Whereas most built-in camera microphones pick up sound from all directions, this microphone utilizes a supercardioid polar pattern to focus on sound in front of it while attenuating sound from the sides and rear. Its active electronics and directional condenser element deliver more detailed audio than the mics typically found in cameras and portable recorders.

A coiled 3.5mm cable is permanently attached to the mic for fast hookup to your camera. The cable's 3.5mm TRS plug is wired in a dual-mono configuration, ensuring that the mic signal is sent identically to both input channels of your camera or portable recorder.

Pop a 9V battery in the VideoMic for up to 100 hours of operating time. The dedicated power LED changes from green to red when the battery should be replaced. The VideoMic can still function for approximately one hour once the power indicator turns red, but performance will be compromised. Use the power switch to conserve battery life during periods of inactivity.

The high-pass filter can be set to flat or 80 Hz to roll off low-frequency noise from common sources such as air conditioners and traffic.

To protect against distortion, the VideoMic offers a pad that reduces the signal level. Switch to the -10 dB option when loud sound sources threaten to distort your recording, use the -20 dB position to prevent extreme input levels from clipping causing clipping, or select the flat setting when routing the mic into a dedicated high-quality preamp.

Understanding that the rubber bands used in many shockmounts can snap and stretch, Rode chose to integrate a rugged Rycote Lyre suspension-style shockmount. This simplifies setup of the mic and inhibits the transfer of vibrations from the camera. Plus, the bottom of the shockmount features a camera shoe mount with a 3/8" thread, ensuring easy attachment to your camera or a boompole such as Rode's Micro Boompole (available separately).

The VideoMic has a foam windscreen to reduce unwanted wind noise from breezes, fans, heaters, and air conditioners. For maximum reduction of wind noise in outdoor environments, consider a furry windshield such as the Rode DeadCat (available separately).

Expand the microphone's device compatibility with Rode accessories such as the SC4 and VXLR (both available separately). The SC4 is a short cable that lets you connect the VideoMic directly to a smartphone or tablet equipped with a 3.5mm TRRS jack. The VXLR adapter is the ideal solution when you want to record the VideoMic to a camcorder or mixer that has XLR inputs.