There are various tools you will need when building a streaming setup depending on the purpose or what you are going to do with the activity. No matter if you are game streamer, ASMR content maker, or product reviewer, a microphone is a must have but for those whose activity centered on portable smart devices and Shure MV88 Vs Rode VideoMicro will be the most ideal choice to go. If you are also having the same plan, go check which microphone will work for you here.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
- Why Using External Microphone
- What are Shure MV88 and Rode VideoMicro
- What Shure MV88 and Rode VideoMicro Look Like
- What Shure MV88 and Rode VideoMicro are Made for
- How are the Performance of Shure MV88 and Rode VideoMicro
- Do Shure MV88 and Rode VideoMicro have a Software
- Shure MV88 Vs Rode VideoMicro
External Microphone
Content makers have an infinity of choices to pick and build their main gear with because there are so many tools and even one can have different types that you can integrate into your main setup to get the best result for the application. Video recording has improved so much from those we have to rent service from professional cameramen to now, everyone can be their own cameraman and video creator with their smartphone. One thing doesn’t change however, separate tools usually perform better than built-in ones.
This does speak well when it comes to microphone because while camera quality was improved greatly to how smartphone and pocket camera can record UHD resolution, somehow their audio quality is still far from being upgraded at the same level as the image quality. This may not be an issue for most users, especially casual people who are only doing the recording for hobby or at memorable moments yet, for hobbyist and professional audio quality can be as meaningful as great crisp image.
The reason is, an external microphone will provide a better audio quality to your footage compared to the one built in the camera or smartphone and depending on the each model’s capability as well, the difference can be very significant. This is why many professional cameras are coming with their own external port to place microphone to enhance the footage overall’s quality. The one on our main gear is indeed necessary but it is just for the minimum requirement and if you are in for the professional result, we also need to up the game.
However, before heading to the store and grab any external microphone, the first thing you may want to consider is what the main gear is because not all microphone will work with just any port especially if your activity is centered on the smartphone since beside the availability of port we also need to consider the suitability of the operating system; very similar to when you need to shop for a smartwatch. On the other hand, cameras are usually more forgiving for the options.
They can work with almost any microphone as long as the port is present and in most cases we only need to find the correct cable to connect the input. Some models can be interchangeable between smartphone and camera but not all are possible to be used in this scenario. In addition, you may want to consider the mounting option as well to see how ideal the unit will be in your setting whether it involves other devices or as a standalone tool.
| Shure MV88 | Rode VideoMicro | |
|---|---|---|
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| Product Dimensions | 1.4 x 1 x 2.6 inches | 3.1 x 0.8 x 0.8 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 5.6 ounces | 7.2 ounces |
| Shop now at Amazon | click here | click here |
About Shure MV88 and Rode VideoMicro
If you are here then it means you also often shoot footage with your smartphone or camera and need something to improve the audio quality in which is possible using an external microphone. As the demand of compatible and reliable small microphones are increasing with the popularity of independent filmmaking and various content makers, the tools are getting more widely used as well so more and more companies are offering the unit from the affordable entry-level ones to those made for more serious users.
Among those many manufacturers, Shure and Rode are two of the most look up to when it comes to audio equipment and we are sure most people are familiar with these two as well or chances you may also already have some of their products in the past considering how well-known and widely available their equipment are. Besides regular microphones for live performance and recording they have those made for video recording purpose and compact enough for content or filmmaker.
If this is your application then Shure MV88 and Rode VideoMicro are going to sit well in your setup accompanying the main gear. Both of them are ideal for those who are using smartphones but they are also different because the latter is overall more versatile in our opinion while the former is a bit more limited in application. In terms of audio quality, many people are loving these microphones due to how they increase the clarity of the audio taken from their main device.
The one in our article today is Shure MV88 and this one is not to be confused with the MV88+ which you can check on our Shure MV88 Vs MV88+ because it is the original and the more basic version of the two. For those who are working with Android however, we do recommend the big brother since it is much more versatile. On the other hand, the VideoMicro seems to be designed natively for camera users with the hot shoe to mountain the additional input.
Shure MV88 and Rode VideoMicro Design
As you can see from the sample picture above, both of Shure MV88 and Rode VideoMicro are quite different from each other because while they are indeed using the same tube just like any external condenser microphones out there for this application, side by side the latter is bigger and easily weigh the MV88 out. From the design alone you can guess how the unit will be mounted later and what makes them prominently set apart to each other from the outside alone is how Shure placed its connector right on the unit.
This microphone has a hinge on the bottom so then you can move it to follow the sound direction; back or forth. On the other hand the VideoMic pro from Rode is solid one tube only so it is not capable of being moved around right on the unit but in comparison you can always reposition it through the mounting. What’s come in the box beside the microphone alone are a wind screen and for Rode you will also get the connector cable for hot shoe mounting then a Rycote Lyre shock mount.
Shure MV88 and Rode VideoMicro Compatibility
As it has been mentioned above, before deciding whether the microphone can improve your audio quality or not, the first thing is checking the compatibility of these microphones. Shure MV88 is natively for iOS users and this is why it is built with lightning connector and while you can shop for the adapter to Android, not all of them will be accepting audio from this version out of the box; even the MV88+ which is made for both operating systems can only work with certain phones like newer Samsung Galaxy and Note series.
As for the Rode VideoMicro, this one is natively built for used with camera user so you can instantly plug it through the hot shoe port and for Android users there is an adapter as well to connect it to your phone but for iPhone users, this model is not compatible with newer models like iPhone 8 and iPhone X.
Shure MV88 and Rode VideoMicro Performance
The next point we want to talk about is the audio itself and on this side both of them are working fairly well because they are going to improve your captured audio. What’s different is that the Rode is coming with only one cardioid polar pattern in comparison to MV88 which will get you to both cardioid and bidirectional pattern. They also, however, have different frequency responses from 20 Hz to 20 kHz and from 100 Hz to 20 kHz respectively.
Many users feel the improvement from these microphones on their audio but there is not so little as well who doesn’t feel satisfied about how these two result on their video or audio quality. In our opinion it will relate to how we are using the tool; in fairly short distance they can work pretty well but further none of them will perform reliably. However, the sound pressure is between 120 and 140 SPL respectively making Rode the louder one.
Shure MV88 and Rode VideoMicro Software
Moving further, another difference between Shure MV88 and Rode VideoMicro is their software because with Rode you have to use a third party app to further adjust the microphone in which Shure has its own Motiv app which you can download for free. This software is very easy to use and very useful as well, to fully extend the microphone customization. However, compared to MV88+, they are still not as convenient and richly featured.
Shure MV88 vs Rode VideoMicro
Both of them are a great option to make your audio quality improved over the built-in microphone but they are also different mainly on the native working environment because one is for iOS and the latter is for almost any camera with hot shoe, Android phones or older iPhones. In addition Shure captured lower frequency but in comparison Rode is producing louder sound and MV88 also comes with a companion app to use while VideoMicro relies on your camera app or third-party app.
Conclusion
Any of these microphones are a good option but if we have to pick one, it is best to choose the model that suits your application or main device the most. iPhone users will more likely love how MV88 directly fit their smartphone will Android and older iPhone, more importantly camera users should pick VideoMic pro from Rode.