Rode Videomic or Rode SVM

[Brian Reynolds]

I will answer the question you posed with a question, Is what you shooting in stereo going to end up in stereo?
You must think of a stereo mic as 2 microphones both OFF axis of what your trying to capture the sound from, so if at ANY stage of the shoot, transfer, edit, master, release or show the product it will be in mono then a stereo mic would be a negative.
So if you can think about that dilemma, you will have your answer.

The difference between Knowledge and Wisdom is… Knowledge is the knowing of facts…. Wisdom is the sensible application of good quality knowledge…

[Justin Leyba]

Yes it will be stereo.

[Jordan Wolf]

Any microphone that is located back on the camera (in other words: too far away from the source, in most cases) will be found to lack the “in your face” feeling that a microphone close to the source will have.

That being said, a mono microphone will probably sound more focused and/or “closed”, that is, not allowing as much ambient noise in.

In comparison, a stereo microphone will sound more “open” since there are 2 microphone elements picking up the sound. The difference in the arrival time of the sound at these elements is what makes the recording “stereo” and not just “dual mono” (the same signal on 2 separate tracks/channels).

It’s possible to sum the stereo information to mono, but it might not turn out as nice. I’m all for a nice stereo sound, but if the mic is too far away from the source to be useful, it won’t matter what type of mic you mount on the camera. Of course, I could just be assuming…prove me wrong?

Wolf
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[Ty Ford]

Hello Justin and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.

Wolf is on the right track. What exactly do you want to record?

Mics on cameras, in general, don’t do very well.

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Justin Leyba]

So You guys are saying that the Rode Videomic is better than Rode SVM?

I will be using it in everything: short films, documentaries, family parties, events, live band, etc.

[Ty Ford]

Justin,

No. Using any camera-mounted mic is a bad idea. You need to get the mic much closer to the talent. Otherwise, you will land squarely in the land of “why don’t my videos sound like professional videos.”

Regards,

Ty Ford

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[Sam Mallery]

I like the R0DE Stereo Mic better. The R0DE Video Mic will be a little more directional, more like a traditional shotgun mic, but I think its shockmount it is a little too wobbly. The R0DE Video Mic is cool for what it is, but between that one and the Stereo Mic, I like the Stereo Mic better.

The Stero Mic is a little beefier, and the shockmount doesn’t wobble as much. It’s a great on-camera mic (it’s a killer mic to have for a Canon 7D or 5D mkII), even though it is a little large. Both the Video Mic and the Stereo Mic have an integrated 3/8″ thread on them, so they can be mounted on boompoles. R0DE also sells a 10 foot cable to use on the mic when using a boompole. 10 feet isn’t terribly long, but it’s enough to get a boompole happening and take care of the issues the other posters brought up.

The real reason I like the Stereo Mic better is that everyone I’ve ever met who has used one just raved about the sound quality. If you’re going to be recording live musicians, I think it would the better mic to have. It seems like a good “general” stereo mic to have at your disposal.

[Justin Leyba]

I would also use it in my short films too though. Does it still do a good job in capturing dialogues?

ps: Thanks for the suggestion!

[Ty Ford]

Justin,

Again…NO!

Ty Ford

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[Jordan Wolf]

Your audio will be practically unusable if you leave the the mic back at the camera. YOU MUST GET THE MIC AS CLOSE TO THE SOURCE AS POSSIBLE!!! If you don’t get it close, you will pick up way too much of the reflections from the dialogue and whatever other room noise(s) might be present.

Here’s my say on the matter: if you want a mic for capturing dialogue when the camera is far away fro mthe source, buy a mic that you can mount on a boompole.

If you want a mic that can capture good ambient noise to layer behind your dialogue, etc., I’d go for the stereo mic.

If the stereo mic can be mounted on a boompole, then go for it! You won’t have to worry about panning the dialogue around the screen 🙂 Just make sure you know what side is Left and which one is Right. If it has a true stereo output, you should be able to isolate the sides and make them mono as necessary.

Now, repeat after me: “I will get my mic as close to the source as possible…”, “I will get my mic as close to the source as possible…”.

Wolf
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