Rode Wireless Go II

KarlSutton said:
Interesting thought of tethering my current setup with an original Rode go.
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You could do that but you're adding complexity and more things to forget.

Why not just use the Wireless Go 2 straight into the camera? Then you've got synced sound for ease of use - plus the higher quality safety recordings on the TX units if you want those.
Seems like the best of both worlds and super simple to use.
 
I note that the Rode Wireless GO ii firmware has now been updated to version 1.2.4. With no details of the various firmware releases on Rode's website, it is not apparent to me what has changed: nothing obvious from Rode Central software or using the devices. The website refers to 40 hrs (as opposed to 24+ hrs) for uncompressed recordings now using the 'latest' firmware, but this may have been added previously: not that I'm interested in the compressed audio now that uncompressed is working fine. I've asked Rode to add a firmware details/firmware history page (such as Sound Devices has) as this would be useful...

Cheers,

Roland
 
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I've heard from Rode saying 'The 1.2.4 update was mainly to fix a bug which would sometimes prevent the transmitter from being read by the app. Unplugging and plugging it back in again would normally fix this, but the update prevents the needs for this obstacle much more often. Also, I believe from this version onwards, the firmware of the app is now displayed at the bottom left upon opening the app. (Before any TX or RX has been plugged in).'

Certainly connection of the TX units to a computer seems a little more stable, but not entirely so.

Cheers,

Roland
 
I tried a couple of Samsung S10 phone cables on the TX units, USBA to C and since using them I haven't had any flakey 'boing, boing' disconnection issues. Might be just cable quality?

Chris Young.
 
Another (unannounced) firmware update, again with no info as to what has changed, and nothing evident from use of the wireless mics or the Rode Central software: this one is v.1.3.3, which is odd (did versions 1.3.1 and 1.3.2 appear and get superseded in the last couple of days since v.1.2.4 was released mid-week?!). One can only assume some more subtle bug fixes.

Cheers,

Roland
 
Use a few days ago I used my WGoII for real. It was an unusual shoot with the presenter in a kayak for most of it and me filming them from the boat.
I knew they'd go out of range which they did pretty quickly - but the onboard recording worked well.

Since I only had the single person I put both mics on them (one using a lav and one with the built in). Both sounded good.

I came across one digital glitch in the recording but having both I could just use the other recording.

Battery life was great (filmed for about 6 hours and batteries were down around half)

Overall very impressed.

Reception range wasn't great but that was expected and not a problem.
 
Yes - it's not ideal.
But in many many hours of recording I only noticed one.
Also - this was last week so there's been a firmware update since then so maybe it's been fixed?

Here's the exported wav:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/91cikengom81oe9/RODE GLITCH.wav?dl=0
You can hear the glitch at 11 seconds in.

I've tried reexporting and the result is the same - you can also hear it when you play in the app.
So I think it is a fault in the onboard file.

I'll let Rode know and see what they say.
 
That's useful Nathan. So what firmware version were you using? As I mentioned there was more than one firmware update last week, with no obvious changes in them. I have asked Rode again to provide notes with their firmware updates and a firmware history on the website.

Cheers,

Roland
 
nathankw said:
Yes - it's not ideal.
But in many many hours of recording I only noticed one.
Click to expand...

But you KNOW that in hours of recording that 1 second glitch will be a crucial point right in the middle of the very expensive unrepeatable special effect...
When else would it be :-)

nathankw said:
Also - this was last week so there's been a firmware update since then so maybe it's been fixed?
Click to expand...

Hopefully...
 
I've lost count of the all the versions - but this was recorded on tuesday last week (ith March) and I've been keeping updated - so it was whichever was current at that that point.

I've send the clip to Rode so we'll see what they make of it.
 
nathankw said:
I've send the clip to Rode so we'll see what they make of it.
Click to expand...

Great - I'll be curious to know what they say. Keep us updated.

I'm really intrigued by these. I never used the original versions because they just didn't seem reliable enough - but the inclusion of an onboard backup recording could be the solution to that. But... if a wireless transmitter with an onboard backup recorder needs another wireless transmitter with an onboard backup recorder as a backup.... well, that isn't nearly as interesting.
 
nathankw said:
Use a few days ago I used my WGoII for real. It was an unusual shoot with the presenter in a kayak for most of it and me filming them from the boat.
I knew they'd go out of range which they did pretty quickly - but the onboard recording worked well.

Since I only had the single person I put both mics on them (one using a lav and one with the built in). Both sounded good.

I came across one digital glitch in the recording but having both I could just use the other recording.

Battery life was great (filmed for about 6 hours and batteries were down around half)

Overall very impressed.

Reception range wasn't great but that was expected and not a problem.
Click to expand...

When you say out of range do you mean you exceeded the 200m range or the subject was out of line of sight? Also was the TX with the lav mic on the front or rear of your subject?
 
I'm not very good at estimating distance I'm afraid.
Both mics were on the presenters front (with hindsight I should have put the lav one on his back).
So when he was rowing away from me the signal cut out pretty early (20-30m?)

Then when he turned to face me it worked at a longer distance - though I don't think it reached 200m.

But none of this really mattered as I knew I'd end up just using the on board audio anyway.
 
Luis Caffesse said:
Great - I'll be curious to know what they say. Keep us updated.

I'm really intrigued by these. I never used the original versions because they just didn't seem reliable enough - but the inclusion of an onboard backup recording could be the solution to that. But... if a wireless transmitter with an onboard backup recorder needs another wireless transmitter with an onboard backup recorder as a backup.... well, that isn't nearly as interesting.
Click to expand...

Got a fairly non committal reply from Rode. They'd pass it on to the engineers and in the meantime suggested I load the latest firmware to see if that fixes it.

However I really don't think it's that big an issue. In the many hours of recording on both units I only noticed one such glitch - and no one else has reported one so it must be rare.

The reality is, if you want flawless audio you have to monitor and in all normal situations I would.

What I don't know is whether the glitch would have been picked up by the receiver - but either way is fine.
If the glitch isn't transmitted then I've got clean audio recorded at my end. If it is transmitted then I'll hear it and redo that bit.

I've never had an audio system that doesn't get the occasional problem, whether it's interference or the mic getting knocked etc.
This system was the easiest and most reliable I've used - and I think it'll only get better.
 
nathankw said:
Got a fairly non committal reply from Rode. They'd pass it on to the engineers and in the meantime suggested I load the latest firmware to see if that fixes it.

However I really don't think it's that big an issue. In the many hours of recording on both units I only noticed one such glitch - and no one else has reported one so it must be rare.

The reality is, if you want flawless audio you have to monitor and in all normal situations I would.

What I don't know is whether the glitch would have been picked up by the receiver - but either way is fine.
If the glitch isn't transmitted then I've got clean audio recorded at my end. If it is transmitted then I'll hear it and redo that bit.

I've never had an audio system that doesn't get the occasional problem, whether it's interference or the mic getting knocked etc.
This system was the easiest and most reliable I've used - and I think it'll only get better.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the followup, Nathan.
:thumbsup:
 
ahalpert said:
I'm a little concerned about the reliability of the system - both the wireless connection and the fact that the mic input is not a locking connector. Not sure how much of a problem that last part is in practice. but I wouldn't want to end up with just a recording from the TX mic in someone's pocket.
Click to expand...

Like you I was a little concerned at not having locking connectors on the TX units. Hence me posting my primitive security workaround JPG in post #129. So far all wireless has been fool-proof... touch wood!

Chris Young
 
And so the mysterious firmware updates march on! Version 1.4.8 released, which seems to have followed on from v.1.3.3: if there were ones in between I missed them, and still there is no info/version history on the website. And nothing evidently different in use (e.g. desirables like date+time filenames, batch exporting, decibel levels on the meters etc.).

Cheers,

Roland
 
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