I combined RODE & DJI to record PERFECT audio (but really it's just to troll you)

[@walkwithyan]

this guy should have more subscribers and viewers. we're getting an audio masterclass here. btw, can you teach us how to edit the audio to sound better? especially for us who only have basic editing software. thanks! 😊

[@CRE8VALU]

If you’re interested, I’ll be developing a “Creator Bootcamp” soon that includes a module about audio sweetening fundamentals.

[@HeyMaxNeal]

Yo Wayne, you tell 'em. You'll get a ton of people who have never created anything in their lives telling you how you should be making videos on YT - stuff that - be true and authentic to yourself. Make the video you want to make. Shake off the haters (though take into some consideration *why* they're saying what they're saying), and keep creating. Love your vibe and your energy, keep it up. I'm opening my DJI Mic 2s as I watch this. I'm still on the fence about keeping it vs. swapping to the Rode Wireless Pro but I want to test them myself rather than relying on YT reviews. I'm hoping I can keep in the same ecosystem with my Osmo Pocket 3 but as you know - good audio comes first. I'd love to see your process mastering audio out of the DJI Mic 2.

[@abrown10503]

Thanks Wayne. I agree that lavs do improve the audio quality. I recently bought the DJI lavs for the Mic 2 and was curious what your impressions are of these lavs if you have tried them.

[@williambillyshears9129]

Loved this video. Subscribed to your channel 2 days ago. I've had a background in both talk radio and producing music. I'll admit, I'm listening to you with an M1 MacBook Air. I heard no difference in sound. Next? I'll watch the video again with my Sony MDR-7506 and see if there is a difference there! Best of luck with your channel. Great content!

[@Worthfishing]

Thanks Wayne what a great video!

[@944play]

This sounded MUCH better than the Mic 2 on its own, tonally speaking. I cannot differentiate the bt/32 even on headphones.

[@WayneRECs]

Agreed! I'll probably be using an external lav with my Mic 2 TX as my standard go to setup. The audible difference between the BT to the Action 4 and the 32BF internal recording is subtle (way less noticeable than the difference between my 2 TX built-in mics) but there is a slight detectable difference. For me, the real difference is reliability as the internal TX recordings seem much more reliable than the direct BT connection to the Action 4 (with the connection to the RX being in the middle).

[@AndreSjoberg]

yeah, gotta agree, the lav solution is probably the best for getting a good sounding voice «almost out of the box» - I did a little testing here now on my own device, and there is a *huge* difference just moving the TX from my chest to in front of and slightly below my mouth, but holding a lav like that kind of defeats the purpose of having a wireless mic ;)

[@walkwithyan]

​@@WayneRECshi. where did you exactly position the lav? how far was it from your mouth? thanks 😊

[@BassManStrikes]

Been using a Edutige ETM-001 with mine because I want the ambient nature sounds and with that mic plugged in it sounds pretty much the same as using the boya adapter and I have to set the gain to -4. The built-in mic still sounds like it has noise reduction applied even if it's switched off.

[@greinalexandra]

Another good video. Since I also have a small channel myself, I completely understand that you make videos longer to benefit from mid-roll advertising. After all, devices cost money and you simply can't finance everything out of your own pocket. I just try to make several videos and always get to the point quickly. Keep up the good work, I love your content.

[@madsmix]

Good one! Clearly, there is a difference between the 2 samples. Oddly, the Pocket 3 audio sounds better (for the lack of a more appropriate term) to my ears than the Mic2 receiver. Extended HF response. And that honestly makes me really worried. Extended HF. BTW, is this the transmitter unit that was had the internal dark mic or bright mic? Could it be an issue with the transmitter than the actual mic element (for the earlier test video).

[@madsmix]

In addition my earlier comment to the last video, I'm curious to know the effect of clocking. The Clocking is different when connected to the receiver as opposed to when not. Which explains the drift in the TX units over time when not connected to the RX.

[@motosenpaimy]

Wow, can't really tell the difference between BT and 32bit, for this kind of condition. I'm sure I will need the 32bit for my use case, which is motovlog. Just ordered mine and now waiting for them to arrive.

[@WayneRECs]

The audible difference is slight, but the real difference is in reliability. I think the BT direct to camera is the weakest transmission, so may be more prone to drop outs. While I haven't done any extremely long recordings, the internal TX recordings seem more reliable.

[@CRE8VALU]

6:43 my most recent video does a pretty compelling demo of a few different noise cancellation scenarios.

[@burgeroraclefilmco]

Great video, man. Thanks for this.

[@PeterAlanJohnson]

Sounds good with the lav in that position, I feel the same about the noise removal.

[@AndreSjoberg]

Sweet! This was a really good way of demonstrating real world usage and a use case scenario that realistic for a lot of users :) Almost as good as that older video you did with multiple paths through a series of videos selecting a video as an answer leading to a new video with a new option and so on :) (I might just borrow that idea at some point, loved those «choose your own path» books as a kid :) Quick question: the Røde lav, the internal recording of the sound is also the lav right? so both the audio going to the camera, and being recorded on the transmitter internally, is the lav sound? If that’s the case, why on earth can’t the transmitter do backup recording when connected via bluetooth to an iphone? And why is the bluetooth audio quality noticably worse when connected to my iphone? Would love it if you could check that with the DJI rep, maybe it’s an iOS issue, and not a dji issue, that would be interesting :)

[@WayneRECs]

Ha, that Choose your own Adventure was totally the vibe I was going for lol! To confirm, yes, in all recording scenarios I'm using the RODE Lavalier GO plugged into the DJI Mic 2 TX. I'm no expert on BT, but it may be a limitation of certain BT protocols? I think as more and more Mic 2 units get out into the wild and more users question how or why things function the way they do, that DJI will eventually provide some additional information. I guess time will tell lol!

[@AndreSjoberg]

@@WayneRECs yeah, I’m hoping they’ll engange in the conversation at some point instead of just pushing out review units and (it seems) tell reviewers *not to mention the the war* ie not comment on audio quality but just provide examples to their viewers which seems to be the trend of all the «not sponsored, but sponsored» videos. There shouldn’t really be a noticable difference between bluetooth connection to an osmo action and to an iphone - in the end it’s data, of course the codec used to transmit the data might have an impact, and I’m wondering if dji have a different codec they use for the mic to action and pocket connection vs connection to the iphone - there is more than enough bandwidth in bluetooth to get ok audio, but the compression/decompression used is the key. There is also that weird thing with the iphone itself not recognising the mic as a mic through bluetooth, so it doesn’t work with the native iphone video app, only in third party camera apps like blackmagics app.

[@3yebeams]

Active noise cancellation - the equivalent of putting cotton wool in your ears - and I'm in my late 60s! Only if you are by a busy highway and you absolutely need to do that. Always use a lav mic with these gizmos. Excellent piece as usual.

[@Fredo.heavyy]

Plug the DJI Mic 2 into a SHURE SM7DB via XLR to 3.5mm! Let me know what you think about the audio produced (crank the gain on transmitter to max and record in 32bit audio float)

[@mathiassiebert1217]

Another great video. Your calm manner makes it easy to follow you and the technical details. I don't like this hysterical talk to myself, especially when people think they have now found "the" error. Terrible. I learned a lot here again. Sound was very good and I will remember your microphone guidance. Thanks.And of course it was a clever move not to discuss the two different types of recording beforehand. For myself, I noticed again how close the two recording functions are to each other, because I really didn't notice anything, even though I'm a musician, filmmaker and audio person. Audio is, and many people always forget this, a lot of psychology. You could also hear that the sound with noise reduction had been processed. But after a minute you got used to it and it wasn't until you switched again that it became clear. The brain/ear combination tries to make the best sound out of what it gets.

[@WayneRECs]

Great point! When we as viewers have nothing directly to compare it to, consistent audio will sound fine. As they say, if you don't notice the audio, then it sounded good lol!

[@enriquemartin8655]

Thank you for your presentation.

[@DroseMr]

You know sound! Ya here me😂🎉Thank You

[@GrenlandUnderVann]

Thank you. Really nicely done.

[@jer3006]

Wow, I'm one weird listener. I liked the audio slightly better when you turned the NR on❗I had not been hearing any distracting noise, but turning the NR on seemed to boost and clarify the audio ever so minutely. Not that it was bad before the NR. My conclusion: By the time audio gets to my ears through the Internet, through my Asus laptop, through Windows 11, and through my $30 desktop speaker, there is no point in me making any judgements. 🤣So, I'll just take your word for it that my audio will be better using a LAV with my DJI Mic 2 when and if it finally gets here. Thanks for these tips.

[@WayneRECs]

Great point! Ultimately, there are so many variables when it comes to how people hear audio that it's really hard to get it "right" for everyone. Never mind every viewer's personal preferences!

[@BlueRidgeRider]

I could not hear a difference between Bluetooth or not. I definitely heard the “robotic” sound of noise canceling. I agree. I would not use it.

[@apislapis]

Regarding the active noise cancellation there was a little bit of digital dalek on your voice in my headphones. I guess context is also important to consider. It's overkill to my ears to use it to remove low level twittering birds in the background, my brain is expecting some background noise from the environment you are in, and it helps to place you at that location, did someone mention authenticity? However, if there were loud chainsaws being used, then I'd probably use the active noise cancellation as we need to hear you deliver the message and get the job done. Great video.

[@defylifeadventure]

Played this via my TV absolutely no difference in sound. I think the external mic is a leveller. I'd like to see a test on an iPhone though, as I've seen a report that the bluetooth quality when using the transmitter with an iPhone is pretty poor.

[@garypranzo9334]

I am ok with the internal audio since I shoot indoors but I still use external audio because the talent and Videographer handle the camera a lot for what I shoot so you hear the camera getting handled I always have off-camera audio running so the DJI mic 2 transmitter for the action 4 is a game changer for me. I was using a Rode receiver attached USB to the action 4 and the wire caused some anxiety but now It is great. I am all for cameras doing receiver duty. I hope to see this in the next Mirrorless camera. I use a Panasonic S52 so maybe the S6 can add receiver capability. For what I do the quality is mostly determined by how close I can get the mic to the talent without touching the mic. (For the Mic 2 I can get it within 3ft of my talent and keep it hidden.)

[@WayneRECs]

No doubt DJI deserves applause for the way they've integrated the Mic 2 with the Action 4 and Pocket 3. It will be super interesting to see if other camera manufacturers adopt a similar strategy when it comes to audio. The logical guess would be Sony as they are close with their wireless mic systems and the MI shoe, but who knows what will come out this year lol!

[@garypranzo9334]

@@WayneRECs I have decided to not upgrade my mirrorless camera until that feature is implemented. I can wait since the S52 is so overkill for me already.

[@TDCIYB77]

Sounds great! Sadly DJI did not listen and there is still no thread for locking lavaliers. So much for "Pro" Audio. Cant imagine why they would refuse to do so, cost wise it should be a non issue, and DJI usually looks at what their competition does and matches it (Rode Wireless Pros have a locking mechanism).

[@WayneRECs]

I have no insight into DJI's design process, but maybe they thought releasing their own right angle lav mic and integrating a strain relief section in their TX clip was enough? I also have no idea why they didn't design the case to accommodate TX units with wind muffs attached... While I appreciate things like DJI offering multiple Mic 2 buying options to accommodate different users, it seems odd that they overlook some of the more basic requests from actual users.

[@mathiassiebert1217]

But to be honest, how many people out there need a screw cap for their lav? The people who have Sennheise or something similar. They are left behind. I'm glad that the connection is as clean as it is. With these little things it's always about reducing the amount of material used so that they end up being as light and small as possible. I don't understand why the other lavs shouldn't be "pro" as you imply. I earn my money as a freelancer with audio and video and my lav from Rode is completely sufficient, especially if you post-process it. What all pros do, right?

[@yoyoamgamg6179]

Newbie to the audio recording world I guess the NR feature is great for newbie like me But I do prefer the sound without the NR But of coz in situations if I am on a busy city street the NR would be great

[@WayneRECs]

IMO, NR would be most beneficial if you record content and upload it directly without an editing step in between. For beginners, it would probably be more usable if DJI had 2 levels of NR instead of just on/off. (could be a possible firmware update lol)

[@CRE8VALU]

Check out my most recent 2 videos to discover how NOT using the mic NR is actually better in a noisy environment IF you know how to use post production NR during editing. Good skill to know 👍🏼

[@aerialrendition]

I love your videos because they sound so good. Your expertise on mics and sound pickup is so thorough. That DJI mic2 is pretty cool, out of my price range for now. If I get one, I would probably set up the mic the way you did for this video The difference between the noise cancelation on and off was noticeable but the truth is, with it off the background sound wasn't drawing away from your voice while still allowing the environment an authentic place in the audio. Thank you.

[@WayneRECs]

Thanks for your comment! You make a great point about noise cancellation! If it's too heavy and isolative, you can lose the ambience of the environment, especially in outdoor settings! Now if they only invented a NC that only works on airplanes and dogs barking... lol!

[@ollebrandt]

Hi Wayne, thanks for a very interesting video. I fully agree with @944play, I like the sound of this lav better than what I have heard from MIC2´s own mic, which for me is a bummer.... Of course active noise cancelling will affect all sound going in - In this film I really didn´t hear a great difference but in some previous showcases/Demos the have been so eager to demonstrate how traffic noise etc. disappears, and I got baffled over the way the content creators voice was changed... I guess this goes the way that if there are large sources of noise and and pretty well spread over the entire frequency spectrum, the changes/filtering must increase, affecting pretty much all sound in the recording.....

[@WayneRECs]

Totally right! Depending on the situation, NR can either be really effective or can really affect the speaker's voice. If DJI could implement 2 different levels of NR, instead of just on/off, it could be a much more usable feature.

[@Q8Webmaster]

I am very inspired with your POST editing skills. You made the mic to sound Great! Can you share with us what you did? :)) I did similar tests without post editing. So My concolusion that the DJI Mic 2 with the current firmware is not ready to be used as a standalone mic. It needs a Lav. Here is the long version : My consolusion after a very tough comparsion of the 2 mics regarding sound quality! DJI MIC 2 Firmware version: v04.02.01.13 Røde Mic 2 Firmware version: 1.2.8 1) Using Røde Lav II mic on both units (DJI Mic 2 , Røde Wireless Pro) : -- Noise Cancellation off , No Low cut filter : Simple! They both almost identical. You will never beleive it. You can't prefer one other the second. They might sound different if you compare them using 2 different LAVs which is not fair. -- Noise Cancellation On (DJI MIC2) : Røde Wins 100%. 2) NO LAV on both , RAW audio, No DeadCat wind shield. Both clipped equally on the top of my shirt: Røde : Better sound quality! Way better than the DJI Mic 2. Of course it depends on your voice and how much is the difference for your voice, but in General from audio samples from others as well, I found the Røde sound quality is more pure and native and fuller So, Finally: in case you will be using both with LAV, I think you are good to go with the one you prefer more. - if you care about the nice design and the very handy touch screen and compact case, DJI Mic 2 is the winner. - If you care about the noise reduction, then DJI is the clear winner. - If you are going to be hybrid between LAV and without, then the clear winner is the Røde. - If you are going to use it for street interviews, Røde is the winner again. If you have any questions, Let me know! :)

[@CRE8VALU]

Hi quality comment 👍🏼

[@Q8Webmaster]

@@CRE8VALU Thanks mate!

[@WayneRECs]

Thanks for sharing your info! Actually, there is no post processing applied to the audio in this video. The only thing I did in post was to adjust the levels a few dB to get the different tracks to match.

[@Q8Webmaster]

@@WayneRECsThanks a lot ! I appreciate it 👏

[@reneguitart]

Adding another hypothesis to this issue, BassMan Strike (kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z32Zm3WCrJZmeq8si=IS8YEcFinOVrSlYU) floats the idea that it seems DJI has some form of noise cancellation ON even when it is OFF when using the built-in microphone. If that is part of the problem then maybe new firmware will help the situation. It could still be that we are dealing with a possible capsule issue as you demonstrated in your first video. It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out.

[@WayneRECs]

Thanks for sharing! It could be the case and if some kind of processing is always being applied, then DJI could tweak that in a firmware update potentially. I guess we'll have to wait and see lol!

[@TheNitpicker]

At least you're open about it but I noticed it already before and found it super annoying. You talk and talk and seemingly never get to the point. That you're padding the runtime on purpose though is pure shit. I'm definitely not supporting that. If you don't have enough useful to say it's your fault not because there's not enough to say lol

[@leventeszerencses1753]

You're right that there was a lot of unnecessary rice, instead of talking about something interesting as nothing. Sorry Wayne, but it's the truth😆