Shotgun Microphone Shootout! Deity S-Mic 2 Test & Review vs. Deity D3 Pro 

Agreed! The D3 Pro has continued to surprise me. Like you said, I'm sure that under the hood the S-Mic 2 is a lot better and will also most likely last longer, but people will be making very little, if any sacrifice by going with the D3 Pro :-D

Johan Taljaard I was amazed at how well they both sounded. I noticed the same as you with the low end.

Very much appreciate the input! :) Thanks for watching!

Hey thanks so much, glad it could be of help! I really appreciate the subscribe and comment :)

Thanks so much! Yes, you should be able to as long as it provides phantom power, and I think the 2S is a perfect size for this type of use :)

@@ScottDumas Thanks!

Thanks for watching! :)

Thanks so much for watching! :)

I think they are both definitely great in different ways. The D3 Pro is definitely nicely made, but the S-Mic 2 is much more robust and the XLR connection is much nicer in certain setups. I think it depends more on how you use it than what sound you want, but I do love them both :)

Scott Dumas You’re right. I could the durability of the S-Mic being worth the extra money for some users. Lord knows I’ve been burnt numerous times before by buying cheap, paying twice. :)

Hey thanks so much! I didn't use any filters on the D3 so what you hear is a fairly straight comparison :) The D3 definitely packs a punch for its price!

Thanks for watching! I'm using sound blankets from VocalBoothToGo, not so much to block sound but to absorb all the echo in my small room. I did a little review on them a while back here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Tm6Z8-hJwNw.html They definitely kill the reverb... not a full sound treatment, but it helped in my small room for now until I get into a better space :)

My pleasure :)

Thanks so much! :)

Hey thanks so much! I really hope that you like it, it's been a workhorse for me over these last few months. Looking forward to hearing what you think!

Hopefully will be! :)

Thanks for watching! Glad to hear it was useful :) How do you like the connect kit? I haven't been able to try that out myself yet but hopefully soon.

Connect kit is good.. what I like most is that the lav mics can also be run on XLRs with the 3.5 to XLR adaptor, so that if needed you can multi purpose the mics too.. Also having the option the put the shot gun mics on the radio TX is also a plus

Hi! I would say that the D3 Pro is far from settling, and it definitely does a lot more than just on-camera, because it can easily be removed from the shock mount. The 3.5mm to XLR adapter setup is a little less than ideal and you have go make sure the power is turned on when you start to record (accidentally forgot that once haha) but sound wise, it's an amazing little beast of a microphone. I love the MKE600 as well, but I've been really thoroughly enjoying these Deity mics. The opening of the video where I was holding the Deity mics was filmed using the MKE600 by the way, if that gives you some idea of the sound compared to Deity. In any case, going straight into the camera or recording into a separate recorder will depend on your setup. One of the benefits of the D3 Pro is that it has a smart cable that works with phones, so in theory you could put it on a boom pole with an iPhone in a clamp right next to it on the pole, and not have to worry at all about cables even. Kind of like a wireless boom mic haha. It would be a little tricky to check levels but once you get it set up it could be a really great and easy way to record, then sync things in post later on. I hope that helps but if you have any more specific questions depending on your setup and how you'll be using the mic, feel free to let me know! :) Thanks again for watching!

The battery in the D3 Pro would have to be serviced by Deity and is not user replaceable, same as those new wireless systems

Thanks so much! I'm glad it was helpful! :) Appreciate it

Hi! Glad it was helpful. I honestly almost never do noise reduction but it could depend a bit on what recorder/preamps you're using, how high the levels are set, if you're dealing with the mic's self noise or also surrounding noise like from an AC unit and even what program you're editing audio in. I'm honestly not much of an audio expert haha, but I would say with this mic if you're having noticeable problems, it might be something else which could be helped- distance to the mic, a better recorder or possibly even surrounding noise that's coming through.

@@ScottDumas hey scott, thanks for the reply man does this deity s mic have a lot of self noise? i use the tascam dr100 mk iiii as well, the noise floor at -53 db seems to be normal for shotgun microphones?

@@TimandLauren Compared to other mics the s-mic2 is pretty quiet in terms of self-noise. It definitely should not give you problems at the very least :)

Hi! I usually aim to get my peaks around -12dB ...I'm wondering how you connected the D3 Pro, did you extend the 3.5mm cable or use the XLR adapter and XLR cable? I don't think that the F4 is that significantly cleaner than the H6, but not totally sure. It would also depend how far the mic is from your source and how far the ambient noise is compared to that.

@@ScottDumas I tried to keep the loudest peaks at -12 as well. I have the location kit and used the included xlr adapter with an xlr cable. I guess the environment where I was recording was just noisier. Will do some further tests.

@@juancho_reyes Let me know how it goes! Hope it was just the environment you were in

Thanks so much! For sure, the D3 is definitely a best for the price :)

I believe that the D3 pro can work with a computer and has a built in battery.

It is definitely a little warm... I have a kind of deep voice originally and I generally hate it haha... but compared to a lot I think the S-Mic does a decent job of reproducing it naturally. Anyhow, thanks so much! I appreciate it :-D

The D3 really is impressive! I think the S-Mic 2 can shine in certain environments or with certain voices, but it might not be quite as much of a do-it-all mic. Still great to have a number of affordable choices though! :)

your comparing it to a $1000 microphone.Really?

I do have the 2s actually and have been loving it. I'll be trying to get around to a review/comparison soon :)

@@ScottDumas I'm thinking of the the 2s as an on camera mic, so hopefully the handling noise is not too bad.

I've been using the 2S for a little while now but haven't tested it side by side just yet all that carefully so it's hard to say. Some of the biggest differences will come in build quality and the native XLR connection

Scott Dumas Hi Scott, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I use a Sony a6100 camera and thought the shorter lunch of the S-Mic 2s might work better over a wide angle kit lens. I’m not about xlr power vs self-powered mics though. If i buy an adapter for the S-Mic 2s and use it on my camera, will it drain camera power much much quicker? My assumption is yes. Also, does the connection quality between Smart 3.5mm and xlr vary considerably? I’m hopping to sort this out quick as I have been tinkering with some amateur vids so far, but have been offered a small paid gig in January need to decide very soon. My shortlist includes Deity D3 Pro, Deity s-mic 2s & Rode VideoMic NTG. Thoughts?

@@blondeboy33 Ah, well the 2S requires phantom power so wouldn't work unless you have a camera or recorder that provides that. The D3 Pro can use the XLR connection with an adapter (if you want/need) but it doesn't require phantom power either way. If you're choosing for on camera, the D3 Pro will most likely be the way to go unless you have a camera that has phantom powered XLR inputs. Generally speaking, XLR cables can be run further without quality loss I believe, but at such close distances (on camera) you probably won't hear a difference at all between XLR and 3.5mm, just the mic's differences. Anyway- the shock mount of the D3 Pro can be slide back a bit so it doesn't stick out quite as far in front, but most on camera mics will be around the same size as that. If it's becoming a problem, then you'd probably need to think of an off-camera mic solution. As for the D3 Pro vs VideoMic NTG... It's a tough choice. Quality wise, they're both great. The Rode is a bit more expensive but has some extra features like a safety track, USB mic/headphone capability, high frequency boost etc. But, for a lot of people those things might not be used much, if ever. The D3 Pro still has fully adjustable gain, high pass filter and costs less, slightly longer battery life and lighter weight. Plus it comes with a carry case. The VideoMic NTG DOES seem to work better as far as the "auto on" feature... the D3 Pro will shut off automatically which is best, since it saves battery, but I've noticed that if it's fully off (not in standby mode) it will often need to be physically turned on. The VMNTG has worked perfectly by itself so far though. Lots to think about! haha.. hope that helps though :)

@@ScottDumas That's a brilliant response, thanks Scott. Thank you. I like both mics and I need to buy one in January as I have a gig coming up that requires more than a wireless lavalier setup. Both items are hard to get in Australia because of demand. Many camera stores had their stocks obliterated during the black friday sales and havent replenished yet. Hopefully we're see this change post Xmas. I'm kinda leaning towards the Rode Videomic NTG as I think the on-camera live sound monitoring might be useful too. Extra $'s sure, but it beats buying different mics. Thank you again :)

@@blondeboy33 Glad it was helpful :) Just want to double check though, the NTG doesn't have headphones out unless you're using the USB as a connection to the computer. The 3.5mm jack would need to be used for connecting to your camera and in that case you'd have to monitor from the camera itself if you have a headphone jack. Either way, hope you find one! :)

Thanks so much! The D3 Pro does definitely sound great, but I think the S-Mic 2 does outperform it just a bit, especially with a little EQ added, which it wasn't here. The off-axis rejection is a hair better and the build quality and RF rejection/weather proofing is really nice to have. BUT, the D3Pro is an incredible microphone, and very versatile like you said.

​@@ScottDumas Yeah it's a tough decision for me. I'm planning on shooting my second short film in the next few weeks and it's has a lot more dialogue than I usually do so the cheap lav mic with Zoom H1 solution isn't gonna cut it anymore. I was first planning to just rent a Sennheiser MKH 416 with a full audio kit just to be save but now I'm not so sure anymore. Just simply buying something like the Deity D3 Pro with the location kit could save me a lot of money in the long run but I'm just not sure if the audio is gonna be good enough. The S-Mic 2 location kit is just a bit too big of an investment for me right now with all the extras it needs since I'm not making my money with videography right now. It would probably just collect dust after that. Any thoughts? I really don't know what's the right move here... :/ (Sorry for this wall of text)

I'd say the D3 Pro Location kit will be a really good investment for you. It can definitely hold it's own in a setup out on a boom pole with the XLR adapter, the sound quality is great and like you said it will likely serve you better after that shoot since you can use it as a regular on camera mic so easily as well. If you'll be filming though, be sure to get some sort of furry windscreen/dead cat for it. I don't think they have one specifically for this mic just yet, but I'll look into that again for you. With either mic, the wind noise will be your biggest trouble most likely. Otherwise, as long as you have a boom pole or something that can be used as a boom pole and a recorder that can take XLR input, you're good to go.

@@Saphir3000 So just checked with Deity and the furry wind screen for the S-Mic 2 location kit will also work on the D3 Pro... they're working on a smaller one for the D3 Pro specifically, but don't have one yet. The S-Mic 2 one also isn't for sale individually at the moment, only as a part of the S-Mic 2 Location Kit... if you get in touch with them through Facebook though I'm sure they can sort you out with something (if that's something you're interested in getting, of course)

@@ScottDumas Thank you so much for your help man :) Yeah I think that even if they included the furry wind screen it wouldn't be enough so I already figured that getting something like a Rode Blimp would be the best option. The D3 Pro seems to fit in there without problems according to Curtis Judd's review. I might be able to borrow that one for free though so that won't be a problem I hope. The S-Mic 2 without the kit seems to be available in my country (Germany) although I just found out that it's only around 60 euros cheaper than the Rode NTG 3 (500 EUR) which I would still consider a step above in quality... This is hard. I think I'll go for D3 Pro since I guess it won't be dumb investment either way. But man I didn't even know the Rode NTG 3 has gotten so cheap here haha. These are truly great times for spending too much money on filmmaking gear!

Thanks so much :)

The D3 does pack a serious punch for the money! :)

Thanks so much! I'll definitely take a look at that software :)