Rode VideoMic Pro VMP Shotgun Microphone

I've been a Canon user and Canon fan for many years, but Canon video cameras always seem to have some sort of sound problem. In the case of Canon DSLRs with video capability, the problem is the loud and annoying hiss that occurs when you use an external microphone in a quiet setting. The first time I used my new Canon 60D to make a video, I quickly realized that the onboard microphone, while adequate for perfect circumstances, was not a good fit for outdoor use or pro-style interviews. I decided to buy an inexpensive $45 shotgun mic big mistake which produced the loudest ambient hiss I've ever heard on a recording. After a bit of research, I found that the 60D and other Canon DSLR cameras (and no doubt other brands as well) almost always produce a notable degree of "quiet room hiss" when used with most external microphones--and of course it's usually worse with a cheap mic. Further research led to further frustration, with all the "experts" suggesting that quality in-camera recording is just not feasible on DSLRs and you should buy an expensive independent recording system and then "sync" the sound to the video in post. What?!?!? I don't work for Sony Pictures, I just want to do some good quality commercial work for Internet posting. Then I ran across a YouTube video of a guy testing Rode microphones. He said that, after posting his video of a test with a Canon DSLR, Rode contacted him and told him that by setting the Rode Videomic Pro's dB switch to +20 and adjusting the manual sound level setting on the camera to about 20%, he could achieve a virtually hiss-free recording. Thus I ordered this mic from Amazon. It arrived on-time and in perfect shape, I ran a series of tests under various conditions, and I couldn't be more happy with my purchase. Interestingly, the suggested DSLR setting is right there in the Rode manual--perhaps they added it after the YouTube video was made. Bottom line, if you're shooting video with a DSLR and you want simple, high-quality sound for a reasonable price, this is your mic. Buy anything less, and in my opinion you will be unhappy with the results.

One small caveat: This is a professional mic with a 10 year warranty, but it's not for people who don't take care of their equipment. The mini-jack cable is thin and could easily catch on something and break or be ripped from the mic if you aren't careful. The "rubber band" shock mounting system--while clever and effective--is easily pulled from its mountings and could be easily lost. (One extra set of replacement bands comes with the unit.) In other words, be prepared to handle with care, and you'll no doubt get years of use from this excellent pro microphone.

Other reviewers have gone way more in depth and with much more eloquence than I ever could about this microphone. I won't even try to match it. However, I will give you the best info you will need on a Canon DSLR with manual audio control.

Turn on the microphone. Plug it into the camera. Set the top switch on the microphone to the high pass filer setting. Set the bottom swtich to +20 dB. Turn the camera on. Go into the audio settings and switch them to manual. Set it to the lowest setting possible, then increase it four notches.

You're welcome.

Seriously, out of the box, you're going to get a notable hiss (like in all Canon DSLR footage) and you're going to think this only adds slightly to your footage audio. If you use these settings, they are the best, and recommended from Rode (though not in the manual).

I actually made a video reviewing the mic and all the settings therein. In the video you can hear exactly what kind of output you get from each setting. You be the judged. As Amazon video reviews are 100MB or less, and mine is larger, and as they don't allow YouTube links, all I can say is to search YouTube for Alfeetoe and find my Videomic Pro review.

Hope this helps and streamlines the setup process a bit.

Buy Rode VideoMic Pro VMP Shotgun Microphone Now

I bought this Rode VideoMic Pro Compact Shotgun microphone to go with my Panasonic TM900 camcorder since I travel a lot shooting interviews etc. I needed something that was light and compact in keeping with the scale of the TM900. I had very bad experiences with the Sennheiser MKE300 wow has that company gone downhill. The Sennheiser had a constant hum and static and I couldn't get enough volume out of it.

I have the Rode Videomic which is good but is too big for the TM900 and I've found it unwieldy for traveling (somehow its Z shape and those rubber bands don't give me a lot of confidence).

The Videomic Pro however is almost a perfect match for the TM900. It fits well into the bracket and there's no problem with fitting the plug into the camera's mic socket (which is set at an angle). I also fitted a larger ring wide angle adapter(the EXII HD7X46)and this does not interfere with the mic.

The audio from the mic is great it's quite sensitive but reducing to -10DB is generally adequate for normal interview situations relatively quiet room, one subject facing camera and mic. Setting the internal recording level to 0 seems to do the trick. For quiet voices you can up the mic to 0db or +20db. I have not had occasion to use the latter yet.

The mic also has a high pass filter (HPF) which cuts rumble. I am not sure if this cuts wind sound significantly but will try that later.

The mic does not seem to pick up motor noise from my camera but then I don't do a lot of zooming when I'm filming (and when I have, the mic hasn't picked it up). Like my other Rode mic, it is also suspended on "rubber bands" but this time only two (and they give you spares). The rubber bands can detach quite easily so it's something to be aware of.

I like the inclusion of a LED light to tell you that the mic is on and also to tell you if the battery is ok or not.

I did NOT like the difficulty of inserting the battery. You have to futz around with the front cover which latches onto a groove under the actual barrel of the (foam covered) mic itself and then push up to latch the bottom. The diagram in the instruction book conveniently omits the actual mic! I guess it's always difficult the first time and maybe I'll get used to it. Anyway it's lucky that one good battery will last for around 70 hours (at least that's what Rode claims) so I hope I don't have to change the battery a lot.

Also for this price it would have been nice to get a case of some sort but no such luck. Anyway I use small Pelicans or soft foam bags for packing.

I haven't tried them yet but this mic can also be fitted to a boom, and there is a pistol grip for it. The bottom has a screw thread so you can put it on a stand but you will need an extension cord to reach the camera as the cord that is attached to the mic cannot be removed and is short.

The mic weighs 0.18 lb (86 g) and its dimensions are 1.69"x6.02"x3.74".

Conclusion: if you need a small and light mic for a similarly scaled camcorder, this is a great purchase. I'm very satisfied with it and it does a good job.

Read Best Reviews of Rode VideoMic Pro VMP Shotgun Microphone Here

I've used the VideoMic Pro (stereo) for a few shoots. I attached it to a Panasonic HD-TM900K High-Def camcorder operated in 2D mode with no lens attachments. First impressions:

Upside

1. Gives the videographer much more creative control over the audio portion of the shoot. Compared to the on-board 5.1 mike array (including when it is set for front-stereo pick up only via the camcorder), the VideoMic rolls off to-the-side audio (e.g., comments by the camcorder operator or from a noisy background) much more effectively so the subject's sounds are recorded crisply.

2. The gain/level control adjustments (-10dB, flat, + 20dB) coupled with the camcorder's on-screen audio volume meter or using the real-time audio output and earphones greatly help with balancing far away and near-field subject audio so you can record more precisely.

3. The rubber shock and isolation mounts effectively remove extraneous camcorder sounds (by the way, this camcorder doesn't have appreciable fan noise, contrary to a few negative comments about it).

4. It's compact and doesn't enter into the field of view of the camcorder even in its widest angle mode.

Downside

1. The camera's special audio functions, such as changing the angle of response proportional to zoom, won't work with the external mike, but the manual level settings help with this.

2. One more thing to stuff into the camera bag, but just get a bigger bag.

3. No case for the device, so get a ziploc bag to prevent damage or loss of the rubber bands during transport.

I haven't tried the high-pass/low-cut filter for suppression of noise from fast wind, but using just the supplied foam wind shield (not a dead cat), preliminary tests with < 10 mph wind shows effectiveness.

Overall, this improves my confidence in the audio quality of the shoot.

Want Rode VideoMic Pro VMP Shotgun Microphone Discount?

I've previously shot interviews at California wine tasting events with the wonderful Sony PD170 SD camcorder and Azden pro audio. I loved the control with the pro gear but it is time to move on to HD and I decided to experiment with a Sony Handycam HDR-CX360.

My Azden audio equipment doesn't work with the Sony Handycam for some reason. There is static and humming. I need a shotgun mic so I read the mixed reviews of the Rode models and went with the Pro.

We experimented at home with the stereo turned up and the results were poor. It didn't seem like much of a shotgun but there was no time to figure out another solution before the huge Family Winemakers of California tasting event at Fort Mason in San Francisco.

The noise created by a couple thousand wine drinking attendees and winery staff in that old military warehouse pier is a nightmare for audio. The ambient noise is a constant din that makes conversation challenging. I was standing only a few feet away shooting and could barely hear my wife asking the questions and the winery staff answering her.

After a couple of interviews we went outside to review them with the camcorder review function and the audio sounded at least salvageable with the camcorder speakers. We shot for the next few hours and hoped for the best. I didn't shoot with headphones because my Sony Studio Monitor set is too loud with this camcorder.

The Rode Pro did fantastic and equaled my big pro audio gear with a 16" shotgun mic. In the videos you can clearly hear my wife and the interviewee. I would say that the improvement over actually being there is maybe 3x better. Other than an erupting volcano or a battle I'm not aware of a bigger audio recording challenge.

I was shooting with the camcorder and Rode on a handheld stabilization rig with the Rode about 6" from the camera and mounted on a cold shoe on the DV Multirig. I had a Japanese camcorder on an Israeli stabilization rig with an Aussie mic at a California event :-)

We will soon be posting these interviews on WineQuesters.com. You can compare them with the older SD videos of tasting events in the Videos section. Use the search feature to find wineries we interviewed using the Rode such as Clos Pepe, Cornerstone, Delectus, or B Cellars. I could probably make some improvements to the audio in post processing but there is no time for that with these short clips. We shoot run and gun and achieved the quality we need under the circumstances.

Save 30% Off