The RØDE Wireless GO is an excellent addition to your video kit that takes next to no time to set up and works very reliably, delivering high-quality audio. The size means that it is easy to carry around in your camera – so that you don't have an excuse not to use it when you need to shoot video. And at this price, it makes a great investment for any vlogger or YouTuber.
Pros
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Wireless operation
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Miniature size
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Built-in rechargeable batteries
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Easy to set up and use
Cons
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The microphone itself is an all-purpose, omnidirectional affair
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If you want to record speech with your video, you need an external microphone – the camera’s inbuilt mic just won’t cut it. There are several options available, but the Rode Wireless GO is one of the most versatile and easy to use that we’ve come across. Helpfully, it’s also incredibly compact, and because it works wirelessly, there are no cables to trip over or get tangled. It’s perfect for presenters, vloggers and filmmakers.
There are two main components to the Wireless GO – the transmitter and the receiver. The transmitter, which measures just 44x45.3x18.5mm and weighs 31g, has a built-in omnidirectional mic and clip that enables it to be attached to your clothes. Alternatively, it can be clipped to a back pocket or a belt and then used with a cavalier microphone connected via its 3.5mm TRS input.
At 44x46.4x18.5mm and 31g, the receiver looks very similar to the transmitter, but its clip slots into a camera hotshoe (or a coldshoe), and it connects to the camera via the supplied 3.5mm TRS cable. Alternatively, it can connect via an adapter to an audio recorder, GoPro, iPhone or Osmo Pocket. Its three-stage output pad (-0dB, -6dB and -12dB) enables the signal to be tailored to suit the camera or recorder.
Both units have a built-in rechargeable Li-po battery (USB-C cables are supplied for charging), and you can expect to get up to about seven hours of use from a single charge. If you need more juice, you can use an external power bank.
The transmitter and receiver are supplied already paired so they connect within a few seconds of powering up. We found they connected every time we powered them up, and the connection is stable across up to about 70m with line of sight.
As the mic is omnidirectional, it picks up ambient sound as well as your voice, but there’s good separation so you get natural-sounding audio when you’re shooting outdoors. When you’re inside you need to be careful about echo, but that’s a familiar story and not a major issue.
The RØDE Wireless GO is an excellent addition to your video kit that takes next to no time to set up and works very reliably, delivering high-quality audio.
Angela has been testing camera gear from all the major manufacturers since January 2004 and has been Amateur Photographer’s Technical Editor and Head of Testing for Future Publishing’s photography portfolio (Digital Camera Magazine, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, N-Photo, Practical Photoshop, Photography Week and Professional Photography magazines, as well as the Digital Camera World and TechRadar websites). She is the founder of SheClicks - a community group that encourages and supports female photographers.
