Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best-selling in Microphones
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One of the things I've always battled with my video microphones has been wind noise. If the microphone had a high dynamic range and was sensitive enough to pick up all the surrounding sounds you wanted in your video, wind "boom" would always be a problem. Rode has aptly addressed these issues by providing an 80hz roll-off switch (High pass filter)that cuts the frequencies in the lower end. This rarely has to be used because the "dead cat" wind sock is very effective at diffusing the wind to the point that wind "boom" is nearly cancelled. For very loud environments, Rode has also included a 10db pad (which is very effective but rarely necessary). This effectively cuts the gain of the microphone by a factor of ~2.7. I chose the Rode SVM because of it's physical size and the dead cat. I use it with my Canon EOS 7D and Canon HV20 video camera. The only complaint that I have (thus the "good" instead of "excellent" rating) is the relatively low gain of the microphone. It's no problem to increase the gain during the edit, but this also increases the noise floor. It's very important to understand that most people will not notice the added noise except on the best sound systems. That being said, it is still the best microphone I've used thus far for an on camera device. It provides excellent stereo separation and a very good frequency response of 40hz-20khz. The high pass filter switch provides roll-off at 80hz (used to eliminate wind "boom"). I recorded a thunder storm as a test. The conditions were very windy. It was very easy to hear the raindrops hitting the rooftops, and the deep rolling bass of the thunder. The wind noise was nearly absent (I did not use the 80hz roll-off switch or the 10db pad). Bird song was also clearly presented. The "dead cat" wind muff is included and makes all other wind muffs obsolete in my opinion. I currently own two other microphones for my camera. 1)A Sony stereo mic. The sony has excellent dynamic range and gain, but wind noise is so problematic that it is virtually useless outdoors. I also have an Azden SGM-1X shotgun microphone. It has excellent gain and an average dynamic range. It is too long for most video cameras and appears in the picture with both of mine at wide angles. Again, wind noise is very problematic even with the included wind guard. The price-point of the Rode is about what you'd expect for a higher quality microphone in this class. About double the rest. It is worth the extra money if you can afford it because of it's ability to capture the sound you want while rejecting wind noise. Make sure you buy from an authorized dealer. Doing so gets you a 10 year warranty when you register the mic. In the box is the microphone, dead cat wind guard, extra mounting bands, warranty card and manual.Read full review
I really like the sound quality of this stereo mic, and it has the added features of low-frequency noise reduction and two different recording levels (-10 DB and 0 DB) for different situations. Also, the build of this mic is great...very solid, all-metal construction. The only down-side is the microphone, which I use with my Pentax K7 DSLR, is it is longer than some of my lenses, and it sticks up pretty high from the camera. The result is a pretty imposing piece of equipment that my kids are literally afraid of (especially the "dead kitten" wind muffler), and which I have a hard time fitting into my camera case alongside my other stuff. If they could come out with a slightly smaller version that would have been better.
I personally don't like how the mic has a wobbly 4 pole connection to the mount that makes the entire mic move around. Terrible isolation idea. I'm going to try and use spacers to make it stand straight up. Sound quality is ok.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
The Rode SVM is a great live performance mic. The sound is natural and the mic does not over modulate at higher volumes. I have not had to use the 10db pad, but it will be nice to have for wedding receptions. Be careful of people talking beside you because it will pick them up a bit. I rate this mic 5 stars because of its exceptional performance. If you shoot video you should own this mic. High 5 to the Rode's engineers.