Rode WirelessGo II

Smart, simple and setting the standard for cordless audio, the Wireless Go II is a worthy PN Awards winner

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Nothing can let a film down quicker than bad sound, but with great mics like Rode’s Wireless Go II on hand, that won’t be a problem. The Go II is a revolutionary system combining excellent quality with ease of use, perfect for those starting out in moviemaking, plus seasoned shooters. It’s little wonder that it picked up the PN award for best wireless microphone. 

In any video where a subject speaks to the camera, a lav mic is the obvious choice. Worn close to the speaker and picking up what they say while restricting other noise, you get a clean, clear signal. With a lav attached, there’s no need to keep a shotgun mic or boom pointed at your subject – but traditional lav mics have drawbacks: they either need to be plugged directly into the camera, which restricts range, or need an additional transmitter.

Rode’s Wireless Go II sidesteps these problems by combining mic and transmitter in the same unit. Clipping neatly onto clothing, the omnidirectional pickup and 2.4GHz system delivers crystal-clear dialogue from up to 200m, while lithium-ion batteries last seven hours – reliable for a day’s shooting. The unit comes with furry windshields, preventing rumble when out in the elements. 

You can even buy compatible devices such as the Lavalier Go or Interview Go to make the set-up even more versatile, with respective attachable and handheld capability.

The Go II comes in two different sets: one with a single receiver and transmitter, the other with a receiver and two transmitters. That’s ideal for shooting with two speaking subjects, or to prevent swapping mics from person to person. The receiver unit sits snugly in your camera’s hotshoe, mounts easily on rigs and connects via the audio-in jack or USB-C port. 

Interference from other wireless devices and electronics can be a problem, but the Wireless Go II defeats this with 128-bit encryption, while dual-channel recording gives superior control when mixing. Perhaps best of all is the ease of set up. The mics require no syncing, so it’s a case of plug and play straight out of the box, while up to 24 hours of audio can be recorded internally – which is both a superb backup and a great option for manual recording and syncing for other applications.

At less than £200 for the two-piece set, including tidy carry case, it’s hard to look beyond this awesome system.

Head to rode.com for more.

Originally published in Issue 104 of Photography News.