The Rode Wireless Micro can turn anyone into a content creator

The Rode Wireless Micro is a 24-bit, compact, and user-friendly wireless microphone system designed to make recording professional-quality audio on your smartphone a breeze. Promising “pristine audio” in a pocket-sized package that doesn’t rely on any physical controls, is the Wireless Micro your new go-to social media companion? Let’s fire it up and hit record in this Rode Wireless Micro review.

What I like about the Rode Wireless Micro

The Rode Wireless Micro is compact and dead simple to use. The charging case is roughly the same size as a typical earbuds charging case and can easily fit into a pocket. It contains your receiver and two transmitters with built-in omnidirectional microphones. Our test model comes equipped with a USB-C connection but is also available with a Lighting connection if you use an older iPhone. It’s worth noting that the receiver’s adaptor is fixed and not interchangeable, so make sure you buy the appropriate one for your phone.

When removed from the case, the transmitters automatically link to the receiver. Once paired, the receiver will show a solid green LED light. You can attach them to yourself or your guest via the built-in clip or the magnet attachment, which is pretty standard for an all-in-one wireless microphone system.

You won’t find any controls or physical buttons on the Rode Wireless Micro. It relies on Rode’s “Intelligent Gain assist” to automatically set your levels and prevent any unwanted audio spikes simultaneously, so if you want complete manual control over your inputs or outputs, this is not the wireless microphone system for you. That said, you can make some minor adjustments via the Rode Central app.

I ran some “plug-and-play” tests with the Rode Wireless Mic in a few different environments. All videos were taken with a Pixel 6 phone, and I did not modify any of the Wireless Micro’s settings via the Rode Central app.

Overall, I’m impressed and quite content with the quality recordings the Wireless Micro provides indoors and out, even after flipping the transmitter around to prevent the glare from its high gloss finish. It’s a vast improvement compared to relying on your phone’s microphone while filming indoors. I’m also impressed by its ability to keep my voice upfront and center outdoors, even with the passing cars in the background, without any noise cancelation feature.

While I experienced some signal interference on the move during my distance test, this isn’t unusual in a city setting. A reminder that it’s always important to keep your surroundings in mind while filming, especially when there is no way to recover any compromised audio. That said, once I reached the end of the walkway, the signal remained strong, and my voice sounded great.

What I don’t like about the Rode Wireless Micro

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when it comes to the Rode Wireless Micro. Firstly, the windscreen attachments do not fit in the case, meaning you have to carry them separately. This is not ideal. Carrying the windscreens separately makes them easier to lose and, honestly, pretty inconvenient.

I’m also not sure why Rode chose a high-gloss shiny finish on the transmitters. It easily catches some lighting reflections if you’re moving around a lot, which unfortunately makes it less discreet, as small as it may be otherwise. Luckily, as I discovered in our video, you can get away with wearing the transmitter on the inside of your shirt if it becomes an issue.

Lastly, as quick and convenient as it is to get up and running with the Wireless Micro, it’s very important to know that it does not offer a safety track or onboard recording. Without any onboard recording, the take you get is the take you have to use. This keeps the whole package affordable, but there is nothing more aggravating than watching your video back and realizing there was a transmission interruption and having to replicate the entire take again.

Should you buy the Rode Wireless Micro?

The Rode Wireless Micro is an excellent buy for those looking for an easy and convenient wireless microphone system to use with their phone. It’s dead simple to operate and provides quality results.

However, suppose you’re into content creation for the long haul, often in varying environments like busy trade shows, bouncing from interview to interview. In that case, I recommend investing in a system that offers onboard recording, like the DJI Mic 2 ($349 at Amazon) or the Sennheiser Profile Wireless ($299 at Amazon).

These premium options offer transmitters with internal onboard recording, which allows you to recover any compromised audio and potentially save your entire project if you encounter transmission interference while in the heat of battle.

Rode Wireless Micro review: FAQs