Rode Wireless Pro review: this radio link really packs a punch
Rode’s Wireless Pro microphone looks promising and is meant to boast impressive pro features and long range. I put it through its paces with a trip into the forest.
The Wireless Pro is a traditional radio link, consisting of one receiver (RX) and two transmitters (TX). Dubbing it «the ultimate professional recording set», Rode sets high expectations for the Wireless Pro. In terms of position in the range, it’s intended to slot in above the Wireless Me and Wireless Go, the other two Rode wireless systems, and designed to appeal to professional content creators in particular thanks to its advanced features.
Comes with an impressive amount of kit
When you unpack it, you’ll find two boxes, which can house all the devices and accessories – apart from the USB cable. This is incredibly practical because when I’m shooting out and about, I usually have enough equipment to contend with, what with all the different power banks and cables.
One of the two boxes also serves as a docking and charging station for the two transmitter modules and the receiver. The charging station’s built-in battery should be able to fully charge the two transmitters and the receiver twice each before it needs charging.
You can store everything else in the second box. But there aren’t any paper instructions and there’s no mention of where to find a detailed manual online. In my opinion, this doesn’t detract from the product. It’s not like I don’t know how to use Google; and it saves paper.
The receiver and transmitter have a clip on the back for attaching them to flash units or clothing. Alternatively, you can use the magnetic clips – they consist of a fairly strong magnet and a small clip.
To record, you can either speak directly into the transmitter or plug one of the two lavalier microphones that are included into the transmitter via the jack. You can attach the lavalier microphone connector to the transmitter via a threaded ring so it can’t accidentally slip out. While it’s a bit fiddly, the added security makes up for it.
In the box, you’ll find windshields for both the TX units and the lav microphones. There are five furry windshields for the transmitters and two small sponge clip-on caps for the lavalier mics. Both sit firmly enough on the microphones, with the furry windshield fastening with a small twist.
Feature test: works well
Once removed from the charging case, the transmitter modules automatically connect to the receiver. An always-on blue LED on the transmitter indicates it’s connected to the receiver. If it flashes, it means the transmitter can’t establish contact. The receiver shows the connected transmitters via volume level and connection quality.
You can also pair other transmitters alongside those included. Two buttons at the bottom of the receiver allow you to pair and adjust settings, such as levelling. Given the set-up with small display and only two buttons, it works quite well. That being said, you need to check the instructions to work out how to access all the settings.
To switch off the transmitter and receiver, I press the Ø button on the edge of the housing for 1-2 seconds. I really like this because the long press minimises the risk of accidentally switching them off. Which is exactly what happened to me time and again with an on/off slider on my own mic, a Comica VDLive 10.
On-board recording offers convenient features
You can connect the receiver to a camera or PC with the 3.5 mm jack or via USB – or you can use the Wireless Pro without any additional hardware. The transmitter modules have an internal 32 GB memory that you can use for on-board recording, in other words, back-up recording. This should be sufficient for over 40 hours of sound. If you only need audio recordings for editing later, you can even make do without the receiver.
On-board recording is also very helpful if the wireless connection isn’t reliable. The recordings can be synchronised during video editing using time code. But do bear in mind that you first have to activate the time code feature in the Rode Central app and also consider whether your camera can actually handle it.
On-board recording isn’t activated automatically. By default, you have to start it manually by pressing a button on the transmitter. However, in the app you can set them to record as soon as they’re switched on. You can tell that on-board recording has started by a red LED on the transmitter and a small red dot next to the corresponding transmitter on the receiver display.
As well as the back-up feature, on-board also has the advantage of 32-bit float recording. This isn’t the case with radio transmission.
It’s worth mentioning that on-board recordings can’t be deleted from the internal memory. According to the instructions, old recordings are overwritten by new ones as soon as the memory is full. Which doesn’t sound practical. I like to remove old project recordings so the memory is always nice and tidy. It’s something you’ll want to bear in mind when returning or selling the microphone.
Practical test: range and recording quality
I carry out an initial microphone test at home. This involves plugging the receiver into my GoPro and starting the recording on the camera. Then I walk through the house and speak into one of the TX modules. The wireless connection via the 2.4 GHz band holds up well on the staircase and several open rooms. Monitoring on the receiver via 3.5 mm jack headphones also works without any problems.
Then I pack up the equipment and head out into the forest, where I expect less radio interference. The manufacturer specifies a range of up to 260 m for the radio link. Unfortunately, I can’t measure this exactly as after just under 50 m, the red dot isn’t visible on my laser rangefinder. So I count big steps of about 70 to 80 cm each. You can see how it turned out in the following video.
Test verdict: the radio connection fails at around 25 m when I turn my back to the receiver. After 50 steps, about 35 to 40 m, the radio connection still works perfectly when I turn to face the receiver. At 100 steps, around 70 to 80 m, the radio link stop working at head height and the blue LED on the transmitter flashes. Small tufts and blades of grass may have interfered with the direct connection.
So, I can’t confirm whether or not the radio link can really reach 260 m. My impression is that even if it did, it wouldn’t be reliable. That’s why when there are distances of more than 20 m and a lot of movement involved, on-board recording is recommended as a safety feature.
I think the audio quality of the Rode mic is very good, both with and without the windshield. The voice audio sounds full and round. To put that into comparison, my own Comica VDLive 10 is rather tinny and clipped. Similarly, the furry windshield filters out wind noise very well.
Rode Central app: the best way to connect the mic
The Rode Central app isn’t absolutely necessary for basic initial recordings with the Wireless Pro, but there are advantages to using it.
Once downloaded, the app asks me to connect a Rode microphone. Which is exactly what I do. I plug the USB-C cable into the charging box with transmitters and receivers and connect them to the computer. Two new, identically named devices immediately appear in my explorer: the two transmitters. This allows me to copy the on-board recordings directly to my hard drive.
Rode Central also recognises the charging box immediately and lists four devices: the box, the two transmitters and the receiver. Meanwhile, the app informs me that a firmware update is ready and a few minutes later all devices are up to date.
Now I can alter various settings on the microphone, for instance, switching on the time code feature for the next time I’m shooting. I can also check my recordings and any existing time codes and convert the recordings.
The app works quite well, but I’d rather use a program like Adobe Premiere. What’s more, you can’t run Rode Central in full screen and the interface can’t be enlarged. It just sits there on my screen like a pop-up. This makes it more difficult to use and get an overview of.
My verdict on the Wireless Pro
The Wireless Pro has many convenient and useful features that make it far superior to my own much cheaper mic. These include the good sound quality, on-board recording, the safeguard against accidental switch-off, long battery life and well attached windshields. For my purposes – occasional trips for YouTube – a Wireless Go II would also do the trick.
However, with its additional professional features, the Pro is clearly aimed at more discerning users. The Wireless Pro is a very good and versatile radio link. Thanks to the 32-bit float, it’s particularly suited to recordings with a high dynamic range and it allows many hours of recording on the go.
Header image: Debora PapeFeels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.