At NAB this year we had a chance to try out the RØDE Wireless Go, which the company bills as “the world’s smallest wireless microphone system.”
Key features
- TX and RX both weigh 31grams (1.09oz)
- TX has a built-in omnidirectional mic and 3.5mm TRS input
- Three-stage output pad on the RX (0db, -6db & -12db)
- 2.4GHz digital wireless transmission with 128-bit encryption
- Built-in rechargeable batteries, charged via USB-C
- Up to seven hours use, two hours to recharge
The system is certainly small: both transmitter and receiver packs only weigh 31g (1.05oz) and measure 44 x 45.3 x 18.5mm (1.73 x 1.78 x 0.72″). They’re certainly a lot smaller than RØDE’s previous wireless offering, the Filmmaker Kit.
The system uses 2.4Ghz digital transmission which is licence free worldwide. To avoid interference the transmitter uses adaptive frequency hopping, and has two antennae so it’s always transmitting on two different frequencies simultaneously.
The audio stream is 128bit encrypted and you can use up to eight units in the same area at once. Performance is optimised for close-up use, although RØDE say you’ll be able to receive transmissions over a distance of about 70m given clear line-of-sight.
The receiver actually contains a small lav mic, so you can clip it directly on to your subject and start recording very quickly if needs be. If you have a little more setup time you can use the 3.5mm input (which provides plugin power) for a wired lavalier mic instead.
The receiver also has a dual-purpose mount to clip onto a camera strap or mount directly onto a hot shoe. The belt clip is the width of a cold shoe so you don’t have to attach any other accessory or hot shoe mount.
RØDE say you should expect seven hours of battery life from each unit, and that they will recharge in about two hours via USB-C. This also means that you can charge from a powerbank or even provide constant power to the units for longer recording sessions.
The included 3.5mm TRS output cable lets you connect the RX unit to your camera or audio recorder. Using the SC7 TRRS cable, you could also use it to record directly to a smartphone or other compatible device.
The RX unit also has a small display screen which displays the battery life for the TX & RX units, audio levels, signal strength and audio pad setting.
Pricing and Availability
The RØDE Wireless GO is priced at $199 USD and is shipping now from Australia.
