Thx a ton for this comment had no idea about firmware updates. Was getting an unacceptable hiss when using this mic attached to the iphone 11 / filmic pro and it was seriously upsetting me. I would have returned it if the hiss couldn't be fixed. Just updated the firmware and thank god it fixed the issue! And also awesome review!
Great video, Curtis! Is it just the XLR adapter that makes the Deity balanced? If so, could we just use the Deity XLR adapter on the RODE and make it balanced that way? Thanks.
Hi Gerald, no, the microphone has to support a balanced signal. Or you can use a DI box to convert to a balanced signal but those are generally pretty bulky.
Those adapters are generally passive but there are some that do plug-in power conversion that are more expensive. I have also seen some with built in Transformers which would make the signal a balanced send but they are hard to find. If only manufactured listed their doctors with more than the incoming and outgoing connector!
Looks like Rode now sell a gadget called "VXLR Pro" that does have a transformer balanced output and will provide "plug in power" voltage for mics that require it. Handy little device well worth what they are asking for it.
I have the Deity V-Mic D3 Pro and it's crazy on how much the VideoMic NTG is a like. I think both are better then the VideoMic Pro+ but that's a good point on the clipping possibility. NTG is a little more but you get more for that money. If those extras mean nothing to you, than I say stick with the D3 Pro and save some money. Great job Curtis!
I finally bought one. This is an odd little mic. The “gain” control is a bit misleading. It does not control the mic preamp gain. It appears to be a digital output level volume control. You can hear little “ticks” as you change it indicating it is NOT an analog controller. I believe the mic gain is probably fixed at 50-60dB gain (amplification) with the addition of selectable 20dB attenuation before the preamp. Still, in the end it works well. Simply set your camera to it’s lowest setting and turn the dial on the back end of the mic until you reach the desired level. Remember to use that -20 dB option in a loud environment. I love the auto power feature. For the price a furry wind cover should be included. The foam does not do much in the wind. And it gets even more odd when used over USB on a computer. You can use it for audio in and out, but there is no way to turn the mic off. You can always hear it.
I've learned 90%+ of what I know about audio from Curtis. Just bought a handful of the equipment listed on the how to boom video. Going to level up audio very soon! Thank you Curtis!
Thank you for doing an honest and unbiased review that aims to inform, instead of pushing people towards affiliate links. I really appreciate that. When it comes to audio you're one of very few people on TH-cam I trust to give proper advice. The NTG seems like a great mic, although my VideoMicro is surprisingly good for what I do. Might be tempted to pick up the NTG at a later date, though. Have an amazing New Year!
Hi Curtis great video, I wonder what would you suggest - for capturing like cooking or recipe videos? the goal is to capture you know cutting of onions , cooking process and others plus the most directional mic ( cancelling or minimal background noises like kids shouting) we aleady placed our mic close enough to the food. Considering Rode videomic NTG or other NTG mics from rode or other brands. Thanks
The gain dial and using the NTG as a USB mic are two features that make it a worthwhile upgrade from the Pro+ to me. My only peeve is that there be some way to check how much battery life remains. Maybe the light starts flashing when the battery is low? Great review, Curtis. You are the Audio Guru Jedi Master, for sure.
Stellar work as always, Curtis, so thank you. You’re making it very much easier for us little guys to make informed purchasing decisions. Now I’d like to see a video of you at work on an actual corporate shoot; a ‘behind the scenes’ look at how you select the area to shoot in, the gear selection, setup, conducting interviews, collecting B-roll and so on. It would also be great to hear your thoughts on how to get into this line of work and what the considerations are. Maybe this exists in your online classes, but just thought I’d mention it. Thanks!
Thanks UltrafiAV. I started at my employer 13 years ago as a product business analyst - it is a software company - and slowly over the years became the videographer. Up until the Pandemic, I made mostly internal videos which they didn't want to go to the public but perhaps after the pandemic settles, we can do something like this. Thanks again!
World's are colliding. My two favorite mic reviewers! You guys are awesome! I have some mic reviews I need to do so IF you see maybe some tests inspired by your videos...yes they were and I'll make sure to let people know they were also. I better go film those now. 😂
Thanks for posting it Curtis. I was waiting for your review since the launch of this NTG, and from the time you left your comment on the official RODE promo.
Comment to show the algorithm hay great is this video. I have been looking for mics for 2 months but every video or review i see is subjective. The work showed on this video with the real tests is just grate. Thanks a lot, i probably get the NTG
Great video as always Curtis. To my ears it sounds like you really can't go very wrong with any of those 3 mics. If you have the Pro Plus or the D3 Pro I'm not sure I see a compelling reason to go out and also buy the VideoMic NTG unless the USB C functionality is important to you.
Thanks for this great video. If the Rode VideoMic NTG converts the analog signal into digital signal then a 32-bit float with a audio recorder doesn´t make that much sense anymore? Meaning the audio recorder - even with 32-bit float - would not be able to change a bad, cliped digitalized signal. Whereas an analog signal will never be cliped with 32-bit float?
So would the recommended workflow be to always record the two versions of audio to right and left channel (one at higher db and one at lower) and then discard the one that's not needed, and use the best version and then sync it over right and left channels? Or is that just a needlessly complicated workflow, and the two versions is only needed for certain difficult audio environments?
@@curtisjudd I am confused if the NTGs safety channel works with the pocket 4K? I do not know which setting to use. Rather I "manually" choose 3,5mm left and right to 1 and 2. Where channel 2 is set to 30% gain instead of 50. Is this wrong? or how its supposed to be used on the pocket(or any cine-camera for that matter)?
@@Mastersh1t It does work with the pocket 4k. You need to set the camera so that the left channel is set to 3.5mm mic left and the right channel is set to 3.5mm mic right. You'll then have the primary track on the left and the safety track on the right in the camera files.
@@curtisjudd Thank you for the quick reply Curtis! I thought that as well but when I pulled the file into Final cut I couldnt see any difference in the audio waves. They looked identical. Thats why I lowered the gain on the right channel so I could feel confident one channel was lower than the other. I will give it a try tomorrow again and see if I missed anything.
Very good explanation on how the high pass filters at 75 and 150 hertz work. The instruction manual didn't have much detail into what these numbers meant. Thank you for this video.
Love how Rode's nomenclature adds NT on the end, so their mikes are names after rats, and their families. :) Only just found that out recently! Write out Rode, and add NT.
Hello Chris, I’ve now owned my NTG for the past 3 weeks and LOVE IT 👍🏻, the audio features on this mic have the ability to dial in the settings to suit whatever is needed to capture brilliant sound. Thank You for producing this video review ✌🏻 Cheers from Wild Western Australia
Not only a great review, but also a great opportunity learning about sound and recording! I now use the Deity D3 Pro - the replacement for my lost RODE VideoMic Pro+ - and I'm really satisfied w it! Only thing I still miss is the auto on/off feature from the Rode Mic...yes, I've recorded w mic OFF...not good. I think the D3 Pro is better than RODE VMP+, and the NTG a competitor to the D3 Pro
I don't get why they make a mic in 2020 that have those two limitations on the battery. Either give me battery read-out or let me swap the battery. Missing both options is annoying.
And what's worse is if there's an issue with the battery it's a disaster for the recall just ask Samsung. We should pass some sort of requirement that requires all batteries be removable for recycling and safety purposes, if it's not totally impractical for the design of the product although that would make nice loophole.
Wow. You are so generous with your time. Thank you. Curious if I can record from both the 3.5mm and the USB connections at the same time? I do a lot of zoom, so I’d like to use USB for that, but run the 3.5 to an external recorder like the ATEM Mini. Thanks much! (Oh, bonus: if the usb is used, I assume that will keep it charged while I’m meeting with folks)
Hi Shawn, sorry it took a while to get back, but I just had a chance to test and yes, you can run the mic via USB to computer and output the 3.5mm out to a camera at the same time.
If you take the extended cable issue out of the equation and wish to use this as an indoor stationary boom mic would you still pick a super-cardioid over this or Deity to avoid sound bounced off the walls?
Hi Zach, given the choice and assuming money is not a barrier, I'd almost always choose to use a non-shotgun super-cardioid when recording indoors. But if money is a consideration, and it almost always is, I'd think either the VideoMic NTG or D3 Pro will do a nice job, especially if you manage any room reverb with blankets.
Hi Curtis, firstly, thank you for your amazingly useful videos. You are always my first port of call if I have a question. I have recently changed from a lav. Mic to the Rode NTG. I do painting tutorials with an overhead camera and I intend to have the NTG above my head. I am recording into a Zoom H5 using the XLR input. I am used to using the dials on the H5 to set my levels so that they don’t clip. Do I need to use the ‘gain’ control on the back of the NTG and if so, what does it do that the H5 is not doing already? I hope this makes sense. I have very little knowledge of using audio but have always managed up to now, probably more from luck! Thank you Curtis.
This mic is designed to feed directly to camera if you’d like to simplify your setup (and not have to use the H5) which is probably what I’d do unless your camera doesn’t have a 3.5mm mic input? If you do that, then I’d set the camera’s mic input to its lowest setting and then slowly increase the gain dial on the NTG until the audio meters on camera top out around -12dB.
Hey everyone, I have a simple question. I have a small budget and needed a low-cost mic that I could use to boom. Will the Rode video mic go work well?
Check out the Rode VideoMicro too. It's cheaper and from what I've seen is much more highly regarded. I have it and I think it sounds great boomed. I have a video on my channel actually.
This would have been an interesting option now that I have a Camera that actually has good preamps. But too late, I am committed to the Tascam DR60MkII and Rode NTG2 now xD
@@Nickporter17 If you have a Canon or Nikon Camera, the NTG is gonna be an issue. If you have a Sony or Panasonic, the NTG is gonna easily deliver enough quality for TH-cam and safe you a decent amount of money compared to my setup. But personally I would go with the Deity V-Mic D3 Pro, which is potentially better then the NTG at a lower cost (at least here in germany, the NTG is a good 60Euro more expensive then the Deity V-Mic D3 Pro). Not only are you going to safe some money compared to my setup if you go with the Rode or Deity, but you`ll avoid the step of syncing the audio to the video, which can be an issue for some software. But, if you have to work a lot with the audio mixing and mastering, the Tascam DR60MkII + Rode NTG2 (or any other prosumer grade shotgun mic) combo delivers higher quality audio that is easier to manipulate. I have to cut out a lot of room sound, DeEss the audio and do some EQ, the 24Bit 48khz WAV files from my Tascam allow that easily. That would be a bigger issue with the audiofiles coming straight out of the camera. Bit of a long answer but I think I gave you a good amount of pros/cons :D
@@ArikGST thank you! I currently own the diety smic 2s and run it straight into my Sony alpha with a cheap little inline preamp. So a bit of a hybrid set up. I was planning to buy a higher end recorder like your tascam in the future. But was considering selling it for a simpler Videomic NTG or Vmic D3 Pro. I guess what you have highlighted is that the real difference will be in levels of post processing ability of each type of setup. Thank you very much for the long answe!
@@Nickporter17 Glad I could help. Since you already have a high end microphone, the Diety Smic 2s is a GREAT mic, it might be worth to go with a recorder to use that mic to it`s full potential. Really depends on what kind of video you want to make though. For most TH-camrs who make vlogs/talking-head/sitting-down/overhead-shot type of videos (like mine) something like a Deity Vmic D3 (not pro) would likely serve all their needs as long as you get the mic nice and close to your source. But honestly it would be a shame to let go of the Smic2s, maybe it would be enough to use a higher quality inline Preamp. I am not up to date on preamps so I can`t make a recommendation.
I have been waiting for this video for 2 week, best channel for light and sound education on the internet! Now I can make a decision, thanks for the help 🙏
Informative video! I’ve been using the mic since early spring and I’ve been very satisfied with it. Yes the output is balanced, but just fine for my needs with both my Sony ZV-1, my iPad Pro, my M1 Mac mini, and my iPhone when I need it; it’s all about the versatility and portability. I did mention to RODE about the non-replaceable battery, but then I was told that it was one good reason why you register the mic for the 10-year warranty. If it believes in this product that much, I can see myself using this for years. Again, thanks!
Just purchased one after seeing your review. Looks like a nice upgrade to our gen 1 Rode Videomic Pro. Will be a nice additional on-camera mic to our main mic, an Audio-Technica AT4053B. Very helpful and comprehensive review as always, thanks Curtis. p.s. We purchased two of your audio courses and they're excellent, thanks for that too.
23:43 what do you think "if they do have something planned in the works" could be ❓ would be great to get a balanced output from this microphone 😁 thank you again curtis for your time and effort, i always find myself coming back to your videos
They released it. It is called the VXLR Pro and it is a true, transformer balancing XLR adapter: B&H, DVE Store geni.us/x9icPf Full disclosure: This is an affiliate link. I earn from qualifying purchases.
Thanks so much, Curtis. Very helpful. I had never really considered the Diety V-mic. So, after using for a while, price point being fairly equal, which one would you buy if you had to start from scratch?
Hey Curtis, thanks for that awesome review. I have a question regarding your con for the unbalanced output. Do you have a number for the maximum cable length without any interference issues? Do you think a 5m 3,5mm cable from amazon will work? Thank you and best wishes from Berlin :)
Thanks for the video. I have watched a few videos of yours so far. They are all professional, and very well done. The content is also very professional.
Hi Adam, that's an Aputure COB120D II with barn doors which create the shaft of light along the concrete wall. We talk a bit about it here: th-cam.com/video/wBFMZb56td8/w-d-xo.html
Great video, many thanks. I'm considering painting the shock mount to be a bit less visible while in the woods, any idea what type of paint I could use? In advance, thank you very much for your time. Best regards FTF
Thanks Curtis. I really like the video mic pro+. Its the best mic for me in terms of convinience and not so much (or at all) of that hiss sound but i am curious to try this NTG. Have they made any updates/upgrades to this mic (firmware)?
Glad to hear it works well for you. I haven't followed this closely but it looks like there is a firmware updater on the product page so it looks like yes. Not sure what the updates do. I didn't see any notes on that.
Curtis, man... I've been clicking through review after review of this mic, observing my patience wane in inverse proportion to the frequency and intensity of my cringes. So many reviewers out there-God bless them- lack the practical experience and theoretical knowledge necessary to bring a review to life. By contrast your reviews always deliver. You tend to anticipate my questions about specs, applications, techniques, comparisons, etc. The last guy had this drum loop going and he kept clipping the mic and butchering technical terms... I literally sighed in relief when this video started.
Fantastic review as always. My one concern is does that dial move really easily? I’m afraid I would actually turn it without realizing it with my forehead or something.
Curtis, great video as always. Still hoping to see a diagram to see if the VideoMic NTG has a polar pattern that shows smooth off-axis response when boomed just above me in my home studio. The Røde NTG5 as we know is a Super-Cardioid Mic, so leaning a little bit off-axis is okay. Thanks again, brother.
Thanks for the helpful video! I had the same (decision) problems with battery life but than I thought about roughly 300 full cylcle life time of typical Li accumulators - 300 x 3 is 9000 or one year of 24/7 use of the microphone. I decided that I will not kill the battery within 10 years of moderate use (non-professional) and maybe you can give it a 2nd life phase as studio microphone using the USB port with a computer. I ordered it three days ago ...
@@curtisjudd I received the vm NTG yesterday and played around a little bit: It's seems to be a great tool: The right controls at hand, light, compact, and most importantly the audio quality seems to be on par with what I see ... better hear in professional productions. Will work well as standalone on camera and for a three microphone setup using the NTG, two M5s and a Tascam DR70D - the latter ones for ambient sound which is important for the "feel" in conjunction with the scenery.
Hey ! Thanks for the video , I was looking to use this as run and gun and occasionally boom mic , do you think using connected to a rode wireless go and using it wirelessly would be better then using extension cable ?
The 3.5mm output jack... Could one put a splitter on it to monitor the audio going into their camera? Or would they get a misconception of what the camera was really recording? I have an older camera without a headphone jack and it would be nice to monitor the audio. Perfect timing of the Dump truck at 5:38 btw. NO...Serious! Real world review and application at its finest. Excellent Review as always! Thanks Curtis. -Will
Theoretically yes however passive headphones can act as a microphone and also a load on the circuit, try it see how it sounds Make some noise and see if it messes up the recording. Nothing will be damaged by doing that other than making a bad recording because the levels will be way off as you're essentially putting a resistor across your microphone. Now if you were to do this with a headphone amplifier or active headphones you might have better luck. However a better solution would be to get one of those little battery powered camera mixers to solve the issue altogether, or perhaps a field recorder that mounts to the camera that way you'll have a backup recording.
I was thinking of a passive microphone. for an active microphone you're essentially dealing with a sort of line level signal which is a little bit easier to deal with and that case I would still use like a headphone amplifier or a active set of headphones or better in my other comment... either way everything pretty much holds true.
@@Debtfreehomesteaders Battery-powered microphone + recorder + Headphones = 3 microphones, decent close speech, would not recommend. Battery-powered microphone + recorder + HPAmp&Headphones = no noticeable difference. Test was performed using 2 Neewer mics NW-D20 & Cardioid/Omni Condenser 40095448, Sony MDR-V150, FIIO E7 ( low volume ) various ebay DIY modules - headphone amplifier TDA130, line pre-amplifier, dynamic microphone amplifier ( Good, GooD, GOOD volume ). Recorder was an iPod Nano using a Griffin Voice recorder set too high quality 44,100 and Mic input. I wouldn't recommend it if you were dealing with quiet signals. although my tests were quite clear and I wasn't pushing the distance, loudness or quietness. just a casual chat with myself. Ever since I saw the question I was like, I have all the stuff kicking around and it wouldn't be that hard to test it. I've more or less wanted to know the answer to this question anyway this just gave me a reason to find out. Looks like I beat you to it? I would recommend a headphone amp something not in the hi-fi $$$$$$$$$ category but with a decent output. I haven't tried them but I've heard good things about the Boostaroo unfortunately I don't think they exist any longer. and some sort of in line volume control either added after that or on the headphone cable, if the amplifier doesn't come with a volume control. After that it's just a matter of making the connections, so a double ender 3.5 and a Y.
Curtis, thanks for the great reviews. Starting to pay much more attention to sound really appreciate your detailed reviews and knowledge, refreshing. I don’t always have the luxury of having an audio guy on smaller projects.
@@curtisjudd I’ve been tapped by a local non-profit I work with to video their pickleball tournament next week and I didn’t have a decent shotgun mic, this one is really great for the job.
I suspect that the XLR adapter is just a passive adapter since you can send a line level signal down the cable pretty easily since the microphone is self-powered. Although it is possible they might have stuck a transformer in there I don't think so. You can also get those sold separately from other manufacturers including two different versions from Rode one with "plug-in" power and one without.
Hi Curtis. I thought I'd provide an update on my VideoMic NTG saga. I contacted Rode and received a quick response, and went through a few emails detailing what was going on and what I found on further experimentation. Firstly, I discovered that the NTG would turn on/off if connected to my Wireless GO setup (when the receiver was turned on/off), but no joy with other options. However, the big surprise came with the latest firmware upgrade to the BMPCC4K (ver 6.8) as, after installing that, the NTG started to work as it should and has continued to work fine so far. I made Rode aware of this, so it would be interesting to know whether anyone else has had this experience.
Amazing review! Currently the videomic nTg and NTG4+ are roughly the same price here in Australia. I’m trying to find a microphone to record live music at gigs and concerts direct in to my a7iii. If roughly the same price would you recommend one over the other if they are both going into a 3.5mm cable directly into the camera (obviously the NTG4 plus would be going through a xlr to 3.5mm adaptor). Thanks again for all the work you put into your reviews!
Hey Tyler, I'd go for the the VideoMic NTG in that case. The NTG4+ has a really weak output signal that doesn't work really well when converted from XLR to 3.5mm. Happy recording!
Great video review. I have a Canon xa11 camcorder and will be recording my Grandson’s wedding soon. I want a mic that is better than the built in camera mic so yesterday I purchased the VideoMic NTG. The first problem was that RODE only supplied a TRRS -cable and the 3.5 plug on the XA11 takes a TRS so when I tried the TRRS it would not record. I do not want to distract from the wedding ceremony with boom poles so what’s the best mic I could use ( mounted on the camera) for capturing the sound?
@@curtisjudd Thanks for responding. I am a novice when it comes to audio. I’ve searched the camera screens and the owners manual but could not find any information on turning on bias or plugin power when using the 3.5 mic jack. There are a variety of options when using one of the two XLR inputs located on the handle but I’m not using one of these. My understanding is that the TRRS cable is made specifically for smart phones, tablets and laptops. I returned the RODE and purchased a Saramonic wireless unit. They included both a TRRS and a TRS cable and it works fine with the TRS cable. Thanks again for your assistance.
@@4440mi Glad your new setup is working. 👍 Normally that is the case, but the RODE NTG detects which type of input it is connected to (TRS or TRRS) and adapts to that. It doesn't always work so I'm glad you found a solution that does.
I received mine today and looking forward to trying it out soon. Thank you, Curtis, for making this great review video. Cheers from Western Australia (Not affected by the terrible at my home)
Hi Curtis. Great channel and big fan of your work. I know you are the guru when it comes to mics so wanted to run a question by you. I have the videomic ntg and a pansonic s5 but am having issues with the mic recognising my camera and working. It does eventually work with a mixture of turning everything on and off or taking out the battery but I do struggle with this. Have you heard anything? Its almost as if the rode takes a while recognosing it is connected to my camera. I know it has an auto detect and shut down feature but maybe these two are not talking very well to one another. I have updated to the latest software plus the mic input options on the panasonic are set to 'mic input (plug in power)' it does not work with my other two options which are 'mic' and 'line' so my only option is 'mic input' Thanks.
Hi Carl, thanks. I am not sure, but perhaps test with a different cable to see if that makes a difference. Often, cables are the first thing to experience issues.
Hi Curtis (I know someday you will be around ;) I found my videomic NTG very "self noisy" (either on a zoom F6 or via usb on a computer) so I've made a test sample in a quite quiet and clean room. Normalized the sample a -23LUFS and the max RMS amplitude of the silent part is -51db. So I guess I have an issue with my microphone...
Hey Curtis! Your reviews are pretty much my go to for this stuff. Unfortunately I’m now having paralysis. I want to get one mic that will work as boom mic for stand ups and product reviews. I’m recording into a tascam Dr70 D and was torn between the NTG 4+ and The NTG 5. Now I am intrigued by the video mic NTG for its versatility. The price is attractive as well. Assuming that I can spend for the NTG 5 if you had to choose one of these mics for the widest variety of uses which would you recommend?
Like the review, I have several Rode Microphones and very happy with them but this microphone having a internal battery stops me from even thinking about buying.
How does it stack when compared with the Sennheiser MKE 600. Main purpose of use is on camera to shoot weddings and travel videos. and sometimes for interviews.
hello, the "high frequency boost" function does not work on my Rode Video Mic NTG microphone I have just bought it, everything works fine, whether in cable jack on my camera or by USB cable on my PC, except for the "high frequency boost" function that I cannot activate: when I make a long press of 2 seconds on the button, nothing happens !! yet the button works, allows you to change the high pass filter.
Battery is not replaceable but I am sure it’s got an 18650 cell inside which you could replace with a soldering iron and a spot welder if you can access one.
Great video! Thanks for the valuable information! Question for anyone that may be in the know. I recently purchased the Videomic NTG hybrid to use atop my Canon M50 for vlogging and for boom placement for talking head video. The NTG works great atop the camera with the supplied Rode SC10 patch cable. B&H (multiple reps) ensured me the Rode SC1 extension cable would work to connect the NTG to the M50 for boom application (since the NTG can accept both TRS or TRRS cables). The SC1 does not work. Read online that others had a similar experience. However I have not been able to find info on what cable would work to connect the Videomic NTG to the M50 for boom application. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Good luck to all!
Hi! So, I’m a complete sound-rookie and was hoping you could help me understand the real differences between XLR and 3.5mm microphones. From what I’ve been able to learn, the basic differences are: 1. XLR cables are balanced and a safer way to do long connections without having interferences; and 2. XLR mics need phantom power to work. But other than that, do XLR microphones output better sound quality compared to a good 3.5mm microphone? If the only real advance of XLR only comes with their cables… Wouldn't it be better to use a 3.5mm microphone (which tends to be more versatile, like the Rode Video NTG) and use and 3.5mm-to-XLR converter when you need to do a long connection to continue using the more trusted XLR cables?
Often, they are simply higher quality and tougher in terms of their build quality. To convert the signal to a truly balanced signal, you actually need a DI box which is quite a bit bigger and bulkier. It turns out that the DEITY 3.5mm to xlr converter does not truly use a transformer to create a balanced signal.
Probably worth mentioning that Rode now sell a transformer-balanced 3.5mm to XLR adapter (VXLR Pro). Bit spendier than their non-transformer adapter but if you need to use the NTG etc with a long XLR cable, it’s well worth the investment.
Hello Curtis, Thank you for sharing so much valuable information. I wonder if there is a big difference in quality between recording from the videomic ntg via USB directly to a computer, and going through an audio recorder, like a zoom F6. Would you have some insight about that?
Hi Chris! Great video! I was wondering which dead cat did you use on the D3 pro? I just got one and I’m looking for a dead cat to replace the foam, not one that goes over the foam. I was looking at the “Rycote Standard Hole Softie Windscreen with 19-22mm (0.74-0.87") Hole Size” from B&H. Do you know if that would fit? Thanks!
Hi Dan, That was just a dead cat for an older RODE VideoMic Pro which fits over the foam. I believe the Rycote should work with the D3 Pro. You might contact DEITY support just to confirm. Best wishes!
Is the Deity V-Mic D3 PRO really balanced? The documentation for the D-XLR doesn't seem to indicate whether the output is or not. If you wanted XLR output from the Rode VideoMic NTG I would have expected the situation would be the same and you could use the VXLR+ for this purpose.
I am told by Andrew at Deity that when you use their D-XLR adapter with the D3 pro that the signal is balanced. When I asked RODE the same question regarding the VM NTG, they replied no. Perhaps something was lost in translation, but that is what I was informed from each company.
Curtis Judd Thanks for your quick reply (and for your very informative video)! That’s helpful to know. I hope Rode come though with something, as you alluded might happen
Most of the ones I've seen are passive, the more expensive ones will convert to plug in power. I've only one seeing a Transformer isolated balanced adapter. Theoretically the microphone since it's powered could actively be able to convert to a balanced mode. But since you can shove any signal onto an XLR connector and XLR connectors are balanced!.....
Curtis, at 19:45 when you are talking about vlogging, were you using your blackmagic? And what lense? And what lense are you using when you are in your studio doing talking head stuff?
Hi, the vlogging part at 19:45 was shot with the Panasonic GH5. When in the studio on the talking head shots, that's the Blackmagic Pocket 6K with the Sigma EF 24-70 f/2.8 ART.
Hi Curtis, first of all thank you for all your very good content ! I already have a NTG4 that I have used sometime with Zoom H4n and it works well. But I really need a more "portable", run and gun solution. When not plugged in my camera, do you think Videomic NTG & Rode VXLR+ would sound as good as Rode NTG4 in my Zoom H4n ?
This was a great video. Very informative and the comparisons were helpful. Could you elaborate on what you mean by it maybe not doing too well in high humidity situations? My job takes me all over and there's definitely some humid environments. Thank you!
Thanks. I was referring to beaches, rain forests and the like. Any situation where there's a good chance that moisture will condense on the microphone capsule, especially such as when leaving your air-conditioned lodgings and working outdoors.
Amazing review! Thanks a lot! Did you check whether the NTG is compatible with mobile phone? I mean concerning its length. I wonder if this interferes with the smartphone lenses
Hi, it worked with my iPhone XS Max. It depends on where and how you mount it to the phone and how wide a lens you use as to whether it gets in the picture.
Curtis Judd thanks a lot for the quick reply! I wonder if it fits the ultra wide lens of the iPhone 11. anyways: great review! Keep going with content like that :)
Curtis thanks to your review I purchased the mic. I also just purchased a mic stand, which poses an issue. The mic doesnt fit into the mic stand! Did you buy an adapter or something that allowed you to attach the mic to the stand? No music or video store has it. PLEASE HELP, THANKS
Hi, can we do a sound comparison bw the ntg and the ntg5? Is it better to plug this microphone into the atomos ninja v or a mirrorless camera (nikon z6 ii in my case)? Also, I need to this for narrative work, is there a cable I can get to help reduce interference as you mentioned? Could we just use a TRS cable? Thanks for the review. Subscribed.
You might queue up this review in one browser tab and my NTG5 review in another tab and you can switch between them. I think you'll find the NTG5 is in a completely different league. If you're plugging the mic directly into camera, the VideoMic NTG probably makes more sense. The NTG5 is meant to go into an XLR input, preferably in a proper, dedicated audio recorder.
Hi Curtis, thanks so much for your videos and reviews, I've learned a ton from all the content you produce. Question for you.. I use a small 6 x 10 studio room with a small window and concrete floors (no noise reduction) and do live-stream video classes. I can either continue using my Rode smartLav+, plugged into the laptop, or consider this mic, mounted 2 feet in front of me. There isn't much background noise, besides a laptop fan, but the space generally is prone to a lot of reverb. Which mic do you think is better to use in a scenario like this?
The lavalier will probably manage the reverb better but one never knows without a test. My recommendation would be to put an old blanket or rug on the concrete floor to help tame the room. And if a dynamic microphone is an option that’ll do better than any shotgun or lavalier mic.
Very good review. I was considering the VideoMIc Pro+ but this seems a better fit for me. I also plan to use a Zoom H1n as a recorder and assume this will work well in that scenario?
I had some noise on mine, and then they released a firmware update.. fixed it. Love how they can just update the mic's sound profile with firmware.
That is pretty interesting that they could reduce self-noise with a firmware update! Happy new year, Tommy!
Thx a ton for this comment had no idea about firmware updates. Was getting an unacceptable hiss when using this mic attached to the iphone 11 / filmic pro and it was seriously upsetting me. I would have returned it if the hiss couldn't be fixed. Just updated the firmware and thank god it fixed the issue! And also awesome review!
@@tihkal Yes, thanks Tommy!
@@curtisjudd yes i have heard this in the comments in an older review. people claimed the firmware fixed the noise issue
@@RayValdezPhotography So happy I read this! I was about to return it. Gonna update firmware now and hopefully this fixes my hissing problem.
Man... the sheer quality of production and the knowledge is just off the charts! Bravo!
Thanks arfmf!
Great video, Curtis! Is it just the XLR adapter that makes the Deity balanced? If so, could we just use the Deity XLR adapter on the RODE and make it balanced that way? Thanks.
Hi Gerald, no, the microphone has to support a balanced signal. Or you can use a DI box to convert to a balanced signal but those are generally pretty bulky.
Those adapters are generally passive but there are some that do plug-in power conversion that are more expensive. I have also seen some with built in Transformers which would make the signal a balanced send but they are hard to find. If only manufactured listed their doctors with more than the incoming and outgoing connector!
@Ben Hoare It will convert the voltage, yes. It will not make it a truly balanced signal from my understanding.
@Ben Hoare Thanks, I'll have a read of that.
Looks like Rode now sell a gadget called "VXLR Pro" that does have a transformer balanced output and will provide "plug in power" voltage for mics that require it. Handy little device well worth what they are asking for it.
I have the Deity V-Mic D3 Pro and it's crazy on how much the VideoMic NTG is a like. I think both are better then the VideoMic Pro+ but that's a good point on the clipping possibility. NTG is a little more but you get more for that money. If those extras mean nothing to you, than I say stick with the D3 Pro and save some money. Great job Curtis!
Thanks Corey!
Do you know how great it is when you have something new to learn about and a Curtis Judd video pops up?! It's the best.
Thanks Tom, very much appreciate it!
One of the most well presented reviews I've seen in a long time, thank you, just subscribed
Thanks Jesswah.
absolutely agree. this is a fantastic review. comprehensive and well presented.
I finally bought one. This is an odd little mic. The “gain” control is a bit misleading. It does not control the mic preamp gain. It appears to be a digital output level volume control. You can hear little “ticks” as you change it indicating it is NOT an analog controller. I believe the mic gain is probably fixed at 50-60dB gain (amplification) with the addition of selectable 20dB attenuation before the preamp.
Still, in the end it works well. Simply set your camera to it’s lowest setting and turn the dial on the back end of the mic until you reach the desired level. Remember to use that -20 dB option in a loud environment. I love the auto power feature. For the price a furry wind cover should be included. The foam does not do much in the wind.
And it gets even more odd when used over USB on a computer. You can use it for audio in and out, but there is no way to turn the mic off. You can always hear it.
Thanks for the clarification, Ed.
I've learned 90%+ of what I know about audio from Curtis. Just bought a handful of the equipment listed on the how to boom video. Going to level up audio very soon! Thank you Curtis!
Thanks Brendan, I hope it all works well and happy recording!
Thank you for doing an honest and unbiased review that aims to inform, instead of pushing people towards affiliate links. I really appreciate that. When it comes to audio you're one of very few people on TH-cam I trust to give proper advice. The NTG seems like a great mic, although my VideoMicro is surprisingly good for what I do. Might be tempted to pick up the NTG at a later date, though. Have an amazing New Year!
Thanks for the feedback!
Yes, and when you consider that you could probably stick the Rode VXLR adapter on the end of it to get that balanced output? Would that be the case?
Hi Curtis great video, I wonder what would you suggest - for capturing like cooking or recipe videos? the goal is to capture you know cutting of onions , cooking process and others
plus the most directional mic ( cancelling or minimal background noises like kids shouting)
we aleady placed our mic close enough to the food.
Considering Rode videomic NTG or other NTG mics from rode or other brands.
Thanks
How about the RODE NTG5? th-cam.com/video/bv1xUShuUY0/w-d-xo.html
The gain dial and using the NTG as a USB mic are two features that make it a worthwhile upgrade from the Pro+ to me. My only peeve is that there be some way to check how much battery life remains. Maybe the light starts flashing when the battery is low? Great review, Curtis. You are the Audio Guru Jedi Master, for sure.
Thanks Todd!
Stellar work as always, Curtis, so thank you. You’re making it very much easier for us little guys to make informed purchasing decisions.
Now I’d like to see a video of you at work on an actual corporate shoot; a ‘behind the scenes’ look at how you select the area to shoot in, the gear selection, setup, conducting interviews, collecting B-roll and so on. It would also be great to hear your thoughts on how to get into this line of work and what the considerations are. Maybe this exists in your online classes, but just thought I’d mention it.
Thanks!
Thanks UltrafiAV. I started at my employer 13 years ago as a product business analyst - it is a software company - and slowly over the years became the videographer. Up until the Pandemic, I made mostly internal videos which they didn't want to go to the public but perhaps after the pandemic settles, we can do something like this. Thanks again!
Top notch video as always Curtis. Thanks for all that you do, and a very happy New Year to you! I hope 2020 is amazing for you.
Thanks Bandrew, happy new year to you! 🎆
World's are colliding. My two favorite mic reviewers! You guys are awesome!
I have some mic reviews I need to do so IF you see maybe some tests inspired by your videos...yes they were and I'll make sure to let people know they were also. I better go film those now. 😂
@@joentell Show us some microphone magic, Joe!
Oof
Happy new year to the both of you in 2022!
Thanks for posting it Curtis. I was waiting for your review since the launch of this NTG, and from the time you left your comment on the official RODE promo.
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Fantastic review my friend. I think you've taught me the most about audio than anyone I know. Have a great new year!
Thanks Tomas! Happy new year to you!
Ditto to this!
@@mattgray128 Thanks Matt! 👍
Comment to show the algorithm hay great is this video. I have been looking for mics for 2 months but every video or review i see is subjective. The work showed on this video with the real tests is just grate. Thanks a lot, i probably get the NTG
Thanks Luis.
Great video as always Curtis. To my ears it sounds like you really can't go very wrong with any of those 3 mics. If you have the Pro Plus or the D3 Pro I'm not sure I see a compelling reason to go out and also buy the VideoMic NTG unless the USB C functionality is important to you.
👍
whats the benefit of the USB-c?
Thanks for this great video. If the Rode VideoMic NTG converts the analog signal into digital signal then a 32-bit float with a audio recorder doesn´t make that much sense anymore? Meaning the audio recorder - even with 32-bit float - would not be able to change a bad, cliped digitalized signal. Whereas an analog signal will never be cliped with 32-bit float?
So would the recommended workflow be to always record the two versions of audio to right and left channel (one at higher db and one at lower) and then discard the one that's not needed, and use the best version and then sync it over right and left channels? Or is that just a needlessly complicated workflow, and the two versions is only needed for certain difficult audio environments?
I usually don't and just save it for tricky situations where I'm not sure how loud things are going to get.
@@curtisjudd Thanks for the reply!
@@curtisjudd I am confused if the NTGs safety channel works with the pocket 4K? I do not know which setting to use. Rather I "manually" choose 3,5mm left and right to 1 and 2. Where channel 2 is set to 30% gain instead of 50.
Is this wrong? or how its supposed to be used on the pocket(or any cine-camera for that matter)?
@@Mastersh1t It does work with the pocket 4k. You need to set the camera so that the left channel is set to 3.5mm mic left and the right channel is set to 3.5mm mic right. You'll then have the primary track on the left and the safety track on the right in the camera files.
@@curtisjudd Thank you for the quick reply Curtis! I thought that as well but when I pulled the file into Final cut I couldnt see any difference in the audio waves. They looked identical. Thats why I lowered the gain on the right channel so I could feel confident one channel was lower than the other. I will give it a try tomorrow again and see if I missed anything.
Very good explanation on how the high pass filters at 75 and 150 hertz work. The instruction manual didn't have much detail into what these numbers meant. Thank you for this video.
You bet! 👍
Love how Rode's nomenclature adds NT on the end, so their mikes are names after rats, and their families. :)
Only just found that out recently!
Write out Rode, and add NT.
Yep.
Hello Chris, I’ve now owned my NTG for the past 3 weeks and LOVE IT 👍🏻, the audio features on this mic have the ability to dial in the settings to suit whatever is needed to capture brilliant sound. Thank You for producing this video review ✌🏻 Cheers from Wild Western Australia
Hi iSpike , so good to hear it’s working well! Keep making great sound!
Wow, this review was fantastic, helpful, and educational - thanks!
Thanks Ben.
Not only a great review, but also a great opportunity learning about sound and recording! I now use the Deity D3 Pro - the replacement for my lost RODE VideoMic Pro+ - and I'm really satisfied w it! Only thing I still miss is the auto on/off feature from the Rode Mic...yes, I've recorded w mic OFF...not good. I think the D3 Pro is better than RODE VMP+, and the NTG a competitor to the D3 Pro
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I don't get why they make a mic in 2020 that have those two limitations on the battery. Either give me battery read-out or let me swap the battery. Missing both options is annoying.
Thanks for the feedback! I hope they see it here.
And what's worse is if there's an issue with the battery it's a disaster for the recall just ask Samsung. We should pass some sort of requirement that requires all batteries be removable for recycling and safety purposes, if it's not totally impractical for the design of the product although that would make nice loophole.
Wow. You are so generous with your time. Thank you. Curious if I can record from both the 3.5mm and the USB connections at the same time? I do a lot of zoom, so I’d like to use USB for that, but run the 3.5 to an external recorder like the ATEM Mini. Thanks much! (Oh, bonus: if the usb is used, I assume that will keep it charged while I’m meeting with folks)
Hi Shawn, sorry it took a while to get back, but I just had a chance to test and yes, you can run the mic via USB to computer and output the 3.5mm out to a camera at the same time.
Did you ever get this setup working? I’m thinking about doing something similar.
If you take the extended cable issue out of the equation and wish to use this as an indoor stationary boom mic would you still pick a super-cardioid over this or Deity to avoid sound bounced off the walls?
Hi Zach, given the choice and assuming money is not a barrier, I'd almost always choose to use a non-shotgun super-cardioid when recording indoors. But if money is a consideration, and it almost always is, I'd think either the VideoMic NTG or D3 Pro will do a nice job, especially if you manage any room reverb with blankets.
Hi Curtis, firstly, thank you for your amazingly useful videos. You are always my first port of call if I have a question. I have recently changed from a lav. Mic to the Rode NTG. I do painting tutorials with an overhead camera and I intend to have the NTG above my head. I am recording into a Zoom H5 using the XLR input. I am used to using the dials on the H5 to set my levels so that they don’t clip. Do I need to use the ‘gain’ control on the back of the NTG and if so, what does it do that the H5 is not doing already? I hope this makes sense. I have very little knowledge of using audio but have always managed up to now, probably more from luck! Thank you Curtis.
This mic is designed to feed directly to camera if you’d like to simplify your setup (and not have to use the H5) which is probably what I’d do unless your camera doesn’t have a 3.5mm mic input?
If you do that, then I’d set the camera’s mic input to its lowest setting and then slowly increase the gain dial on the NTG until the audio meters on camera top out around -12dB.
@@curtisjudd Thank you so much Curtis, that all makes sense now. I really appreciate your help.
Hey everyone, I have a simple question. I have a small budget and needed a low-cost mic that I could use to boom. Will the Rode video mic go work well?
It works! Use that!
James D. Buzzard Thank you for you response!
@@FPNN Teamwork makes the dream work🙋♂️
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Check out the Rode VideoMicro too. It's cheaper and from what I've seen is much more highly regarded. I have it and I think it sounds great boomed. I have a video on my channel actually.
Great video, thank you so much!! What tripod would you recommend to boom the mics above your head? Could you please link some?
Thanks - I have a video with links in the description describing what I use and how I set it up: th-cam.com/video/TUEmQBZKoBs/w-d-xo.html
This would have been an interesting option now that I have a Camera that actually has good preamps. But too late, I am committed to the Tascam DR60MkII and Rode NTG2 now xD
Not a bad combo!
Hey wonder what you think the differences would be between your set up and the videomic ntg? I'm debating a similar set up vs the ntg?
@@Nickporter17 If you have a Canon or Nikon Camera, the NTG is gonna be an issue. If you have a Sony or Panasonic, the NTG is gonna easily deliver enough quality for TH-cam and safe you a decent amount of money compared to my setup. But personally I would go with the Deity V-Mic D3 Pro, which is potentially better then the NTG at a lower cost (at least here in germany, the NTG is a good 60Euro more expensive then the Deity V-Mic D3 Pro). Not only are you going to safe some money compared to my setup if you go with the Rode or Deity, but you`ll avoid the step of syncing the audio to the video, which can be an issue for some software. But, if you have to work a lot with the audio mixing and mastering, the Tascam DR60MkII + Rode NTG2 (or any other prosumer grade shotgun mic) combo delivers higher quality audio that is easier to manipulate. I have to cut out a lot of room sound, DeEss the audio and do some EQ, the 24Bit 48khz WAV files from my Tascam allow that easily. That would be a bigger issue with the audiofiles coming straight out of the camera. Bit of a long answer but I think I gave you a good amount of pros/cons :D
@@ArikGST thank you! I currently own the diety smic 2s and run it straight into my Sony alpha with a cheap little inline preamp. So a bit of a hybrid set up. I was planning to buy a higher end recorder like your tascam in the future. But was considering selling it for a simpler Videomic NTG or Vmic D3 Pro. I guess what you have highlighted is that the real difference will be in levels of post processing ability of each type of setup. Thank you very much for the long answe!
@@Nickporter17 Glad I could help. Since you already have a high end microphone, the Diety Smic 2s is a GREAT mic, it might be worth to go with a recorder to use that mic to it`s full potential. Really depends on what kind of video you want to make though. For most TH-camrs who make vlogs/talking-head/sitting-down/overhead-shot type of videos (like mine) something like a Deity Vmic D3 (not pro) would likely serve all their needs as long as you get the mic nice and close to your source. But honestly it would be a shame to let go of the Smic2s, maybe it would be enough to use a higher quality inline Preamp. I am not up to date on preamps so I can`t make a recommendation.
This is one of the most comprehensive reviews I’ve ever seen. Hat’s off to you, subscribed!
Thanks David!
I have been waiting for this video for 2 week, best channel for light and sound education on the internet! Now I can make a decision, thanks for the help 🙏
You're most welcome - best wishes! 👍
This is an outstandingly high quality review. Thank you!
👍
You are one of the best reviewers I have ever seen. Keep up the good work. You taught me a lot about audio and lighting.
Thanks Govind!
Curtis is so thorough, upfront and fair! thnks for the help Curtis
Thanks Omar!
Informative video! I’ve been using the mic since early spring and I’ve been very satisfied with it. Yes the output is balanced, but just fine for my needs with both my Sony ZV-1, my iPad Pro, my M1 Mac mini, and my iPhone when I need it; it’s all about the versatility and portability. I did mention to RODE about the non-replaceable battery, but then I was told that it was one good reason why you register the mic for the 10-year warranty. If it believes in this product that much, I can see myself using this for years. Again, thanks!
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Just... wow! Quality production, review and comparisons between the microphones. Great job!
Thanks Carsten.
Thanks Curtis for the through review and comparison.
👍
Highly comprehensive review. Thank you very much!
Thanks Alexander!
Thanks for review, should I adjust in camera settings on record settings when recording, thanks.
I would set the camera's input level to its lowest and then use the mic's knob to get the sound to the right level (watching the camera's audio meter)
@@curtisjudd thanks for replying.
Just purchased one after seeing your review. Looks like a nice upgrade to our gen 1 Rode Videomic Pro. Will be a nice additional on-camera mic to our main mic, an Audio-Technica AT4053B. Very helpful and comprehensive review as always, thanks Curtis. p.s. We purchased two of your audio courses and they're excellent, thanks for that too.
I hope it works well for you!
23:43 what do you think "if they do have something planned in the works" could be ❓ would be great to get a balanced output from this microphone 😁 thank you again curtis for your time and effort, i always find myself coming back to your videos
They released it. It is called the VXLR Pro and it is a true, transformer balancing XLR adapter: B&H, DVE Store geni.us/x9icPf
Full disclosure: This is an affiliate link. I earn from qualifying purchases.
Thanks so much, Curtis. Very helpful. I had never really considered the Diety V-mic. So, after using for a while, price point being fairly equal, which one would you buy if you had to start from scratch?
Probably the VideoMic NTG.
@@curtisjudd Thanks! Just needed that very slight push ;-)
I learn as much from just the way you create your videos as I do from your intended subject matter. Thanks for both information sources.
Thanks Andrew!
Hey Curtis, thanks for that awesome review. I have a question regarding your con for the unbalanced output. Do you have a number for the maximum cable length without any interference issues? Do you think a 5m 3,5mm cable from amazon will work? Thank you and best wishes from Berlin :)
Hi marvinmachts, 5m is usually fine as long as you keep it well away from power cables, power adapters, etc. Best wishes!
Thanks for the video. I have watched a few videos of yours so far. They are all professional, and very well done. The content is also very professional.
Thanks, Frank!
Hi Curtis, love the presentation. Your background lighting is awesome, any chance that you could share how you do the background light? Cheers!
Hi Adam, that's an Aputure COB120D II with barn doors which create the shaft of light along the concrete wall. We talk a bit about it here: th-cam.com/video/wBFMZb56td8/w-d-xo.html
@@curtisjuddthank you so much for replying Curtis. Happy new year to you and your family! Love all your videos!
Great video, many thanks.
I'm considering painting the shock mount to be a bit less visible while in the woods, any idea what type of paint I could use?
In advance, thank you very much for your time.
Best regards
FTF
I'd be concerned that it will affect the performance of the shock mount material. So I'd use a marker vs. paint.
It's cold and you're booming yourself. Kudos! Thanks for creating this review.
Hahaha! The show must go on, regardless of the weather!
Thanks Curtis. I really like the video mic pro+. Its the best mic for me in terms of convinience and not so much (or at all) of that hiss sound but i am curious to try this NTG. Have they made any updates/upgrades to this mic (firmware)?
Glad to hear it works well for you. I haven't followed this closely but it looks like there is a firmware updater on the product page so it looks like yes. Not sure what the updates do. I didn't see any notes on that.
Curtis, man... I've been clicking through review after review of this mic, observing my patience wane in inverse proportion to the frequency and intensity of my cringes. So many reviewers out there-God bless them- lack the practical experience and theoretical knowledge necessary to bring a review to life. By contrast your reviews always deliver. You tend to anticipate my questions about specs, applications, techniques, comparisons, etc. The last guy had this drum loop going and he kept clipping the mic and butchering technical terms... I literally sighed in relief when this video started.
Thanks Hermiel - that made my day!
@@curtisjudd Brother, that's the least I can do!
Very, very well done, as usual, Curtis, Thank you for making this video. It was very interesting and informative as usual. Have a great day!
Thanks Michael.
my ntg mic getting hiss sound although i update firmware do you have any way
I haven't experienced this but I'd first try a new cable. If that doesn't work, I'd contact RODE support. Best wishes!
Fantastic review as always. My one concern is does that dial move really easily? I’m afraid I would actually turn it without realizing it with my forehead or something.
No, there’s a very nice amount of smooth resistance. You’d have to press pretty hard against it to accidentally move it.
Curtis, great video as always. Still hoping to see a diagram to see if the VideoMic NTG has a polar pattern that shows smooth off-axis response when boomed just above me in my home studio. The Røde NTG5 as we know is a Super-Cardioid Mic, so leaning a little bit off-axis is okay. Thanks again, brother.
Hi Glen, you can see the diagrams over at vmntg.rode.com on the datasheet. Best wishes!
Thanks for the helpful video!
I had the same (decision) problems with battery life but than I thought about roughly 300 full cylcle life time of typical Li accumulators - 300 x 3 is 9000 or one year of 24/7 use of the microphone. I decided that I will not kill the battery within 10 years of moderate use (non-professional) and maybe you can give it a 2nd life phase as studio microphone using the USB port with a computer. I ordered it three days ago ...
Thanks! I hope it works well for you!
@@curtisjudd I received the vm NTG yesterday and played around a little bit: It's seems to be a great tool: The right controls at hand, light, compact, and most importantly the audio quality seems to be on par with what I see ... better hear in professional productions.
Will work well as standalone on camera and for a three microphone setup using the NTG, two M5s and a Tascam DR70D - the latter ones for ambient sound which is important for the "feel" in conjunction with the scenery.
@@MB-tp8ne Sounds like a great setup. Happy recording!
As usual, great review CJ!!! Thanks again for all of the quality content over the years.
Thanks for the feedback!
Hey ! Thanks for the video , I was looking to use this as run and gun and occasionally boom mic , do you think using connected to a rode wireless go and using it wirelessly would be better then using extension cable ?
It’s a trade off but should work fine either way if you keep tabs on interference and monitor while you record.
The 3.5mm output jack... Could one put a splitter on it to monitor the audio going into their camera? Or would they get a misconception of what the camera was really recording? I have an older camera without a headphone jack and it would be nice to monitor the audio. Perfect timing of the Dump truck at 5:38 btw. NO...Serious! Real world review and application at its finest. Excellent Review as always! Thanks Curtis.
-Will
Good question, didn't have a chance to try that. If you've got a splitter, let's try it next time we work on a video. Happy new year!
Theoretically yes however passive headphones can act as a microphone and also a load on the circuit, try it see how it sounds Make some noise and see if it messes up the recording. Nothing will be damaged by doing that other than making a bad recording because the levels will be way off as you're essentially putting a resistor across your microphone. Now if you were to do this with a headphone amplifier or active headphones you might have better luck. However a better solution would be to get one of those little battery powered camera mixers to solve the issue altogether, or perhaps a field recorder that mounts to the camera that way you'll have a backup recording.
I was thinking of a passive microphone. for an active microphone you're essentially dealing with a sort of line level signal which is a little bit easier to deal with and that case I would still use like a headphone amplifier or a active set of headphones or better in my other comment... either way everything pretty much holds true.
@@imark7777777 thanks for your insight. I'll have to experiment. Thanks again!
-Will
@@Debtfreehomesteaders Battery-powered microphone + recorder + Headphones = 3 microphones, decent close speech, would not recommend.
Battery-powered microphone + recorder + HPAmp&Headphones = no noticeable difference.
Test was performed using 2 Neewer mics NW-D20 & Cardioid/Omni Condenser 40095448, Sony MDR-V150, FIIO E7 ( low volume ) various ebay DIY modules - headphone amplifier TDA130, line pre-amplifier, dynamic microphone amplifier ( Good, GooD, GOOD volume ). Recorder was an iPod Nano using a Griffin Voice recorder set too high quality 44,100 and Mic input.
I wouldn't recommend it if you were dealing with quiet signals. although my tests were quite clear and I wasn't pushing the distance, loudness or quietness. just a casual chat with myself.
Ever since I saw the question I was like, I have all the stuff kicking around and it wouldn't be that hard to test it. I've more or less wanted to know the answer to this question anyway this just gave me a reason to find out.
Looks like I beat you to it?
I would recommend a headphone amp something not in the hi-fi $$$$$$$$$ category but with a decent output. I haven't tried them but I've heard good things about the Boostaroo unfortunately I don't think they exist any longer.
and some sort of in line volume control either added after that or on the headphone cable, if the amplifier doesn't come with a volume control.
After that it's just a matter of making the connections, so a double ender 3.5 and a Y.
Curtis, thanks for the great reviews. Starting to pay much more attention to sound really appreciate your detailed reviews and knowledge, refreshing. I don’t always have the luxury of having an audio guy on smaller projects.
Thanks! Appreciate the feedback!
Great review Curtis, I purchased this one using your link. Thanks for the tip on the 10 year warranty if registered.
👍 happy recording, Gary!
@@curtisjudd I’ve been tapped by a local non-profit I work with to video their pickleball tournament next week and I didn’t have a decent shotgun mic, this one is really great for the job.
@@GaryStockton 👍
I suspect that the XLR adapter is just a passive adapter since you can send a line level signal down the cable pretty easily since the microphone is self-powered. Although it is possible they might have stuck a transformer in there I don't think so. You can also get those sold separately from other manufacturers including two different versions from Rode one with "plug-in" power and one without.
The D-XLR converts phantom power to plugin power.
Hi Curtis. I thought I'd provide an update on my VideoMic NTG saga. I contacted Rode and received a quick response, and went through a few emails detailing what was going on and what I found on further experimentation.
Firstly, I discovered that the NTG would turn on/off if connected to my Wireless GO setup (when the receiver was turned on/off), but no joy with other options. However, the big surprise came with the latest firmware upgrade to the BMPCC4K (ver 6.8) as, after installing that, the NTG started to work as it should and has continued to work fine so far.
I made Rode aware of this, so it would be interesting to know whether anyone else has had this experience.
Thanks for the update!
I may have missed a previous video, but I'm loving this lighting look!
Thanks Dan!
I think Curtis knows what his gift is. Great channel and review!
Thanks for watching, Adam.
Amazing review! Currently the videomic nTg and NTG4+ are roughly the same price here in Australia. I’m trying to find a microphone to record live music at gigs and concerts direct in to my a7iii. If roughly the same price would you recommend one over the other if they are both going into a 3.5mm cable directly into the camera (obviously the NTG4 plus would be going through a xlr to 3.5mm adaptor).
Thanks again for all the work you put into your reviews!
Hey Tyler, I'd go for the the VideoMic NTG in that case. The NTG4+ has a really weak output signal that doesn't work really well when converted from XLR to 3.5mm. Happy recording!
Great video review. I have a Canon xa11 camcorder and will be recording my Grandson’s wedding soon. I want a mic that is better than the built in camera mic so yesterday I purchased the VideoMic NTG. The first problem was that RODE only supplied a TRRS -cable and the 3.5 plug on the XA11 takes a TRS so when I tried the TRRS it would not record. I do not want to distract from the wedding ceremony with boom poles so what’s the best mic I could use ( mounted on the camera) for capturing the sound?
I would turn on bias power or plugin power for the 3.5mm mic input on the Canon. Then the microphone should work with the included TRRS cable.
@@curtisjudd Thanks for responding. I am a novice when it comes to audio. I’ve searched the camera screens and the owners manual but could not find any information on turning on bias or plugin power when using the 3.5 mic jack. There are a variety of options when using one of the two XLR inputs located on the handle but I’m not using one of these. My understanding is that the TRRS cable is made specifically for smart phones, tablets and laptops. I returned the RODE and purchased a Saramonic wireless unit. They included both a TRRS and a TRS cable and it works fine with the TRS cable. Thanks again for your assistance.
@@4440mi Glad your new setup is working. 👍
Normally that is the case, but the RODE NTG detects which type of input it is connected to (TRS or TRRS) and adapts to that. It doesn't always work so I'm glad you found a solution that does.
I received mine today and looking forward to trying it out soon. Thank you, Curtis, for making this great review video. Cheers from Western Australia (Not affected by the terrible at my home)
Hope it works well for you! Cheers from the Rocky Mountains
Hi Curtis. Great channel and big fan of your work. I know you are the guru when it comes to mics so wanted to run a question by you. I have the videomic ntg and a pansonic s5 but am having issues with the mic recognising my camera and working. It does eventually work with a mixture of turning everything on and off or taking out the battery but I do struggle with this. Have you heard anything? Its almost as if the rode takes a while recognosing it is connected to my camera. I know it has an auto detect and shut down feature but maybe these two are not talking very well to one another. I have updated to the latest software plus the mic input options on the panasonic are set to 'mic input (plug in power)' it does not work with my other two options which are 'mic' and 'line' so my only option is 'mic input' Thanks.
Hi Carl, thanks. I am not sure, but perhaps test with a different cable to see if that makes a difference. Often, cables are the first thing to experience issues.
The best part of this video is you with those sun glasses & of course awesome review!!
Thanks crisanto!
thank you sir, you really help me a whole lot, you just don't know how much I rely on your extensive knowledge. thanks
Thanks Damen - happy recording!
Hi Curtis (I know someday you will be around ;) I found my videomic NTG very "self noisy" (either on a zoom F6 or via usb on a computer) so I've made a test sample in a quite quiet and clean room. Normalized the sample a -23LUFS and the max RMS amplitude of the silent part is -51db. So I guess I have an issue with my microphone...
Probably so, yes
Hey Curtis! Your reviews are pretty much my go to for this stuff. Unfortunately I’m now having paralysis. I want to get one mic that will work as boom mic for stand ups and product reviews. I’m recording into a tascam Dr70 D and was torn between the NTG 4+ and The NTG 5. Now I am intrigued by the video mic NTG for its versatility. The price is attractive as well. Assuming that I can spend for the NTG 5 if you had to choose one of these mics for the widest variety of uses which would you recommend?
I'd probably prefer the NTG5, personally.
Like the review, I have several Rode Microphones and very happy with them but this microphone having a internal battery stops me from even thinking about buying.
Thanks for the feedback, Mark.
I agree the internal non replaceable battery is a no go for me either.
Would you recommend this microphone for someone who would use it for music on a DSLR? Currently using rode videomicro. Thanks for the review! 👍
Yes.
How does it stack when compared with the Sennheiser MKE 600. Main purpose of use is on camera to shoot weddings and travel videos. and sometimes for interviews.
Fine question, but I don't have an MKE 600 to say. :(
hello, the "high frequency boost" function does not work on my Rode Video Mic NTG microphone I have just bought it, everything works fine, whether in cable jack on my camera or by USB cable on my PC, except for the "high frequency boost" function that I cannot activate: when I make a long press of 2 seconds on the button, nothing happens !! yet the button works, allows you to change the high pass filter.
Hi Unboxing TN, probably best to contact RODE support. Best wishes!
This is how you make review videos and that is how you make shotgun mics for intermediate consumers.
👍
Battery is not replaceable but I am sure it’s got an 18650 cell inside which you could replace with a soldering iron and a spot welder if you can access one.
If I knew how to solder. 😅
Rode 10 Years warranty is covering the battery :))
Great review, thanks for a straight up review with useful demos. I wish everyone did this as well as you do!
Thanks Jim.
Amazing review. Top notch. Very professional. Best luck.
Thanks!
Great video! Thanks for the valuable information! Question for anyone that may be in the know. I recently purchased the Videomic NTG hybrid to use atop my Canon M50 for vlogging and for boom placement for talking head video. The NTG works great atop the camera with the supplied Rode SC10 patch cable.
B&H (multiple reps) ensured me the Rode SC1 extension cable would work to connect the NTG to the M50 for boom application (since the NTG can accept both TRS or TRRS cables). The SC1 does not work. Read online that others had a similar experience. However I have not been able to find info on what cable would work to connect the Videomic NTG to the M50 for boom application. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Good luck to all!
I used the RODE VC1 extension cable to record the audio for this video.
Thanks so much, Curtis! Truly appreciate it! Happy new subscriber here! Cheers!
Hi! So, I’m a complete sound-rookie and was hoping you could help me understand the real differences between XLR and 3.5mm microphones. From what I’ve been able to learn, the basic differences are: 1. XLR cables are balanced and a safer way to do long connections without having interferences; and 2. XLR mics need phantom power to work. But other than that, do XLR microphones output better sound quality compared to a good 3.5mm microphone? If the only real advance of XLR only comes with their cables… Wouldn't it be better to use a 3.5mm microphone (which tends to be more versatile, like the Rode Video NTG) and use and 3.5mm-to-XLR converter when you need to do a long connection to continue using the more trusted XLR cables?
Often, they are simply higher quality and tougher in terms of their build quality. To convert the signal to a truly balanced signal, you actually need a DI box which is quite a bit bigger and bulkier. It turns out that the DEITY 3.5mm to xlr converter does not truly use a transformer to create a balanced signal.
Probably worth mentioning that Rode now sell a transformer-balanced 3.5mm to XLR adapter (VXLR Pro). Bit spendier than their non-transformer adapter but if you need to use the NTG etc with a long XLR cable, it’s well worth the investment.
Hello Curtis,
Thank you for sharing so much valuable information. I wonder if there is a big difference in quality between recording from the videomic ntg via USB directly to a computer, and going through an audio recorder, like a zoom F6.
Would you have some insight about that?
Hi Thomas, not a substantial difference that I could hear - almost identical.
Hi Chris! Great video! I was wondering which dead cat did you use on the D3 pro? I just got one and I’m looking for a dead cat to replace the foam, not one that goes over the foam. I was looking at the “Rycote Standard Hole Softie Windscreen with 19-22mm (0.74-0.87") Hole Size” from B&H. Do you know if that would fit? Thanks!
Hi Dan, That was just a dead cat for an older RODE VideoMic Pro which fits over the foam. I believe the Rycote should work with the D3 Pro. You might contact DEITY support just to confirm. Best wishes!
Hi Curtis, thanks for the review. For vlogging with a GH5, do you I'd be better off with the Videomic NTG or an XLR mic and the DMW-XLR1?
I’d go with the NTG unless you want a heavier rig to work on weight lifting while vlogging. 😀
Is the Deity V-Mic D3 PRO really balanced? The documentation for the D-XLR doesn't seem to indicate whether the output is or not. If you wanted XLR output from the Rode VideoMic NTG I would have expected the situation would be the same and you could use the VXLR+ for this purpose.
I am told by Andrew at Deity that when you use their D-XLR adapter with the D3 pro that the signal is balanced. When I asked RODE the same question regarding the VM NTG, they replied no. Perhaps something was lost in translation, but that is what I was informed from each company.
Curtis Judd Thanks for your quick reply (and for your very informative video)! That’s helpful to know. I hope Rode come though with something, as you alluded might happen
Most of the ones I've seen are passive, the more expensive ones will convert to plug in power. I've only one seeing a Transformer isolated balanced adapter. Theoretically the microphone since it's powered could actively be able to convert to a balanced mode. But since you can shove any signal onto an XLR connector and XLR connectors are balanced!.....
Curtis, at 19:45 when you are talking about vlogging, were you using your blackmagic? And what lense? And what lense are you using when you are in your studio doing talking head stuff?
Hi, the vlogging part at 19:45 was shot with the Panasonic GH5. When in the studio on the talking head shots, that's the Blackmagic Pocket 6K with the Sigma EF 24-70 f/2.8 ART.
Hi Curtis, first of all thank you for all your very good content ! I already have a NTG4 that I have used sometime with Zoom H4n and it works well. But I really need a more "portable", run and gun solution. When not plugged in my camera, do you think Videomic NTG & Rode VXLR+ would sound as good as Rode NTG4 in my Zoom H4n ?
Yes, I think so.
@@curtisjudd Okay ! Thank you for your answer !
Best ,thanks .comparing with competitors also very helpful.
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Hi! Very good review! Which windshield would fit this mic? Any recomendations? It is very difficult to find the new ws11 from rode itself.
Thanks! Link for a compatible Rycote windshield in the description.
Your videos are very helpful! They have helped me make a lot of choices and I appreciate it!
Keep up the good work!
Thanks Taylor!
This was a great video. Very informative and the comparisons were helpful. Could you elaborate on what you mean by it maybe not doing too well in high humidity situations? My job takes me all over and there's definitely some humid environments. Thank you!
Thanks. I was referring to beaches, rain forests and the like. Any situation where there's a good chance that moisture will condense on the microphone capsule, especially such as when leaving your air-conditioned lodgings and working outdoors.
I have the rode video mic pro+ pretty excited for this! not sure if I'll upgrade but its awesome
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Amazing review! Thanks a lot!
Did you check whether the NTG is compatible with mobile phone? I mean concerning its length. I wonder if this interferes with the smartphone lenses
Hi, it worked with my iPhone XS Max. It depends on where and how you mount it to the phone and how wide a lens you use as to whether it gets in the picture.
Curtis Judd thanks a lot for the quick reply! I wonder if it fits the ultra wide lens of the iPhone 11. anyways: great review! Keep going with content like that :)
Curtis thanks to your review I purchased the mic. I also just purchased a mic stand, which poses an issue. The mic doesnt fit into the mic stand! Did you buy an adapter or something that allowed you to attach the mic to the stand? No music or video store has it. PLEASE HELP, THANKS
Yes, see the details here: th-cam.com/video/TUEmQBZKoBs/w-d-xo.html
@@curtisjudd thanks! For the videomic ntg do you need 5/8 to 3/8 adapter? Where did you buy yours? Thanks Curtis, appreciate the prompt response
Yes, 5/8 to 3/8 adapter. Links for the specific adapter are in the description of the booming your mic video. Beat wishes!
@@curtisjudd you're a beauty. Thanks for the informative vid and responses Curtis
Hi, can we do a sound comparison bw the ntg and the ntg5? Is it better to plug this microphone into the atomos ninja v or a mirrorless camera (nikon z6 ii in my case)? Also, I need to this for narrative work, is there a cable I can get to help reduce interference as you mentioned? Could we just use a TRS cable? Thanks for the review. Subscribed.
You might queue up this review in one browser tab and my NTG5 review in another tab and you can switch between them. I think you'll find the NTG5 is in a completely different league. If you're plugging the mic directly into camera, the VideoMic NTG probably makes more sense. The NTG5 is meant to go into an XLR input, preferably in a proper, dedicated audio recorder.
Hi Curtis, thanks so much for your videos and reviews, I've learned a ton from all the content you produce. Question for you.. I use a small 6 x 10 studio room with a small window and concrete floors (no noise reduction) and do live-stream video classes. I can either continue using my Rode smartLav+, plugged into the laptop, or consider this mic, mounted 2 feet in front of me. There isn't much background noise, besides a laptop fan, but the space generally is prone to a lot of reverb. Which mic do you think is better to use in a scenario like this?
The lavalier will probably manage the reverb better but one never knows without a test. My recommendation would be to put an old blanket or rug on the concrete floor to help tame the room. And if a dynamic microphone is an option that’ll do better than any shotgun or lavalier mic.
Very good review. I was considering the VideoMIc Pro+ but this seems a better fit for me. I also plan to use a Zoom H1n as a recorder and assume this will work well in that scenario?
Yes, the H1n would work nicely with the NTG. Best wishes!