First launched last November, Rode’s $149 Wireless Micro pairs two tiny rechargeable lavalier mics with a wireless receiver that connects directly to mobile devices using their USB-C charging ports (or in the case of older iPhones and iPads, the Lightning port). The receiver can connect to and record from both of the microphones simultaneously using Rode’s mobile app, with a wireless range of 328 feet.
The new Direct Connect feature takes that wireless receiver out of the equation so the mics can now connect directly to a smartphone. That approach potentially allows for simpler setups, but it does come with a few compromises. The feature is only compatible with iOS devices — not Android — and audio can only be captured from a single Wireless Micro mic at a time. The use of Bluetooth also reduces the range of the microphones, and the wireless connection may not be as stable as it is when using the receiver.
Other upgrades in the firmware update include a new noise reduction feature that helps minimize unwanted background sounds while recording in environments where silence can’t be guaranteed. That feature can be activated for each microphone independently. There’s also a new output gain control that “lets users easily adjust recording levels directly within the app,” and when using the wireless receiver connected to both mics, the audio can be captured to a single merged stereo track or recorded independently to separate channels for more flexibility while editing afterwards.
