Rode VideoMic NTG On Digicam Shotgun Mic Assessment

With an abundance of high-quality microphones available on the market, budget-minded video content material creators and filmmakers have loads of choices when shopping for a flexible microphone for his or her digital camera or studio.

As a video content material creator who typically heads to distant areas on foot, I wanted a microphone for dialogue that balanced vital enchancment in my digital camera’s built-in mic with a compact and light-weight design.

The Rode VideoMic NTG, a shotgun microphone with modest however nonetheless helpful options with broadcast high quality audio, stepped as much as the problem and delivered precisely the outcomes I used to be on the lookout for.

Let’s dive into this Rode VideoMic NTG overview. I’ll break down the technical points, dealing with, and general efficiency that makes the Rode VideoMic NTG an awesome, budget-friendly microphone for novice filmmakers and content material creators.

What’s the Rode VideoMic NTG? 

The Rode VideoMic NTG is a broadcast-level shotgun microphone that’s perfect for vloggers and different on-line content material creators who need one thing light-weight and versatile.

Delivering appreciable enhancements in efficiency when in comparison with the in-built mics featured on most cameras, it’s a hard-wearing, sturdy mic appropriate for studio and placement work.

Rode’s fame comes via within the sound high quality, with crisp and clear audio recorded in a spread of climate and background noise situations, lending it to outside filming in hostile climate situations.

Rode VideoMic NTG Spec Abstract:

• OS Necessities – Mac OS 10.12 Home windows 10

• Acoustic Precept – Stress gradient electret condenser

• Polar Sample – Supercardioid

• Frequency Vary – 20Hz – 20kH

• Frequency Response – 35Hz – 18kHz ±3 dB

• Sign-to-Noise Ratio – 79 dBA

• Output Impedance – 10Ω

• Enter SPL @ 1% THD – 120dB SPL

• Excessive Move Filter Frequency – 75Hz, 150Hz

• Output Connection – 3.5mm auto-sensing USB-C

• Bit Depth – 24-bit

• Pattern Charges – 48kHz

• Battery Life – 30+ hours

• Battery Capability – 350mAh

• Sensitivity – -26 dB re 1V/Pa (50mV @ 94dB SPL) ± 1dB @ 1kHz

• Dynamic Vary – 105dB SPL (A-weighted, as per IEC651)

• Equal Noise – 15dB SPL (A-weighted, as per IEC651)

What’s the distinction between Rode Video Mic Professional Plus and Rode VideoMic NTG?

The Rode VideoMic Professional Plus and the Rode VideoMic NTG are each high-quality directional microphones. Nonetheless, there are a number of key variations between them.

1. The VideoMic Professional Plus has a extra superior battery system, with a chargeable lithium-ion battery that gives as much as 200 hours of use. The VideoMic NTG, alternatively, makes use of two AA batteries, which give as much as 70 hours of use.
2. The VideoMic Professional Plus has a extra superior audio processing system, with a three-stage acquire management and a security channel that gives a backup audio monitor in case of audio distortion. The VideoMic NTG has an easier audio processing system, with a single acquire management.
3. The VideoMic Professional Plus has a extra superior mounting system, with a shock-mounted capsule and a mounting system that lets you mount the microphone straight in your digital camera or on a growth pole. The VideoMic NTG has an easier mounting system, with a chilly shoe mount that attaches to your digital camera.

Each microphones are glorious selections for capturing high-quality audio in your movies, however the VideoMic Professional Plus is a extra superior possibility with extra options and an extended battery life.

The VideoMic NTG is an easier, extra reasonably priced possibility that also supplies high-quality audio.

Construct & Look

The Rode VideoMic NTG is a light-weight and compact on-camera microphone, measuring simply 171mm in size and 21.6mm in diameter for ease of storage and use.

It suits simply in a digital camera bag’s aspect pocket or snugly down the aspect of a smaller lens, and because it weighs simply 94 grams, you barely discover the distinction when it’s packed together with your different gear.

This low weight additionally means its influence in your digital camera weight is negligible when in use and gained’t require any changes to your stability if including it to a digital camera mounted on a gimbal.

Likewise, its comparatively brief size means you possibly can keep away from the shotgun mic showing within the body on all however the shortest and widest of lenses when the froth windshield can sometimes trigger points.

The mic additionally comes with a light-weight SM7-R shock mount on a crimson suspension bracket becoming onto the recent shoe attachment, which solely provides just a few grams to the general weight and aids efficiency when capturing handheld on uneven terrain or in windy situations.

Whereas the Rode VideoMic NTG is constructed from plastic, it’s nonetheless been given knowledgeable end that resembles steel, and positively doesn’t look low cost or flimsy and feels sturdy to carry and use.

Certainly, its mixture of extremely mild weight and sturdy construct makes it a superb shotgun microphone for run-and-gun filmmakers who desire a mic they gained’t discover of their bag, however can rapidly connect to a digital camera in just a few seconds.

Principal Options

Rode VideoMic NTG controls

Contemplating its comparatively low worth level and small dimension, the Rode VideoMic NTG USB microphone is surprisingly feature-rich, masking all the standard options wanted for professional-level audio recording whereas out within the subject.

The mic is designed to ship nice acoustic transparency and a pure, uncoloured sound, which is ideal for capturing dialogue in a crisp and unprocessed format for later modifying.

It comes with variable acquire management to make sure recording ranges are as near excellent as might be, in addition to a collection of digital switching instruments to additional help you if you’re scuffling with undesirable background noise.

This features a high-pass filter management (flat/75Hz/150Hz), a high-frequency enhance to usher in further element, a -20dB minimize pad for added management over how one can tailor the recordings, in addition to a security channel.

Connectivity-wise, the Rode VideoMic NTG comes with a headphone jack, a 3.5mm jack to attach on to the digital camera’s mic enter, and a USB cable for charging the mic’s inside battery.

All in all, the options included with the Rode VideoMic NTG lend it a level of versatility and utility in a wide range of settings, with reliably constant outcomes.

Efficiency

Rode VideoMic NTG with windshield

Having examined the Rode VideoMic NTG in a spread of conditions, I’ve discovered the general efficiency to be exemplary, contemplating the worth and dimension of the product.

In impartial situations with no background parts so as to add noise, it’s a substantial step up from my Sony A7iii’s inside mic, delivering extra emphasis throughout all frequency ranges.

Basses are heavier and deeper, whereas mid- and high-range audio come via with extra readability and richness than the inner mic, with an all-around richer tone to dialogue and different sounds.

The mic’s varied settings permit for an awesome diploma of management over the recording, with infinitely variable acquire management delivering a larger output vary and deploying lively amplification to realize higher outcomes.

If the Rode VideoMic NTG is related to the digital camera’s headphone jack, the mic will routinely tamp down the output sign to match the optimum ranges.

One of many different helpful options is a security channel, which might make the distinction between having useable audio or losing a shoot, with the mic recording an extra monitor at a decrease stage.

Recorded at -20dB, this monitor is helpful instead monitor that can be utilized as an alternative choice to your predominant monitor in post-production, do you have to be confronted with distortion or different disagreeable aural artifacts.

It brings further peace of thoughts for when you might have one shot to get the recording carried out, and don’t have the posh to move again to the placement of name the interview topic again for an additional go round.

Utilizing the Rode VideoMic NTG outdoor, whether or not in heavy site visitors or on a windy hill, delivers equally spectacular outcomes that outperform in-camera microphones, with the included windshield performing as a strong wind noise reducer.

I’ve put the Rode VideoMic NTG via its paces on a windswept hilltop utilizing the windshield. The ensuing dialogue was sharp and clearly audible, with good dynamics and minimal background noise interference.

The responsive bodily controls featured on the VideoMic NTG 

It’s extremely straightforward to arrange and might be mounted on a digital camera in seconds. The mic additionally detects when the digital camera is powered on and routinely switches itself on. 

In some conditions, it may be straightforward to overlook to manually energy up on-camera mics, so this auto energy characteristic is a helpful time-saver and brings peace of thoughts to your general workflow.

Battery life can also be spectacular, and whereas the battery isn’t interchangeable, it lasts for over thirty hours of operation, so it’s unlikely you’ll have to recharge it even throughout a busy day capturing footage.

How a lot does Rode VideoMic NTG price?

The Rode VideoMic NTG sometimes retails for round $249, though there are sometimes offers on Amazon, B&H Photograph different on-line distributors reducing this worth to under the $200 barrier.

Whereas it’s costlier than a few of its closest rivals, it’s nonetheless a aggressive worth for a microphone that delivers primarily good-quality audio that the majority content material creators might be more than pleased with.

It sits comfortably within the worth vary of comparable semi-professional mics which are geared towards videographers on the lookout for a flexible mic with a good collection of onboard changes.

Who’s Rode VideoMic NTG good for?

With its mixture of discreet construct high quality and ease of use, the Rode VideoMic NTG is a surprisingly highly effective performer that delivers pleasing outcomes with a spread of helpful options that will help you refine your recordings on the go.

It delivers distinctive outcomes for video-centric customers who need to report interviews and different dialogue with the added benefit of a security channel and are targeted on outside filmmaking the place extra undesirable variables can disrupt recording.

When mounted on a digital camera, it’s minimalist and unobtrusive, making it a great shotgun microphone for vloggers and different content material creators who need to mount it on digital camera to provide content material rapidly and reliably.

It’s additionally an awesome USB mic for in-studio recording periods. Whereas it gained’t get up in opposition to devoted podcasting microphones, its adaptability for location capturing makes it a great possibility for budget-conscious filmmakers who desire a Jack of all trades microphone with out breaking the financial institution.

If you happen to’re on the lookout for a extremely directional microphone to be used in a spread of situations and need to preserve the burden and dimension to a minimal, the Rode VideoMic NTG is an excellent performer and delivers nice worth for cash.

FAQs

What’s NTG microphone?

The VideoMic NTG is a hybrid microphone that brings the signature broadcast-quality sound of the Rode NTG shotgun vary to a compact, feature-packed VideoMic.

Is Rode VideMic NTG stereo or mono?

Does Rode NTG want phantom energy?

The Rode NTG has an in-built battery. It doesn’t require phantom energy, a time period given to the method of delivering DC (Direct Present) to microphones requiring electrical energy to drive lively circuitry.

Last Ideas

With in-camera microphones notoriously poor performers, the Rode VideoMic NTG delivers appreciable enhancements in efficiency, broadcast-standard audio, and versatile options on a funds.

Its mixture of sturdy building, low weight, and small dimension make it the best mic for on-the-go filmmakers and vloggers who prefer to journey mild whereas nonetheless getting nice outcomes when recording audio in a studio.

Video content material creators and novice filmmakers on the lookout for an reasonably priced USB mic to make use of primarily whereas out and about might be impressed by the Rode VideoMic NTG’s dealing with and efficiency.