The most effective factor that you are able to do to enhance the manufacturing values of your YouTube content material is to purchase a wi-fi mic equipment. Your DSLR or smartphone will seize good-quality audio from a foot or two away out of your mouth, however that high quality drops quickly with every additional foot you step away out of your digicam. Constructed-in mics are additionally very vulnerable to wind noise at any distance. By clipping the most effective lavalier mics to your lapel (and plugging a receiver into your recording machine) you possibly can hold your mouth near the mic always and seize clear clear sound from a distance out of your digicam – as much as 200 meters within the case of the Godox WES Package.
Godox produces a variety of high quality mics – from the double-barrelled shoe-mounted IVM-S3 to the wi-fi Virso M2 equipment. The Godox WES is primarily focused at YouTube bloggers and social media content material creators preferring to make use of their smartphones to document footage. Certainly the Godox WES is available in two totally different incarnations – a Lighting model for iPhones older than the iPhone 15 vary (WES1) and a USB-C model for Android customers and iPhone 15 homeowners (WES2). Just remember to purchase the model that you just want otherwise you received’t be capable to plug the receiver into your smartphone. To make clear – Godox WES1 has a lighting connector for attaching its transmitter to an iPhone and the Godox WES2 has a USB-C adaptor for Android telephones (and iPhone 15). Sorry to repeat ourselves however will probably be a simple mistake to order the improper model.
I examined the Godox WES1 Package 2, which has two transmitters. In case you don’t have to interview folks then it can save you money by shopping for the Godox WES1 Package 1, which solely has one transmitter mic.
In contrast to many different mic kits, the WES’s receiver plugs straight into your smartphone because of a built-in plug. No dangling from cables is required! Simply ensure you purchase the suitable WES equipment on your smartphone or iPhone. (Picture credit score: George Cairns / Digital Digital camera World)
Godox WES2: Specs
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Transmitter
Choose-up Sample
Omnidirectional
Transmission Sort
2.4GHz Frequency hopping system
Max SPL
110dB
Dynamic Vary
86 dB
Max Distance
200m (with line of sight)
Onboard recording
No
Battery Life
8 hours
Dimensions
48 x 22 x 16mm
Internet Weight
12g
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Receiver
Reception Sort
2.4GHz Frequency hopping system
Max Distance
200m (with line of sight)
Dimensions
48mm x 27mm x11mm
Internet Weight
7g
Godox WES2: Worth
You may choose up the WES2 within the US for $99, or for £99 within the UK. On the time of writing the WES2 is displaying as out there on Amazon, with different shops having it for preorder, so verify again once more on your favourite retailer.
Godox WES2: Design & Dealing with
As with a lot of the wi-fi mic kits available on the market, the Godox WES equipment consists of a plastic carry case that accommodates two transmitter mics and a receiver. You may cost the 2 mics and the receiver contained in the case concurrently through the case’s USB-C socket. The carry case additionally doubles up as a charger on location because of its built-in battery, so you possibly can lengthen the working lifetime of the mics throughout a shoot by popping them again contained in the case. Somewhat digital show on the case signifies the quantity of charging energy that continues to be.
The transmitters’ ‘useless cat’ windshields are important at preserving wind noise at bay. (Picture credit score: George Cairns / Digital Digital camera World)
Speaking of charging through the case, I made the error of not peeling off the tiny plastic stickers that shield the 2 transmitters after I first used the equipment. This meant that after I shot my assessment of the equipment I assumed that the carry case was charging the transmitters when it wasn’t! In consequence, I ran out of energy in direction of the top of my check (and the mics started flashing a ‘low battery’ purple!) Now that the stickers have been eliminated the case costs the mics simply positive. I’ve fallen foul of this sticker downside earlier than – I actually ought to know by now to verify! When the transmitter mics are working as regular a inexperienced gentle seems on them. This gentle adjustments to orange whenever you faucet the orange button to activate the software program noise discount characteristic constructed right into a transmitter.
An orange button on the transmitters toggles the built-in noise discount characteristic on and off. (Picture credit score: George Cairns / Digital Digital camera World)
The plastic charging case suits right into a zipped padded bag which affords extra safety for the WES. The bag additionally has a compartment that shops two ‘useless cat’ windshields which can be important in lowering take-ruining wind rumble. The bag and its contents match properly in my hand and the equipment takes up little or no house in my digicam backpack.
The plastic carry case doubles up as a charger so all models are absolutely and equally charged earlier than a shoot. (Picture credit score: George Cairns / Digital Digital camera World)
As a result of I used to be utilizing an iPhone 14 Professional Max for my check I introduced the Lighting model of the Godox WES – the WES1. This meant I may plug the small receiver straight into my iPhone, hearth up the Digital camera app, and begin recording great-quality sound from the equipment’s wi-fi transmitter mic.
Up to now, my iPhone has mistaken a plugged-in wi-fi receiver for headphones and because of this, I couldn’t document audio from the wi-fi mic! There’s no hazard of that with the Godox WES as a result of the equipment conforms to Apple’s MFi (Made for iPhone/iPad/iPod) producer certification – so it’s simply ‘plug and play’ to make use of it. This can be a huge plus level for me as an iPhone person.
Godox WES2: Efficiency
To check the Godox WES I took it and my iPhone 14 Professional Max all the way down to the native park. As standard, the wind was very blustery within the park’s huge open location so I popped the equipped windshield over the transmitter. Some wi-fi mics (such because the Saramoninc BlinkMe have fiddly windshields that it is advisable push and twist to connect to the transmitter.
The Godox WES transmitter mic’s windshield simply slides straight on. As you’ll see (and listen to) from our supporting video the wind noise was stored all the way down to negligible ranges (although you possibly can hear a touch of bass rumble in the event you take heed to it whereas carrying headphones). If I’d recorded my sound with the iPhone’s built-in mic the sound would have been unusable because of wind noise, so the Godox WES is a vital accent for my video work. Whereas testing the WES within the park I additionally used it to document audio for my on-location check critiques of the JOBY SeaPal and the Shimoda City Discover backpack.
The most important hazard when utilizing wi-fi mics is sign drop out, particularly when the mic loses line of sight with the receiver because of your physique blocking the sign whenever you flip your again on the digicam. Because of sign hopping know-how dropout is stored to a minimal, which is simply in addition to there’s no onboard recording characteristic. Onboard recording lets you change any drop-out in your topic’s voice with a clear recording captured on the transmitter. In case you want the extra safety of onboard recording you’ll have to pay extra for a mic such because the DJI Mic – although this prices greater than 3 times the worth of the Godox WES.
The charging case, mics and receiver plus ‘useless cat’ windshields are safely transported on this branded zipped case. (Picture credit score: George Cairns / Digital Digital camera World)
I used to be impressed with the standard of the audio transmitted by the WES and could be hard-pressed to distinguish it from audio captured from a costlier equipment. Nevertheless, as with another kits, the built-in noise discount characteristic does scale back background visitors noises however at the price of making your voice sound flat and ‘tinny’ (although you should utilize the Godox Mic app to make a transmitter change Robust noise discount to Weak to make the voice sound much less ‘skinny’.
Godox WES2: Verdict
The Godox WES is a ‘will need to have’ mic equipment in the event you don’t already personal a wi-fi mic set. It’s going to definitely enhance the sound of your smartphone’s video footage and at beneath $100/£100 it will not blow your funds. Because of a 48kHz/16-bit sampling fee the audio high quality is pretty much as good as mics that value twice the worth. It’s fairly efficient at transmitting your voice over a distance and dropout is stored to a minimal because of the equipment’s 2.4GHz Frequency Hopping System. All in all of the Godox WES equipment is nice worth for cash – simply just remember to order one which’s appropriate together with your smartphone.
✅ Purchase this if…
You document through smartphone/iPhone
You want to enhance your audio manufacturing values
You need to plug the receiver into the smartphone with out cables
🚫 Do not buy this if…
You want a mic with efficient built-in noise-reduction software program
You want the security internet of onboard recording
