Video Gear Guide: Rode Stereo Videomic X (long term review) 

Thanks so much! Love your products!

Please RODE make better version of Videomic X and I will buy it. It must have rechargeable battery.

Yeah, give him a new dead cat!!!

​@@BenHorne and @RODE Microphones I'm using the Stereo VideoMic Pro. How would you recommend me to configure the settings for recording fighter jets, some of which can be extremely loud, to get the best ambient yet powerful audiotrack? I've found that most of the planespotters, filming air craft, around on youtube have a very poor audio track with very, very flat dynamics going on and in my productions I would like to deliver top notch, crisp sounding and very dynamic audio. I know the -20 dB setting on the mic is intended for recording loud sources but I noticed that generates a lot of unwanted noise. I recorded -20 dB on the mic and very low signal pickup in the camera and when I normalized the audio back up to nominal levels in post all that noise was very prominent. So I figured if I set the mic to +20 dB instead and record at the same very low signal pickup inside the camera, I'd be able to get rid of that noise. If you check my channel there is a video with an aerial display of a JAS-39 Gripen with a heavily edited audtio track to get rid of the noise. Recorded at -20 dB on mic. Second video is my last one, 737 AirBaltic, just some bass boost in post and normalized levels, recorded at +20 dB. Do you think that would be good for recording fighter jets? Kind of panicking over this since I don't have anything to test on before the airshow I'm gonna record in late August. Both @RØDE Microphones and you are very welcome to help me figure this out before I go record them. I have only ONE chance to get it right this year.

Im buying this week!

I'm definitely a big fan of it. It makes the viewing experience with headphones so much more immersive.

Yeah, stereo mics are the way to go, i personally hate directional mono mics, you have so little versatility, i use the Zoom H1n and it's really really good for recording ambient sounds but you can use it for vlogging or whatever you wish to do.

You're welcome Juha. That shock mount made a huge difference for me.

Thanks John! It really is a great mic to work with. I am super happy with mine. Just make sure you avoid setting your levels too high because it isn't very forgiving in that sense.

Thanks Dekiary! Glad you liked it!

Thanks so much Gilles!

Is the warranty transferable?

Fantastic! It really is a wonderful mic. I love mine.

Thanks for watching!

Pretty cool huh? I have been super happy with it. It's great being able to record audio in really windy environments and know it will be perfectly usable.

Thanks Mike. Audio is one of those things that makes such a huge difference, but it is also an endless learning curve.

Thanks Omer! So glad you enjoyed it! If they ever update this mic with a new rechargeable battery, I'll update mine for sure.

Thanks Swapnil!

Thanks!! Sure is a fun mic to work with!

Glad you enjoyed it!

Awesome! It's a great mic.

Also could you post a link to the Rycote dead cat? I looked and it's hard to tell which is which.. so many sizes. Thanks!

It sure is a great mic! I love mine.

@@BenHorne Already deployed 💸. It's overkill for it but I am recording some ASMR-ish point of view long drives, and during calibration yesterday it was really an eye opener. Lots of sonic meat.

Glad you liked it John!

Thanks! It sure would be nice to refresh those deadcats. They never are quite the same once they get wet and get some oils from handling.

​@@BenHorne I've heard there's more than one way to skin a deadcat. Lol.

This mic is probably overkill for most uses, but it sure does well in the wind, and that's one of the things I love about it.

Hi Graham! I definitely also wish this had the auto on/off feature of the newer mics from Rode, and it's great to hear that the rechargeable batteries are working well for you. Some of them seemed too good to be true so I avoided them, but I'll have to add some to my lineup.

What brand have you been using they hold up well?

@@BushMasterThermal The batteries I use are Keenstone Lithium Ion, I got a set of three with the charger from Amazon for about £20, and they've been fine.

@@grahamfjlaws6108Ohh nice will look for them thanks

That's all from the SVMX on top of the camera. It works wonders in those conditions.

Thanks so much for watching, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Although I have handled the Stereo Videomic Pro, I haven't used one in the field side by side with the Stereo Videomic X so I don't have a good feel for how they compare. That being said, I do like the smaller size of the Stereo Videomic Pro, but I prefer the better build quality and buttons of the X.

Thanks for watching and for the kind words! With regard to your question about breathing sounds, I haven't noticed anything bad in that regard. It definitely does benefit from putting on a shock mount to reduce the handling noise when carrying the camera around on a tripod while filming though.

@@BenHorne Thank you for your answer very helpful and aggre it will need shock mount to :) i have seen the diffrents on when the old Video Mick missing its rubber stabilisator straps ;) bought my first in 2011 or 12

If it's not on camera, it doesn't count. :-)

Thanks Hendrik! The Stereo Videomic X is still my primary mic. I love it!

Without the Rycote, you'll get handling noise if you are actively moving with the microphone. Basically thuds and thumbs. With the Rycote, the handling noise all but disappears. If your camera is static, you don't need to worry about it.

You'll have to contact Rode directly for a replacement deadcat. Unfortunately they don't sell it through their retail channels.

Thanks! I have a softbox overhead on a boom facing down and slightly forward so the light only kisses the backdrop. Another softbox from the front at about a 45 degree angle and angled slightly downward serves as the main light to illuminate from the front.

I haven't used the NT4, so I can't really compare them. One thing I forgot to mention in the review is that the Stereo Videomic X has a tendency to clip loud audio a bit sooner than other mics. It's not very forgiving in that sense, so you have to be very careful to not have your audio levels set too high.

Yup, it would work very well on the 80D. You'll just have to experiment with the audio levels to find what works great for that camera. The main thing on this mic is to ensure the audio levels aren't too loud. It's not very forgiving with clipped audio, but you can boost quiet audio quite a bit in software and still have super clean audio.

Thanks Andreas! I believe he does have one as well, but I think he was having some problems with it where something wasn't quite right with the one he had.

It is a large mic, but since much of that is the deadcat, it actually packs away quite small. My backup mic is a Rode Video Micro which is quite small. The Rode Wireless Go setup looks quite nice. I look forward to trying one out in the near future. It does look like a great, and very compact, solution for a lot of different uses. I use their Rodelink wireless setup for my in-studio videos.

@@BenHorne It sounds like you are a Rode guy all the way through. I hope they recognize you and send you their Go kit because if anyone deserves it and can honestly test it, that person is you. So Rode Microphones, get Ben a free set now for testing purposes so potential buyers like me know when they get an honest review.

I think it could very well work for that, especially if you plan to merge both audio channels to a single mono channel so you get the best of both. That being said, a mic like this will pick up all sorts of other sounds nearby, so you'd be better off with lav mics or individual directional mics since these ones still have rather broad coverage. The strength of this mic is mostly for environmental sounds and music and such.

Hi Steve. I wouldn’t mess with separate audio recording these days. I only did that with my RX100 because at the time those cameras lacked a mic jack. I now use a ZV-1 for my lightweight video kit along with a Rode Videomicro. It’s a great and inexpensive setup. If you want a wireless lav mic, take a look at the Rode Wireless Go. The only time I record separate audio these days is with my GoPro. To sync that, I just manually align the audio clip with the built-in mic. It’s actually pretty quick and easy to do.

@@BenHorne Hi Ben, Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. Great advice and looks like the Videomicro is the best solution. brilliant, thanks. PS..just watched your video on 'career' and found it so helpful..thanks :)

You would probably be better off with a directional mic in those cases. Any competing sound from the people around you will also be picked up. This mic works very well in a controlled environment, but since it's stereo, it won't do well when there is other competing sound.

Hi Alex! With regard to protecting the mic from the elements, it's definitely very important. Something as simple as an umbrella would help, but that would affect the audio. My best advice is to have a backup mic of some sort in case this one gets wet, and to cover this to protect it until you're actually recording. Another thing I don't believe I mentioned in the review is that you need to be very careful with your audio levels to avoid clipping. The upper end of this mic is quite brutal in that sense. Make sure you set your audio levels on your camera to guard the upper end, and you'll be in great shape. On my A7sII, I have the audio levels set to 2 and the mic in the +20db. This is perfect for dialogue about 2 feet away from the mic. I kick the levels up a bit higher on the A7sII for environmental sounds, usually around 7 or so.

@@BenHorne thank you. That's just not very optimal during hiking ahahah

Yup. Mounted to the shockmount I show in the video and then attached to the hotshoe.

Are you using a deadcat with your mic?

Ben Horne Yes i use it in combination with a deadcat, if you take a look on my channel and searsh for the ‘shell schieten 2” 3” 4” 5” 6” 8” oud en nieuw’ you can here the specific rumbling that i mean.

I just listened to the video, and that is a strange sound. It sounds almost like underwater noises. I'm not quite sure what is causing that. It sounds like there might be something wrong with your mic with those sort of sounds.

⁠@@BenHorne Thanks Ben, came back to say that i finally bought the stereo mic x. And i am really curious how the fireworks will sound now. Thankyou for your video it helped me with making the decision :D

I have found it works quite well for dialogue when in a controlled situation outdoors without a lot of competing background noise, and for my use, keeping it in stereo works just fine.

Hi Andri! If you're referring to the one shown early on in the desert scene with the sample clips, that's a Gitzo 5 series 4 section systematic tripod. It's an older model now, but there is a current version of it.

@@BenHorne tx Ben for your info.

You would be far better off with 2 lav mics. A stereo mic like this will certainly record the audio of the interview, but it is also more likely to catch sound reflections in the room.

Thank you for replying 👍🏼

That's a good question, and I don't know the answer to it. I haven't used the mini XLR connectors on the mic, so I don't know how that works with regard to power.

If you are using phantom power you don’t need the battery.

Directly into the camera. I know in the early days of DSLR and mirrorless video, there were limitations with the audio recording, but that doesn't seem to be an issue these days.

@@BenHorne then that rode truly is sounding good. Currently using a senheisser mke600. Someday, i might just try something with more spread like your stereo x.

They haven't come out with a new version yet. It's more of a specialty mic for them, so I imagine the upgrade cycle will be quite slow.

I was only able to get one by contacting rode directly. Unfortunately they don't sell them separate though their retail channels. If you manage to get one, please pass on the word that more people want to buy spares.

Just so long as you don't have any loud distracting sounds nearby (loud river, waterfall, etc) that you're trying to compete with, it will do a fantastic job with better ambient sound than a directional mic. I have used the Stereo Videomic X for nearly every in-the field video dating back to 2016, the only exception being my backpacking videos where I take a smaller lighter kit.

@@BenHorne What do you use for your backpacking gear ?

@@newlifeeveryday1821 I use a Rode Video Micro on a Sony ZV-1. It does a great job, though not quite on the same level as the Stereo Videomic X.

dudleydoright1961 At first I laughed and then I thought, this could actually work haha

I hope you try it and let me know how the results are

dudleydoright1961 haven’t needed to wash one yet I just got it a couple weeks ago but I’ll remember this when it’s time haha

I have tried hand washing the deadcats, but I haven't tried brushing or combing. I probably could have done a better job describing what happens to the deadcat though. It doesn't get matted in a traditional sense like a dog's fur. It is still very soft but some of the individual pieces of "fur" stick to each other so it is a less "fluffy" than when it was brand new. I think this might be caused by some oils from the skin that get on the deadcat while handling it. I thought that washing it might help, but after doing that, they are never quite as fluffy as brand new. Maybe I need to use some conditioner on it. :-)

It would be great if it had a heavy duty built-in shock mount, though I have a feeling that I'm using this mic other than how it was originally intended, so I think that is part of it as well.

It has shock mounts built into the capsules themselves.

On my trip to the Redwoods, it rained every single day and my Stereo Videomic X did well, but at a certain point, it got a bit too wet. I switched to my backup mic, a Rode Video Micro. It doesn't use a battery, and has a very good deadcat. That mic did very well on my Sony. I missed not having the stereo audio for ambient sound, but it did very well. That might be something to look into for your setup as well.

@@BenHorne yup, mine is an exact knock-off of the Rode Micro. Might have just been a bad cable or a levels thing. Must experiment... I should request them for review for one of the other YT channels I work for...

The built-in suspension system isn’t very effective, which is why I found it necessary to add the suspension shown in the video. Without it, I would get a lot of handling sounds in my audio.

For sure! It is quite large when fully assembled like that. On the plus side, it is quite light for the size.

For sure. That's where the stereo audio really comes into its own. Using headphones, it becomes incredibly immersive.

You likely could to some degree. I haven't tried that, but maybe in the future once this one gets a bit worn.

Hopefully they will have an update to this mic that has a rechargeable battery.

@@BenHorne agreed