YouTubers' Wireless Microphone of Choice from RODE, But why? A Hands-on Review

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Hands-on with the RODE Wireless GO Microphone IBTimes / Jeff Li

With the world still struggling with the pandemic, and the overall views and revenue growing on YouTube, the trend for YouTubers as an occupation shows no sign of slowing down. With that, the upclimb in production quality and the grapevine of products to support it in both the video and audio department.

As anyone who has experience with content creation would know, the last thing you want is realizing that the perfect footage you captured was ruined by a subpar sound record. In search of a solution for the most failproof, functional and flexible microphone for recording, the RODE Wireless GO wireless microphone system came onto my radar.

Check Price

I've seen these touted by YouTubers as the best wireless microphones on the market, but at a relatively cheap price of the sub-$200 mark, how good can they be? We dove in to find out.

Wireless microphone system in a tiny package

When first encountering the RODE Wireless GO system, I was taken aback by their compact size. Roughly the same dimension of an Oreo cookie, both the receiver and transmitting microphone are only slightly bigger than the body of an Apple Watch.

Despite its small size, the wireless microphone can broadcast 128 bit sound across distances of up to 70 m. Furthermore, the system has built-in lithium batteries that are rated to operate for 7 hours - plenty time for independent content creators and short-medium length filming schedules.

Both the quality of the sound transmission and the battery life are impressive especially when considering the ultra-compact form factor, the Wireless GO has indeed struck a winning combination as far as wireless mic system goes.

Wireless GO transmitter as a wireless mic

The Wireless GO transmitter module can function in two ways, it can either be used directly a wireless microphone with its onboard omni directional microphone, or by plugging in a lavalier microphone, turning it into a lav belt pack.

When using the transmitter as a microphone, it's built in clip can be easily clipped onto shirts or jackets. Since the unit only weighs 31 g, it needs very little to hold it in place and can be secured to any fabric flap or edge.

If you're after an even more stealthy placement of the mic, you can purchase RODE's MagClip GO, which slips a metallic attachment to the spring slip which can then grip on by sandwiching any thin surface like a T-shirt with a separate magnet. The magnet also allows the transmitter to be attached magnetically to anything ferrous, like a microphone stand or music stand.

The Wireless GO transmitter can even be converted into a wireless interview microphone when attached to the RODE Interview GO. It is essentially a plastic stick that is made to host the GO transmitter, hiding it in a large windshield. This simple contraption is surprisingly versatile in practice, not only during interviews, but the 'microphone' form allows it to be used with microphone stands, or even be passed around as a 'talking stick' during a group Zoom call.

Wireless GO transmitter as a lavalier belt pack

The flexible use of the Wireless GO doesn't end there, as it also features a 3.5 mm aux in socket, which when attached with a lavalier microphone, turns the Wireless GO into an ultra-mini belt pack.

RODE has a lavalier microphone in its arsenal made for this application. The Lavalier GO is an extremely compact lapel mic only 4.5 mm in diameter, and comes with a foam windshield and clip for the ultimate professional appearance and mic placement. The cable of the Lavalier GO is made of Kevlar - same material as bullet proof vests, giving it toughness while being extremely thin and discrete.

Wireless microphone for iPhone and Android on-the-go

Since the receiver unit of the RODE Wireless GO has a 3.5 mm audio out, it can be used with any video recording device that has a 3.5 mm aux input with the included coiled TRS to TRS cable. In testing the Wireless GO system, I used it in conjunction with the MEVO Start, as well as the DJI Pocket 2. The design of the clip also allows the receiver to be attached to any cold shoe mount for example on a DSLR, forming a neat and professional setup.

These days however you don't need a special camera set up to be a YouTuber. Mobile phone video recording capabilities have reached a level that makes them adequate for many shooting situations.

With the Wireless GO, simply purchase either a TRS to TRRS Patch Cable, or an adapter for the TRS cable that came with it, you can immediately upgrade your audio on your mobile creation and shoot wherever you go. In the period that I've had with the Wireless GO, the compact package meant that I was able to keep it always on hand in my backpack. Whenever a VLOG idea hit me, it only took seconds to set up with the phone and be ready to convert my ideas into high quality videos.

As the saying goes, the best camera is the one that you have with you, with the Wireless GO, you're now able to have a high quality microphone with you too.

Final Verdict

The RODE Wireless GO is reputed to be the best wireless microphone system among the content-making crowd, and through spending some time with it, we have concluded that the reputation is well deserved. During our time with it, it definitely ended up to be the microphone we used most often due to its convenience and reliability alone, and we highly recommend them to both novice and experienced content creators alike.

David is a tech enthusiast/writer who is often on the move, but since the lock-down is on a mission to explore gadgets to improve productivity outside of the office. This is a contribution to an ongoing IBTimes review series on gadgets for content creation.

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