I’m happy this channel is blowing up. Every time I watch these reviews I feel like none of my time is wasted and I learn more than what I anticipated. Thanks dude.
Thanks a lot, I really appreciate that. What's funny is that subscriber growth has slowed down a good bit lately, but I still plan to keep going. Thanks for the support :)
“More expensive doesn’t always mean better” finally someone who gets it, other reviews I’ve seen put down the “cheaper” microphone when they’re doing a comparison, before they even hear it
Do you think the NTG5 would be the best mic for talking head RUclips videos in a treated 13x9 room? (On boom pole, above head, just out of shot). If not, what would you choose? (MKH 50?)? I have a baritone voice. Thanks!
I love ALL the NTG mics. The NTG3 is one of my favorites of all time if you wanted to splurge. If not, the NTG5 would definitely still be a great choice if you’re planning on using a shotgun for sure. If you’re open to it, a regular condenser or dynamic mic in frame close to your mouth will sound the best, but I know that’s not always an option.
This was a very useful comparison! This kind of confirmed my suspicion that my Senal shotgun mic, while still mostly natural-sounding, is missing a little bit of low-end and may have a slightly weird resonance in higher frequencies of the human voice. But I was pleasantly surprised how well it held up against the other mics demonstrated, especially since I got my Senal as part of a deal.
Glad it helped. I still think the Senal MC-24EL is the best low budget "long" shotgun available, sound quality wise. I really like that it's a hypercardioid as well.
I like the “stock” NTG5 best too. Has a very clean and full sound with very little processing. The good news is that you can EQ and process almost any decent mic into something really nice. My three mics in rotation now are the Rode NTG3, NTG5, and VideoMic NTG! I wouldn’t say I’m a Rode fanboy, they just happen to sound best with my voice, which I think should be the biggest consideration when choosing a mic.
Deity mics are a great value, but it's very hard to beat any of the Rode NTG series. At the same time, you do pay a bit more for the Rode, so it also depends on budget. Decisions, decisions...
I didn't have the 416 at the time, and it wouldn't fit into this video very well anyways since it's so much more expensive. I'll include it in a future video, against stuff like the Rode NTG3, which is one of my favorite mics ever.
Good mics for sure, the Synco D1 is kind of a dark horse! I just did a dynamic mic comparison if you're interested in hearing how those sound: ruclips.net/video/H0Xc15vXvqE/видео.html
Listening through my Genelecs and an external DAC, I preferred the S Mic 2 over the Rode. The Deity, to my ears, sounded more neutral whereas the Rode had a slight upper-bass boost that I didn't care for on this particular voice. Mind you, a simple EQ fix would remedy that.
A lot of people love the sound of Deity mics, which I find to be very distinct. Personally I prefer Rode for my voice, but neither is right or wrong. And, like you said, the majority of differences between mics can be fixed with basic EQ :)
Really surprised how good those Synco mics sounded except for the plosives when the mic is closer but that is easy to get around with a pop filter or addressing at a different angle.
Same here, especially the Mic-D1. And I purposefully didn't add any pop filters etc. to give the most "realistic" idea of what they'll get without additional treatment. Thanks for commenting.
Could you do a video like this with shotgun microphones ? Deity video mic ntg comica vm120 etc. Your comparisons are awesome. How do you feel about multi source lights ? Seems so much easier to find those thay are npf powered and portable
I've tried getting the Comica VM120 a bunch but they are not interested unfortunately. And when you say multi-source lights, do you mean LED panel lights?
@@A1Bokeh I just did a video on my favorite budget panel lights: ruclips.net/video/_pWswMk6K3I/видео.html The Neewer 660 are good too, but GVM has a lot more options, and when they are on sale (which is often) I think they are a better deal overall.
Added info...the Deity S-Mic 2 is highly resistant to moisture/water whereas the S-Mic 2S is not. I own the S-Mic 2. Both sound great. Also own a Senal small diaphragm condenser with 3 interchangeable capsules. I'm very impressed with the Senal's sound.
Thanks for the added details. Each mic definitely has it's own special features like low/high-pass filters, build quality improvements, etc, so once you find the one you like the sound of, make sure it also covers any special requirements like extra weather resistance! I too have been impressed with both Senal mics for the price, so hopefully they'll release more products in the future.
I'm looking to record ASMR massage videos (no talking). So with the NTG5 sensitivity it would work better for recording something that is low volume like that (would be recorded louder) but noise floor would be lower? Also, if recorded in 32bit float. I wouldn't need to worry about increasing the gain and could just raise in post without increasing the noise floor? I was initially considering the MKE 600, as I need to get two of them (budget). But would spend the extra if the quality would much higher.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to test the MKE600, but I've heard they are backordered until winter, so that may make your choice for you. I find the 3 Rode mics I have (NTG3, NTG5, and VideoMic NTG) to be very hot, which would mean less preamp needed, so I think a good fit for what you're doing. Hope that helps :)
I would say between the VideoMic NTG, NTG5, and NTG3, the gap between the VideoMic NTG and the NTG5 is slightly bigger than the NTG5 and NTG3. With that said, they are all fantastic sounding, and the VideoMic NTG has other special stuff like working as a USB mic directly plus the safety track feature, having internal battery power and 3.5mm output, as well as being the least expensive. I’m going on a trip tomorrow and bringing the VideoMic NTG since it’s the most streamlined for recording directly to a camera or computer if that helps.
synco d2 has way less sibilance on her voice and the noise floor is decent... i think it has the best overall sound when you add up all the mics plus and minuses
This is why I wanted to include male and female voice samples up close and farther away, because a mic that sounds great for higher voices might sound really muffled for lower ones. Thanks for sharing your thoughts :)
I gotta say, overall, this group of mics as a whole sounds better than those in the first video, although there were 2-3 great ones in that one as well. I thought the biggest surprise (in a good way) was the Synco Mic-D1, although multiple people have commented on liking the D2 so far.
No! See what I did there? I rejected you 😏 I’ll try that for Part 3, it’s been 106 here this week sooo... Eventually I’ll do a final showdown with all the best options as well.
I use the Rode NTG3 for all my studio stuff, which I cover in Part 1 of this series. My room is quite echoey with hardwood floors and hard surfaces everywhere, so it will sound even better in a decently sound treated room. The 3 mics I now use in my kit are the VideoMic NTG, NTG3, and NTG5, so you can tell which brand I think sounds best for my voice, haha. The talking head sections do have basic EQ and compression on them though, so keep in mind all the sample audio from these mics can sound even better.
@@NewLayer Thanks. In the last few weeks I have decided on the NTG5 but after watching your review I liked it the least which shocked me. Sounds kind of flat and not as crisp as all the others. Hmm. Your NTG3 sounds great though! I'll take a watch of part 1 now.
@@uvid4us Wow! That surprises me, since it's my favorite. But it totally depends on the voice, speakers you listen on, personal preference, etc. so I'm not surprised at the same time. That's why I think videos like this are important, because more of choosing the right microphone should be based on personal preference, rather than what is "standard" in my opinion.
Rode has always been on my mind but Synco is making me believe that it’s not always about the brand and price. Though Rode is still taking the lead in my opinion, price point might make me decide on Synco
The NTG5 is my personal favorite, but the Synco Mic-D1 sounded really, really good too! The Senal MC24-EL from Part 1 is another top contender, especially for the price.
@@JustDavidMinistries That's why it's good to hear direct audio comparisons! The MC24-EL in the first video is bassier than the MC24-ES in this video too, so if the long version is lacking, the short version is probably a no go for you too.
@New Layer I was leaning for the Synco's until I listened to this review. Check out the blowing and finger snap - ruclips.net/video/GWzDSmM_ODU/видео.html
Thanks. And if you think RUclips is compressed trash, don't ever go on TikTok lol. Some of the most viral videos come from 10 year old Android cameras.
You didn't test noise rejection and you didn't stop talking for each mic to let us hear self noise and room tone during the entire review. What's the point if you don't do that?
I won't argue that it might be the best for some people, but you can't say it's "wayyyy" better than any of these, with my arguments being 1) It's discontinued, so why would they discontinue a mic that's better than everything else in its price range? 2) You are comparing used prices Vs new prices 3) There's no "best" mic because everyone has different needs, different voices sound better with different mics, and it also depends on sale prices and availability. The ME66 and 67 were "replaced" by the MKE600, which is a great mic, and I'll try to include it in future videos.
@@NewLayer The ME 66 and the MKE 600 are both great mics, but the latter is not really a replacement for the former. The ME 66 is hotter, brighter, possibly lighter, and part of a modular system based around the K6 power module. It also cost more than the MKE 600 while it was still in production. Most people prefer the MKE 600 for it’s flatter sound, but the ME 66 is an excellent foley mic.
@@Matthew_Raymond From the people I've talked to at Sennheiser, the 660 was meant as a replacement. It didn't really end up hitting that mark per se, because like you said, they are so different from each other and both great in their own right. I do wonder what made them choose to discontinue it in the first place.
@@NewLayer I’ve been wondering the same thing. Perhaps modular mics make more sense for higher-end microphones like those made by DPA, so it’s not so much a replacement as a phasing out of a product line Sennheiser couldn’t make profitable. Personally, I think the MKE 600 actually is a good replacement for the Rode NTG2 and NTG4+ in most use cases. I don’t understand why those specific Rode mics continue to be popular, other than pure inertia.
@@Matthew_Raymond Agreed. In the vast majority of cases the NTG3, NTG5, and VideoMic NTG pretty much cover all the bases for shotguns. I've got some NT5s arriving today actually to test for my indoor talking head stuff. Excited to test the difference over my usual shotguns.
I'll share which mics I think sound the best later, but leave a comment and let me know which one has your vote in the meantime.
I’m happy this channel is blowing up. Every time I watch these reviews I feel like none of my time is wasted and I learn more than what I anticipated. Thanks dude.
Thanks a lot, I really appreciate that. What's funny is that subscriber growth has slowed down a good bit lately, but I still plan to keep going. Thanks for the support :)
@@NewLayer Maybe if you make an FX3 vs BMPCC 6k Pro video people will find you and realize they still need lights for any of it to matter lol
@@HiddenOaksMedia That's actually a great idea. Lights Vs. Cameras!
“More expensive doesn’t always mean better” finally someone who gets it, other reviews I’ve seen put down the “cheaper” microphone when they’re doing a comparison, before they even hear it
To this day one of the best overall mics I think you can buy is the Senal MC24-EL and last time I checked it was only $179!
Do you think the NTG5 would be the best mic for talking head RUclips videos in a treated 13x9 room? (On boom pole, above head, just out of shot). If not, what would you choose? (MKH 50?)? I have a baritone voice. Thanks!
I love ALL the NTG mics. The NTG3 is one of my favorites of all time if you wanted to splurge. If not, the NTG5 would definitely still be a great choice if you’re planning on using a shotgun for sure.
If you’re open to it, a regular condenser or dynamic mic in frame close to your mouth will sound the best, but I know that’s not always an option.
This was a very useful comparison! This kind of confirmed my suspicion that my Senal shotgun mic, while still mostly natural-sounding, is missing a little bit of low-end and may have a slightly weird resonance in higher frequencies of the human voice. But I was pleasantly surprised how well it held up against the other mics demonstrated, especially since I got my Senal as part of a deal.
Glad it helped. I still think the Senal MC-24EL is the best low budget "long" shotgun available, sound quality wise. I really like that it's a hypercardioid as well.
this is a review. No BS. Just samples and comparisons and we decide. thank you.
Glad you liked it!
Rode NTG-5 sounds best to me, although I like the "level" SMic-2 for post. But I bet it depends on the speakers.
I like the “stock” NTG5 best too. Has a very clean and full sound with very little processing.
The good news is that you can EQ and process almost any decent mic into something really nice.
My three mics in rotation now are the Rode NTG3, NTG5, and VideoMic NTG! I wouldn’t say I’m a Rode fanboy, they just happen to sound best with my voice, which I think should be the biggest consideration when choosing a mic.
Great comparison video! Loving the sound from the Rode NTG5
Thanks! So far I've loved every NTG series mic I've tried!
Love this review. Straight to the point and all the info one would need !
Thanks! Glad it was helpful :)
Been waiting for this! Thank you friend! We enjoyed hume lake! Thanks
Nice! Glad you liked it. I’m up at Shaver Lake right now just for a night 👍👍
@@NewLayer Have fun my friend! I would love to show you my mini vlog but it’s an amateur
Great video and testing. Best I have seen around. Thanks for sharing
Thank you! Glad you liked it.
i loved it we need more comparisons :D
Thanks! Glad you found it useful 👍
I’ve got a Deity S Mic 2 but wanting to find out how much or less greener the grass is on the NTG 5 side of the fence
Deity mics are a great value, but it's very hard to beat any of the Rode NTG series. At the same time, you do pay a bit more for the Rode, so it also depends on budget. Decisions, decisions...
Awesome comparison! Thanks!
No problem! Happy it was helpful.
i’m surprised you didn’t use the 416 which is pretty much the gold standard right now
I didn't have the 416 at the time, and it wouldn't fit into this video very well anyways since it's so much more expensive. I'll include it in a future video, against stuff like the Rode NTG3, which is one of my favorite mics ever.
my favorite on the sound examples, the deity, and synco D1
Good mics for sure, the Synco D1 is kind of a dark horse!
I just did a dynamic mic comparison if you're interested in hearing how those sound: ruclips.net/video/H0Xc15vXvqE/видео.html
@@NewLayer great thanks
Great video as always.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks!
Listening through my Genelecs and an external DAC, I preferred the S Mic 2 over the Rode. The Deity, to my ears, sounded more neutral whereas the Rode had a slight upper-bass boost that I didn't care for on this particular voice. Mind you, a simple EQ fix would remedy that.
A lot of people love the sound of Deity mics, which I find to be very distinct. Personally I prefer Rode for my voice, but neither is right or wrong. And, like you said, the majority of differences between mics can be fixed with basic EQ :)
Really surprised how good those Synco mics sounded except for the plosives when the mic is closer but that is easy to get around with a pop filter or addressing at a different angle.
Same here, especially the Mic-D1. And I purposefully didn't add any pop filters etc. to give the most "realistic" idea of what they'll get without additional treatment. Thanks for commenting.
I like the Rode NTG5. It sounds rich & deep with your voice than the others.
Agreed, I think for a lot of voices it’ll have both the deep bass sound and the clarity in the higher end.
really appreciate actually using a female vocalist, very useful, thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
Could you do a video like this with shotgun microphones ? Deity video mic ntg comica vm120 etc. Your comparisons are awesome. How do you feel about multi source lights ? Seems so much easier to find those thay are npf powered and portable
I've tried getting the Comica VM120 a bunch but they are not interested unfortunately.
And when you say multi-source lights, do you mean LED panel lights?
@@NewLayer yes sir like the neweer lights and other brands...
@@A1Bokeh I just did a video on my favorite budget panel lights: ruclips.net/video/_pWswMk6K3I/видео.html
The Neewer 660 are good too, but GVM has a lot more options, and when they are on sale (which is often) I think they are a better deal overall.
@@NewLayer dude you are the man
Great video! Thanks a lot
Glad it helped, thanks!
Added info...the Deity S-Mic 2 is highly resistant to moisture/water whereas the S-Mic 2S is not. I own the S-Mic 2. Both sound great. Also own a Senal small diaphragm condenser with 3 interchangeable capsules. I'm very impressed with the Senal's sound.
Thanks for the added details. Each mic definitely has it's own special features like low/high-pass filters, build quality improvements, etc, so once you find the one you like the sound of, make sure it also covers any special requirements like extra weather resistance!
I too have been impressed with both Senal mics for the price, so hopefully they'll release more products in the future.
They are both just as highly Moisture resistant, both Versions S-Mic 2 and S-Mic 2S Circuit Boards are coated.
I'm looking to record ASMR massage videos (no talking).
So with the NTG5 sensitivity it would work better for recording something that is low volume like that (would be recorded louder) but noise floor would be lower?
Also, if recorded in 32bit float. I wouldn't need to worry about increasing the gain and could just raise in post without increasing the noise floor?
I was initially considering the MKE 600, as I need to get two of them (budget). But would spend the extra if the quality would much higher.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to test the MKE600, but I've heard they are backordered until winter, so that may make your choice for you.
I find the 3 Rode mics I have (NTG3, NTG5, and VideoMic NTG) to be very hot, which would mean less preamp needed, so I think a good fit for what you're doing. Hope that helps :)
@@NewLayer Thanks fore responding back. You mentioned NTG5 twice. NTG5, and VideoMic NTG5. Was one of them a typo?
@@rogerdayton I meant to say VideoMic NTG, which I cover in Part 1, and may be a good fit for you as well 👍
Which one is for me
DM me on Instagram if you’re looking to buy one for a good deal 😁
Would you say going from the Videomic ntg to the NTG5 is an audible upgrade?
I would say between the VideoMic NTG, NTG5, and NTG3, the gap between the VideoMic NTG and the NTG5 is slightly bigger than the NTG5 and NTG3.
With that said, they are all fantastic sounding, and the VideoMic NTG has other special stuff like working as a USB mic directly plus the safety track feature, having internal battery power and 3.5mm output, as well as being the least expensive.
I’m going on a trip tomorrow and bringing the VideoMic NTG since it’s the most streamlined for recording directly to a camera or computer if that helps.
synco d2 has way less sibilance on her voice and the noise floor is decent... i think it has the best overall sound when you add up all the mics plus and minuses
This is why I wanted to include male and female voice samples up close and farther away, because a mic that sounds great for higher voices might sound really muffled for lower ones. Thanks for sharing your thoughts :)
I thought the NTG5 sounded the best overall but the synco has a nice sound too.
Seems to be a common comment! I was most surprised at how much I liked the Synco Mic-D1
Sadly, it’s the Rode... 🤷♂️😁 though Synco D2 did sound pretty fantastic, not just considering the price. Thanks for the great vid!
I gotta say, overall, this group of mics as a whole sounds better than those in the first video, although there were 2-3 great ones in that one as well. I thought the biggest surprise (in a good way) was the Synco Mic-D1, although multiple people have commented on liking the D2 so far.
Would love to hear how these sound outdoors on a boom. Rejection is important for me.
No! See what I did there? I rejected you 😏
I’ll try that for Part 3, it’s been 106 here this week sooo...
Eventually I’ll do a final showdown with all the best options as well.
Great comparison! Thanks. What mic did you use for your intro/comments?
I use the Rode NTG3 for all my studio stuff, which I cover in Part 1 of this series.
My room is quite echoey with hardwood floors and hard surfaces everywhere, so it will sound even better in a decently sound treated room. The 3 mics I now use in my kit are the VideoMic NTG, NTG3, and NTG5, so you can tell which brand I think sounds best for my voice, haha.
The talking head sections do have basic EQ and compression on them though, so keep in mind all the sample audio from these mics can sound even better.
@@NewLayer Thanks. In the last few weeks I have decided on the NTG5 but after watching your review I liked it the least which shocked me. Sounds kind of flat and not as crisp as all the others. Hmm. Your NTG3 sounds great though! I'll take a watch of part 1 now.
@@uvid4us Wow! That surprises me, since it's my favorite. But it totally depends on the voice, speakers you listen on, personal preference, etc. so I'm not surprised at the same time. That's why I think videos like this are important, because more of choosing the right microphone should be based on personal preference, rather than what is "standard" in my opinion.
Rode has always been on my mind but Synco is making me believe that it’s not always about the brand and price. Though Rode is still taking the lead in my opinion, price point might make me decide on Synco
The NTG5 is my personal favorite, but the Synco Mic-D1 sounded really, really good too! The Senal MC24-EL from Part 1 is another top contender, especially for the price.
@@NewLayer Thanks for sharing! I also thought of the Senal but I kind of felt it lacks low frequencies. ie the bass sound wasn’t loud to my liking.
@@JustDavidMinistries That's why it's good to hear direct audio comparisons! The MC24-EL in the first video is bassier than the MC24-ES in this video too, so if the long version is lacking, the short version is probably a no go for you too.
@New Layer I was leaning for the Synco's until I listened to this review. Check out the blowing and finger snap - ruclips.net/video/GWzDSmM_ODU/видео.html
@@NewLayer I agree!
JT, you sound different at 5:47
What can I say? I'm a talented voice actor 👌
@@NewLayer 😂😂😂
NTG5 gets my vote because it seems to pick up bassier voices better like mine
It definitely has a boomier/bassier sound without sacrificing clarity. I like the NTG mics a lot.
Great video, a solid comparison but I came here for your opinion, it's basically the only reason I came. RUclips audio is compressed trash
Thanks. And if you think RUclips is compressed trash, don't ever go on TikTok lol. Some of the most viral videos come from 10 year old Android cameras.
Happy Father’s Day! To you or to your dad
Thanks, same to you :)
Sounds like you exported lossy audio from your video editor.
Definitely not. Any file compression/distortion will be thanks to RUclips's mysterious ways 😒
@@NewLayeraw
You didn't test noise rejection and you didn't stop talking for each mic to let us hear self noise and room tone during the entire review. What's the point if you don't do that?
In that price range you can get a sennheiser me66/k6, I paid mine used $350. Wayyyy better than any of those
I won't argue that it might be the best for some people, but you can't say it's "wayyyy" better than any of these, with my arguments being 1) It's discontinued, so why would they discontinue a mic that's better than everything else in its price range? 2) You are comparing used prices Vs new prices 3) There's no "best" mic because everyone has different needs, different voices sound better with different mics, and it also depends on sale prices and availability.
The ME66 and 67 were "replaced" by the MKE600, which is a great mic, and I'll try to include it in future videos.
@@NewLayer The ME 66 and the MKE 600 are both great mics, but the latter is not really a replacement for the former. The ME 66 is hotter, brighter, possibly lighter, and part of a modular system based around the K6 power module. It also cost more than the MKE 600 while it was still in production. Most people prefer the MKE 600 for it’s flatter sound, but the ME 66 is an excellent foley mic.
@@Matthew_Raymond From the people I've talked to at Sennheiser, the 660 was meant as a replacement. It didn't really end up hitting that mark per se, because like you said, they are so different from each other and both great in their own right. I do wonder what made them choose to discontinue it in the first place.
@@NewLayer I’ve been wondering the same thing. Perhaps modular mics make more sense for higher-end microphones like those made by DPA, so it’s not so much a replacement as a phasing out of a product line Sennheiser couldn’t make profitable. Personally, I think the MKE 600 actually is a good replacement for the Rode NTG2 and NTG4+ in most use cases. I don’t understand why those specific Rode mics continue to be popular, other than pure inertia.
@@Matthew_Raymond Agreed. In the vast majority of cases the NTG3, NTG5, and VideoMic NTG pretty much cover all the bases for shotguns. I've got some NT5s arriving today actually to test for my indoor talking head stuff. Excited to test the difference over my usual shotguns.
🥰
Glad you liked it! Keep making great mics! :)
Wow the female voice sounds really good on all of them. Hmmmmm.
She does have a smooth voice.
Rode. I been infatuated with Rode the last few months.
It's VERY hard to argue against any of the Rode NTG mics I must say :)
@@NewLayer Especially that videomic ntg. Sounds great & all that functionality!
@@ac1320 It really is amazing to get a mic that is also a USB audio interface all in one!