review

RODE Wireless GO Mic Transmitter Receiver With Volume Audio Monitoring

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The RODE Wireless GO is a handy bit of tech that lets you implement a super discreet wireless microphone setup so, you can shoot videos without a lavalier microphone falling off or the wire getting in the way of the video production.
Wireless GO consists of a transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX). The RODE Wireless GO transmitter has an omnidirectional, pre-polarised condenser capsule and, it uses 2.4GHz agile frequency, which turns the unit into an interruptible foldback (IFB) transmitter.
IFB transmitters are the same bit of communication kits that radio broadcast directors use to communicate to an on-air talent. The integration of frequency agility means, the RODE Wireless GO transmitter has the same capability as digital frequency agile systems used by the military.
The RODE Wireless GO transmitter can automatically optimize the 2.4Ghz radio frequency and maintain the signal strength without fading; hence you can use it indoors and outdoors without dropouts as long as the transmitter and receiver are in direct line of sight. If the receiver and transmitter aren't in direct line (i.e. receiver is worn behind the user), you will want to have walls or trees around to help the RF signal bounce back.
Both the RODE Wireless GO transmitter and RODE Wireless GO receiver have similar dimensions, measuring 4.4cm wide, 4.6cm long, 1.8cm thick, and weighing 30 grams. Both charge via USB-C connection and have an internal lithium polymer battery with a runtime of  approximately 7 hours. When not in use, the units can be powered by pressing the top button.
On the top of the RODE Wireless GO transmitter, you find two blue led lights to indicate battery status and link connection to the RODE receiver. There is also a non-locking jack input for connecting a TRS lavalier mic such as the RODE Lavalier GO. If you want to connect a TRRS lavalier, you will need an adapter.
The 3.5mm jacks on the Wireless GO units are non-locking, meaning you cannot screw in locking plugs to prevent the cable from pulling out during a shoot. If you do plan to use locking plugs, you will need to use a right-angle 3.5mm extension for a good connection.

power buttons
Both the RODE transmitter and receiver come pre-paired out of the box but they can be manually paired to one another by pressing the power button. The RODE transmitter also has a shirt clip on the back, letting you use the RODE transmitter as a very handy wireless microphone transmitter that you can discreetly clip on to anything.
The RODE Wireless GO receiver features a mini green screen similar to those old school 1980s monochrome monitors, which use a green P1 phosphor screen. The RODE receiver screen though, has a higher, more vivid screen resolution and includes amber and red colors to show you when audio levels have clipped or are about to clip. The screen can be dimmed down too, which does increase the battery life.
The RODE Wireless GO receiver screen display shows audio levels, connection link status, battery levels (for both the receiver and transmitter) and dB level scale for controlling the dB level output via the receiver. The transmitter can be connected to a line out from an audio source but because the 3.5mm jack is a microphone level input, you may need an attenuation cable to reduce the audio source.
On the side of the RODE receiver there is a 3.5mm non-locking TRS output so, you can record via a lav mic directly to the camera. On the top of the receiver, you find the dB button and linking/pairing button. The dB button lets you select three different dB levels, including unity 0dB, -12dB and -24dB.
The RODE Wireless GO receiver also features a back clip that doubles as a cold shoe so, you can mount it on a camera. A cold shoe mount isn't the same as hot shoe mount as there is no electrical contacts. When the RODE receiver clip is mounted on the hotshoe metal bracket of a camera, the RODE receiver clip won't communicate with the camera.
Having said that, thanks to the 3.5mm TRS output on the RODE Wireless GO receiver, you are able to connect the receiver to the camera via the included SC2 3.5mm TRS patch cable. The SC2 cable weighs 20 grams and has a telephone spiral cord design that allows you to extend the cable up to 17cm long. The RODE Wireless GO firmware can only be updated via the USB port of a computer and requires the computer to be running macOS 10.11 and above, or Windows 10 and above.
Being a 2.4GHz digital wireless transmitter, the RODE Wireless GO latency is higher than ultra high frequency (UHF) transmitters. Even then, the RODE Wireless GO has a consistent response time of 6ms (.06 seconds) delay so, it's virtually unnoticeable.
Another plus about the RODE Wireless GO is that one receiver can be paired to more than two transmitters, which is neat.
You can also improve the sound quality of the RODE Wireless GO receiver when connected to a good pre-amp recorder.
Other accessories that come with the RODE Wireless GO include two RODE branded USB-A to USB-C cables, as well as two MINIFUR-HS1 artificial fur wind shields that you can attach to the top of the RODE Wireless GO transmitter to minimize windy/noisy situations.
Lavalier GO unboxing
There is also a neoprene velcro pouch included to store the RODE Wireless GO and accessories. The Lavalier GO kit comes with a snazzy leather drawstring pouch.

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