RØDE Vlogger Kit iOS Editio
Premium sound included, with VideoMic Me-L.
VideoMic Me-L is a high-quality microphone for your iPhone or iPad (with Lightning connector) designed to give you incredible audio when shooting video. Its directionality reduces surrounding noises to focus on what you’re filming, ensuring videos sound clear and intelligible. The 3.5mm jack provides a headphone output for audio monitoring and playback.
- Directional microphone for improved intelligibility.
- Can be used in forward or rear facing modes.
- Includes direct monitoring via headphone jack.
- Furry windshield included.
Vlogger Kit iOS Edition
Filmmaking Kit for iOS Devices
The iOS Vlogger Kit contains everything you need to get professional results when filming using your iPhone. The VideoMic Me-L microphone connects directly to your device, delivering crisp, clear, directional sound for any application. The SmartGrip secures your device firmly in place for stable recording and connects seamlessly to the Tripod 2 for either handheld or tabletop use, while the MicroLED ensures all your shots are perfectly lit.
- All-in-one mobile filmmaking kit, including a RØDE VideoMic Me-L Tripod 2, SmartGrip, MicroLED and accessories
- High-quality microphone that delivers professional, directional sound in any recording situation
- Three-position tripod with gimbal head – perfect for either handheld or tabletop use
- MicroLED on-camera light with diffuser and eight coloured filters for flawless shots
- Lightweight all-metal mount with rubberised grips, accommodates phones 65mm to 85mm wide
Key Accessories
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Tripod 2The Tripod 2 is a sturdy three-position tripod for mounting cameras, microphones and other accessories. In the closed position, it’s perfect for handheld use. The tripod legs can also be opened out to a mid or wide setting for optimal positioning and stability on a tabletop, and it features a gimbal head for even more flexibility, ensuring you get the perfect shot every time. | SmartGripThe SmartGrip is a high-quality smartphone mount – the perfect companion for the Tripod 2. Rubberised grips will keep your phone firmly in place and it can accommodate phones 65mm to 85mm wide, making it compatible with most models. It also features a cold shoe mount for microphones and accessories, and three attachment points for mounting in a range of orientations. | MicroLEDThe MicroLED is a compact rechargeable on-camera light that mounts neatly onto the Tripod 2. It features four adjustable brightness settings and a clip-on diffuser with eight coloured filters for capturing flawless shots. It’s charged and powered via USB-C, with over four hours operation on a single charge – more than enough for even the longest vlogs. | Clip-On Diffuser and Coloured FiltersThe MicroLED comes with a clip-on diffuser for reducing harsh shadows and softening the lighting in your vlogs. There are also eight coloured filters for capturing warm skin tones, cool outdoor scenes, and everything in between – flawless shots in any environment. |
| Weight: | 403 g |
| Dimensions: | 16.2 x 20 x 8.3 cm; 403 Grams |
| Model: | VLOGVMML |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included) |
That’s absolutely amazing! The quality is much better than I expected, the light and the structure are great.
I’ve just noted one question: If you want to use with iPhone, it’s necessary to buy another cable to adapt the microphone.
There’s no information about this by Rode.
But, I’m still in love!
There are cheaper kits and components, but I doubt they will be as well made as this one. I also found this kit on a special price. Easy to use. A super little rechargeable LED lamp with coloured filter gels included.
This works very well indeed on my android Google pixel 3a. I’ve noticed some of the negative reviews are from IPhone owners.
Sound quality from the mic is great. I am not easily pleased on this front but very impressed. With my phone you do have to select the mic manually while in the camera app but this is a simple process.
The light is surprisingly powerful for its size (the filters included with the kit are a must, otherwise it will blind you!)
Tripod is a trifle flimsy but made up for by how light weight this is (primary design is for user to hold it so this works well as not too heavy).
Excellent build quality. The sound is good – it’s very “neutral”, and I’m still playing with how to equalise it to make voice recordings sound better in finished video, but that’s exactly how a good microphone should be.
Would be quite expensive full priced – I got one 30% off due to damaged packaging, and was more than happy.
I spent quite a bit of time researching microphones to use for my podcast, and this has really made a difference to my recordings. The sound quality is absolutely superb, and
it is such an affordable price too. I cannot recommend this lapel mic highly enough.
great little mic with good holder for making filming with the phone.
I ordered this RODE microphone as they are a well known brand in the microphone business and I was expecting only positive things, unfortunately I was disappointed by the quality of the product. The audio is amazing for the price and is definetly comparable to studio grade sound in my opinion and it’s plug and play with my iPhone XR and Lighting to 3.5mm adapter. Unfortunately the microphone clip/mount is poorly designed, it has a good crocodile clip to attach to clothing but the micophone wireloop is made of thin metal and snapped straight off when I tried to attach the microphone, I soldered it back together and it snapped again so I contacted Amazon support and got a 15% refund to purchase a new microphone clip.
Easy to attach, looks well made and the sound quality is impressive. So much better than the iPhone built in microphone.
I bought this mic for my online yoga class. I am moving around a lot but the sound is clear and good.
Picks up sound very well, even from a distance of half a meter. Way superior to using a phones internal microphone. The windshield is very large so it is best suitable for use on a phone that has the headphone jack on the opposite end of your phones camera otherwise it will probably obscure your cameras view. Thankfully my phone does have its headphone jack on the opposite end to the camera so it works nicely for me. Great quality as you would expect from rhode.
I was pleasantly surprised at how sturdy the tripod feels when using it as a handle. No wobble whatsoever. The ball head tightens very nicely. I’m not worried about my phone moving at all like it had with other tripods/mounts. 10/10 would buy again.
Bought this configuration in order to use the phone to record sound one-handed, but the connector would not go through the protective case on my camera. So I had either to remove the camera from its case, or use an extra cable and two hands.
Sound quality, directionality and wind noise reduction are excellent.
It says for iphone, works fine with other cameras having a 3.5 mm socket but video users may find that the mic is in the field of view of the camera, especially with the wind shield fitted.
What on earth is sheerness in a microphone? I gave it 3 stars for an unknown quality because Amazon demanded a response!
I am a professional sound engineer by trade and I have been in the industry for over 20 years. This is a great little mic for the price. It’s surprisingly rich vs pretty much anything else in it price range so if you want a little lapel mic with a great sound, this is it.
Great piece of kit, excellent service but…
Ridiculous amount of packaging for a lapel mic & thin cable less than 1.5 long
I used one of these a few years ago when the college I was working at bought some. Initially I was impressed. The improved directionality and ‘focus’ from what is essentially a mini shotgun mic was notably better than my phone or the college’s iPads could capture internally.
Since then I’ve bought a new phone (Samsung Galaxy Note 10+) and its mics are much cleverer than those on the iPad Air, to the point that doing an A/B test of this versus an internal phone mic recording showed very little difference. While it was noticeably better through the Rde, the difference only presented itself through professional-grade reference headphones (when I’m just recording little demos on my phone, I don’t usually plug in headphones at all – let alone the big fragile expensive ones).
I think that’s the main problem with this mic. For the kinds of things I’m likely to record with it it’s less convenient to have to plug it in every time – so much so that after a few weeks I think I’d just not bother. Not to mention that my phone (and most others these days) doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack, so it’s dangling off a 1″ dongle cable.
As for its main role as a video mic, on a device that has a headphone jack it does clip on nicely and point at your subject, ignoring lots of surrounding noise…but my phone’s mic is just as good. The Rde’s larger diaphragm definitely helps in terms of frequency range, but for acoustic instruments and vocals it makes little difference.
This is not a bad microphone. I got it for 40 and would’ve kept it if my phone weren’t so good as to make it superfluous.
To be absolutely honest, I don’t absolutely need two. But this was so useful as a quick attachment to a phone or tablet for videoconferencing – the distinguishing feature is the socket at the rear for a pair of headphones – that I thought I would play safe and get a spare.
The sound quality is very good; the dead cat is essential for working in the garden; last of all there is the psychological benefit. Talking at a tablet or phone just feels weird, and I never have any faith in the tiny microphones which are part of the wiring on headphones.
Excellent almost amazing product. I could have bought the cheaper 3.5mm jack socket version as I prefer to use this with an extension lead. Lightning extension leads are quite expensive. But overall a super produc
1) Lavalier mics are inherently fragile – thin cables and sensitive capsules. It’s not a design fault, it’s just the way they are.
2) It will only work as well as the environment allows. If it’s windy, your recording will be affected. Choose your location carefully.
3) While it’s plugged in, your phone will think your headphones are in use. To hear your recording, first unplug the mic.
Good performance, with an impressive signal-to-noise ratio, in ideal circumstances.
This product makes it easy to record clear audio on the move as well as at hone. Really enjoyed using this mic to my iPhone. Couldn’t find a contact – but got this product in august been using from time to time but it’s stopped working is there anything I can do as I really enjoy it!
Ar first I was unimpressed with this but it has been really useful in recordings so I am pleased with it. It works on my Android and ios which I wasn’t sure about at first. Still unclear if I need an adapter for it. But it seems to work well!
Really like the sound quality, but the connection is a little bit chunky for my robust iPad case (necessary for my filming environment).
Really good price, compared to others.
Also its a lot louder than the mics that are built into the phone.
It is not stereo like the built in s10+ mics but for vocals that’s better for me.
It comes with quite large fluffy pop filter which on my s10+ will cover up to 1/4 of the bottom of the screen. So
I only put it on when I’ve set every volume level to my preference.
This pop filter does stop pops well.
Tried recording deliberatly sibilant sources and bassy things with no obvious clipping.
I like it – it’s stopped all the usb mic latency nonsense and ‘research’ I was wasting my life doing with my phone and made me sound better for peanuts.
I’m not finding it picks up rf from the phone plugged into the headphone jack with headphones attached to the rear of it.
Be aware it is your app that has to be programmed to push live audio out to the headphone socket terminal to it’s rear.
It will sit there happily allowing you to play mp3s from whatever app but you won’t hear this mic *live* unless your recording app has that specific feature.
Worth more than it sells for imo.
Makes such a huge difference. I bought this a started recorded YouTube videos on my phone until I could afford a camera. It improved my sound quality soo much and my subscribers also complimented the upgrade
The microphone comes with a wind muffler to reduce wind noise. This is effective, but doesn’t fit as tightly as I would like – I am genuinely worried at times ti will fall off if I’m tipping the mic forwards so might look at other attachment methods.
The clipping method is brilliant and works flawlessly on my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. I also use this with my DJI Osmo Gimbal so have bought an extension cable to mount the microphone onto the gimbal instead.
Directional audio has vastly improved the sound quality and allows me to focus the audio recording on the subject of the video and cut out a lot of background cars or chatter.
Overall I highly recommend this if you plan on using your videos for anything more than home use. Audio is hard to fix in post production so getting it right first time is a life saver.
Its a lav mic. Rode is renowned for its good microphones, and in this case the microphone is to their great standard and is perfectly usable in most scenarios using voice memos.
Just to nit pick annoyingly there is an app you can buy to extend the uses of this microphone. Petty but in the big picture its only 10% the value of the mic.
I was surprised by the clarity of sound from such a tiny mic. I lack any form of volume input control on the video camera I use, but find that this delivers a very strong but not distorted signal – to the point where I was reducing it on editing to balance with the camera’s soundtracks. Impressive performance.
As it is a directional mic ambient sound from the side and back are much reduced leaving the sound from your subject clean and crisp. Rde may have just made the iPhone the best minimalist vlogging tool.
Rode’s ridiculous focus on Apple environment is truly annoying through eyes of Smartlav+ user. It is dedicated to those of you that have old apple phone (yes they support old ones only-it is all about jack 🙂 ) – Rode app (paid!) is available on IOS only 5.99 sic!). I know you can always find better apps on Android and usually free or for a fraction of IOS equivalent price (i bought Rec Forge II pro for just over 2, it was ‘expensive one’. I must say that native app was doing the job well, but I always want to squeeze all juice from my devices. It is not an issue though, Rode does not recommend any particular one for android. Why? What is the point of having good product for obsolete mobile devices? I do not follow Rode’s philosophy.
Box and package. It comes with basic cardboard box (no tech specs on it , but I’ll talk about it later). Inside there is attached a quick guide… If you expected quick guide about the product, you would be surprised. It is all about mount clip. Yes. mount clip only. Nothing about using the mic. No tech specs, no characteristics of the mic, nothing but clip. You can straight away see that the product and its users are not treated seriously by the producer. All the time you get impression, you got cheap leftover from great Rode’s true offer (btw it is in fact costly product and we pay quite a lot in it for branding – manufacturing eng guy perspective).
The only way to get more info about specs is on their website (at least that).
Acoustic Principle Permanently Polarise
Active Electronics JFET
Capsule 0.10″
Polar Pattern
Address Type End
Frequency Range 60Hz – 18kHz
Output Impedance 3000
Maximum SPL 110dBSPL
Maximum Output Level 189.0mV (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1K load)
Sensitivity -35.0dB re 1 Volt/Pascal (17.80mV @ 94 dB SPL) +/- 2 dB @ 1kHz
Equivalent Noise Level (A-weighted) 27dBA
Weight 6.00g
Dimensions 1180.00mmH x 4.50mmW x 4.50mmD
Output TRRS Output
Warranty 1 year
Since it is omni-directional condenser mic, you must be aware that it is capable of recording environment as you actually hear it. Remember you can learn to ignore some sounds, but microphone cannot. It will record your wall clock ticking , fridge, neighbours … everything. Thus, you need app to cut off its sensitivity dramatically, so that it picks up only your voice and later you amplify it to suit your needs. It is not dynamic, nor one that focuses on one direction only mic-please check what you really need.
What annoys me is that they use meaningless phrases on the box, leaflet and adverts (‘professional- grade’, ‘broadcast quality’… meaningless marketing only).
It is not pro grade product. But it is a high quality (sometimes too high) for beginners and above in audio/voice recording.
Cable length is ok (you get about 70cm of usable cable length, when excluding all necessary bends and loops) for average height person – you can hide your phone in front trousers pocket. I would not recommend it if you need to be further away from recording device (probably rare for such a basic product occasion, but have it in your mind before purchase), or if you are really tall and cannot hide phone in your jacket.
Free advice:
– always record in flight mode
-if on windows surface like device switch of system sound enhancements (recording device advanced properties settings).
-your phone or tablet or PC (if TRRS jack compatible) may see it as headset – you have to define it as recording device only and use other audio output (in some devices it is not that simple) for sound
To sum up, it is a very good microphone for its price, but only for people that spent some time setting up recording devices of are experienced in voice recording. If not- too expensive – you can get your results for less.
There is a lot of misleading marketing info (mainly from Rode itself) that could create unsupported expectations. Lack of any guidance or advice or app for users (the one for IOS can be ignored – supports devices that are not even manufactured anymore!).
Or buy it and play with it for a while – once you understood its properties, it will give you expected results… and will open your way for pro products 🙂
This is my third smart lav & mic which I bought for my Zoom H1’s which is incredibly handy when you have to be ultra-fast and cant use the Sennheiser body packs.
being so small they can get lost easily so always put them back in the provided pouch and back in the bag after use and that way you will never lose them.
I always use it with moleskin tape under the clothing and shielded from scratching against fibers (checkout youtube how to do this properly for best results.)
I always achieve excellent sound quality almost as good as the Sennheisers which cost in excess of up to 7 times more.
Good call! Seriously, anyone using a smartphone to produce videos (and that’s a LOT of people) need to invest in a good-quality mike – probably a lavalier like this one.
I’m no mike expert, but I love the sound that this produces. Just plug it into the iPhone (or whatever) and enjoy crystal-clear sound. It transforms videos, seems really well made, comes with a carrying pouch and good instructions. If you’re any distance from your subject, you’ll need the SC1 extension cable.
Highly recommended!!
I use this smartlav+ in conjunction with Lumia 930 to get a digital audio file to then put into NLE video editor as additional/improved audio which I sync with the audio recorded on the camera. It works very well for the price, more money than most consumer level mic’s, but no where near the price of a professional mic, with quality that only just falls short of professional quality. The sound is far superior to just the camera mic, Sony PJ810, alone particularly if the subject is more than a few feet from the camera. Please note you will need an adaptor if you want to plug this directly into the camera, which I have not yet tried. The overall sound quality is excellent, there is the very faintest background hiss, and some words/sounds can pop a little, but most of this can be compensated with recording settings.
Works beautifully well, but need to remember to plug your headphones in if you want to listen back to your recordings without unplugging it…
Also be aware that the fuzzy mic cover (for wind) can block the camera if you are using it for video recording…
Was a problem on my Samsung S5, not a problem on my S8 (because the headphones socket is at the bottom of the phone!)
Very handy gadget for directional pickup. Whilst the audio “quality” is not very different an ipad or iphone mic it is much more directional and so will be much better at picking up a single voice in a crowd. The wind sock “dead cat” works well. Note it does obscure the camera on a moto g4+ but it can be used with a trrs extension lead.
So, i went on and bought this mic despite the negative reviews here. And i am glad i ignored them!
First of all i am not giving the full 5 stars because of the deceiving description thus some of the negative reviews. The box states clearly that this mic is meant for Apple products ONLY. I don’t know if it has to do with the software but definitely has to do with the position on your mic’s jack. So yes it is not meant for phones that the camera is next to the mic jack, when it comes to this feature at least , as i don’t know (but probably won’t matter but..) what can be the problem with other phone’s software to use this mic.
When it comes to performance it definitely deserves the whole 5 stars and more. Don’t trust someone’s hearing ability to decided! Trust your own ears and that is what youtube videos are for. And there is a plethora of reviews for that brand and for the specific mic and they can’t ALL be sponsored to support them nor all to be lying nor to be incapable of hearing!
I didn’t want to spend a huge amount of money for a mic for everyday vlogging and i hate wires! The price is to be taken seriously here as this is not an amount of money you wouldn’t be upset to throw down the drain if not happy so do your research depending on your needs! Amazon’s policy with returns and all the reviews and test fields from so many people on youtube about this brand made me give it a go.
At the end of the day i could have tried it and if not happy return it but that is not happening for me with this mic and i am so glad i went the extra money for a well-known brand so i dont have to return anything now to get the well-known brand at the end!
Great clarity for the cost, and you can get half-decent recordings directly from your phone.
Haven’t tested against other products, but works brilliantly for my uses.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but to me there isn’t a massive leap in audio quality over the iPhone mic. It is better, but enough to make a difference? Maybe.
I will say that the unit is very sturdy and the other parts seem robust. I have had no problem clipping it to my iPhone, over a quadlock phone case, and it stays in position.
My main use is for recording live music performance (mainly of solo violin) and it is sufficient for me to make out whatever nuances I want to be able to hear in my playing.
I have yet to use it outside and make a comparison, but I expect the wind shield will make a huge difference over the iPhone audio experience, so I am hoping to be more impressed than with the marginal audio quality jump I have experienced so far.
I’m not unhappy, I’m not ecstatic, but I am satisfied.
Love these mics. I use these (I have 3) for video interviews. I connect them to an older iphone or ipod. On the iOs devices I run RecorderHQ. Drop the device in the persons pocket and get great audio to sync to the videos. Using iOs devices I can send the recordings to my iMac via Airdrop or send them to iCloud directly from the app. The mics work great – have great sound, and are less noisy than the original smartlav. For me it works better than a wireless system – and the only limit on how many you can use is the number you have!
Here’s new review -sometimes you just have to own up to your own mistakes! Wrote this far too quickly. Rode did come back with some offered solutions inc getting Filmic Pro app. Will still consider this but needed it ty work with basic iPhone video (eg for Facebook Live). Then my stupidity struck me – I had left the mic socket in on playback. Even more annoying because I did exactly the same thing when I bought my mic for the desktop.
So I’m labouring the before and after in case anyone else attempts t of thre same thing. Bought an extension cable too and it is when the camera is a distance away from you, on a tripod, that the difference in sound is really noticeable.
Mic works really well or the price.
The microphone was bought to be used with an iPhone 6 and fits very nicely. It has an adjustable support that helps with stability. It came with a wind shield that works very well outside and the microphone itself is a very strong construction. There are a variety of apps available to record audio with, but the built in audio recorder with IOS works very well with the microphone.
The microphone is fairly expensive, but the quality of the sound and the solid build quality make it worth it. Delivery was next day with Amazon Prime
Heed the warnings though – if your lens and minijack are on the same side of the phone you almost certainly won’t be able to use the windshield (which was as major part of my purchasing decision vs rubbish windshields and weird DSP effects with built-in phone mics).
I bought this microphone for using on my phone and on my computer. It does the job well, but I’ve noticed that quite often there will be a clicking interference about 5 minutes into my recordings that will last the remainder of the recording. It only happens when there’s sound recorded. I’m still trying to figure out what the problem is, but until I do I have to assume it’s a fault with the microphone. Due to this I have rated it 4 stars instead of 5, but it’s definitely a recommend microphone.
Excellent product. It works with my Sony Xperia Z3 phone, although there is currently no android app. You will need a third party app. That was found and works a treat. Quality of sound is a vast improvement over the last. There is no buzzing or hissing noise.
When you look at the product you cannot believe that such a small product can be worth the high price they ask. Its what inside though that counts and now everything that I record, I use this. I am not disappointed.
Comes in a neat little pouch aswell for storage.