The RØDE Stereo VideoMic is a broadcast quality stereo microphone designed for use with camcorders, DSLR cameras and portable audio recorders.
Two high resolution 1/2" condenser capsules are mounted in a fixed X/Y stereo array, providing a very natural stereo recording, while still offering a high level of rear rejection.
The Stereo VideoMic is an ideal microphone for capturing environmental and ambient sounds, as well as live music. For dialogue and directional applications the RØDE VideoMic and VideoMic Pro are recommended.
An in-built shock mounting system isolates the Stereo VideoMic capsule and electronics from its mount, providing isolation from external physical factors that may cause unwanted rumble and vibrations in the microphone.
Its standard sized shoe mount also includes a 3/8" thread in the base for easy mounting on a boom pole or stand. (Note that cameras with proprietary sized mounts may require an additional adaptor).
In addition to the microphone's native 40Hz-20kHz response a selectable high-pass filter at 80Hz is available, which will prevent low end noise such as air conditioners and traffic from being recorded.
A -10dB level attenuation (or PAD), selectable from the rear face of the microphone, allows recording of loud sound sources, such as live music or motorsport.
The Stereo VideoMic is ideal for use with DSLR cameras such as the Canon 5DMkII, Canon 7D, Canon 1D, Canon 550D/T2i, Canon 60D, Nikon D7000, Nikon D5100, Panasonic GH1 and Panasonic GH2.
The RØDE Stereo VideoMic is covered by RØDE Microphones' industry leading 10 year warranty.
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Stereo VideoMic microphone reviews:
“I purchased a RØDE Stereo VideoMic last year and I would like to say how very very pleased I am with it! I use it with a Canon MD 101 MiniDV camcorder which has an external mic socket, this was one of the reasons that I purchased this camcorder.
I have used the camcorder/mic combination to video live music from amplified bands and the results have been great!
I had passed on copies of my videos on DVD to several people who commented on how good the sound was. I was reading the instruction manual for the Canon MD 101 and I discovered that the audio was set to the "default" 12 bit stereo setting and that the best quality was 16 bit stereo, I set the camcorder to this and wow! the results are just brilliant! When the videos are played using my surround sound system the audio quality is just astonishing! The sound quality is as good as a lot of my commercially produced music DVDs.
I would like to thank RØDE for the "RØDE Stereo VideoMic" it is a very wonderful product and I am a very, very happy customer!
”
- David Awcock (Customer Review)
“The in-camera mic on my ag-hmc40 is ok, but the RØDE
stereo unit is much, much better. A shotgun mic would be better to pull speech out of the background noise, but they are not stereo, and my budget is for one good mic. The pin plug is fine for my uses. If I ever switch over to using XLR, I can always use an adapter to update it. The sound quality is high, and it floats on rubber o-ring bands. It comes with the furball, "dead-cat" wind cover which works excellently”
- Cyburbs, USA (Customer Review)
“This VideoMic is a great accessory to my Canon 7D.
the quality of sounds is very good. I recommend not turning any of the two sound filters that come with the mic.
Build quality is great and it attaches perfectly to the camera without breaking its balance.
I use it mainly for office training and testimonial videos.”
- Adiez, USA (Customer Review)
“I have two uses for this mic.
1. during shooting on the field with it attached to the top of an slr camera. In this usage I find it is good enough (nothing special). It does not have a very far range like a shotgun would, but for subjects within a few feet the audio is much better then from the original SLR camera internal mic. It also picks up great ambiance.
2. The other big thing I use this mic for, and why I like it, is for in studio usage. The mic was purchased for a small business that needed a mic we could use on camera for interviews, but also to plug into a computer and use in a studio like fashion for voice overs. In this regard, the mic has been a great two-in-one punch. With the help of a little amp, the mic works great in a controlled studio environment were you can get up close.”
- JD Media Ninja, Canada (Customer Review)
“I bought this mic to use on my Canon EOS 7D for video recording. Being used to broadcast gear, I realized how beneficial a good stereo mic is when compared to a mono shotgun when it comes to disipating wind noise.
This mic will not disappoint and has excellent noise rejection and a great capture field. It's a well built mic that is easily worth the upcharge over a shotgun mic, even if you don't need to record stereo.
”
- RVCruzer, USA (Customer Review)
“I really love this mic. The sound quality is very clear and crisp with a smooth bass tone. It's hard to find a STEREO mic for your camcorder, theres really not to many out there. The stereo quality is very good and has a nice depth to it. I use it with the Panasonic HMC-40 for filming bands and it's almost got a live studio quality sound to it.”
- Live Band Filmer, USA (Customer Review)
“Very high quality sound capture and great stereo L+R phasing. The build quality is superior as well. Love the small toggle switches for power (and the LED) and high pass filter, etc. Positioned to be easily seen and accessed. Even the 9v battery compartment is well designed. No wires and a pad to attach to the battery ... there are fixed contacts in the compartment. Well thought out.
Using with my new Canon 7D body for video recordings. Superior to the mono built-in mic on the 7D.
A bit on the pricey side, but "you get what you pay for" here and I see this lasting a long time.”
- Scott M, USA (Customer Review)
“Canon SLR cameras with HD video rectroding capacity have a good to grreat quality HD videos but audio recording is terible. Adding the above microphone adds a new life to the quality of HD video. Other option for big event is to add direct in line sound from the mixer. I strongly recommend to add this microphone if you want to enjoy the HD videos from SLR cameras with a good sound quality.”
- Ketan Mehta, USA (Customer Review)
“This mic is fantastic and gives great audio for any video I take with my Canon Mark IV. It is light, the battery seems to last forever and is great on windy days.”
- The Wolf, Canada (Customer Review)
“I bought this mic not once, but twice. I bought it for use on my Canon 5D Mark II, and the sound quality on it is amazing! The built-in shock mount completely isolates noise from focusing or zooming the lens as well as other noise from hand-holding the camera body. I lost the first mic during a move -- it's in one of my boxes of stuff somewhere, I'm sure. But, I needed it, so I just bought another one. No regrets. The price is completely reasonable for the high quality audio you get from this mic. And the included "dead kitty" wind screen works like a champ too. Buy it. You won't regret it. One note... this is NOT a shotgun mic. So, if you are looking to isolate sound from the front only, this is not the mic you want. This one produces excellent wide-pickup stereo audio.”
- Loren Scott, USA (Customer Review)
“If you're trying to use this as a shotgun mic for interviews outside or for interviews inside then you will be disappointed because you will hear the A/C turning on, the hum of the television, and just every other noise alongside your voice. Your voice will not be isolated.
This mic is not meant to isolate noise, it's meant to take in all noise.
That out of the way, it performs Great if you're using it for Live Bands, big events, choir concerts, etc. It allows you to relive the entire "Live Show" experience to the fullest with Full Sound and just very clear audio.
Just be sure to keep it pointed at the source though because it is a very directional mic. If you move it around then you'll hear the sounds shifting to your left and right ears and, as with any other mic, whatever is in front of it is loudest.
It's great for vacations if you want something that is better than the built in mic on your camera. This is one that you can trust not to get distorted if any unexpected noises come into play.
All-in-all it's a great buy and if there're enough sounds going on in the recording (as in a live band setting) then you'll hear no distortion, hissing, or buzzing. But when there's very little going on and you're just recording ambiance in an empty room then yes, there is some hissing and noise.
The only other accessory I bought was an extension for it along with a boom pole.
I use this mounted on top of my Canon Vixia HV30 and with the boom pole. Works great.”
- Steven Mumbles, USA (Customer Review)
“I use this microphone with my Canon 5D mk2 DSLR camera for video. Wow, what an improvement over the built in mic. With the built-in mic, I used to hear all the camera noise, every time I touched the camera the mic would super magnify any noise I made. Not any more. The RØDE microphone is suspended in it's holder by rubberbands so that it is very isolated from the camera. I use the Rode mic for video recording of School music performances in auditoriums and it is very nice. Very high audo quality. As has been noted in other reviews: Don't forget to turn the mic on! Turn off Image Stabilized lenses (you can hear the gyros) not as loud as with built in mic, but the RØDE still picks up a little noise if you leave gyro on. On the 5D mk2, consider the on-board mic for emergency use only. I suspect any add-on mic would be an improvement, especially in reducing unwanted camera function noise. This one also records very good audio.”
- RRuttger, USA (Customer Review)
“I bought this for use with my Canon 5dmk2. I needed something external to prevent camera sounds that plague the built in microphone. The Stereo VideoMic is shock and vibration isolated and does the trick. Stereo separation is good, and overall sound quality is good. I've used this on a boom pole and it performs well in that capacity, as well.”
- MFlane, USA (Customer Review)
