By Drew Robertson
Rode Wireless Go II Dual Mic System
The last decade has seen the rise of the independent content creator , a whole new class of consumer . A group who desires professional products and quality but balks at the sometimes-ludicrous financial costs of industry standard products . Enter manufacturers like Rode , who have been focusing on bringing high-quality professional products and unified production solutions to satisfy this growing market . The Wireless Go II is squarely aimed at so-called “ run and gun ” content creators , shooting video for various web platforms on light DSLR and mirrorless camera systems . With two included transmitters that are able to be used simultaneously , the Wireless Go II is ideal for interviews and host / presenter type scenarios . Let ’ s dive in !
What ’ s in the box & features The Wireless Go II comes with everything you need to get up and running in no time . This includes USB-C charging cables for each unit , the two transmitters and their receiver , two wind-dampening “ dead-cats ,” a TRS audio link cable to go from the receiver to whatever you ’ re recording on , and a compact carry bag to keep things neat and tidy in your gear tote .
I was immediately impressed with the tiny size of the transmitter and receivers , being more familiar with larger rack wireless units and their belt packs . Both transmitters and the receiver are made of a smooth , black plastic , with the receiver having a small LCD display that will show all the relevant stats and the transmitters simply bearing the Wireless Go II badging on the front face . The transmitters themselves are fairly blendable , with LED indicators for battery and connectivity , the built-in omnidirectional microphone , a TRS jack to connect a lavalier mic , a USB-C port for connectivity , and along the bottom there is a single blended button with the Rode Ø symbol used to turn the device on and off when held , or mute with a single quick press . In the future I would like to see some sort of indicator of which transmitter is channel number 1 and which is number 2 , as currently there exists no way of knowing which is which at a glance . Otherwise , though , I like what Rode has going on with the Wireless Go II .
Usage The Wireless Go II is primarily aimed at folks using some sort of DSLR or mirrorless camera system , but is fully compatible with both Android and iOS devices via USB-C or Lightning . If that ’ s not enough for you , the Wireless Go II is also directly compatible over USB with laptop and desktop computers running either Windows 10 or macOS 10.11 and above via the Rode Central software .
Our test rig is the ubiquitous Panasonic Lumix GH5 , which is my daily driver when it comes to shooting video . I filmed a variety of different usage scenarios , including testing line-of-sight range and obscured range and found the results to be quite promising for such small devices . The built-in microphones on each transmitter offer surprising clarity and quality even at extended ranges . Rode boasts a maximum line-of-sight range of 200m , and I ’ d believe it as I was still getting clean audio at more than 100 ft . away from my receiver with obstructions . The receiver itself also has the ability to do either “ split ” or “ merged ” outputs , meaning the output audio can either be one unified stereo file with both audio channels equally mixed , or a stereo file in which the left channel is the first transmitter and the right channel is the second ; a very useful feature to be able to swap on the fly .
The lightness of the transmitter packs means they can be easily clipped to a shirt collar or pocket and won ’ t flop about , creating extra handling noise . That being said , I would always go for having a dedicated lavalier wired up to the transmitter if the option is there , as it is far less noticeable and just looks more professional . Rode has done a fantastic job making the transmitters as small and unnoticeable as possible , but we ’ re really reaching a maximum for what we can squeeze into this form factor , so A- plus to Rode .
When paired with a Mac or Windows PC and the Rode Central software , you unlock a whole new layer of functionality , including fine-grain gain control and the ability to have each transmitter store either seven hours of uncompressed audio or 24 hours of compressed audio . Yes , you read that correctly — if all the other features weren ’ t
enough , each tiny transmitter has enough intelligent onboard storage to store up to a full day ’ s worth of compressed audio . Truly there ’ s very little Rode hasn ’ t thought of for features in the Wireless Go II .
Conclusions For around $ 400 CAD you really can ’ t find a better deal than the Wireless Go II . It ’ s the ultimate compact audio solution for the content creator on the move , with two transmitters , a receiver with a quite frankly vast array of connection options for recording , built-in safety recording abilities , and you can pair them up with a dedicated lavalier mic for that ultra-professional look and sound . Oh , and the battery will last just about as long as you do with around seven hours of life . If you are in the market for a lightweight wireless system , then look no further , we ’ ve got a winner with the Wireless Go II .
Drew Robertson is an audio engineer , live sound tech , and educator based out of London , ON . He can be reached at RobertsonAudioPost @ protonmail . com .
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