Gear Review of the RODE Me-L Mic For Smartphones ... Is it Worth It??

in #dtube6 years ago


Hi Friends!

For those who missed my Tech Haul video last week, I promised that I'd be doing some gear review videos with some of the new pieces I got!

A lot of video creators use their smart phones to create some or all of their content. Getting clear and crisp audio is one of the best ways to make your videos really stand out and keep the viewer engaged. Even though I recently upgraded my camera to the Canon EOS M50, I anticipate I will still want to use my iPhone in various circumstances - especially when traveling.

I currently have a mic that I love that plugs into my smartphone, but it's kind of bulky and has a cord - so you need two hands or two tripods to use it when traveling. That's why I was so drawn to this Rode ME-L Mic becuase it plugs right into your phone and so you can just plug and play right away.

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The "L" stands for lightening, and so if you are not using an iPhone, then just get the regular Rode ME mic with a headphone jack.



Audio Tests


In this video I do a series of different audio tests so you can see the different and decide for yourself if you think the mic would be a good fit for your needs. I do the following audio tests in this video:

  • With and without the mic in a small room that has good acoustics already.
  • With and without the mic in a larger, more echo-ey room.
  • With and without the wind cover in that larger room.
  • With and without the wind cover outdoors during a massive windstorm!


Pros and Cons of the Mic



After testing out this mic in a variety of different settings - here's what I see as the pros and cons.

Pros:

  • Super lightweight and easy for travel.
  • Plugs right into your phone and works right away so you don't have to fiddle with settings.
  • Completely handheld and so you don't need to hold your mic with your other hand or get a second tripod/mic stand for it.
  • Does a good job of picking up your voice and eliminating background noise.
  • The wind cover does an insanely good job of blocking noise and wind when filming outdoors.

Cons:

  • Pretty basic and primitive mic. There are no settings for adjusting the gain or volume - and so you don't have a lot of options to control the audio based on the setting you are in.

  • Makes a big difference in louder, outdoor settings - but makes a less noticeable difference indoors.

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My Conclusions



So after all this testing and listing out the pros and cons... the real question is whether or not this mic is worth the $80. To that, I would say it really depends on how you plan to use it.

In the smaller room with good acoustics, I could hardly hear a difference. In the larger room, we start to have a clearer, crisper sound - but it still isn't going to blow your socks off. The real game changer was when we headed outdoors in a loud/windy environment. Holy Guacamole, what a difference! 🥑

If you are planning to mainly film indoors in a setting that doesn't have much background noise, it may not be the best mic for you. If however you are planning to film outdoors, or in a louder setting like a restaurant or conference - then this could be a great addition to your content making tool kit. I would just highly recommend you also get the wind cover if you purchase the mic because it made such a massive difference in the audio tests!

If you guys have any questions on the mic, or my experience with it - then shoot them below and I'd be happy to help!

XO, Lea


Sort:  

Saw a lot of RODE mic used lately as Gear for YouTube related or podcast interviews.
The price isn't really on the cheap side, but it's almost a necessity when shooting outdoor.
Thanks for the review @coruscate!

Yeah they seem to be the most popular brand right now for sure! I agree on the shooting outdoors thing, it’s really hard to get good audio without a mic!

What the heck no 7 videos about Star Wars this year?? ;)

I knooooow right?? What am I even doing with my life?!? I think I took all my good ideas last year. 😂

I have a few potential ideas... but nothing that’s fully formed yet.

I have one of these and I find it’s useful if windy, but otherwise I go with built in. Nice review!

Posted using Partiko iOS

Oh cool!! Yeah I was hoping it would do more indoors, but I’m super stoked to have it for shooting outdoors, at conferences and stuff like that. 😀

Getting fancy !

Posted using Partiko iOS

That furry wind cover really does make it look fancy! Haha

Funny you should say that as I was thinking that! haha

Sounds like that Rode mic for the iPhone will be a perfect selection for me being mostly outdoors and windy here on the west coast 👍

Thanks for the review, I have been contemplating mica for quite awhile and like you said they either seem bulky or effectiveness is hit or miss based on environment... many work well indoors and not out so it’s good to know this will work for me😎

Posted using Partiko iOS

Awesome!! I’m so glad you found this review helpful! 😃

I was a little bummed that it didn’t perform better indoors, because I do a lot of my filming there - But it is perfect now that summer is around the corner, because I will be filming outdoors way more!

Definitely helpful, so many options out there hard to know which will work for my outdoor content when using my iPhone. GoPro on the other hand is a bit of a headache requiring a stupid extra dongle with limited support 🤦‍♂️

Posted using Partiko iOS

ahhh yeah. It's so frustrating when there isn't just a GOOD, easy to use solution.

Another example of this was when I was shopping to upgrade my camera recently and SO many cameras that are supposed to be good for video don't have a mic input... really?? Cuz i really want to have to record my audio on a separate device and try to sync it up later. 🙄

That sounds just like my GoPro except they have an add on dongle, I swear they took that route just to make an extra $100 in sales for using addon mic’s.... previous version had an audio plug!

I couldn’t imagine trying to sync the audio, that would be ridiculous!!!

Posted using Partiko iOS

well its seems nice mic for the recording purpose like dtube .. stay blessed and you re doing great job on dtube .. @coruscate

Posted using Partiko Android

Thanks for checking out my video! I’m glad you found it helpful.

Outdoor work is where the biggest problems occur (wind is so disruptive) so this looks like it would solve that problem. Thanks

Posted using Partiko Android

Yeah I’m super stoked to use it outdoors now! Was hoping it would make a little better difference indoors too - but totally worth it to know I can still get good audio outside!

Wow! If it has the capacity of eliminating background noise and also has a wind cover to avoid the sound of wind then it's absolutely exclusive and state-of-the-art.

Upvoted and Resteemed!

Aww thanks for the resteem! I’m so glad you enjoyed the video!

Yea. Thanks for the update too 😀

Its crazy how far technology has come, especially in the field of videography. Mics make a huge difference when filming especially in louder environments. The mic was really a game change, it almost canceled out the wind 100%. Its good that you don't have to deal with any wires and such, well at least for iPhone users. I'm an Android guy, I wonder how bulky the headphone jack setup is. Its always a good investment to have a decent mic whether shooting indoors or outdoors. Thanks for the post

Posted using Partiko Android

Thanks for the advice, your voice sounds pretty nice and clear. Kepp up the good work and #steem on!

Thanks Jon Snow! Glad I could help the King of the North with some advice on microphones. 😂 Now don't be giving me any spoilers for tonight's episode... 😉