Rode VideoMic Pro Plus On-Camera Shotgun Microphone

The Rode VideoMic Pro Plus is a supercardioid condenser shotgun microphone with an integrated Rycote Lyre shockmount, a built-in rechargeable battery, an improved response over its predecessor (20 Hz to 20 kHz), and improved RF-immunity as well. The microphone can be used to capture audio for camcorders, DSLR, and portable recorders as a source of primary and reference audio.

The VideoMic Pro Plus sports a 3.5mm stereo mini-jack termination, outputs a dual-mono signal, and provides a TRS cable to make the connection. A micro-USB cable is also supplied, which can be used to draw bus-power. The microphone’s supercardioid polar pattern ensures that surrounding audio is minimized, and that your recording is focused on the subject in front of the camera. Its inherent low-noise circuitry ensures you will not pick up any sound from the microphone’s robust innards. The microphone boasts +20 dB settings for DSLR cameras, a flat setting for high-quality preamps, and a -10 dB pad.

Other features abound, such as an Automatic Power Function, a built-in battery door, and a high-pass filter with cuts at 75 Hz and 150 Hz. The filter will prevent low-end noise such as air conditioners and traffic from being picked up on the resulting track. If you’re unsure how loud the audio you’re capturing might be, you can set the right channel to record at a lower level for safety. A selectable high-frequency boost is also available by pressing two lower buttons on the rear digital-switcher simultaneously.

To power the VideoMic Pro Plus, you can use two AA batteries, the micro-USB cable, or the included rechargeable LB-1 lithium-ion battery, which lasts 100 hours on a single charge. This microphone features an auto-powering feature which keeps you from draining battery when the camera is not in use. When connected to your camera, the VideoMic Pro Plus detects plug-in power from the audio input on compatible cameras, and this signals the microphone to switch on. When the mic detects a loss in power, either from powering off or disconnecting the camera, the mic shuts off.