New Rode Wireless

Too good of a price not to at least try them.

I posted them in the other thread and then convinced myself to buy them.
 
It looks like fun and there's plenty of uses for it. I'm guessing the downside is run-time, especially when I read this 'feature': "Easily recharge over lunch and dinner breaks—go from empty to a full charge in just two hours". There's the problem. It's not a full day device. Also, I'm not a fan of built-in batteries, which fail eventually.

Maybe they're so cheap that you keep a bunch of them on hand like batteries.
 
Hm. They listed 7hrs run time. Not bad. My shoots rarely last >5 hrs. I like the fact that they have a readout screen, unlike the comparable Sennheisers. I guess the question is how is the sound quality...
 
I bet they will sound as good or better than the existing Røde Video Wireless since it is a newer gen III of the same technology. Tough choice for me, I need to buy two more systems for a big shoot in Florida next month. We've been using the Tascam DR-10Ls with quite good results with the added benefit of recording lots of useful audio, even when the cameras aren't rolling, this can be gold on a documentary. Also, the Tascams are giving me 7-8 hours of recording on a single AAA battery! Very impressive performance. I throw the stock lavs in the junk drawer and hook up OST 801s and they sound excellent. Not sure if for this shoot, covering a 24 hour overnight ultra marthon, if wireless is the way to go with no sound mixer? I am sure I will pick up one of these Rødes eventually but not sure if it is the right tool for this shoot? I think the Tascams are going to work better for our needs.
 
The lack of locking connector on the TX is a bit of a concern. Without that, disconnection is just too much of a risk.

The TX is also built with an onboard omni mic, with the intent of clipping the entire TX onto a lapel. It’s small, but not that small. And the range on the spec sheet is pretty short. Always expect manufacturer estimates of range to be rare in typical operating environments.

I can see the target market for these... $199 to get a fairly okay wireless system for hobbyists and amateurs. And soccer parents.

It might make an omay backup system for when you absolutely have no better option, but I’m not sure that any of us fit the intended consumer base.
 
The jury is out, but if the mic is decent, they would be very attractive for a lot of uses. No more need to fumble around with microphone, hiding wires, finding a place for a transmitter. I've had my share of women trying to shimmy a cable down tight fitting outfits and then figuring out where to put the transmitter without it getting smashed or dropped. Then there is the talent who hands back the transmitter as it hangs from the microphone wire in their hands and you just smile and hope it still works. Just clip the transmitter onto the persons shirt and away you go.

Even if the mic isn't decent, I can see making up OST-801's with a 12" cable and tucking the transmitter behind shirts or the back of collars. It has a lot of attractions. It's a clever bugger.
 
Ha ha I just had talent drop my G3 TX on the ground yesterday, but luckily it was on a carpet :).. I don't know. I have to agree with Alex. I can't really see clipping that unit on the talent -- it's small but still too conspicuous IMO -- or for my work anyway...
 
I will buy one of the Røde GOs, mostly out of curiosity but I think I am ordering two more of the DR-10Ls, that will give me four of them. Seems weird that I am the only one around here using them for documentary shooting, they are almost exclusively used by wedding people it seems? I've discovered a whole new paradigm besides wireless, I thought not being able to monitor or remotely turn them on or off could be a hindrance but for documentary storytelling, they have been a boon as they are always recording everything not just when your cameras are rolling and we have discovered some magical audio moments that we NEVER would have captured if we were only using wireless. Pairing the DR-10Ls with the OST 801s and the Rycote Overcovers, we are getting surprisingly good, useful sound without a sound mixer. Sure, you hear the limiter once in a while but having a safety track too is amazing. I think these things are really kind of a best kept secret and far superior to cheap wireless when shooting documentary style.
 
puredrifting said:
I will buy one of the Røde GOs, mostly out of curiosity but I think I am ordering two more of the DR-10Ls, that will give me four of them. Seems weird that I am the only one around here using them for documentary shooting, they are almost exclusively used by wedding people it seems? I've discovered a whole new paradigm besides wireless, I thought not being able to monitor or remotely turn them on or off could be a hindrance but for documentary storytelling, they have been a boon as they are always recording everything not just when your cameras are rolling and we have discovered some magical audio moments that we NEVER would have captured if we were only using wireless. Pairing the DR-10Ls with the OST 801s and the Rycote Overcovers, we are getting surprisingly good, useful sound without a sound mixer. Sure, you hear the limiter once in a while but having a safety track too is amazing. I think these things are really kind of a best kept secret and far superior to cheap wireless when shooting documentary style.
Click to expand...

Is the DR-10L a sony locking connector or Sennheiser locking connector?
 
puredrifting said:
I will buy one of the Røde GOs, mostly out of curiosity but I think I am ordering two more of the DR-10Ls, that will give me four of them. Seems weird that I am the only one around here using them for documentary shooting, they are almost exclusively used by wedding people it seems? I've discovered a whole new paradigm besides wireless, I thought not being able to monitor or remotely turn them on or off could be a hindrance but for documentary storytelling, they have been a boon as they are always recording everything not just when your cameras are rolling and we have discovered some magical audio moments that we NEVER would have captured if we were only using wireless. Pairing the DR-10Ls with the OST 801s and the Rycote Overcovers, we are getting surprisingly good, useful sound without a sound mixer. Sure, you hear the limiter once in a while but having a safety track too is amazing. I think these things are really kind of a best kept secret and far superior to cheap wireless when shooting documentary style.
Click to expand...

People with Zoom H1s and the like have been doing the same thing for the last decade, but we just took the risk of no monitoring and no safety track (without annoying workarounds). When the DR-10L came out I wondered to myself where this was 5-6-7 years ago. The 10L is great when you have no other choice or you may have second chances (documentary soundbites in which you're also probably picking up pretty usable sound with on-camera mics near your subject when possible), but many times you just really, really need to hear what's being recorded (as you of course know).
 
NorBro said:
People with Zoom H1s and the like have been doing the same thing for the last decade, but we just took the risk of no monitoring and no safety track (without annoying workarounds). When the DR-10L came out I wondered to myself where this was 5-6-7 years ago. The 10L is great when you have no other choice or you may have second chances (documentary soundbites in which you're also probably picking up pretty usable sound with on-camera mics near your subject when possible), but many times you just really, really need to hear what's being recorded (as you of course know).
Click to expand...

Yep, I know. For my own documentaries, they have been really great, but not really using them on client shoots as I don't want to hand clients unsynced wild sound and for client work, I tell them if it's anything over a single talking head, we need a sound mixer. Usually. Leaving for three days of BTS on the TV movie tomorrow and we have a great sound mixer on the crew, so happy. My preferred way to deal with sound is to hire a pro, but on my own low/no budget stuff, I have to make it happen.

The no monitoring this isn't as big of a deal as I thought, I can usually tell with my ears if there is going to be issue. Shot an interview with the Tascam at the beach last weekend with talent standing perhaps 15' from breaking surf. I knew no matter what we used to mic her, we would hear a lot of ocean noise. I was using the Canon 10-18mm on the X-T3 pretty close to talent, about 2-3' away with the Røde Video Micro mounted on the gimbal handle. I compared the Røde sound with the Tascam with the 801 on talent and it sounds so much better, so much less of the waves competing with talent's voice. As long as I establish that talent is standing near the waves breaking visually, once or twice, I captured good enough audio to make it work. Safety channel is nice for peace of mind. So I end up with three different tracks to choose from, usually one of them or sometimes two combined works.
 
The DR 10 series have a range of top plates for different mic connectivity. The mini TRS top plate is for Sennheiser mics but will also work with the Rode mini TRS mics. The Sony top plate is only for the Sony KMC9BPD-4P 4 pin Hirose connector that was used on their higher end broadcast Sony mics. I see that the DR-10CS, the loop through model, has been dropped from sale in the States. I wonder what the reason for that was? Licensing I guess? The 10CS is still available here in Oz. Good write up here.

Chris Young

https://www.newsshooter.com/2018/07/19/tascam-dr-10cs-review/
 
cyvideo said:
I see that the DR-10CS, the loop through model, has been dropped from sale in the States. I wonder what the reason for that was? Licensing I guess? https://www.newsshooter.com/2018/07/19/tascam-dr-10cs-review/
Click to expand...
You wondered correctly. Specifically, Zaxcom initiated a patent infringement case, against Tascam (Teac America Inc.), and part of the 'agreement' was not to sell the 10CS in the states. BTW, Tascam also had a 10CL (Lectro) model with TA5 connectors. which was completely discontinued. I surmise this was part of the undoing of JuicedLink, which intro'd the 'Little DARling' shorty after, which was simular to the 10CS.
 
I've read a ton of reviews that the DR10's have randomly not recorded or stopped recording, I haven't run into that yet, but mine is the third choice behind two Senn G3's. That seems like a crazy amount of logging to do recording 7-8 hours of audio, whew!
 
KarlSutton said:
I've read a ton of reviews that the DR10's have randomly not recorded or stopped recording, ...
Click to expand...

Let's characterize 'ton'. For the DR10L, the B&H reviews list some sort of failure (no recording, popping, hissing, unit failure) 7 out of 138 times or 5.8%. If reviews could be counted on as being accurate, that would be high. But given what we know about reviews and star ratings, I'd say that is about as low as it gets.

For comparison, the B&H reviews for the Rode wireless have 14 failures in 137 reviews or 10.2% failure rate (nearly twice as bad), yet it is considered a great product. That would make the DR-10L an excellent product using anecdotal information.
 
So, the 3.5mm input on the new Rode wireless are not locking? I think that may be an issue in certain circumstances...
 
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