Rode Mobile Pro review: Outstanding features, outstanding audio quality

The Rode Wireless Pro system is a compact and powerful system that produces excellent audio.
Rode’s wireless mic systems have been a favorite of creators for many years. The new Rode Wireless Pro has improved features and dramatically improved sound quality, connectivity and user experience. The Wireless Go II, as well as the original Wireless Go microphone and receiver system are among the most popular tools for YouTubers and high-end creators alike. Wireless Go has inspired dozens copycat products that promise the best sound quality and performance. The Rode Wireless Pro offers a major upgrade over the Go II. Its compact, affordable design brings pro-level features in a compact package. It is compatible with many Rode wireless microphones and offers a better sound quality and more features than any competitor’s product. I tested the Rode Wireless Pro with the Interview Pro stick microphone together. The Wireless Pro is the command unit for all Rode Series IV microphones, including the Interview Pro. The wireless Interview Pro is compatible with the Wireless Pro system. I paired them with the Rode Phone Cage – a frame with magnetic adapters that wrap around a smartphone to create a grip similar to a cinema camera. The cage can also be used to mount accessories such as video lights and Wireless Pro receiver units. The result is an stable platform for creators who shoot with smartphones. But the Wireless Pro fits just as comfortably in a camera hot shoe. Both transmitters can transmit audio and have internal storage. The Wireless Go II transmitters that I use store audio, which has saved me many shoots when I forgot to turn on my receiver or set the audio recording of the camera incorrectly. Rode Wireless Pro Review – Audio Tools The Wireless Pro system is packed with many great features, but its ability to record 32 bit floating-point audio is what makes it stand out. I’ll explain why this is the best audio quality available in a wireless microphone. The Rode Wireless Pro system includes a receiver and two transmitters. Each transmitter is a small rectangular case about the same size as an AirPod. The transmitters are able to record using either the built-in microphones, or lavalier microphones that have a built-in mic jack. The case can be used to charge all three devices. Very few people use the built in microphones. Lavalere mics are tiny microphones that are often clipped on clothing. You’ve probably seen a lav if you’ve ever seen a small microphone attached to someone’s collar on TV. I only use the built-in microphones on my Go II when I forget my lav mics. Audio quality is largely determined by the quality of the microphone. Wireless Pro lavs are excellent and any mic with a standard microphone jack connector can be used. The Wireless Pro transmitters will accept any mic, so creators who have higher-quality lav microphones can use them instead. The lav microphones are so good that very few users will upgrade. The receiver has a headphone socket so that camera operators can monitor audio and make adjustments. The same port can also be used to connect a microphone. This allows for scene narration or the operator to add spoken comments about post-production. The Rode Wireless Pro receiver features both USB-C and microphone outputs. The microphone output port connects to standard jacks while the USB-C connector allows audio recording on any iPhone or iPad. The USB-C connector can also transfer audio files from the transmitter to a Mac or Windows computer. Rode’s wireless system has always been surprisingly light and small, especially when you consider the audio quality that they capture. Wireless Pro is slightly larger in all dimensions than Wireless Go II. The transmitters are small and light enough to fit into a pocket. The Wireless Pro system (read) and older Wireless Go II (front).The system is packaged in a zippered case with charging slots and a USB-C connector to charge all devices at once. The case is a bit larger than a HomePod, but still bulky. The case is my favorite part of the system because it charges all three devices at once. The older systems required each component to be charged individually, so the case was welcome even though it added bulk. It is not too big for someone who already has a tripod, camera, lenses and other accessories. The system includes a second zippered bag for the included accessories. There are many accessories. The system comes with magnetic clips and microphones for connecting the transmitters to metal surfaces. The kit includes everything you need to record audio. The Wireless Pro system is compatible with other Rode mics, as I will explain below. It can be used in conjunction with the two transmitter modules included and other Rode wireless devices such as stick mics. The audio level bars on the receiver unit indicate which microphones are transmitting. Rode Wireless Pro review: 32-bit floating-point audio The Wireless Pro is not just about the design of its mics or case. The Wireless Pro records audio using 32-bit floating point audio. This recording format is often referred to as 32-bit float. It could be a simple article, but it’s the benefits of 32-bit floating point audio that are the most important. Cases can hold both mics (left), and accessories (right). Imagine trying to draw a realistic sun setting over a green grass field using crayons. The eight-color box makes your artwork look nothing like the real thing. The grass will only have one or two shades green, and the sunset will be yellow or orange. You can create a more realistic art piece by switching to a 128-color crayon box. The grass can be a variety of shades and the sky can have a smooth gradient from blues to reds. Audio has a wide range of colors. Recording 32-bit floating point audio is more complex than using a box of 128-color crayons. It’s the equivalent of a box of crayons with thousands of colours. Two converters are used to record 32-bit audio, one for soft sounds and another for loud sounds. The majority of audio recorders that are at this level only capture a medium range of tones. They can’t capture the loudest or softest audio. This means that whispers are not audible and louder sounds will “clip”, which is a term for audio so loud it distorts. 32-bit floating recorders can capture audio levels that are far beyond what the human ear can detect. This means that quiet sounds will not be lost and loud sounds will not clip. The transmitters and receivers are about the same size as AirPods Pro cases. As someone who records field recordings and studio recordings for a Youtube channel, I must set and test my sound every time I record to ensure that it won’t cut. I have to adjust the audio so it can be clearly heard when recording outdoors. Audio recording is almost completely eliminated with 32-bit floating. 32-bit floating allows you to adjust your mic gain in postproduction, without having to worry about distortion. GainAssist is one of the many audio features available in the system. GainAssist lets the system adjust the volume of sounds to match audio levels. The Rode Wireless Pro is able to recode the timecode that is usually found in high-end sound systems. Timecode allows footage from cameras that support timecode to be seamlessly synced with recordings made from audio recorders. The audio is perfectly synced with the footage captured by one or more cameras that are timecode-aware. It’s impressive that you can get a sound recorder with a 32-bit floating point and a timecode for less than $400. Rode Wireless Pro Review – Wireless Transmission Rode Wireless Go introduced high-quality wireless protocols for sound transmission between the transmitter and receiver. A system with poor wireless communication is almost useless. It doesn’t really matter if you can’t record sound without distortion, no matter how good your mic or transmitter is. The Wireless Pro uses a proprietary Series IV transmission. Latency is the time between the recording of audio and when it is played back. This is the main cause for audio tracks that don’t sync with video. The wireless transmissions are encrypted, making it impossible to listen in on them. Rode claims that their audio is stable for up to 260 meters (around 800 feet). Although I didn’t test it at such a distance, I did test it from more than 100 feet and the audio recording was flawless. The audio quality and performance were on par with what the company had promised. Even though I’m not an audio engineer myself, I have to adjust audio for videos I create. This isn’t always possible with my high-end microphone because my camera records only 24-bit audio. The Rode system is able to record audio in a higher-quality than my $500 mic and $4000 camera. I’ll probably use this system to get the best possible sound. I also tested the Rode Interview Pro for wireless transmission. It works with the Rode Wireless Pro because it uses the same Series IV system. It only took a few button clicks to set up this stick microphone with the wireless receiver. Users of older systems can also use this microphone, as the Wireless Go II has Series IV capability. The Rode Interview Pro is compatible with older Wireless Go II receivers. As I expected, audio quality is excellent. The audio files are so large that editing them is much easier than with the Wireless Go II. In both noisy environments and when speaking very quietly, I was able to recover the vocal quality. Rode Wireless Pro Review – Internal recording Both the Interview Pro and Wireless Pro feature an internal recording for their 32-bit floating-point audio capture. I have forgotten to turn off the Wireless Go II receiver more than once. The battery had been depleted by the time I was ready to shoot. The ability to record audio on the camera saved shoots. I used the in-camera microphone to record audio and sync it with my footage. It’s easy to transfer audio from the Rode Wireless Pro and Interview Pro transmitters to a Mac. Connect the devices via USB-C, and launch Rode’s app. Download any recordings on the device. Rode’s application offers a variety of adjustment tools, but I prefer to adjust audio in my editor. Rode Wireless Pro Review – Accessories I used the Wireless Pro to test the Phone Cage from the company, a $120 metal grip that wraps around the phone. Cages are common accessories used with mirrorless cameras and cinema cameras for video production. They can be used as grips or as places to mount accessories like the Wireless Pro. The Phone Cage accessory is for in-field content producers. It comes with a metal disk the size of an iPhone MagSafe which can be attached to its central bar. A second mount is available for Android and iPhone users who do not have MagSafe. Hotshoe mounts are available on the top and bottom corners, where the Wireless Pro receiver, as well as other accessories, can be mounted. A cage’s stability is one of its benefits when holding a camera. The larger grips provide more stability than simply wrapping your fingers around the phone. The cage allows for smoother motions as the phone is held in a more comfortable way. The accessory grip isn’t a necessity, especially if you shoot with a camera rather than a phone. However, it does show the Wireless Pro’s flexibility. I could mount it on my camera to shoot videos in the studio and then on the cage to shoot outside. Rode Wireless Pro Review – Excellent sound at an incredible price The Rode Wireless Pro builds upon the legacy of Rode’s Wireless Go line. This new system is sure to become the preferred choice for YouTube creators and documentaries, as well as reporters. Wireless Go II is an incremental upgrade to the original Wireless Go. This new system offers an even greater leap in audio quality and technology without a huge price increase. The kit includes everything you need to get started. The mics that come with the kit are excellent and eliminate the need to upgrade. Rode Wireless Pro Review – Pros Major leap in audio quality compared to the previous system.
Innovative case charges three devices simultaneously
All the tools a creator could possibly need in one package
Multiple mic types can be used in a system-based design
Built-in recording provides peace-of-mind
Timecode support enables perfect audio sync
Rode Wireless Pro Review – Cons Case bulky in comparison to other systems
Rode Wireless Pro is $399 and is available on Amazon.