most video editing software includes an audio normalization feature of some type - I use Davinci Resolve and there are a couple of ways to normalize the loudness on the final audio, one of which is built right into the export/render settings. The method will vary depending on the software that you use but generally that's the best approach, unless of course you're in a live streaming situation where you can't edit after recording.
@@semiprotech Thanks for the comment! I'm also planning to use Davinci Resolve, so that's one good thing to know about it. If I don't really need to worry much about volume later when editing the video, I think I'll be fine. My concern was already being able to see the yellow on Resolve before even starting to increase it. I don't really know the software and its capabilities, but I'm learning. Once more, your comparison was very helpful. I got the Wireless Pro as well to compare both before deciding on what works best for me.
The lark has a nasty tint to the sound, dji sounds nutral and rode go 2 sounds well balanced i think wireless pro slightly sonds the best but not by much, pro might sound a little base heavey, but im nit picking
Membingungkan
It reminds me the recordings of dialogue in old films that were rcorded by garba analogue of course...
Great Video - You are a natural. Found the review fair and balanced. You were able to clearly distinguish between the main differences but in a way that helped one determine absolute must have vs what's really necessary given that even some of the most advanced camera systems don't even accomodate the advantages of the system (like the 32 bit recording capability - I just recent bought a Sony Alpha 7 iv - which has 16 bit functionality). So based on budget and what one would really need you gave a really good perspective on each of the different systems. As a result of your video I went from the Go II to the Wireless Pro but would not have a problem picking up the Hollyland Max or the DJI. 1 Year ago I would have had to go with the budget preference - this year I can go with a little more so Wireless Pro it is for me. Thank you!
Thank you so much! Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for your review. I tried very hard but couldn't notice any significant difference between the mics. So the receivers are connected do a Mac ? Could the Mac be somehow levelling the sound of different mics?
Then I put my wired Beyer headphone on. Still, no significant difference between DJI, GO II and Lark. But the sound of the Rode PRO was clearly better. Things changed considerably when you went outdoors and recorded to a camera. It was much easier to distinguish one mic from another and the better sound of the Rode Pro was more evident than it was indoors/Mac.
I also think it would help to notice differences in the sound if you were using the same words, reading a paragraph again and again for example, than just talking. It would be easier to compare the sound.
It's a jungle of wireless mics out there as you said yourself.
Yo, thank you so much. Super informative and very useful.
Thank God for your great knowledge.
It is great.
I think you can therefore guide me.
I want to buy
Wireless pro,because it can be used as hands free mic for church service etc,if connected through a mixer.
But my concern is ,will there be any WiFi signal interferences in such a use ?
If so ,it will be waste of money.
So,PLEASE GUIDE me.Some earlie versions had that problem.
Thanks.
About the sound of the built in mics, I am quite surprised to find, at least in this video, that :
- the Rode GO II still sounds very pleasant and natural
- the Rode wPro sounds muddy, dark and unoleasant
- the Hollyland Lark is nasal
- the DJI seems to stand in between all the others and maybe, all considered, still seems to be the best option
Interesting! I personally found the Rode wPro to be most pleasant by quite a significant margin, at least for this presenter's voice. It had (to my ears) a pleasing depth the low and mid-tones, and the Rode Go II sounded quite thin. I'm sure a lot could be done to match these with EQ and compression, but if these were the out-of-the-box settings, the wPro just sounded much closer to a boom mic. My second choice would be the DJI. But each to their own!
none of them came close to the pros, and the pros have the most features
Is Rode Wireless Pro bigger than Rode Wireless Go 2?
Thx very much.....I need this video to see the difference to buy the best option for me
Hey man, what did you use as supporter for all the mics?
but rode wireless ii also has 32 bit internal recording in the option of the app. no?!
What are your thoughts on the AnkerWork M650?? I feel like most of these sets are out of my price rangs but I really value your expertise!
Thank you for the informative video! Something I didn't get: is it possible to use other brands lavalier mic with these systems? Or I can only use the rode lavs with the rode wireless go etc?
Yes! Any lav mic with a 3.5mm TRS connector that uses 2-4v plugin power will work with these transmitters. The only thing to watch out for is locking connectors. If the lav mic has a locking connector, you may have issues keeping it plugged into the transmitters that don't have a threaded plug. The Rode VideoMic GO II doesn't have a threaded plug but I actually don't have an issue with my locking connector lav mics plugging in. I do have an issue with the Lark Max and DJI Mic (and the newer DJI Mic 2) where lav mics that have a locking connector won't plug in far enough and just fall out very easily. The Wireless Pro has a threaded plug so no issues with any 3.5mm lav mic.
@@semiprotech thank you a lot! solved all my doubts
Why is no one talking about HollyLand's reliability? I purchased the Lark Max yesterday and they crapped out on me yesterday before I even got to use it. Out of the box, everything worked fine but hours later both mics got disconnected from the receiver and I haven't been able to get them to pair to each other. It seems this is an unresolved issue from the older Lark model. I only seen one vid on here discussing the issue and the comments are loaded with people having the pairing issue. Not even 24 hours in and they died and the company has not offered any support or explanation. Very bad look for them.
Hi! In pure sound quality (like dynamic, body, cleaner...) Wich is better?
Appreciate 🤛
good and neutral review. let them choose for themselves
How’s the rode compare to the Sony ecm w3?
Thank you for the video! Can I ask if you know if the Pro vs GO2 sounds better with external mics? I have the HS2 which great, and use the ME but I feel that the sound could be better and find it distorts easily? Again, thanks for the video
I just did a test recording with the Lavalier II that is included in the Wireless Pro kit recording into the transmitter of the Pro and the GO II. They sound quite similar actually, with the frequency response being controlled by the external mic, the difference in audio between them is much less noticeable than when using the built-in mic on the transmitters. I could hear just slightly more low-end captured by the Pro but I had to listen closely to notice. Controlling the gain is another story...the GO II does have the different gain levels you can set from -30 up to 0 in steps, and it definitely clipped at 0 and was much quieter at -30 but the visual level meter on the receiver showed nearly the same level coming from the transmitter no matter how I had it set. That being said, once you know which level works best (it was -12dB for me) you can just set it on that and leave it. But the auto-gain on the Pro works great and the internal recording won't have any clipping issues because it's 32-bit float, so it's just less to worry about. But they did sound quite similar with the lavalier mic as the source.
Hey man, just needed an expert opinion.
I have a cheap lav and a wireless mic, I edit them to make it presentable.
Now I'm looking to buy either DJI or Hollyland Max, I've heard that you have to post process the audio.
If I have to edit such an expensive mic, what's the point of buying it then ?
You may not love my opinion....I personally think post processing is a necessity for all audio to sound professional unless the intent is to represent the source sound with no alteration. For my videos when I'm not reviewing a microphone, I usually use a Sennheiser MKH50 and I process it every time. I don't mean severe tweaking of EQ or anything, I mean applying a high pass filter to eliminate low frequency noise, applying mild compression to smooth out the loudest & quietest parts of the dialog, mild EQ to eliminate muddy/boxy sound if needed, possibly de-essing if needed, and finally normalizing the level so it's consistent across my content. For mic reviews of course I don't do anything except normalize the level. If you have a template for processing your audio in your DAW, doing this is pretty quick because each plugin only requires small adjustments each time. Honestly even just applying a high pass filter and a little compression before normalizing goes a long way towards a more polished sound.
That being said, the audio in this video wasn't processed, so if you hear anything from either one that sounds unpleasant or harsh to you, that would be a good indication of whether processing would be necessary.
My take on the DJI and Lark Max is they each would benefit from a small adjustment in post to sound their best, but they are both usable without significant adjustments. To me the DJI sounds a little thin with less bass, but it's a bit smoother in the high frequencies. So if you have a deeper voice, the DJI may sound great without any EQ. If you don't have a deep voice, you may feel the need to add a little boost around 100Hz to make it sound more full - that's just how I feel about it on my voice. With the Lark Max, it has a bit more of a rich sound in the low end, but the higher frequencies are a tad harsh, so I personally would either use a de-esser plugin or maybe just use EQ to pull down the high frequencies a tad.
I hope that helps! Let me know if there are any specific samples you'd like to hear from either mic kit and I can put them in my Soundcloud account.
Thank you for this. Truly. Looking to go straight for the w pro.
wPro sounds so good that it can also be a good option for beginner youtube channels.
Definitely the Wireless Pro for me!! I'm still within my 30 day return policy for my Wireless go II. This was the video i needed to help make by decision. I'm 100% subbing
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you
The mkh50 is the worst. The other mics must be cancelling out your room ambience. For podcasting type audio, an sm7 is hard to beat, when you place it close, it removed most room ambiance which makes it sounds like a radio station,
WIRELESS GO 2 it's pretty Amazing!!! :D
The mic you cal Digee is made by DJI. Pronounced Dee Jay Eye not digee
I agree that the Rode Wireless Pro sounds the best, and the Wireless Go II is the worst, at least to my ears!
To anyone NOT doing profesional work. Please YOU DONT NEED 32 bit float 😂😂 save the money for a better camera lens or acoustic paneling. Trust me. even a Neumann sounds like ass if don’t have a treated room and bad mic placement. Great video btw
wireless pro and not even close. dam
Lark max duo 2 best
Astounding video. What a brilliant way to test all the mics. For me, they all sound too tinny expect for the Rode Pro, which has the depth that resembles a boom mic.
Thank you! I agree, and with a high pass filter the low end of the Wireless Pro is a little bit more controlled. I don't find that it needs any other EQ if you do a gentle rolloff around 75-80Hz.
LARK sound quality is ASS ^__^ I'm sorry, it almost broke my MacBook Pro M1 Speakers lmao
Digi
didji
dji
lark sounds pretty bad
They were all good (we are spoiled for choice), but every time you switched to the Wireless Pro, it was amazing. The Lark was very good, too.
Dji it' like Ehhh, w.e lol