Rode NTG2: Full-bodied Sound To Suit Your Budget

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When we got the Canon 7D, we were so excited about all the things our HD DSLR could do visually, it was only after a few days that we turned our attention to the audio recording and realised it would just not do for our shoots. We were looking for broadcast quality of sound without having to invest too much on a good shotgun mic.

After thorough research, we found that the Rode NTG-2 condenser shotgun microphone was perfect for our needs. We headed over to one of only two Rode dealers in Mumbai – Shalu Music Store near CST. The first thing you notice about the NTG-2 is that it’s lightweight and therefore perfect to hold or mount on your camera. It’s a full metal construction with an XLR input although you’ll need to get your own cable. As a handheld mic, it’s great because it cancels out nearly all undesirable noise, as you can see in the field tests in our video. The NTG-2 with a dead cat (wind muff) delivers even better results.

We still have to come to a consensus about whether the perfect sound clarity is worth taking the risk of having the dead cat visible on screen during our shoots. The NTG-2 has a signal to noise or S/N ratio (measure of signal strength relative to background noise) of 76dB which is pretty good for the semi-professional kind of videos we want to do. An even better feature is its low noise SMT circuitry, which basically means it’s designed to keep handling noise to a minimum. Sennheiser aficionados should note, the Rode NTG-2 comes at a fraction of the price of a Sennheiser mic and delivers a unidirectional sound quality that is not just at par with a Sennheiser but just a tad bit sharper – a lot of online reviewers would agree with us.

The mic’s electric power option also means that it can be directly plugged into the camera, making it easy to use. The Rode NTG-2 is not just great for live video shoots but they are also a good substitute for a studio mic and are perfect for voiceovers because of its superior directional sound quality. All in all, the Rode NTG-2 is perfect for those on a budget seeking professional sound quality. Since we work on a DSLR, we need to record the sound separately and for that, our audio recorder, the Zoom H4N complements the Rode NTG-2 perfectly.

Pros: Professional quality of sound, great under windy conditions, can be plugged into camera

Cons: Too heavy to mount on our DSLR (Canon 7D), slight hiss in recording

Product: Rode NTG-2

Price: Rs. 12,000

Buy: Shalu Music Store in Fort, Mumbai

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