Brilliant episode, thanks so much for doing this! Love to hear your perspective. They all sound pretty good on your voice in that fancy acoustically treated space, though I wouldn't choose the CO2 unless you had a super tight (tm) budget.
@@geraldundone, he realy is. Sorry Gerald. Actualy both are 👍. Thank you both for sharing your knowladge, I realy appreciate your work. I'm kind of trying the same in my country but speaking our language. I want to motivate people to share their knowladge.
Get your stuff out quickly (lol) ethics Rode V Diety or is it Judd V Undone (all is fair in business). Thing with Judd, I' can listen to him at x1.5 and it still sounds normal. Try it, 40 mins goes way quckier and so clear.
We've been using an NTG for over a year both for delivering webinars to corporate and our YT channel. My husband just switched us. to an NT5 today as we travel around and don't have the luxury of indoor sound treatment (thanks @ChrisJudd for suggesting the NT5 in your review) Can't get an Octave in Australia at this time. Although the NT5 picks up less reverb than the NTG (just cardioid pattern), the highs do sound harsh (particularly with my husband's voice). It added nice rich low tone to my voice that's not present in the NTG. We needed to go a little heavy on the de-esser plus EQ in post but at least reverb is noticeably less intrusive. The lesson learned is that mics just like perfume that smell different on different skin - after a certain quality threshold you need to subjectively match the right mic for your voice. Thanks for the review @GeraldUndone - and it was a nice surprise seeing you on Unbox Therapy's Lew Later. 😊
I feel like a lot of what the deity mic is doing draws from the older rode stuff too. The videomic pro+ had the auto on/off feature for example. So it seems a bit like a back and forth. Although, rode seems to have borrowed things more directly and obviously. My prefs for your voice. 1.D3Pro 2.Oktava 3.Videomic NTG 4.SMic 2S 5.Nt5 6.CO2
Deity forced Rode to step up their game and respond with an improved product. That's a win for everyone. Now Deity can respond in kind by further innovation. It should be noted that many people saw Deity developing their S-Mic2 as a sort of mkh416 clone. All is fair in love and war I guess.
Straight forward, highest quality pickup is the Oktava. Has an 'air' around it like a Neuman would in a close mike situation. NT5 is close behind. All others are just a bit too 'coloured' in their pickup. But of course, it's all subject to talents voice and room. great test Gerald, thanks for all you do :)
I saw that amazon sells a pair of them for $629 US the Octava MK-12. Do you think these would be ok for two-person, face to face interviews and podcasts?
@@KevinLe I'd say yes. Not sure whether you're asking me or Grald though. The best pickup for video and for any untreated room is the hyper cardioid capsule, so make sure you get this included. :)
The Oktava's are lovely mics-- my go to for indoor recording-- and they're solidly built so you can buy them used, too. The hypercardioid (supercardioid) doesn't have very good off-axis rejection, and the pick up a lot of handling noise. The cardioid is great for indoor work.
Personally, on my headphones,I liked both the Deity mics the best, seemed to hit the right spot between clarity and boominess. The Rode videomic was also good, but the NTG5 sounded tinny. The samson just had too much noise and while the Oktava might be the most "premium" sounding, I thought it was too boomy on your voice. That said, I feel like the "sound" of similarly performing mics (regarding pick-up pattern and noise) is fairly unimportant when you can just EQ it to taste - similar to how the "color science" on most cameras that are capable of a robust codec is not a big deal when you have color correction (just my amateur opinion).
I agree, I think the Oktava sounds best. Not only is its frequency response more natural but it really sounds like it handles transients the best (no horrible distortion in the peaks) and has less of that mid range harshness some cheaper mics have. My experience with Rode mics is not awesome. They not bad but, for instance, my Lav mic has a lo mid muffle that I really dislike. I have compared it to (an admittedly more expense) Sony lav and the difference in quality was palpable
Helpful AND entertaining. Oktava all the way. Not only because I have an older silver one but most important, you can slap it on anything and it'll sound great. And I've used it for dialogue, acoustic guitar, electric guitar on an amp, vocals... And I know they work great for overheads on drums. I just wish I had a matched pair. The MK-012 has proven itself over the years to be a workhorse. Beats out my Rode every time. (No offense to Rode- great microphone company).
I'm Gerald Undone and 🎶 all i want is the perfect microphone, all i want is the perfect microphone🎶 1. NT5 2. Samson 3. NTG. Remember that more bass is pleasant to the ear than mids and highs. It's why Radio DJs tend to have more bass in their voice.
You and Camera Conspiracies sold me that Oktava. Thank you for featuring the Oktava first in this video. I watch the entire thing anyway, but I loved that you got to the meat of it right off the jump.
Thanks for this review. Curtis’s review was great, but my voice is closer to your than his, so I appreciate your review too. To me both Rode mics sound much better than the others. NT5 sounds really natural and makes the room sound really nice. Oktava is very boomy and will need extensive EQing.
Great review. The thing is, all these reviews are done in perfect sound proofed rooms without any echo. Would be great to hear some real world examples in an echoey room.
The Oktava MK-012 is a highly acclaimed and affordable SDC. I've never used it, but I've heard a lot of people claim that it is on par with much more expensive Neumann KM-184s. I really want to rent a couple Oktavas the next time I record my acoustic piano.
Very helpful! Funny that youtube recommended this after watching Curtis Judd's video. Both definitely have merit and I appreciate that you followed through and made this one!
You have (un)done it again. Great primer on getting good to great sound quality on a budget. As usual very detailed and chock full of info. I have the Samson C02 and for 2 mics for $100 it's a great deal for a good mic. Thanks so much.
I've had a matched pair of Oktava MK-012 with the Omni, Cardioid and Hyper-cardioid capsules for years. They are excellent mics. The only issue with mine is that they need to warm up and until they have been powered up for 10 - 15 mins they exhibit a "frying" noise. They have done this from new and the mic distributor did warn me about this when I bought them.
Great video! And when hearing the final tests, and the preference you mentioned towards "non-boomy" microphones, I liked the Rode NT5 the most, and the D3 Pro the least (which incidentally is the only one I own of all these...). Intro: "I'm Gerald Undone and overkill is underrated"
RE Deity and RODE VideoMic NTG similarities, I think about McDonalds and Jack in the Box hamburgers. They both use similar ingredients, but, still they "configure" them differently. Weird analogy? Yea. TBH, I really like RODE mics. I have the VMPro+ and I recently got the NTG5. I like them both a lot. Plus, Deity and RODE are competitors. And don't forget, if it weren't for Apple Mac OS, there would be no Windows. Yes, Apple OS and computers came before Microsoft Windows. I believe there was even a court case between them because Windows Explorer was built around the code for Apple's Finder window. P.S. At the end, when you read text for each mic, the Oktava sounded too bass-y for me. I have a bass-y voice, too. Thankfully, the NTG5 really gives voices a warm tone without being too bass-y, to me. (I know, the NTG5 wasn't in this video. But, I thought I'd share my experience.) Thanks for another awesome video.
OK I’m and Old sound engineer (61) but I liked the Rode NTG the best! I listen once thought my cheep Bose speaker’s and then through my Apple Air Pod Pro.
IMHO you sound best with the NT5 - much less nasally. I appreciate your comment about getting a mic that matches your voice because that opened my thinking about different mics for different situations.
Great comparison, Gerald. Much of how you feel about the SQ of these mics will depend on what you're listening to them on. That Rode VideoMic NTG is probably my favorite and I have no problem with them iterating on the Deity V3. I can't tell you how many times I've asked myself why the maker of my chosen camera body couldn't take the time to go down to the local Japanese version of Best Buy and just copy the features from other makers that the other makers have managed to implement better. :-)
I’m Gerald Undone and I - no, wait. No I’m not. I’m Nicole Jolly and I would dearly love to know what mic would best suit someone like me who doesn’t have the GU bass in my voice - but does have a kitchen with lots of reflective surfaces where I record my videos. I fear both of the Rodes may sound a bit too tinny for my voice. Should I just get the NTG3? Thanks!
I'm sorry for how late you are getting a response, and you might not need one, but if your kitchen is an issue GIK sells many 'artsy' sound panels, and I would highly recommend at least getting bass traps from a reputable brand (not sound foam off amazon, London Traps/Air Cavity would be best for cost-performance) If you already have a shotgun mic, and a kitchen set for filming, then only around 15%-20% treatment should be needed to greatly curb issues. I hope everything is going well for your channel at least, in nine months a lot of growth can happen! Best of luck, I'm also staging and sound proofing a kitchen for our own (eventual) show, and hopefully we can both see exponential growth! If you have any tips for diffusion lighting in a small kitchen that would be great too! It's a bit hard to put three studio lights, diffusers, bouncers, etc,. in our 'tiny kitchen' of about 12ftx12ft of usable space!
*Finally there's at least something Russia does right.* A proud resident speaking here. Although, I'm actually of German origin, haha... Anyway, Oktavas has always been really high-ranked mics. Coincidentally, Glenn Fricker recently spoke well of them too.
Thank you for the video. I saw Curtis’ and I wanted a second opinion. As soon as you said “this is being recorded on Oktava”, I went straight to Amazon and bought it. Thanks so much for helping me make a choice!
For me the Deity V-Mic D3 Pro was stand-out better - more transparent, with a pleasing warmth to the bass without the boominess of the RODE VideoMic NTG or the Deity S-Mic 2S. If I were to describe it in photography terms, I'd say it gave your voice image more 'pop'.
You sound great in all of them, but I liked how you sounded on the Deity Mics a bit better. They have a nice high end. Just bought the Oktava MK-012 and a Zoom F6 to step up my indoor sound game. Can't wait to test it out on my voice since I need that bass boost, lmao.
I think Diety is doing big things because companies like Rode paved the way... So I think if Rode sees something it can use I think that’s just what all companies do, look at everything on the market, cars, cameras, lights, HELL washing machines lol...it’s all a copy of something successful with a little of its own engineering... From one Gerald to another, Great vid once again!! Lol
Hey, what you refere to as self noise is usually called a mic‘s noise floor. With that you can say how high/low in db it is. Great Video its a pleasure like always. Keep it up!
I need help to pic an XLR shotgun mic, for filmmaking. Price is not the main factor , but I dont want to spend more than I need to have good sound on the movies, while we're still an independent film production group. Can you help us chose the right one? We'll be recording the sound on a Tascam Portacapture X8
Great video as I have the Deity D3 pro and just got the Oktava MK-012 and was searching for a good comparisons between these two. Definitely agree the Oktava sounds great & best on ur voice
I like that most of the time you had the name of the mic written in video, while Curtis just put the name of the mic for short period of time so it was harder for me to make notes with his video.
Slightly worse than perfection, is still far enough for me, so, you get the medal :D The final foam noise made me change my mind ! I'm undone now :o) Btw, using 1 concurrent that"s not mentionned in the video, but up to par as a solid one, the Sennheiser k6+Me66/Me64 ! I was severely hesitating with the Oktawa, & it still could of been a better choice, who knows (bc as you stated, it has to match your voice, so there's always an individual factor here), but I had a better deal for the Me66 with 2 capsules, & there is no real bad choice anyway, including those you present in the video. Great stuff as always, thx!
Can't lie I have the Videomic NTG but the Deity one sounds better to me. You said the Deity is more bassy on your voice but the Videomic NTG sounds more bassy to me in that ending test. Still glad I picked up the Rode for all the extra features
I have a CAD e70 that would sound great with your voice, but it's cardioid and omni only. I spoke with a engineer from CAD about designing a hyper or supercardioid capsule, and, while possible, the mic was designed more for music recording in the late 90's; a time when nobody primarily wanted anything but wide pickup patterns.
I use the Deity and a Pocket 4k, and the problem with the mic not turning on actually happened to me. I then tried different audiocables, and the one from my old Rode Videomicro actually solved the problem. So i am not sure why the original Deity cable does not work with BM Cams, but rode one do. I also use a extension cable by rode for the Boompole, and this one works aswell. Weird Tech World.
For me the NTG is the clear winner, mainly on functionality and a pleasant sound. In fact I am going to order one today. Sound wise I think the differences are minor. Funny that you think that Rode copied the Deity, which IMHO copied the Rode VidemoMic Pro! LOL.
An “unbalanced” mic (or any device) can be set up to run a balanced line with an in-line transformer. If you know what a direct box or “DI” is consider it simply a direct box without the box. Sometimes referred to as a hi z to low z converter.
My answer to your ethical question @ 17:45 - To use and/or improve something that's already good is a smart step. We need to work together instead of being scared of the possibility of someone might steal our ideas. Godox basically doing the same thing with their whole lineup and you often recommend them, don't you? I think it's always better to evolve, then try it from the hard side and make your own.
I don’t know about the Deity, but the Rode Videomic NTG “gain” knob does not actually control mic gain. It is an output level control. If you plug it usb in to a computer you will see it does not change the mic level. Still it is very handy for quickly adjusting the level going to your camera or recorder.
Might be a dumb question but I’m trying to decide on a shotgun mic for my fs72. Here are my options 1. Rode NTG2 2. Samson C02 Pencil Condenser Microphones (Pair) 3. Sony ecm-ms2
The Samson C02 definitely isn't super cardioid (if they're manuals are correct). It's the same thing as the Superlux CMH8KU which is cardioid. It shares the same specs as the cardioid model, the super cardioid one has a big peak at around 7K but rolls off really agressively from 8.5-10K: www.superlux.com.tw/upload/function.product.info/46d80d2a-bbef-41f7-8699-fc645948698d/resource/CMH8K.pdf Unless Samson is sending out incorrect specs sheets. Everything in the manual suggests it's a rebranded Superlux CMH8KU. Nothing wrong with that, Superlux makes some seriously good stuff for cheap (except for their large diaphragm condensers which aren't even bad, they're just priced too similarly to the CAD M179 and Oktava MK-220 which are far better)
Always entertaining Gerald and the Rode noise was superb! the funny noise :D The Oktava was the greatest one in the test with my monitors and your voice but I'd a bit on the mid/low end :)
Great video! No need to apologize for the doing this after Curtis Judd. I watched his video first and found yours more helpful for 3 reasons: 1) He was obviously sponsored for certain mics. 2) The samples you provided demonstrating actual sound coming from the mics. and 3) You compared mics of similar price range. Curtis Judd's comparison was unrealistic for a lot of people, because he's comparing $3,000 mics to $110 mics. Most people don't have an unlimited budget. And if we did, the discussion about the Samson C02 would be a waste of time. So, this is a long way of saying thank you for providing a comparison of boom mics under $500 with samples!
Curtis' video didn't have fun/funny pop filter sounds! As good as Curtis' video is, I value multiple perspectives on these mics, so yours is definitely useful. (Also, I'm planning on ordering an Oktava movie set soon. If thomann music dot com sells out, it's all your fault!)
Thank you for this, man! A video that’s desperately needed is a USB mic video, like the Videomic NTG. Gain settings, processing, especially when it’s a direct PC input. I’m having such trouble getting good audio with my new Videomic NTG and every video thus far with this new mic kind of skips over using it as a USB mic. Tried to get Curtis’ settings, but he couldn’t recall much about it.
I really think it's shameful of Rode to completely knock off another company, especially a smaller one like Deity. I have products from both companies and they're both great, but Rode should have tried to implement a completely new design or keep the VideoMic Pro+ style body for the VideoMic NTG. For your voice, I liked 1. Rode NT5, 2. Samson CO2, 3. Deity V-Mic D3Pro
An awesome comparison + video Gerald. 😁 👌 I really appreciate both the thoroughness and high level of detail that you go into here. 😄 👍 👍 Cheers man! 🍻 P.S. I laughed out loud at the bloopers/outtakes. 😂
The Deity S2 and the 416 sound great in a larger room, say 15' x 15' with partial absorption. If you are in a small booth you need very, very thick foam.
Considering the ethics of Rode. On one side I understand you concerns but on other side it feels like the fastest way to innovate and make the best product for consumers. You just take what works and add even more to it and consumer is happy. I wish deity would make that microphone or they can put into new microphone all the new/better features of rode videomic NTG, keep balanced output and location kit and Deity will win.
Hi Sir Gerald! Glad you put this video up.. What if you wanted to use this mics for Livestreams especially with acoustic guitars? Leaning towards NT5 vs Videomic NTG with xlr adapter vs The new Rode NTG5? Which would be a better choice Thanks!
thank you for your review, it has helped me find the Oktava MK, I wish you took a short break from talking so I could hear the SNR, possibly in the comparison portion, and you could do worst to best (as you could measure it after recording). Its hard to compare it while you are talking non stop ;)
I don't know, there are probably a ton of factors involved in development and manufacturing. Maybe they did add current features they saw in competing products. Or maybe a lot of the features come from public user feedback, where both companies could be pulling from. Maybe Rode's development cycle is long and some of their features were corporate espionage-ed by other companies in the design or manufacturing stages. Kinda difficult to speculate. We do see how many companies decided to add screen notches to their phones after Apple did it... so yeah, maybe Rode did add after the fact. API duplication vs. code copying in the software world (same feature different internal implementation). I don't think I'd go with an inferior product on that.
Interesting on the auto power detection feature I thought that would cause some issues. I myself have had issues with plugging in TRRS things into phones and computers without power or auto detection. Just this week I tried to plug a line level signal into a microphone adapter Y cable into a laptop and it wasn't detecting it. I miss the days when we had separate mic and headphone jacks. adding a dedicated on switch is a big improvement, I think copying somebody's design is not that great but if they're going through the process of actually adding improvements to it then that makes it better for all of us. It's building up on the shoulders of others. There's so many times I've run into the little things that were like if they just did "this" it would be great.
Brilliant episode, thanks so much for doing this! Love to hear your perspective. They all sound pretty good on your voice in that fancy acoustically treated space, though I wouldn't choose the CO2 unless you had a super tight (tm) budget.
Thanks, Curtis! You're the best. 🤓🙏💜
@@geraldundone, he realy is. Sorry Gerald. Actualy both are 👍. Thank you both for sharing your knowladge, I realy appreciate your work. I'm kind of trying the same in my country but speaking our language. I want to motivate people to share their knowladge.
@ Love a good TH-cam bromance
Get your stuff out quickly (lol) ethics Rode V Diety or is it Judd V Undone (all is fair in business). Thing with Judd, I' can listen to him at x1.5 and it still sounds normal. Try it, 40 mins goes way quckier and so clear.
@@johnny_blz Nice kit. Happy recording!
We've been using an NTG for over a year both for delivering webinars to corporate and our YT channel. My husband just switched us. to an NT5 today as we travel around and don't have the luxury of indoor sound treatment (thanks @ChrisJudd for suggesting the NT5 in your review) Can't get an Octave in Australia at this time. Although the NT5 picks up less reverb than the NTG (just cardioid pattern), the highs do sound harsh (particularly with my husband's voice). It added nice rich low tone to my voice that's not present in the NTG. We needed to go a little heavy on the de-esser plus EQ in post but at least reverb is noticeably less intrusive.
The lesson learned is that mics just like perfume that smell different on different skin - after a certain quality threshold you need to subjectively match the right mic for your voice.
Thanks for the review @GeraldUndone - and it was a nice surprise seeing you on Unbox Therapy's Lew Later. 😊
Thank you
“I’m Gerald Undone, and I’m Curtis Judd converted into Canadian.”
I had NT5 and switched to OKTAVA. Best decision ever. NICE VIDEOS, I LOVE THEM!
I've been told that Oktava is a good mic.
I feel like a lot of what the deity mic is doing draws from the older rode stuff too. The videomic pro+ had the auto on/off feature for example. So it seems a bit like a back and forth. Although, rode seems to have borrowed things more directly and obviously.
My prefs for your voice. 1.D3Pro 2.Oktava 3.Videomic NTG 4.SMic 2S 5.Nt5 6.CO2
That's a good point. Thanks for chiming in! 💜👊
Deity forced Rode to step up their game and respond with an improved product. That's a win for everyone. Now Deity can respond in kind by further innovation. It should be noted that many people saw Deity developing their S-Mic2 as a sort of mkh416 clone. All is fair in love and war I guess.
Straight forward, highest quality pickup is the Oktava. Has an 'air' around it like a Neuman would in a close mike situation. NT5 is close behind.
All others are just a bit too 'coloured' in their pickup. But of course, it's all subject to talents voice and room. great test Gerald, thanks for all you do :)
Yeah, I agree with you. 👍
I saw that amazon sells a pair of them for $629 US the Octava MK-12. Do you think these would be ok for two-person, face to face interviews and podcasts?
@@KevinLe I'd say yes. Not sure whether you're asking me or Grald though. The best pickup for video and for any untreated room is the hyper cardioid capsule, so make sure you get this included. :)
That Deity V-mic D3 Pro sounds great! Nice and balanced.
"I'm Gerald Undone...alright I'm done" -then the video just dips to black with no explanation.
That did change my mind.
Stuffing it into a sock and giving it a twist is the oldest trick
@@Nickporter17 And what about the mics lol?
About what?
The russian mic has no toneh
The Oktava's are lovely mics-- my go to for indoor recording-- and they're solidly built so you can buy them used, too. The hypercardioid (supercardioid) doesn't have very good off-axis rejection, and the pick up a lot of handling noise. The cardioid is great for indoor work.
What’s also nice about them, is that there are large diaphragm capsules you can buy, Lomo
Personally, on my headphones,I liked both the Deity mics the best, seemed to hit the right spot between clarity and boominess. The Rode videomic was also good, but the NTG5 sounded tinny. The samson just had too much noise and while the Oktava might be the most "premium" sounding, I thought it was too boomy on your voice.
That said, I feel like the "sound" of similarly performing mics (regarding pick-up pattern and noise) is fairly unimportant when you can just EQ it to taste - similar to how the "color science" on most cameras that are capable of a robust codec is not a big deal when you have color correction (just my amateur opinion).
This mirrored my thoughts almost exactly!
I agree, I think the Oktava sounds best. Not only is its frequency response more natural but it really sounds like it handles transients the best (no horrible distortion in the peaks) and has less of that mid range harshness some cheaper mics have. My experience with Rode mics is not awesome. They not bad but, for instance, my Lav mic has a lo mid muffle that I really dislike. I have compared it to (an admittedly more expense) Sony lav and the difference in quality was palpable
Helpful AND entertaining.
Oktava all the way. Not only because I have an older silver one but most important, you can slap it on anything and it'll sound great. And I've used it for dialogue, acoustic guitar, electric guitar on an amp, vocals... And I know they work great for overheads on drums. I just wish I had a matched pair. The MK-012 has proven itself over the years to be a workhorse. Beats out my Rode every time. (No offense to Rode- great microphone company).
I saw Curtis Judd video but did not keep me from watching yours too. I value your opinion all the same. Keep up the great videos!
Thanks for that! :)
Me too :)
I'm Gerald Undone and 🎶 all i want is the perfect microphone, all i want is the perfect microphone🎶
1. NT5 2. Samson 3. NTG. Remember that more bass is pleasant to the ear than mids and highs. It's why Radio DJs tend to have more bass in their voice.
You and Camera Conspiracies sold me that Oktava. Thank you for featuring the Oktava first in this video. I watch the entire thing anyway, but I loved that you got to the meat of it right off the jump.
Love Kasey. He's amazing
"I'm Gerald Undone and I never get a hair cut. I get all of them cut"
Thanks for this review. Curtis’s review was great, but my voice is closer to your than his, so I appreciate your review too. To me both Rode mics sound much better than the others. NT5 sounds really natural and makes the room sound really nice. Oktava is very boomy and will need extensive EQing.
Funny I reached the opposite conclusion and found the Rode too boomy and less flattering on Gerald's voice. I thought the Oktava sounded the best
I'd buy the Rode NTG just for the foam sound.
Hey, what do you mean by foam sound? I couldn't find it in the video, seems it was just recorded without the foam, thanks Gabriel!
I actually like the rode NTG more than I would have thought. Probably the second best sounding mic to my ear.
Great review. The thing is, all these reviews are done in perfect sound proofed rooms without any echo. Would be great to hear some real world examples in an echoey room.
Agreed !!
I say that all the time! Real world test please!
The Oktava MK-012 is a highly acclaimed and affordable SDC. I've never used it, but I've heard a lot of people claim that it is on par with much more expensive Neumann KM-184s. I really want to rent a couple Oktavas the next time I record my acoustic piano.
Very helpful! Funny that youtube recommended this after watching Curtis Judd's video. Both definitely have merit and I appreciate that you followed through and made this one!
The Oktava is a great mic for indoor dialog. The modular design is very cool as well - great versatility for the money. 👍
Fully agree with u that Rode videomic NTG is the best on cam mic now! Loving it
You have (un)done it again. Great primer on getting good to great sound quality on a budget. As usual very detailed and chock full of info. I have the Samson C02 and for 2 mics for $100 it's a great deal for a good mic. Thanks so much.
Thanks so much! Really appreciate that. Great to hear.
I watched for the mics but also this crispy new set. It's freaking beautiful
Thanks, Michael. 🤓💜🙏
Room looks very nice Mr G. Only thing l would add is a lava lamp and a Pink Floyd poster. Keep on rockin' in the free world.
İ like the Rode VideoMic NTG most. İt has more Low Frequency with a good low/mid/high balance. Warm sounding Mic. İ buy this one.
Very useful Gerald, thanks for the comparison
On my wish list is the more expensive Sennheiser MKH416. The second choice Rode NTG-3. Thanks for making this video. The studio looks great!
I've had a matched pair of Oktava MK-012 with the Omni, Cardioid and Hyper-cardioid capsules for years. They are excellent mics. The only issue with mine is that they need to warm up and until they have been powered up for 10 - 15 mins they exhibit a "frying" noise. They have done this from new and the mic distributor did warn me about this when I bought them.
Great video! And when hearing the final tests, and the preference you mentioned towards "non-boomy" microphones, I liked the Rode NT5 the most, and the D3 Pro the least (which incidentally is the only one I own of all these...). Intro: "I'm Gerald Undone and overkill is underrated"
RE Deity and RODE VideoMic NTG similarities, I think about McDonalds and Jack in the Box hamburgers. They both use similar ingredients, but, still they "configure" them differently. Weird analogy? Yea. TBH, I really like RODE mics. I have the VMPro+ and I recently got the NTG5. I like them both a lot. Plus, Deity and RODE are competitors.
And don't forget, if it weren't for Apple Mac OS, there would be no Windows. Yes, Apple OS and computers came before Microsoft Windows. I believe there was even a court case between them because Windows Explorer was built around the code for Apple's Finder window.
P.S. At the end, when you read text for each mic, the Oktava sounded too bass-y for me. I have a bass-y voice, too. Thankfully, the NTG5 really gives voices a warm tone without being too bass-y, to me. (I know, the NTG5 wasn't in this video. But, I thought I'd share my experience.) Thanks for another awesome video.
OK I’m and Old sound engineer (61) but I liked the Rode NTG the best! I listen once thought my cheep Bose speaker’s and then through my Apple Air Pod Pro.
Hi I’m Gerald Undone and the source of my power was in fact my hair! So now I keep a couple of V mounts in my shoes.
IMHO you sound best with the NT5 - much less nasally. I appreciate your comment about getting a mic that matches your voice because that opened my thinking about different mics for different situations.
Great comparison, Gerald. Much of how you feel about the SQ of these mics will depend on what you're listening to them on. That Rode VideoMic NTG is probably my favorite and I have no problem with them iterating on the Deity V3. I can't tell you how many times I've asked myself why the maker of my chosen camera body couldn't take the time to go down to the local Japanese version of Best Buy and just copy the features from other makers that the other makers have managed to implement better. :-)
I’m Gerald Undone and I - no, wait. No I’m not. I’m Nicole Jolly and I would dearly love to know what mic would best suit someone like me who doesn’t have the GU bass in my voice - but does have a kitchen with lots of reflective surfaces where I record my videos. I fear both of the Rodes may sound a bit too tinny for my voice. Should I just get the NTG3? Thanks!
I'm sorry for how late you are getting a response, and you might not need one, but if your kitchen is an issue GIK sells many 'artsy' sound panels, and I would highly recommend at least getting bass traps from a reputable brand (not sound foam off amazon, London Traps/Air Cavity would be best for cost-performance)
If you already have a shotgun mic, and a kitchen set for filming, then only around 15%-20% treatment should be needed to greatly curb issues. I hope everything is going well for your channel at least, in nine months a lot of growth can happen! Best of luck, I'm also staging and sound proofing a kitchen for our own (eventual) show, and hopefully we can both see exponential growth! If you have any tips for diffusion lighting in a small kitchen that would be great too! It's a bit hard to put three studio lights, diffusers, bouncers, etc,. in our 'tiny kitchen' of about 12ftx12ft of usable space!
*Finally there's at least something Russia does right.* A proud resident speaking here. Although, I'm actually of German origin, haha... Anyway, Oktavas has always been really high-ranked mics. Coincidentally, Glenn Fricker recently spoke well of them too.
They make great tubes for valve amps too if you're into hi-fi.
Thank you for the video. I saw Curtis’ and I wanted a second opinion. As soon as you said “this is being recorded on Oktava”, I went straight to Amazon and bought it. Thanks so much for helping me make a choice!
I'm Gerald Undone and purple is both practical and peaceful.
For me the Deity V-Mic D3 Pro was stand-out better - more transparent, with a pleasing warmth to the bass without the boominess of the RODE VideoMic NTG or the Deity S-Mic 2S. If I were to describe it in photography terms, I'd say it gave your voice image more 'pop'.
Gerald, just love your newer studio backdrop - sublime coolness! 💛😎
You sound great in all of them, but I liked how you sounded on the Deity Mics a bit better. They have a nice high end. Just bought the Oktava MK-012 and a Zoom F6 to step up my indoor sound game. Can't wait to test it out on my voice since I need that bass boost, lmao.
I think Diety is doing big things because companies like Rode paved the way... So I think if Rode sees something it can use I think that’s just what all companies do, look at everything on the market, cars, cameras, lights, HELL washing machines lol...it’s all a copy of something successful with a little of its own engineering... From one Gerald to another, Great vid once again!! Lol
Hey, what you refere to as self noise is usually called a mic‘s noise floor.
With that you can say how high/low in db it is.
Great Video its a pleasure like always.
Keep it up!
So when is the “Gerald reads your favorite manuals” audiobook coming?
I need help to pic an XLR shotgun mic, for filmmaking. Price is not the main factor , but I dont want to spend more than I need to have good sound on the movies, while we're still an independent film production group. Can you help us chose the right one? We'll be recording the sound on a Tascam Portacapture X8
Been holding off on the rode video mic pros for so long cuz I didn't like that they didnt have a gain dial, they finally answered my prayers.
Great video as I have the Deity D3 pro and just got the Oktava MK-012 and was searching for a good comparisons between these two. Definitely agree the Oktava sounds great & best on ur voice
Another great vid. really enjoying the outtake endings👍
I like that most of the time you had the name of the mic written in video, while Curtis just put the name of the mic for short period of time so it was harder for me to make notes with his video.
Looking forward to your conclusions.
Slightly worse than perfection, is still far enough for me, so, you get the medal :D
The final foam noise made me change my mind ! I'm undone now :o)
Btw, using 1 concurrent that"s not mentionned in the video, but up to par as a solid one, the Sennheiser k6+Me66/Me64 ! I was severely hesitating with the Oktawa, & it still could of been a better choice, who knows (bc as you stated, it has to match your voice, so there's always an individual factor here), but I had a better deal for the Me66 with 2 capsules, & there is no real bad choice anyway, including those you present in the video.
Great stuff as always, thx!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Bob! :)
I bought the synco mic-d2 it's very good
Can't lie I have the Videomic NTG but the Deity one sounds better to me. You said the Deity is more bassy on your voice but the Videomic NTG sounds more bassy to me in that ending test. Still glad I picked up the Rode for all the extra features
My top three for your voice is:
Oktava Mk-12
Deity Smic 2s
Samson C02
The Røde mics sounded too sterile.
I have a CAD e70 that would sound great with your voice, but it's cardioid and omni only.
I spoke with a engineer from CAD about designing a hyper or supercardioid capsule, and, while possible, the mic was designed more for music recording in the late 90's; a time when nobody primarily wanted anything but wide pickup patterns.
My fav for your voice is the Rode Videomic NTG
The NT5 and MK012 sounds the best imo, though all of them do a good job for being sub 500 mics. Nice comparison.
Great video, audio is so important and satisfying when it’s done right!
Great video! The Oktava does captured your voice and sounds more lifelike.
Agreed. It sounded much more full than the others.
" I'm Gerald Undone, & if you post a constructive comment down there, it will only increase the signal to noise ratio of the channel ! "
Your intro song is awesome
D3 pro and your voice sounds most pleasing to me on my Yamaha Hs7.
One of the best. I love how you presented everything and specially the end session.
THX a lot for this comparison... the Rode M2 is a super cardioid condenser mic...I can boom with it to for 80 bucks...not bad at all!
I use the Deity and a Pocket 4k, and the problem with the mic not turning on actually happened to me. I then tried different audiocables, and the one from my old Rode Videomicro actually solved the problem. So i am not sure why the original Deity cable does not work with BM Cams, but rode one do. I also use a extension cable by rode for the Boompole, and this one works aswell. Weird Tech World.
For me the NTG is the clear winner, mainly on functionality and a pleasant sound. In fact I am going to order one today. Sound wise I think the differences are minor. Funny that you think that Rode copied the Deity, which IMHO copied the Rode VidemoMic Pro! LOL.
Always value your videos, Gerald. Thank you.
An “unbalanced” mic (or any device) can be set up to run a balanced line with an in-line transformer. If you know what a direct box or “DI” is consider it simply a direct box without the box. Sometimes referred to as a hi z to low z converter.
Rare to see you talk about the ethics of product design, well done Gerald.
I was like "how does this video not have more likes" and then i was like "oh it just came out" and then i was like "i should subscribe"
Haha. Thanks! Always glad to have a new subscriber.
I use the NT-5 for my videos especially my latest video fantastic audio quality for interview style videos!
My answer to your ethical question @ 17:45 - To use and/or improve something that's already good is a smart step. We need to work together instead of being scared of the possibility of someone might steal our ideas. Godox basically doing the same thing with their whole lineup and you often recommend them, don't you? I think it's always better to evolve, then try it from the hard side and make your own.
I don’t know about the Deity, but the Rode Videomic NTG “gain” knob does not actually control mic gain. It is an output level control. If you plug it usb in to a computer you will see it does not change the mic level. Still it is very handy for quickly adjusting the level going to your camera or recorder.
Might be a dumb question but I’m trying to decide on a shotgun mic for my fs72. Here are my options
1. Rode NTG2
2. Samson C02 Pencil Condenser Microphones (Pair)
3. Sony ecm-ms2
Very helpful video. I've considered many of these mics as an extra B mic for indoor dialogue. This helped a lot.
Forgot to say thanks after picking up an Oktava. Paired it with a MOTU M2. Now to rig everything up... But THANKS!
The Samson C02 definitely isn't super cardioid (if they're manuals are correct). It's the same thing as the Superlux CMH8KU which is cardioid. It shares the same specs as the cardioid model, the super cardioid one has a big peak at around 7K but rolls off really agressively from 8.5-10K: www.superlux.com.tw/upload/function.product.info/46d80d2a-bbef-41f7-8699-fc645948698d/resource/CMH8K.pdf
Unless Samson is sending out incorrect specs sheets. Everything in the manual suggests it's a rebranded Superlux CMH8KU. Nothing wrong with that, Superlux makes some seriously good stuff for cheap (except for their large diaphragm condensers which aren't even bad, they're just priced too similarly to the CAD M179 and Oktava MK-220 which are far better)
Love the colors in your backdrop! Great video.
Always entertaining Gerald and the Rode noise was superb! the funny noise :D The Oktava was the greatest one in the test with my monitors and your voice but I'd a bit on the mid/low end :)
Great video! No need to apologize for the doing this after Curtis Judd. I watched his video first and found yours more helpful for 3 reasons: 1) He was obviously sponsored for certain mics. 2) The samples you provided demonstrating actual sound coming from the mics. and 3) You compared mics of similar price range. Curtis Judd's comparison was unrealistic for a lot of people, because he's comparing $3,000 mics to $110 mics. Most people don't have an unlimited budget. And if we did, the discussion about the Samson C02 would be a waste of time. So, this is a long way of saying thank you for providing a comparison of boom mics under $500 with samples!
"I'm Gerald undone ..I'm *bleep*ing crazy" because that's what I hear in my head whenever your intro plays 🤷🏿♀️
Curtis' video didn't have fun/funny pop filter sounds! As good as Curtis' video is, I value multiple perspectives on these mics, so yours is definitely useful. (Also, I'm planning on ordering an Oktava movie set soon. If thomann music dot com sells out, it's all your fault!)
Haha. Thanks, Thomas!
Thank you for this, man! A video that’s desperately needed is a USB mic video, like the Videomic NTG. Gain settings, processing, especially when it’s a direct PC input. I’m having such trouble getting good audio with my new Videomic NTG and every video thus far with this new mic kind of skips over using it as a USB mic. Tried to get Curtis’ settings, but he couldn’t recall much about it.
Thanks for the kind words and suggestion.
Tylon, there was a software update from rode for the NTG, make sure you update it, I hear it makes a big difference!
I really think it's shameful of Rode to completely knock off another company, especially a smaller one like Deity. I have products from both companies and they're both great, but Rode should have tried to implement a completely new design or keep the VideoMic Pro+ style body for the VideoMic NTG.
For your voice, I liked 1. Rode NT5, 2. Samson CO2, 3. Deity V-Mic D3Pro
I was waiting for you to drop this video.
13:52 when is the next Gerald Undone jam session coming up? 😂 I'm for real though, play some guitar outro tunes for us!
An awesome comparison + video Gerald. 😁
👌
I really appreciate both the thoroughness and high level of detail that you go into here. 😄 👍 👍
Cheers man! 🍻
P.S. I laughed out loud at the bloopers/outtakes. 😂
Haha. Thanks! Appreciate it. 🤓🤣👊
The price limit puts the Audix SCX1-HC just out of reach. I find it to be a great bang for buck in the budget pro world I operate in.
I think the Rode NT5 sounds the best for you and your set up. Absolutely better than the Samson
The Deity S2 and the 416 sound great in a larger room, say 15' x 15' with partial absorption. If you are in a small booth you need very, very thick foam.
TH-cam compression doing some funky things background. V useful vid as always
Considering the ethics of Rode. On one side I understand you concerns but on other side it feels like the fastest way to innovate and make the best product for consumers. You just take what works and add even more to it and consumer is happy. I wish deity would make that microphone or they can put into new microphone all the new/better features of rode videomic NTG, keep balanced output and location kit and Deity will win.
Hi Sir Gerald! Glad you put this video up.. What if you wanted to use this mics for Livestreams especially with acoustic guitars?
Leaning towards NT5 vs Videomic NTG with xlr adapter vs The new Rode NTG5? Which would be a better choice
Thanks!
thank you for your review, it has helped me find the Oktava MK, I wish you took a short break from talking so I could hear the SNR, possibly in the comparison portion, and you could do worst to best (as you could measure it after recording). Its hard to compare it while you are talking non stop ;)
I don't know, there are probably a ton of factors involved in development and manufacturing. Maybe they did add current features they saw in competing products. Or maybe a lot of the features come from public user feedback, where both companies could be pulling from. Maybe Rode's development cycle is long and some of their features were corporate espionage-ed by other companies in the design or manufacturing stages. Kinda difficult to speculate. We do see how many companies decided to add screen notches to their phones after Apple did it... so yeah, maybe Rode did add after the fact. API duplication vs. code copying in the software world (same feature different internal implementation). I don't think I'd go with an inferior product on that.
I think it sucks what Rode did to Deity. Such a good video, keep it up!
Interesting on the auto power detection feature I thought that would cause some issues. I myself have had issues with plugging in TRRS things into phones and computers without power or auto detection. Just this week I tried to plug a line level signal into a microphone adapter Y cable into a laptop and it wasn't detecting it. I miss the days when we had separate mic and headphone jacks.
adding a dedicated on switch is a big improvement, I think copying somebody's design is not that great but if they're going through the process of actually adding improvements to it then that makes it better for all of us.
It's building up on the shoulders of others. There's so many times I've run into the little things that were like if they just did "this" it would be great.