I didn't buy this mic because I wanted super high fidelity. Or because I wanted to record music with it. There are better options for that. I bought it because it's shotgun design picks up sound from a distance well, and zeros in on where it's pointing to reduce background noise, relative to the speaker. Use it for that and you will be happy. Also works well for live streaming.
I do live streams, and have a $600 RE-20 that sounds phenomenal, but you gotta be right up close to it to get good volume relative to background noise. From a distance a mic like the RE-20 will pick up your voice but it has to be cranked up loud, and at that point, it picks up every other sound in the room, like fans, street noise, etc.
This RODE does not have that issue due to its design type. I got it so I could be heard on streams during times I am doing activities that prevent me from being be close up to the RE-20. It works great for that!
I wouldn't use it for recording music or anything like that. Look at an SM57 or SM58 for that, as it costs just a bit more (if you have a USB interface for XLR already) and provides excellent sound with a low noise floor.
The beauty of this mic however, is the narrow pickup field, combined with solid sound quality at distance. You don't have to be right close to it or worry about your mouth placement, and the sound coming form where it points will be relatively a lot louder than any other background noises, so you don't have to crank its volume, and the background noises will be very quiet in relation to your voice.
I use it for gaming also, and it sits on a desk about 5 feet away from me, and other people in my games or streams always tell me it sounds great. For it's price? It's a really great deal. Just don't expect the quality you get from a mic designed for music recording. This mic will NOT be a factor that prevents your videos from having high production quality. Top content creators could use this mic and no one would bat an eye. When audiophiles discuss sound quality, they are really discussing tiny differences. Those differences to us, are important because we're obsessed with fidelity and minimal background noise.
To the every day person, 99% of people - You wouldn't care enough to notice if my videos are using this, or my $600 XLR mic.
Drivers for this have never given me a problem. Integrates perfectly with windows as a audio capture device. It's also VERY light. Weighs as much as maybe a fork. So it's easy to mount, affix, hang in different ways. The USB clicks in very firmly, and can very, very easily support the weight of the mic with no issues if you want to hang this mic for any particular reason.
| Audio sensitivity | 38 dB |
|---|---|
| Item weight | 33 Grams |
| Impedance | 16 Ohm |
| Microphone form factor | Shotgun |
| Item dimensions L x W x H | 21.7 x 10.4 x 8.5 Centimetres |
| Power source | Battery Powered |
| Number of batteries | 1 12V batteries required. |
| Material | Aluminum Metal |
| Signal to noise ratio | 79 dB |
| Hardware platform | Tablet, Camera, Smartphone |
| Number of channels | 1 |
| Frequency response | 20 KHz |
| Noise level | 79 dB |
| EU Spare Part Availability Duration | 2 Years |
| Manufacturer | Øٷ |
| Product Dimensions | 21.72 x 10.41 x 8.51 cm; 33 g |
| Batteries | 1 12V batteries required. |
| Item model number | VMGOII |
| Colour Name | Black |
| Material Type | Aluminum Metal |
| Item Weight | 33 g |
