Rode Wireless PRO review

Australian audio brand Rode is well-established in the video production world, having made a name for itself with its accessible, high-value microphones. Rode was one of the first to offer budget video producers a low-cost wireless mic solution, and the Rode Wireless PRO builds on that legacy. Boasting features like “GainAssist,” 32-bit float recording, and transmitters with 32 GB of internal memory, the Wireless PRO aims to make obtaining professional-quality audio for your videos as efficient and worry-free as possible. Read on to find out if capturing a premium recording of your voice is as easy as Rode claims.

Editor’s note: this is the first version of the article. Updates will follow as the market changes. 

What’s it like to use the Rode Wireless PRO?

The Rode Wireless PRO is a dual-channel, all-in-one wireless microphone kit that arrives in two black zip-up cases. One is a charging case that houses the receiver and two wireless transmitters with built-in omnidirectional microphones, and the second case is packed to the brim with quality accessories. Two locking Rode Lavalier II extension microphones, a 3.5mm audio cable, both USB-C and Lightning connection cables, windscreens, various colored clips, and magnetic attachment clips that can be used with the transmitters. Talk about options!

The receiver is activated by removing it from the charging case. The clear display shows you battery life info, which recording mode you have engaged, and the connection status of your transmitters. Two physical navigation buttons are located at the bottom of the receiver, and a USB-C port and 3.5mm jack can be used for either sending audio out to your camera or for headphone monitoring.

Removing the transmitters automatically links them to the receiver, ready to use. You’ll find the microphone, manual record button and the Lav mic input along the top of each unit. The solid blue light indicates connection, and the red light indicates when internal recording is engaged. Each transmitter includes 32 GB of onboard memory.

While you can attach the transmitter to your shirt with the magnet clip attachment, they aren’t particularly discreet. They are quite a bit larger and heavier than the more compact DJI Mic 2, but this is where the locking Lav mics come in. You can hide the transmitter in a pocket and wire up your guest the traditional way with a smaller, less noticeable microphone.

Once the receiver is connected to your camera and you or your guest is wired up and ready, you can use the GainAssist to auto-set your levels so you can get to work. There are two different GainAssist modes. Auto GainAssist provides more consistent levels if you anticipate you and your guest will be speaking at different volumes. Still, Rode recommends using the Dynamic GainAssist mode for a more natural-sounding voice recording if you are talking in a controlled studio environment. Of course, you can turn off this feature and manually set your levels if you prefer.

How do you control the Rode Wireless PRO?

There are physical buttons on both the transmitters and receiver to control the Wireless PRO, and you can customize some of these controls further in the Rode Central app. For example, the “Ø” button functions as a power on and off for that unit. Still, using the Rode Central app, you can assign this button to perform other functions with a single short-press, like placing a marker in the onboard recordings or acting as a simple mute button.

Hitting the record button on the transmitters activates internal recording. You must activate internal recording to take advantage of features like safety track and 32-bit float recording modes.

You can navigate the receiver’s small but clear LCD screen via the bottom’s two left and right navigation buttons. These buttons have different functions depending on the screen you are currently on — they correspond to the symbols and settings closest to them for easier identification. For example, on the output gain adjustment screen, the left navigation button lowers the gain level because it is closest to the – symbol on the receiver’s display. The right navigation button will increase the gain level because it is closest to the + symbol.

How does the Rode Wireless PRO connect?

The Rode Wireless PRO receiver connects to your camera via the provided 3.5mm cable or USB-C if your camera has a USB audio input. Depending on your device, the receiver can connect to your phone via the provided USB-C or USB-C to Lightning cable if you’re using an older iPhone.

The receiver also offers a “Plug-in Power Detect” feature. A default setting, the Wireless PRO receiver will automatically power on or off when the camera it’s connected to also powers on or off. You can turn off this setting via the Rode Central app if you wish.

Should you use the Rode Central app for the Rode Wireless PRO?

The Rode Central companion app is essential for using the Wireless PRO. Once installed, connecting a loaded charging case will let you configure further receiver and transmitter settings. Select the receiver to adjust your routing, gain mode, timecode, and frame rate, or the transmitter to modify settings like file format and sample rate or activate 32-bit float recording. This is where you will also find audio files recorded internally to the transmitter, available for export.

How does the Rode Wireless PRO sound?

We ran a few tests with the Rode Wireless PRO using the microphone kit in various settings. Check out our demonstration video below to hear how the Wireless PRO sounds. All demos were performed with the Dynamic GainAssist setting, with the receiver plugged into our Sony A7SIII camera.

We discovered that the Wireless PRO sounds excellent in our controlled studio environment. In an outdoor city setting with the Lavalier mic attached, you can hear my voice has slightly more bass and less treble overall compared to our indoor setting. You can also hear passing vehicles and sounds from the adjacent park. While they’re not distracting from my voice, without any noise canceling feature on the Wireless PRO, you must consider your surroundings before you hit that record button.

In our distance test, I installed the windscreen on the lav extension mic, but it was not enough to keep the wind noise at bay while I was moving. At 1:34, you can hear transmission interruptions, though the signal improved to a usable strength once I stopped moving. Engaging internal recording is crucial to recovering interruption-free audio if you plan to be at any significant distance from your camera, especially in city environments like our test.

Should you buy the Rode Wireless PRO?

It’s an investment, but the Rode Wireless PRO is an excellent choice for your audio needs if you’re a videographer. It produces high-quality voice recordings with safety nets to protect your recordings when you inevitably encounter issues like transmission loss or volume spikes while in the heat of battle.

What should you get instead of the Rode Wireless PRO?

If you’re more of a casual content creator and looking for a wireless mic that’s more suited for use with a gimbal and phone camera, you can save a few pennies and check out the DJI Mic 2 $349 at Amazon. The Mic 2’s low-profile receiver connection design is much more gimbal-friendly. While they share plenty of features like the charging case, dual transmitters, long transmission range, and 32-bit float recording, the transmitters are limited to 8 GB of onboard memory, compared to the 32 GB available on the Wireless Pro.

Frequently asked questions