TRS to XLR Adapters - VXLR vs VXLR+ vs VXLR Pro from Røde

[@basvanloovere4750]

Thank you so much. As an amateur, I couldn't figure out why my mic was giving such a terrible buzz. It needs plug-in power, not phantom.

[@ricardobraga_music]

Would the VXLR PRO work with the Sennheiser E 908 microphone?

[@markexploringnewstuff]

Outstanding video - best explanation of Rode VXLKR, VXLR+ and VXLTR Pro! Finally makes things clear.

[@ChrisSpiegl]

Great to hear!

Hi, I have sanken 11 d with xlr (lav need 48 Phantom power). Its a chance that I can work this with mini jack microport?

[@MrRozzwell]

Thank you. That was very helpful.

[@ChrisSpiegl]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JakobSagatowski]

Thanks for information, just what I needed to know. Have exactly the Rode NTG and needed to know what adapter I needed to connect it to my AI-1. Thanks!

[@ChrisSpiegl]

That's great. Than you for your comment.

[@dhyundias5201]

From RODE website: The VXLR Pro is specifically designed to convert a 3.5mm TRS output to a standard XLR input. This is particularly helpful when connecting the Wireless Go II to professional audio equipment such as mixers, cameras, audio interfaces, or recorders that have XLR inputs. Please note: For a clean signal with the Wireless GO II, you'll need to use +48v phantom power with the VXLR Pro.

[@ChrisSpiegl]

That may be true, but they are also trying to sell you on the most expensive adapter. I've tested the adapters and found the Røde VXLR to be enough if you just want to connect an already self-powered mic like the Wireless Go II to it.

[@jorishendrix]

Found this video when researching the same statement by Rode. I was wondering if I really needed the most expensive adapter they sell or could just use the cheaper ones. Would there be any benefit of using the VXLR Pro instead of the VXLR in your opinion @@ChrisSpiegl?

[@Shalin.S.Shah.]

This is incorrect. Curtis Judd, very respected audio specialist, has stated that for vxlr plus to run balance signal, the mic has to be balanced first. Its like if your mic is not capable to produce high end audio quality, hooking it to 32 bit recorder is not going to do much good

[@JonasSam-q8j]

I'm a complete amateur and I'm having a dilemma, you gave good insights but there's something I'm still confused about and that's the stereo audio. To give some context, I am planning on setting putting transmitters on 6 people for a discussion. I have a zoom h8 and am planning on buying the rode wireless pro, which has two transmitters and one reciever, and then having three of those, which would connect to the zoom h8 via VXLRs. The thing is if I record it in a monotrack then I can't adjust the the gain without increasing or lowering it for two people simultaneously, (i think). And if I split them, then they will be heard from left and right, which I don't think will make it sound good, but I also don't know if it's possible to split and then put them back into a monotrack. I hope i'm making sense and I would greatly appreciate any feedback I can get, before spending a bunch of money.

[@ChrisSpiegl]

When you get the Røde Wireless Pro, you actually have "on transmitter 32-bit float audio recording". Translation: - each individual transmitter (the part that you put on the person) records the audio internally - you can get the files by plugging them into the charging box & connecting it to the computer - the quality of the internal recording will actually be higher quality than if you transmit it to the H8 and try to record it there (that is because it does not have to be encoded for transmitting wirelessly). To discuss this further, please reach out directly or join my Telegram group: crsp.li/tgg

[@hello-lb3vf]

This is an amazing video. Thank you.

[@ChrisSpiegl]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@borislavatatchev]

Great info and substantial quality

[@ChrisSpiegl]

Much appreciated!

[@violasrbest4225]

I can only turn Phantom Power on or off globaly. I need Phantom Poweer for other microphones. I want to connect a wieless mic that needs no power, but the VXLR+ only reduces PP to Plug-in Power, will this be OK to use or do I need to stop the power completely?

[@philippzakrzewski8180]

Hey Chris, thanks a lot for this. One question, if I want to run the audio out of an event mixer desk into the Rode Wireless Go II transmitter (RX) would it be enough to connect a VXLR Pro directly to the mixer desk, before connecting the adapter to the Wireless Go II receiver via a 3.5mm cable? Thanks for letting me know 😊

[@ChrisSpiegl]

I think you'd be fine with the VXLR (basic version). But to be honest, I have not tried this ever. The Pro may not work at all because it is one direction from TRS => XLR and since it has more electronics, it may only be uni-directional.

[@philippzakrzewski8180]

@ Thanks Chris!

[@erdem8134]

Thank you for your helpful video! I want to connect the Rode Wireless Go 2 to a stage sound system. Would the VXLR adapter be sufficient for this? Also, I’m considering attaching the Rode Lavalier Go microphone to the transmitter. Would this setup be safe?

[@ChrisSpiegl]

Connecting the Lavalier Go is going to work 👍. And the idea about VXLR to Stage system with also works. Just make sure to set the Wireless Go to output a Mono signal (also called Mixdown of the two wireless transmitters).

[@pedrosanchez4035]

I must be really dense, how do you connect the microphone to the XLR adaptor? It has a 3.5mm socket on the end, you have to use another cable between the mic I would have thought, unless there is an adaptor for the adaptor. Does using a TRS to TRS cause any problems for the balanced signal. Is it just the length of TRS cable that matters for interference? In which case using and XLR cable with adapter and linking TRS cable could start looking a bit ugly on the business end of a camera rig. Essentially it is unnecessary would you say?

[@ChrisSpiegl]

Yes, you still use a TRS to TRS cable between the mic and the VXLR adapter. And yes, the idea is that you reduce the length of these TRS cables to the bare minimum (10-20 cm) so that you get less interference.

[@rdstudios-production]

I have the same rode mic but when I pair the the basic, non-powered xlr to 1/8" plugged into my FX6 (phantom power switch off) I ONLY get buzzing when I touch the mic, cable and a little when I touch the body. Seems like a grounding problem. Would the VXLR Plus solve this?

[@ChrisSpiegl]

This highly depends if you have the VideoMic GO II or the VideoMic NTG! The NTG has a battery built in and you should be able to use it with the VXLR adapter. The VideoMic GO II needs plug-in power and so you would have to get the VXLR Plus / Pro.

[@rdstudios-production]

@ thanks I’ll give it a shot.

[@tienmhkimo]

Can i plug 3.5mm dynamic microphone without phantom power converter? Does it work just by xlr to 3.5mm dxlr convertor?

[@pedrosanchez4035]

Perfect video on this subject, I wish I had seen it before I bought two supposedly Rode compatible adaptors, now I understand why they didn't work with a basic Rode VideoMicro II, I had worked out the cause but I assumed they were just crap. They will come in useful for other things I am sure, they were cheap so I'll keep them. I have already ordered the VXLR Pro, not taking any chances, I actually need it for a shoot tomorrow. Thank you very much 🙂

[@ChrisSpiegl]

You're welcome. Glad you found my video helpful.

[@davesalazar6064]

Informative video.❤

[@Shalin.S.Shah.]

What would be the best choice for someone looking into acquiring a shotgun microphone which will work best for on camera and off camera through Boom pole to an external audio recorder (zoom H6)? From looking at your video and others, I have understood that TRS to XLR is better option than to from XLR to TRS as TRS to XLR has better adapter options than cable options from TRS to XLR where these cables may not convert balanced to unbalanced signal properly and the camera always expects unbalanced signal. I was looking into MKE600 per Curtis Judd's recommendation as it comes with XLR to TRS cable but I am afraid about RF interference over long distance and in vicinity of such devices, lower sound quality, inability to check battery power level. I am on a budget on contemplating whether to get Rode Videomic Go ii as a dedicated on camera shotgun mic and Rode NTG2 as a Boom pole external recording mic or get just one mic: Sennheiser MKE600. Any advice will go long way, thank you!

[@ChrisSpiegl]

It's difficult to give a recommendation since you described a lot but didn't say what your desired shooting scenario would be. The MKE600 is likely a good choice, and connecting it to a H6 via XLR is 👍. But connecting it to the Camera is something I'd only do with a very short cable (like 50cm / if the camera input is TRS). If you want to use a boom pole, then XLR is the way to go.

[@Shalin.S.Shah.]

@@ChrisSpiegl Hi Chris, apologies for being all over the place. My desire shooting scenario would be to carry a single shotgun microphone for outdoor use which will allow me to connect it to camera for sync audio and also give me an XLR option to connect to zoom H6. I intend to use this mic for outdoor interviews and field recording. My hope is for an XLR mic recommendation (even though knowing that zoom h6 allows TRS input through the XY capsule). This is so I can get one higher quality microphone capable of providing superior quality audio than buying one TRS and XLR microphones that are inferior. I was hoping to buy Deity V Mic D3 pro as an on-camera shotgun microphone and Rode NTG1/NTG2 as an XLR microphone but I am hoping to just single high-quality microphone capable of doing both. I hope this helps answering my question.

[@jeffz5789]

Will VXLR PRO work same as VXLR if there is no phantom power involved and using as line in? - Say with Go II receiver? Would there still be more noise than just VXLR?

[@MrStubbs8157]

Sadly I bought a Mipro Headset Mic with MiniXLR 4pin and I just wanted to convert it to a normal ts/trs microphone to use at my PC. Sadly its just meant to work with e.g. Mipro Wireless system. I saw a 3.5mm variant (sadly not what I will get) but now doubting, that this ts/trs is simply an adaptation for e.g. a sennheiser wireless system (so with plugin power)? Probaby my normal mic jack on a soundcard doesnt provide plugin power? I am so lost....I thought it might be easy to get an adapter/adapter cable to plug it in. MiniXLR, especially 4pin now is also another beast, as manufacturers pin it differently? Its nor compatible with Shure. That sucks and I guess I should return the microphone? Or can I simply solder a trs or tr cable to it (just dont know, which ich which). Sorry, I know thats offtopic and I browse the internet for solutions. I think this whole phantom power and plugin power stuff is separating these hardware components to not being meant for just normal usage. Crazy to me, how people create a whole industry around these adaptations of what simply should work everywhere :(

[@birajadas293]

Ur explanation is fine, its explains the power of part. But what about the audio signal:trs sends a stereo signal but the xlris amino signal:how does it react⁉️

[@liceafilms]

Can I use the Sennheiser MKE 400 with the VXLR?

[@rsmith02]

Sure it's self powered.

[@liceafilms]

@@rsmith02 yea I went ahead and bought one and figured it out lol

[@jefferson.castillo]

Awesome video! Would you recommend 1/4 to XLR cable to hook up a recorder to the Rode Go? Is it safe? Will the 1/4 cable (not xlr) damage the 3.5mm jack on the TX?

[@dnkestudio]

Very nice video! Can you help me please? I need to connect a Rode Lavalier Go mic to an audio interface (Focusrite Clarett+ 4PRE), but I don't know if I need VXLR, VXLR+ or Pro.

[@ChrisSpiegl]

The Røde Lavalier Go has a TRS connector and you'd need the VXLR+ or VXLR Pro. Both would work and if you are not planning to run a long cable, the VXLR+ is good enough.

[@dnkestudio]

@@ChrisSpiegl Thank you so much!

[@francisb1]

I'm having noise issue with my vxlr+, I've pretty much narrowed it down to it since there's the noise with it plugged in my audio card even without a mic and there's no noise with it unplugged. I've found other people who report this issue as well even with other brands of audio interface (I have focusrite) so it's a bit random. I just don't know what to do at this point. I'm thinking of trying the vxlr pro which as you explained well, doesn't do its thing when connected directly to the audio card but I'm wondering if it maybe has different electronics that don't make that noise... so this is just to say that maybe there might be other reasons to buy the pro lol

[@siyamakghaffari2949]

Hi ChrisThank you so much for sharing your Informative and professional video with us. I have Rode Videomic Pro Plus and zoom H4n pro. I order for Rode VXLR Pro adapter. I just Wandering If I Connect Videomic Pro Plus to XLR zoom Recorder, I have to turn off Phantom Power or not ? Because I Scared using Phantom Power same time and burning my Microphone? I grateful for help. good luck.cheers

[@ChrisSpiegl]

WIth the VXLR Pro you can leave it on or off. The Adapter will make sure the mic is safe. WIth Phantom Power turned on, the mic will turn on by itself (I think the Video Mic Pro Plus has that "standby" feature). Without Phantom Power, you'll have to turn on the mic manually.

[@siyamakghaffari2949]

@@ChrisSpiegl Chris Thank you so much for your help. I am so Happy I watched your Video and find The answer for my question Because when I connect my rode videomic pro Plus to my Canon C100 mark II, the Auto off and on option on mic is not working and I have to do it manually but with this Adaptor I believe this option will be work. thanks again and cheers from Canada

[@jonasdekeyser3181]

Hello! I have just purchased the VXLR basic one to connect a Rode Videomic Pro Rycote to a Scarlett Focusrite. It sounds horrible but the mic has it's own power, so I can't understand why. On the rode site they only list the VXLR Pro as accessory for this mic and i just don't get why. Will it sound better with the pro?

[@ChrisSpiegl]

I'd say there is something else going on. A few things: - If the cables are very long you may introduce interferences - Make sure to disable Phantom Power on the Focusrite since it is not needed - Mic placement matters a lot, maybe it's that?

[@QQKamran]

Hi, Which lapel microphone would you recommend for shooting asmr cooking videos?

[@ChrisSpiegl]

I do not have experience with ASMR. But I have tested the Deity W.Lav Pro and Micro and those sounds very good for normal voice recordings. Might be good for your use case as well.

[@a.matusiak2202]

Thx for explanation. Anyone try Boya adapters?

[@Gonejack]

it's bad

[@anamorphicalan]

nice

[@ChrisSpiegl]

Thanks

[@andrewchen4280]

RØDE Adapter Use Cases VXLR Use Case: 3.5mm TRS (balanced) = any => VXLR (balanced) = any => Mixer/Interface (balanced) 3.5mm TRS (unbalanced) = any => VXLR (unbalanced) = any => Mixer/Interface (unbalanced) Power Conversion: No Unbalanced to Balanced Transformation: No VXLR+ Use Case: 3.5mm TRS (balanced) = any => VXLR+ (balanced) = any => Mixer/Interface (balanced) 3.5mm TRS (unbalanced) = any => VXLR+ (unbalanced) = any => Mixer/Interface (unbalanced) Power Conversion: 12-48V phantom to 3-5V plug-in power Unbalanced to Balanced Transformation: No VXLR Pro Use Case: 3.5mm TRS (balanced) = any => VXLR Pro = any => Mixer/Interface (balanced) 3.5mm TRS (unbalanced) = short => VXLR Pro (balanced) = long => Mixer/Interface (balanced) Power Conversion: 12-48V phantom to 3-5V plug-in power Unbalanced to Balanced Transformation: Yes

[@DigiDriftZone]

With modern mics being so fantastic over usb-c and 3.5mm and even wireless mic kits now starting to get 32bit float, is there any advantage for bothering with XLR and audio interfaces? - a tiny rode wireless pro with 32bit float connected to a great shotgun mic with a clean 3.5mm output and you’ve outperformed all of this bulky XLR equipment, no?

[@ChrisSpiegl]

There are many cases where this is true. However, there are also professional sets where you don’t want to use a small wireless system like the new (and yet to be sold) Rode Wireless Pro Kit.

[@DigiDriftZone]

@@ChrisSpieglJust out of interest, why not? - and in a typical KZbinr single person talking head studio, are there any advantages really for going XLR+audio interface? (nothing complicated like say music production). I'm seeing some KZbinrs using external recorders and XLR mics but with these latest innovations and options, are there tangible advantages?

[@Gonejack]

No if I hate battries

[@jarrodbarker]

External timecode. That is why.

[@DigiDriftZone]

@@jarrodbarker what does XLR vs wireless and USB-C/3.5mm mics have to do with time code?

[@yvesbernas1772]

it is a mystery to me how Rode should turn an unbalanced signal into a balanced one with their VXLR PRO as they advertise it. I don’t think you can. Once the interference noise is on the audio signal of the TRS cable, it is there. The only thing you can do is filter it which is suboptimal, but you can’t turn it into a balanced signal, IMO.

[@ChrisSpiegl]

The idea is that you run a long XLR cable (which transports a balanced signal). That's why I am saying in the video: you should have a minimal length cable from the TRS => TRS => VXLR Pro => XLR Cable (can be long) => Mixer / Recorder. This way, you have a minimal distance to introduce interference and the XLR cable transports a balanced signal. So, that the long XLR cable run does not introduce any interference.

[@yvesbernas1772]

@ thanks. I understand and know this. But you can do this with the vxlr + . I dont see how the pro can eliminate the interference if any- striking the unbalanced trs cable from the mic to the vxlr

[@yvesbernas1772]

After asking CHATGPT, I now understand that the VXLR+ and VXLR are not really transforming a TRS signal input into an XLR signal although they are called adapters. In Rode ‘ s vocabulary an adapter does not transform. These adapters just forward the TRS unbalanced signal onto pin1 and connect pin2 to ground. The signal remains unbalanced. Whereas the Pro feeds pin2 with the inverted TRS signal. The VXLR+ is then ok if you directly connect it to your recorder. Makes sense not to bother creating a real XLR signal for that purpose.