This $50 Camera Microphone ROCKS!

[@DanielEarl]

I like the neutral tone of the Diety over the bassier Rode.

[@redcomn]

Wait i thought this was a sound overview

[@rwmorey71]

I thought the Diety sounded better also.

[@avishekghatak2176]

I thought the deity was bassier. Actually I'm pretty sure it was. Especially when boomed over the head.

[@csc-photo]

@@avishekghatak2176 Same here, I was confused by that comment and had to watch that section again a few times. Deity definitely sounded fuller / bassier. 02:04

[@MusicBizzTV]

Hi Caleb, I've been watching your videos for a while and truly respect your work. Though as a professional mixing engineer, I strongly disagree in your opinion pointing out that the Rode sounds best, when in reality that 'low end' depth you talk about is just a result of the Deity being brighter. You could easily lift the bottom end of the Deity with a touch of EQ while retaining all the detail in the high end frequencies that were captured at the source. Contrary to the Rode, which sounds quite muddy and tiny to be honest

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Great points. You're completely correct!

[@kellenholt6655]

Not a pro sound engineer, but I definitely second these points. For the majority of spoken word (James Earl Jones aside...), most of the time low end "fullness" in a mic's sound causes mud in the overall audio recording and you end up having to remove that mud in post. Straight out of camera, the Deity sounds a lot more natural and has a bit more presence in the mids/highs which to my ear is a lot more appealing. I would even go so far to say that if you just played the two mics' recordings one after the other, I would have said that the Deity had some post processing done to it while the Rode was straight off the recording as the Deity sounded that much cleaner to me.

[@kramerdesign9443]

I was going to write a similar comment - I was also perplexed by the his take on the Rode when the Deity was, to me, significantly more pleasing.

[@FKfilmphotography]

Facts

[@Lunar_Films]

ok now I'm sold for the Deity

[@Levi_Allen]

The ability to have a second input is just brilliant. I love this on their duo mic and seeing it on the d4 is awesome.

[@charlieross-BRM]

Yes. That feature would swing me to having a strong look at the Deity. I wasn't even considering a dinky mic like either the VideoMicro or the D4 Mini, but that routing would cover my ambient and receiving my wireless with one simple cable to the camcorder.

[@Featherlightstudio]

As a professional audio engineer, your conclusion that the Rode has a fuller sound is confusing, based solely on your examples here. At 1:50 you have both Mics mounted above you ( in place of your 416 ) and in this example, the Deity clearly sounds fuller in the 80-100Hz range as well as having more presence in the 2.5-4KHz range. At first, based on your conclusions, I thought maybe you might have accidentally switched the Mic samples. I think this is more to do with the actual frequency response of the two Mic's compared to the flatter Rode Mic. A quick comparison of the Frequency Response Chart for each Mic might be handy here. Great review as always and definitely appreciate you putting the time and detail in on these two Mic's!

[@SyntheticFuture]

I agree, to me the D4 sounded a lot better with more body. It almost made me wonder if somehow the sound got mixed up between the clips when he said the Rhode sounded better :|

[@robertsaca3512]

Something's up with the Rode bashing that started a few videos ago. Rode make the best bang for buck equipment, perhaps not the best, but the best for the money with brand cache, support, consistent quality, durability etc. all never considered in these 'tests'.

[@NatesFilmTutorials]

Deity sounded slightly better when I listened to it! Pretty neat

[@AlexanderKalish]

I think the same, Deity sounded better to me.

[@huntrrams]

I love this mic! Used it a lot in my Tik Tok videos and zoom meetings. Sounds very clear and full.

[@essenceyp]

You were winning me over the whole video but 5:49 is RIGHT where you won me over. And I ordered it right then and there.

[@JasonMorrisphotocinema]

Nice review Caleb! Definitely a good choice of audio for the price

[@HenrikoMagnifico]

What about outdoors / windy environments?

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Works great when you use the included wind muff!

[@JamesSpurin]

Absolutely incredible! As someone who has experienced the occasional bit of mic interference, mid sentence, the ability to have two separate feeds into the audio stream as a backup is phenomenal. Saved a lot of hassle with retakes or punch and roll editing. Thanks again Caleb!

[@themikereda]

Very interesting. I actually thought the D4 sounded much better than the RODE. I listened on headphones and just through my monitor speakers and both times it felt like the clear winner.

[@radiantav]

Same here. Clearer and nicer sound. I was really surprised Caleb said that Rode is better.

[@bengregoire4362]

Every video you make is super helpful. Thank you so much for all that you do for this community.

[@AlexMinor]

Reviews are back! Yay! Hopefully we'll see some lighting reviews in the near future (those were always my favorite).

[@shakejones]

Great video and the Switch pod is dope! Will be getting one! Cheers mate 🙏🏻

[@romanieo]

Coming to your channel for quick tips and insight, and..., "TWO HOURS LATER," I'm still blown away by all that you do. Only superlatives. Freakin Amazing!!!

[@IEBATechThoughts]

Caleb- as a fellow video gear reviewer, I love your work and admire your videos. I would say one thing you missed in the review, or maybe touched on slightly, is the low frequency rumble from the Rode. You said it has a better low end presence, but when you did the side by side test holding the camera with the selfie stick, there was a pronounced low frequency rumble from the Rode that was simply not there on the Diety. I was listening with earbuds to my phone, but I think that any headphones make that low end rumble very easy to hear. Since these aren't really designed to be used as VO mics, I'd much rather roll that low end off, which the Diety seems to do, and have clean audio without the rumble. That plus the shielding and the external input are killer features.

[@tinderbox218]

The Deity sounds more pleasant to my ear. I've never been a big fan of the Rode VideoMicro; it's better than a smartphone mic but that's not saying much.

[@DavidSenteno]

I love when I see a gear review and the light bulb goes on over my head and I just know what project I can use it for. Thanks. 🥂

[@MadAnticsTV]

I just got the Deity mini D4 today and loving it already. It's quiet especially that I set the volume on my Fuji XT3 to about 15db after placing it about 2 inches above my head just outside the camera frame.

[@Stepheneckelberry]

For me the greatest value in having a second mic input is the ability to add timecode signal, vital for multicam shoots.

[@TSGEnt]

Great tests and thank you for the comparison. I did throw a spectrometer on the audio coming from my audio system when you did the tests. I will say your Sennheiser 416 has a definite "bump up" at 100Hz over the other 2 mics and the Deity had a no 100Hz bump but did have a bump at 500hz and 5k compared to the RODE or the 416. That would explain more perceived loudness as those freqs are responsible for that. Now, the RODE dips a bit at those freqs compared to both Diety and the 416 as well and therefore would seem to sound quieter. Keep in mind that could be what my system was reproducing, but I was comparing the mics to each other. For what it's worth.

[@AuthenTech]

That input/output design is fantastic! 👌

[@MichaelWTurner]

I just experienced a situation with this rf interference this past weekend. It's nice to see this unit won't have that problem, plus having an input on the mic is really a game changer. Seems like a perfect little mic for me. Thanks!

[@londontvtraining]

Excellent review and training productions. Everything explained perfectly with clean descriptions, spot on, great shots and production, no background music! And no other annoying extras! Jobs well-done!

[@JoshuaKrell]

Awesome video! As a professional audio editor, I would actually have to say I prefer the sound of the Diety because it sounds much less compressed and more open than the Rode. As someone who owns numerous microphones including a Rode Micro, I literally am going to order the D4 right now haha. Thanks for your comparison! As always, I super appreciate your content!

[@tryan7]

Good morning, Caleb. Just what I needed to make my decision. I like the side by side comparison. Thank you very much.

[@anyuisbjoern]

1:36 it would be interesting to see how the mic performs outdoors in varies conditions. And big thanks for all the great videos in educational stuff! Really amazing!

[@RabidTribble]

Haven't tried this mic outside yet, but I love the sensitivity...especially for the price! Even if you only keep it in your bag as a backup, it's totally worth the price.

[@shanescott3168]

I own and use 2 Rode Video Micro microphones. Deity is brining out great products with innovative features. Competition is good.

[@sopot9]

I have now two Rode Videomicros and Rode Wireless Go II. The RF interference is present only on older models of Videomicro. The new ones are properly shielded. You can easily identified Videomicro with shielding by looking on the side where S/N number should be - the new Rode doesn't have any number there. I've contacted Rode to verify that it's not a fake or something, but they have confirmed that they slightly changed the design, leaving audio performance at the same level.

[@I_am_Jordan_K]

I, too, was surprised that you said the Rode sounds better. I much preferred the Deity. I may have to pick one up.

[@JustLarry315]

The second input is clutch! You can get your wireless sound and still pick up clear ambient or unexpected sound with the Diety. At that price point, it’s a no brained. Ordering one now. Glad I’ve held off on getting a on camera mic. I don’t vlog much and use lapel mics, but for this price, you can’t say no. And maybe I’ll start vlogging more.

[@GroovyTakeON]

Didn’t know about the RF shielding. What a great feature.

[@DonnieRosie]

Thanks for these reviews. It helps the everyday video shooter that needs to keep finding the right gear. Nice that this is not $500 or something. I have ordered one!

[@arranpbrown]

Great video, Caleb! This mic looks fantastic for the price - particularly like the idea of being able to split audio so I can record a wireless lav and an on-camera mic at the same time, that is game changing!! Might have to pick one up!

[@vinzaputra]

i have been using rode micro for several years. i have the plan to buy rode wireless go next week, and seeing that combo with the deity D4 is pretty awesome

[@vanquestgear]

Splitting the audio is a need I've been researching the last few days. Looks like the solution I need!

[@gwm-btdbattlesagar.ioandmo9988]

If you already have microphones then you can buy a 3.5 trs splitter in which would have the same effect for your camera mic input

[@TravisKelleher]

Thanks for the excellent review as always, I'm ordering 3 of these soon.

[@tavakessler]

Curious how the Deity does with wind noise, given that it has a more sensitive pickup. Always an issue with us outdoor adventurers!

[@chrisw5742]

Looks easy enough to put a wind cat on it.

[@SimeonKolev]

@@chrisw5742 this does not work on all mics ;).

[@cvltxmedia]

Agreed.

[@Jez1963UK]

@@chrisw5742 Yes, we know how easy that is to do, the question is, how does it SOUND in a windy noise situation.

[@V1deoradio]

@@Jez1963UK did you find out? I’m looking for street video mic , wind and a lot of loud noise. Thank you so much!

[@michaelscaplis]

Found the D4 sounding warmer and the Rode more muffled. Personally now using the D3 instead of the Rode as I have 2 mics one for the subject and one for me (behind the camera). The rear mic can also work as a safety channel which has saved me several times.

[@adityasixviandyj7334]

agree, deity in my ear sound much more clearer. I think Deity is perfect for talking based scenario, as I prefer more crisper sound for voice in my video.

[@jonathanfisher8449]

Try saying Deity D4 ten times fast! Must've taken just a little bit of practice on the front-end pre-recording- thanks as always for the great comparisons!

[@AlexanderKalish]

To me it sounded like dididi-di-4 all the time to be honest

[@paulaggarao]

This solves my gimbal audio problem.

[@goddyab]

Thanks, I bought the Diety D4 mini, as soon as I watched your Video, Thanks.

[@michaelpoczynek]

Thanks, Caleb. Great job as always!

[@ethanperez4774]

Needed a rode micro for an upcoming trade show... Opted for the Deity from your affiliate link instead 😃 Thanks for the review and saving me $10-20

[@ernolaunis]

Finally! I have been waiting to use my Rode Boompole Micro with Go, and all wirelessly. Thanks.

[@roderickdeleeuw2101]

Both mics sound much better then recordings with much more expensive mics. I believe the main reason for this is your (very well, seemingly) treated room. How much influence do you think the treatment of the room has? Reason for me asking is that I'm looking for a good mic to position (preferably) outside of the screen, while recording talking head videos - in an untreated (rented) room. Was look at pencil condensers like the AKG P170, which seems rather interesting. However, it's not a hypercardiod (only a cardiod). Any suggestions are very welcome. Your production quality is fantastic btw!

[@Greggiexplore]

I was about to buy Rode mic, but after your video definitely will consider Deity D4, big thank you for review.

[@OscarsPlaces]

I think is very important to bring affordable alternative in equipment. Thank you for taking the time and exploring for us

[@mikal]

I have to wonder what you're listening through when you listen back to those audio tests, because on my end, the Deity has a much fuller sound with much deeper bass. I've had other similar mics that I've compared to the Rode Videomicro, and I get that same result with all of them. They all have much better low end while the Rode is missing a substantial amount of natural frequencies.

[@hotsewpmedia]

Don't get me wrong... I really dig RODE "stuff." I own many of their mics, and have a love affair with the RODEcaster Pro. That being said... I've found myself leaning in the Deity direction when it comes to CAMERA-MOUNTED mics. I find the sound more "pleasing," and the price tag just pushes them over the top. GREAT video review, and thank you for being a reliable source when shopping for new gear!!!

[@RafaelUnplugged]

How is the RF on the Deity D4 duo?

[@SyntheticFuture]

I have a couple of D3's and they work well. These though... looks like a next level. Really small footprint and with the mic chaining you could do XY patterns or you could have a lav on the person shooting and a wireless lav on the person being shot and do interviews without external recorders. A lot of cool possibilities for sure!

[@TeamZulueta]

Excellent review! Finally a budget mic that can do all!! Thank you!

[@simonjeong77]

Great review! Thanks, exactly what I was looking for.

[@eddiecarrizales]

Great find! Gonna have to pick one up

[@rallygallery]

Superb video and review!

[@sambalsamurai9672]

6:25 Awesome review Caleb! All my questions are answered, except for one "smartass" question: Can you please test (or measure the delay in nanoseconds) to hear if the delayed wireless Rode and the instant wired Diety combined presents any unnatural audio when recording spoken vocals?! Curious if that goes well together hearing left and right, when one has a slight delay over the other... Subscribed and love all your content!

[@extramedium3920]

Love the clarity of sound and RF shielding of the D4. I am also really loving the built in stereo mics on my GH5 for recording ambient/musical performances. Since I mostly shoot on a ronin SC, this makes my rig setup really compact and easy to balance.

[@PeakyJourney]

Thank you for this review! I was looking for a mic like this one!

[@CourtneyVictoria]

Great video, very helpful as I was considering a new mic set up. Will be interesting to hear audio from the Deity D4 outside and in wind.

[@EricLefebvrePhotography]

WOW!!!! that input thing is amazing! Now I record to a Tascam DR40 99% of the time but still .... wow!

[@gardien340]

FYI I had the the RF issues with the Zoom H1n. To me it's more an issue of the Rode Wireless GOII than of the mic. Thanks Caleb, great test, thanks for making and sharing. Oh.. what I always wanted to say: thanks for the sound blanket recommendation. They finally have an European distributor now. Shipping and custom doesn't cost an arm and a leg anymore.

[@A1Bokeh]

Would like to see Caleb talk about the rode video mic ntg

[@JSCreative1]

Really enjoy your videos!!

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Thank you JS!!! 🥇🥇🥇🏆🥇🥇🥇

[@firworks]

The hotter output of the Deity is gonna be a liability with some of the Panasonic cameras (G7, G85). I've had that problem with other mics from Diety where I could not turn the preamps down enough to not clip. Looks like a great mic over all though.

[@JamieHarveyJr]

The RF shielding was a big seller for my applications 👍🏻

[@AdamNevins]

Super helpful. Thanks man.

[@_fabiolaborges]

Hey! I want to record indoor videos of everyday life without voice, just ambient sounds, cooking, typing, etc. Is this type of microphone suitable for this? I would also like to know if it can be used directly on the computer 🤔

[@cloudy9862]

I'm also trying to find a good mic for ambient sound.. any luck? 😐

[@franktothemax]

Had to purchase one based on your opinion in this video. Keep up the good work my friend!

[@AskAW]

Is it weird that I ordered this microphone while listening to your review before you even concluded that it was a better microphone? Thanks for the review and I love the real-world scenarios you provided. Whenever B&H Photo ships my mic, I'm going to enjoy figuring out ways to create content on the go with this setup.

[@tvnathreviews]

I have a Deity d3 Pro which I use with Fuji X-T4. Tempted to buy this too to use with Sony ZV-1.... 😬

[@timrober75]

Great review, as always..... Thanks for all you do for us Caleb :)

[@jon112media]

Oh man! I actually bought the first rode wireless go and this would make things so much easier!

[@BigBoyJay_69]

Great review. Thanks

[@carlosq00]

Hi Caleb, so did you stop using your Sennheiser 416 for your voice over BRoll shots? I thought you'd mentioned that you switched away from all the other mics in your big mic decision video.

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Nope. Still using the 416 for all A-roll. But I use other mics for other setups. The 416 is still king!

[@AlienDrones]

Thanks friend, nice review! My headset must be different as when you did the side by side tests, the Deity clearly had better lower, full sound on my side... I just bought one from B&H using the affiliate link. That RF rejection was the final straw! 😎

[@carlosfergo1022]

Great comparison Caleb, in my opinion the Deity Mic is the way to go...well done!

[@Treborray]

You got me wanting to order one of these

[@espinuevafilms]

The most honest review as of now!

[@FaddyVFX]

Awesome video, alot to learn from your channel and cool tips, thank you for your time. 😁

[@Integritydesign]

okay... Im sold. Ordering one of these now, for an upcoming video shoot, AND, it looks small enough to mount on my GoPro. Thanks for this video, I wasn't aware this mic was out there.. I was using the Tak-star one, and it's not amazing. :(

[@robwasnj]

What a great side by side test, to my ears the Deity sounded far better over my hifi system. One thing though which is always a concern as a Sony user, is the increased output of the Deity going to render it useless on Sony cameras with more sensitive inputs. On my A7Riii I cannot use a lot of mics like the Movo or even some pro level mics without an inline attenuator because even at the lowest setting the input becomes overloaded. For quiet speech it's fine but for music or anything loud a real problem. Would love to hear from a Sony user that has the microphone. If it's not an issue I'll be purchasing one to put in my camera bag.

[@Dales_Workshop]

I'd love to see a comparison between the D4 Mini and the D4 Duo. I'm trying to figure out which one to buy. Right now I'm leaning toward the Duo. Are they the same, except for the rear-facing capsule on the Duo?

[@AJCoReTV]

That is my next video I’m working on 👍🏽

[@Dales_Workshop]

@@AJCoReTV Thanks, I'll be looking for it. Subscribed!

[@jddiggy2343]

Do you have a review for the diety D4 mini Dou microphone. Possibly a comparison to the regular D4?

[@nsiepmann]

That second input functionality looks super nifty! Sound quality-wise, how would you say this stacks up against that Movo mic you showed on the channel a while back? Thanks as ever for being a guide amid the chaos of the world of gear :D

[@Frogloveryt]

what is the hotshoe mount you used in this video to mount the mic to the camera?

[@SkylerKing]

Son of a b****... I swear I have actually been trying to find an alternative to the Rode Videomicro for months now and finally broke down and just placed an order on the Rode about 45 minutes ago... Why does the universe laugh at me?

[@economicdevelopment5972]

I have Rode Videomicro (actually bought based on your video, lol). Very happy with it.

[@ettbortglomtsverige]

Great video! More budget audio and light gear please :) Would love to see the audio spectrum of them both when you compare them. Sometimes your Ears plays tricks on you and let you think that something sounds better just because it is louder. It sounds to me like the rode has some frequenc build up in the rumbling 200-350hz area.

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

Amazing video - as always. Question: The "Duo" version records front & back - (perfect for interviews if I'm behind the camera asking questions.) But could you please test the wind noise? I'd like to walk outside in the woods and record my walk, but some reviews are scary. :)

[@willmannering]

The Deity definitely sounds more well-rounded and richer.

[@ahmedjuffairi]

amazing budget mic, thanks for the review.

[@RivuSouravBanerjeeVideoEditor]

Omg .. this is such a cool mic, great work Deity fr coming up with the idea to add a second mic option and very affordable price point .. its gonna be the most used and popular mic among the youtubers very soon 😀

[@kaochenlong]

Nice! Just curious about the overhead shotgun mount in 1:41, what's the gear you used? or did you made it by yourself?

[@JohnPullum]

I looks and sounds great. Thanks for the review on this mic.

[@YakAlmighty]

My number one problem with rode mic is that while you're moving with the camera the microphone would bounce around and hit the camera it self. Is that a problem with the this microphone?

[@AbandonedwithBizzy]

so the rode and it looks like the deity have little edges that go around the screw cap if you tuck the cord into that the mic does not bounce it also will get rid of any movement sound you might of had. I had no clue those ridges were meant for the the mic cord and it helped me out a lot.

[@JohnnyStyles]

I got the D4 DUO its amazing!

[@shashiKumar-pr2cc]

Make a setup video for unboxing in multiple angles please ❤️

[@gouravsoni6349]

Sir, please try to add few seconds outdoor test, like in a mall or some roadside shot. Its difficult to understand the mic capabilities inside a closed room.

[@phil9]

Can you plug another deity into the deity?