Incredible Value at $100: Discovering the Hidden Features of RODE VideoMic Go II

The New RODE VideoMic Go II is a $100 compact, no battery, on-camera microphone that sounds just as good as the $250 version! If you're looking for a microphone that sounds great but wont break the bank, you're going to want to check this one out!
Rode VideoMic Go II - geni.us/54CjkY2
Cable for USB C Devices - geni.us/YY3Nihw
Cable for USB A Devices - geni.us/OsyOmrQ
Lightning Cable for iPhone - geni.us/f0r3
WS12 Furry Windshield - geni.us/IHYVXLx
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Table of Contents:
0:00 - Introduction
0:55 - What's In The Box?!
1:16 - Microphone Features Overview
2:35 - Using With Your Computer or Phone (hidden features)
3:45 - Size Comparisons & Price
4:10 - Other Microphones For Comparison
5:14 - Studio Boom Audio Test
6:11 - Noise Test
6:40 - Outdoor Long Distance Test
7:42 - Vlogging Test
8:20 - My Findings
9:27 - Who Is This Microphone For
10:26 - Conclusion
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Gear That I Use or Recommend:
Cameras:
▸ Sony A7IV - geni.us/sonya7iv_01
▸ Sony A1 - geni.us/sonyalpha1
▸ Sony FX3 - geni.us/sonyfx3_01
▸ Sony ZV-E10 (aps-c camera) - geni.us/sonyzve10
Full Frame Lenses:
▸ Sigma 24-70 f2.8 (best all around) - geni.us/O8eum
▸ Sony 16-35 f2.8 GMii (best wide angle zoom) - geni.us/aUDS
▸ Tamron 28-75 f2.8 ii (affordable all around) - geni.us/jAFz
▸ Sigma 16-28 f2.8 (affordable wide angle zoom) - geni.us/sigma1628_01
Aps-c Lenses
▸ Sigma 16mm f1.4 (best wide angle) - geni.us/Dunna16mm
▸ Sigma 30mm f1.4 (great mid range) - geni.us/dunna30mm
▸ Sony 18-105 f4 (best all around) - geni.us/Dunna18105
Audio:
▸ Rode Video Mic Go ii (on camera mic) - geni.us/54CjkY2
▸ Rode Wireless Go ii (compact wireless system) - geni.us/rodewgii
▸ Deity D4 Duo (tiny dual on camera mic) - geni.us/deityd4duo
▸ Rode Podmic (voiceover & podcast mic) - geni.us/rodepodmic_01
Lighting:
▸ Aputure Amaran F22c - geni.us/amaranf22c
▸ Aputure 300d ii - geni.us/aputure300dii_01
▸ Aputure 200x - geni.us/am200x
▸ Nanlite Pavotubes - geni.us/pavotube30xii
▸ Aputure MC (pocket sized rgb accent light) - geni.us/c8HAAnq
Other:
▸ Shimoda Explore V2 (main camera backpack) - geni.us/shimodaexplorev2
▸ WANDRD PRVKE 31L (other camera backpack) - geni.us/wandrdprvke31l
▸ Peak Design 45L (travel/camera backpack) - geni.us/peakdesign45L
▸ 3Legged Thing Punks Brian Tripod 2.0 (travel tripod) - geni.us/3ltpunksbrian2
▸ Freewell Magnetic Variable ND Filters - geni.us/freewellmvnd
▸ Peak Design Camera Strap - geni.us/peakdesignslide_01
▸ Peak Deisign Capture Clip - geni.us/peakcaptureclip_01
Complete Gear List:
▸ www.kit.co/dunnadidit
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Disclaimer:
Some of the links in my video descriptions are affiliate links, which means at no extra cost to you, I will make a small commission if you click them and make a qualifying purchase. If you have a different purchase in mind, you can also use these storewide links below.
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For professional and sponsorship inquiries, please use the contact form on my website or email [e-mail]

[@tombuck]

They really nailed it with this thing. It’s been awesome to have as a quick USB mic for voiceover pickups, in addition to everything else it does.

[@chriscox7404]

I've also enjoyed being able to just plug the usb-c into my ipad pro directly, makes a really quick and dirty zoom setup on the go

[@animaldonut]

Hey Tom Buck! We meet again, this time in the comment section of a little mic we both agree is the 🐝’s knees!! I agree with you 💯!!

[@davidunwin7868]

I needed a microphone in a hurry to record a music concert. Called the camera shop and got them to put one aside for me. When I got there. This is what they sold me. And I have to say I love it. The sound quality is great for someone who just needs a no-frills microphone for the camera! Very happy and apparently they're made in Australia? Bonus!

[@TwoOneSe7en]

At $100, these things are a steal. I have these attached to my Wireless GO II system and having two feeds of directional, great sound is awesome. Two little micro tripods and you can set them anywhere.

[@dunnadidit]

Totally! Great Idea!

[@JesseDriftwood]

I just bought two of them. Easily the best “cheap” mic ever. This thing rules.

[@dunnadidit]

amen to that.

[@skakdosmer]

Are you planning to record in stereo?

[@nomadscentral]

Bro, that intro, I dont know how many times I will replay it to get more satisfaction. Men that is so so dope. The music the transition, my goodness, the first 10 seconds of this video is fire 👌💯

[@Nathan_Lundstrom]

Picked up one on Amazon with your link! This review (and Amazon renewed lol) pushed me over the edge to upgrade from my Movo micro mic. This is going to be an awesome addition to the kit! Being able to use it as an interface is a SOLID feature as well!

[@VolareMedia]

Great review! Might have to add this to my collection. Thanks 🙏

[@ManleyReviews]

I've been using the NTG camera one for all my vids and it's insane how underrated it is. Especially with the usb C interface pc

[@pederrottiger]

I have the NTG and I'm always impressed with how it holds up against the competition. With that said, in the practical tests - the Go 2 sounds great, maybe a bit thinner than the NTG but for the price it sounds like an exceptional entry level mic. I might buy this for when I need someone else to capture audio without having to worry about the extras (features, batteries, etc) that come along, not to mention size (really not a problem but compact is always a nice to have) with the NTG.

[@ONEGOODDREAM]

Super helpful review! Thank you! I really liked the noise test. Would be great if you could do a video about how to get rid of that noise in post!

[@LetsgowithHyro]

Sticking to the Micro for a bit but this one certainly looks like my next one. Thanks for the review.

[@liwei828]

Great review once again. Loving the RODE VideoMic Go II already. Good choice on the lyrics of "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)".

[@dunnadidit]

Thanks!

[@jawadbhuri434]

Appreciate the amount of work you put into your videos! Love your content man!!

[@gojohnnygo2021]

Great review, im sold. Thanks

[@weteam17]

You put so much energy creating this video. Thank you so much!

[@dunnadidit]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@NeulichimKanal]

I am absolutely satisfied with this mic. It is versatile and produces a very good sound quality. Didn't regret it one single moment.

[@Amidstadventure]

Thanks for the video this defiantly helped me with making a decision on what mic to get

[@sunnyeh1627]

Dunna I gotta admit that you have most detailed video reviews on KZbin about Rode Products. You have answered all of the questions thank you sir for the very detailed video.❤

[@R1dgeR1der]

I don’t often comment on videos, but this review was top drawer. Very thorough, very informative, very concise. You have a new subscriber ➕

[@dunnadidit]

Thanks Dan!

[@mikemcgannvoiceover]

This was a great comparison video. Listening with my studio headphones, it seemed mostly that the less expensive you go with Rode, the quality is about the same but you get less bass in the recording. The Go II still had pretty good bass, while the cheapest was a little too light when you know how much bass the other two Rode mics can offer. I'm surprised how much background noise the Deity mics picked up here for being directional mics. It seems that Rode certainly understands balancing quality with price with these mics.

[@ibvisions217]

Did my first video shot in the city today and bought this mic. Even more glad I bought it after seeing this video. Thankss brother !

[@MKNYC_]

They need to retire the old “testing one two, onetwothree “ test and replace it with one of your selections.

[@LukeAntunes]

Just picked this up a few weeks ago. I have been loving it so far! It’s as easy to use as my old Video Micro but much better quality. Great review Dunna!

[@TopblokeGolf]

I sent mine back, wasn’t impressed with it

[@DetroitMadeZo]

@@TopblokeGolf what was wrong with it?

[@TopblokeGolf]

@@DetroitMadeZo it was ok , bought a better mic .

[@DetroitMadeZo]

@@TopblokeGolf what mic did you get?

[@MobileFilmmaking]

Thanks. This video just convinced me to pick up this mic

[@PhilipLemoine]

Thanks for taking the time to make this video.

[@gcprost]

Thanks for doing this. You reminded me that I have to charge my NTG. One of these times I’m going to get caught with a dead NTG. For the most part the microphones on my cameras are for scratch audio for syncing in post but occasionally they are back ups for my other recorded audio: the microphone and recorder on stage and the recorder capturing the audio from the house mixing board.

[@NeilSnapePhotography]

I think the sound was better with the NTG. Yet for the price and size, and the ability to use this as a USB device is great.

[@JoshRzepkaMusic]

What a great review, this vid was put together really well. 👏👏👏

[@dunnadidit]

Thanks!

[@kyleledotnet]

thanks for the video. how do you get rid of the noise in the voice sampling.

[@heimizhou450]

very good comparison. thanks

[@sheinamendez818]

Amen for the simplicity! Love my VideoMic Go II.

[@AnnaAlberichChannel]

Thank you for all this effort! it was really helpful

[@niltons.spagnuolo]

Excellent review. RODE GO II is the microphone I use to record interviews outdoors. The sound quality recorded by RODE VIDEOMIC GO II did not convince me; I will continue using RODE GO II.

[@actualartist3082]

Deity D4 Duo is what i went with over this. Love the mic, but it was a hard choice. Great video man!

[@dongee1664]

Great review....thanks.

[@w02190219]

really nice test! tks~

[@TuckerPearce]

Dunna another fantastic review. The lines you repeated for the test had me cracking up, thanks. I have been debating this Mic for weeks, I might have to buy it now. I like the Rode Micro that I have most days but think this might be a solid improvement. Update: I hope you get some $, I used your link and bought the mic and the wind shield from B&H.

[@ahoseinyan958]

Thanks for good review. Does it work with other cable or we have to buy only rode cables? For MacBook, windows laptop and etc.

[@GazianoOutdoors]

Cracking video mate , I've just got mine , works really well with a gopro media mod too as its so lightweight, cracking mic. All the best 👍

[@tss3393]

Been waiting for this one since you let me know it was coming. I think I'm sold!

[@edgardbmedia]

Great video. ... Love the choice of words for sample test lmao

[@dunnadidit]

😜😜😜

[@stewartmoore]

great test - its exactly what i need

[@Doogsay]

Good video. I bought mine for use with my band and sony A7iv in a 4x5m room. Its loud in there. What do you think about the GO II in very loud environments? Any tips for getting best results?

[@drewmorris349]

I wish this had been available back when I bought my rode video micro!!

[@davidtguitar]

Great video! But I'm unsure which cable to use if i want to use it as a boom mic. The USC-c cables are generally pretty short, and only philm with my iphone. Any ideas?

[@danhalyburton1537]

Good review Thank You

[@dunnadidit]

Thanks for watching!

[@NazNaldrettVlogs]

Very handy review, and some proper real world tests... that said, the serious lyrics crack me up each time you do a mic comparison video (make sure they stay!) 😂

[@unboxingsensation8700]

Wow you help me decide great content

[@blazzer7734]

Thank you for that video!

[@dunnadidit]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@DCC2105]

Hey Dunna. Been waiting on this video. 🔥🔥🔥 as always. Question for you, where would you rank this among the other microphones under $100 from the video you made about 5 months ago?? Thanks for the advice in advance

[@dunnadidit]

This is definitely the new top of my under $100 mic list!

[@missalarxxx]

Thank you for this!

[@dunnadidit]

My pleasure!

[@dinolarsson]

I have the ntg. I actually liked the sound better from the new go II in some tests. If this one existed when I bought the ntg, I would have gotten this one instead just because of how easy it is to use, and the smaller size. Great video, I caught on to the backstreet lyrics right from the first test lol!

[@dunnadidit]

I hear you!

[@bayonet1217]

@@dunnadidit can I attach this microphone to a pole and use as a boom mic…?

[@dunnadidit]

You can! You just need a long enough cable

[@bayonet1217]

@@dunnadidit thank you so much bro

[@ZekesView]

What a solid review. I've been using the Sennheiser MKE 400 and wondering how it would compare to this. I hate that fear that the batteries might be dead on the mic and to have to carry extra AAA's in my kit.

[@heroicvision]

I have both and I honestly prefer the flatter sound and lower noise floor of the Senheisser. You'll get a low battery warning if you are hours away from the batteries going out . What I do notice is some distortion with the Rode if sound levels are higher. I thought it was a bad mic and got another one but same issues with distortion unless you are in doors in a quieter more controlled environment.

[@andreas-stricker]

Thank you, I just bought a Deity D4 Mini, but I'm not really happy with it. Maybe getting the Go II soon

[@ChaChaCafe]

Excellent video and very detailed. Has anybody compared this to the Shure MV88 by chance? Wondering how the sound difference is on those 2 mics.

[@sion1885]

I recently got this mic for my sony zv-e10. Listening back to the audio from the camera isnt so great I'm in the process of building a new editing pc so hopefully I'll be able to see the difference. My question to ask did you do any clean up of the audio after recording or was this all just straight from the recording?

[@davelee7736]

HAHA love the choice of lyrics to test with!

[@lllcinematography]

thanks for this man, was on the fence between the deity v3 and go ii. go ii it is for me. hope it's as big a leap as i'm imagining from my super budget USD 25 takstar.

[@FernandoSanz-xj4wl]

Which one would you recommend for indoor basketball? paired with an iPhone 15 Pro Max in a rig

[@hesalisanaradamsuvi5646]

Yo! I really want to see a breakdown of your entire editing workflow. Video quality is top end

[@dunnadidit]

Noted!

[@sRagnar]

The main video was written on which microphone? Great comparison!

[@ArchAangel21]

Brought a comica v30 pro. will be using it as a action camera mic for air soft, I already had a play and with the high pass and do boost the thumb from steps is almost totally diminished. Not too echoey inside either. That’s with the included foam and dead cat. i feel as if I wanted something nice like a ntg5 I’d need a 3D printed part. To keep it nice and snug to the helmet but maybe what I really want is a omnidirectional mic but yeh they’re a bit insidy if you know what mean. It’s being used with a drift ghost xl pro, which has mic sensitivity options built in. (It’s better on 3 rn but if I want to dampen the sound more I can set it it 2)

[@rob.gerald]

Very Very Very good segment!

[@MaxPhotoGraphic]

Awesome content Dunna, you did it, Please can you tell me if the windmuff gets on the way/frame of the objectives 18-105 f4 or 35 f1.8 for a a6600? Thanks, keep on rocking mate. :)

[@bicifixisrael4776]

thanks for the video

[@TechOutAdam]

Nobody else is going to acknowledge the amazing lyrics for the mic test? lol!

[@kevincheung2066]

Hey that'll look good on my a7iv! I'm already finding that the Rode VideoMic Pro is big, clunky, and cumbersome but still awesome sound quality, so I'll add the GO II to the list of things to get...

[@dunnadidit]

BAM!

[@Shipwrckdntweetin]

Great great video! So the tough one…. MKE400??? As I think that would be the other front runner (price aside)

[@InkaShashinka]

While not on the same price range, if you could choose between this one or the DJI mic? Mostly for vlogging.

[@aamefford]

The NTG sounds a bit better. I’d give that up for the simplicity of the go II. Thanks for the test!

[@LetsGoBJONES]

Was there a reason for only deity d3? And not including the d3 pro? I have the pro, wanted to see how they compared.

[@brandonkoh8361]

I wish youd done a controlled test for wind, like just a desk fan with constant wind and you speaking. Wind either blowing behind, side or in front of the mic.

[@nomadscentral]

Bro, your review, is amazing. Where are you based, I might visit. I am here in Washington

[@jasonpoe9054]

Great video! What were your internal audio record levels set to in the camera?

[@dunnadidit]

6 for the inside test and the vlogging test, and 12 for the outdoor distance test.

[@hanyunseung]

I'm your fan. Thanks to you, I learned about a good microphone, it would be nice to give me a tip on how to set the volume level based on a7s3.

[@dunnadidit]

Depending on your sound source, shoot to have the level hitting about -12db on the meter. That gives you a little bit of room in case it gets louder.

[@atmostive]

Спасибо за ваше сравнение этих микрофонов,наконец то определился, Rode VideoMic Go II мой выбор, благодарю вас за ваше видео. Удачи! Good luck

[@DarkestKnight2424]

Will the deadcat for the videomic go 1 work for this newer one ?

[@LitchfieldParkFamily]

Great info! Love the compact RODE mic! We use it for quick guitar cover reels 🎶🎸💯 New Subscribers here! ✅

[@fugui166]

完美，学习到了很多也帮我做出了正确的选择。

[@fransv1398]

The Videomic Go II sounds very good. However, for many people the max SPL of 110 dB may be too low. This can become a problem especially with vlogging.

[@BlueGlimpser]

is possible to use a shorter USB C to USB C cable , or needs to be used specifically the one that Rode sells which is quite long ? I plan to use the Rode videomic go II on a Hohem M6 gimbal.

[@scooteractual]

Would this be a good pairing with the Rode Wireless Pro to get 32b float to pick up ambient sounds onboard of my Komodo

[@babooobie]

im no pro but having individual gain control is a blessing. i recently purchased the Comica VM20 at $130 cad and i will not go back to anything passive. Before the comica i had the Movo XV10 Pro.

[@perpetualengine]

Out door at 9ft was the test i was looking for. Going to buy it for a party where there will be a lot of speakers and I cant have them hold mics.

[@peterdirection4608]

I’m trying to get the best sound on a stage about 150 feet away (i generally do small theater jobs) from a Sony a7s DSLR. Can’t figure out if the quality of the sound would be better just throwing one of these little wireless transmitters on the stage floor or putting the videomic + shotgun on the dlsr…or 3rd option which is using both by connecting the shotgun to wireless pro near theater speakers. Thanks by the way.

[@binoykv]

really nioce microphone works great aloso nice review

[@daniqccr]

I paused the video just to comment, This si the type of reviews I appreciate a lot, thanks bro

[@63MacGuy]

Great video! What happened to your old music for your intro? I loved it.

[@dunnadidit]

I changed it to something I made instead.

[@sociallensman]

Awesome microphone 🎤🔥

[@razfilmstv]

I have the NTG for my GH6. I might get this for the go pro and iPhone. Probably even for the Gh6.

[@joaopegofilms]

does the rode videomicro furry windshield fits in the videomic go ii? thank you for your work man

[@Bpags868]

Did you have these plugged into an external recorder/interface when you did the boom test or just straight into camera?

[@TheDivotking1]

Informative review, TY sir. Looks like the Edmonton,Alberta, Canada river valley? Cheers🇨🇦

[@dunnadidit]

It sure is! Just moved away a week ago though! I had filmed this last month.

[@TheDivotking1]

@@dunnadidit Good for you. Hopefully down to the Calgary area! 😉

[@dunnadidit]

Out to Victoria actually. It was time to get out of Alberta!

[@ZackCalvin]

What audio level do you keep your A7iii at with this mic?

[@WillsWhereabouts]

Great review Dunna, I’ve just purchased this mic and have used it the last few weeks. I’ve noticed a few video clips being super loud and ‘muffly’ when editing, any advice on what to do to make them sound better. I think it may have been because my mouth was too close to the mic but unsure as never really had this problem with the Rode micro

[@dunnadidit]

Sounds like you just need to turn it down I think. From your description that sounds like clipping.

[@carson_wrobel]

Hey Dunna, what volume setting do you use on the A7SIII when using these mics?

[@dunnadidit]

I believe I was on 6

[@homerchap]

I have a cheap Boya microphone that I’ve had about 4 years that I use with my Fuji XT-3. I’m now tasked with videoing my sons marching band and the sound to me is just ok. I video it from the press box. Do you think this would this be a good option for this?

[@cobekingston]

What microphone you recommend for vlogging or professional work?

[@_arorarohit_]

Hi, thank you for the review. I have some doubts I have rode videomicro, i just find the audio really flat, do you think its worth upgrading from that to this one? Or should i go to Sennheiser MKE 400 which you also reviewed. As you have used both can you please recommend something. I have a bit echoy room and i would really love your help.

[@HeresMo]

Seems like a good shout. I have many mics including £1000plus. And more often then not I’m looking for cheaper easier to use and something I can just throw together on a whim and shoot