Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?

[D.J. Ammons]

I am a huge Rode fan. I own a Rode NTG-2, the original Videomic and bought the Videomic Pro when it came out. The NTG-2 has been a staple for our Wedding & Event videography biz as has the Videomic.

There have been several times that the Videomic mounted on our fixed b roll wide shot camera has saved our butt when there were issues with a wireless microphone or some other strange situation. At one outdoor wedding the wedding march and other wedding music was played by the reception DJ by him turning his speakers around to face the outdoor wedding party who were a good 70 feet or more from him. Miraculously the Rode Videomic that was also about 70 feet away and off to the side of the speakers picked up the music quite well and was usable in the edit.

Now having heaped accolades on Rode let me air my gripe. I have only used the Videomic Pro two or three times in the all of the time I have owned it because of the absolutely horrendous shock mount. If you barely touch it the bands pop off and are the dickens to get locked back in.

Without even realizing it really I have just kept on using the original videomic because we have been so pleased with it and the pro has to be handled with kid gloves. I am now in a situation where I will need to use it more and am pretty frustrated. By the end of this past wedding just handling the mic to take it off the camera and back in the box meant that by the time I took it out to mount it again for something else two of the shock mount bands had come loose. I just spent probably 15 minutes getting them locked back in. A very poor design that I hope they correct in their next version of the videomic.

[Brian P. Reynolds]

I read once on one of the forums around that a spot of superglue on each touching point on the mount cures the problem.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/all-thin...eomic-pro.html

[Chris Harding]

I use one on each camera and the actual square shaped silicon bands that come with the mic are hopeless..they break very soon after you use the mic!!

What I did was go to my nearest industrial supplier and took them the mic and said I want "O" rings to fit this...They really work a treat and I think 50 of them cost me a mere $5!! These ones don't break but if you bump the mic (I do at crowded weddings quite often) you might lose a ring or two during the evening but I just snap on another one!! I seriously haven't had any "O" rings break on me since I started using them and they are a great solution.

I haven't tried the superglue idea ..that might be even better.

Throw all the Rode bands away and buy "O" rings and you will be a much happier person!!!

Chris

[Andy Wilkinson]

It was me using superglue on the original Videomic. I also did it with the Videomic Pro very soon after I got it and it works a treat! You only need a really tiny drop at each anchor point and that perennial problem of the bands popping off is history. Remove the band, apply glue with a cocktail stick, replace the band and repeat for all the anchor points. If you ever need to replace a perished band just peel it off and clean the old glue with a craft knife and/or needle.

Simple but effective. Takes just a minute to do too!

[Chris Harding]

Magic Idea Andy!!

I think I'll do that with my "O"rings too as they last way longer than the tiny bands that Rode supply with the mic when you buy it.

I was getting bands breaking quite often and now I have yet to have an "O" ring break but if I walk into something and hit the mic they do pop off and it's easier to pop on a new ring than hunt around the floor for the missing one! Have shoulder mount cameras and using the EVF all the time it's quite easy to bump the mic as your left eye vision is mainly the left of the camera only and the mic is on the right!!

Chris

[D.J. Ammons]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

I use one on each camera and the actual square shaped silicon bands that come with the mic are hopeless..they break very soon after you use the mic!!

What I did was go to my nearest industrial supplier and took them the mic and said I want "O" rings to fit this...They really work a treat and I think 50 of them cost me a mere $5!! These ones don't break but if you bump the mic (I do at crowded weddings quite often) you might lose a ring or two during the evening but I just snap on another one!! I seriously haven't had any "O" rings break on me since I started using them and they are a great solution.

I haven't tried the superglue idea ..that might be even better.

Throw all the Rode bands away and buy "O" rings and you will be a much happier person!!!

Chris

Chris, I recently did the O ring idea for my original videomic after reading about it online and it works great (bought the O rings at Home Depot or Lowes. However because of the unique shape of the Videomic Pro rubber thingy's (technical term) how do you make regular O rings work.

[John Willett]

Several people have removed the horrible Røde shockmount and then clipped the mic. into the Rycote Universal Camera Kit.

The patented Rycote "Lyre" mounts are the best shockmount around - at any price.

[Victor Nguyen]

huh, I never have problem with my vmp shockmount breaking. It fell off sometime but it never bother me before.

[D.J. Ammons]

Victor, I don't have a problem with the shockmount actually breaking but with the rubber suspension bands staying locked in place. Just barely handling the videomic pro causes them to come off and pull out.

[D.J. Ammons]

Originally Posted by John Willett

Several people have removed the horrible Røde shockmount and then clipped the mic. into the Rycote Universal Camera Kit.

The patented Rycote "Lyre" mounts are the best shockmount around - at any price.

Great solution but at $179 I would be better off just selling the videomic pro and getting an NTG-1 to go along with my NTG-2!!!!!

[Mike Beckett]

If you just want the Invision Video Mount, it is cheaper than buying the full kit.

InVision™ Video » Rycote
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/629485-REG/Rycote_042901_InVision_Video_Hot_Shoe.html

It's about $80 though, still not cheap. In my opinion, it's worth it, but it all depends on how deep your pockets are.

Oh, and if you buy an NTG-1 you'll still need to buy a shockmount. <grin>

[Chris Harding]

HI DJ

Sorry should have mentioned that I have the normal mic not the more compact Pro that the DSLR guys are using!! I have never seen the Videomic Pro so I'll leave suggestions to others. You could also use a simply mic clamp..With my Panny AC-130's I took off the mount and just clamped the VideoMic in the mic clamp that came with the camera...Lokks like with the Pro you do need a custom mount!!

Now, a question of my own!! The single screw that attaches the cold shoe to the mount ALWAYS comes loose!!! It drives me mad ...Surely you guys also have found that...I'm figuring maybe epoxy here or a much better bolt and nut rather than a screw???

Chris

[Lee Mullen]

Originally Posted by D.J. Ammons

I am a huge Rode fan. I own a Rode NTG-2, the original Videomic and bought the Videomic Pro when it came out. The NTG-2 has been a staple for our Wedding & Event videography biz as has the Videomic.

There have been several times that the Videomic mounted on our fixed b roll wide shot camera has saved our butt when there were issues with a wireless microphone or some other strange situation. At one outdoor wedding the wedding march and other wedding music was played by the reception DJ by him turning his speakers around to face the outdoor wedding party who were a good 70 feet or more from him. Miraculously the Rode Videomic that was also about 70 feet away and off to the side of the speakers picked up the music quite well and was usable in the edit.

Now having heaped accolades on Rode let me air my gripe. I have only used the Videomic Pro two or three times in the all of the time I have owned it because of the absolutely horrendous shock mount. If you barely touch it the bands pop off and are the dickens to get locked back in.

Without even realizing it really I have just kept on using the original videomic because we have been so pleased with it and the pro has to be handled with kid gloves. I am now in a situation where I will need to use it more and am pretty frustrated. By the end of this past wedding just handling the mic to take it off the camera and back in the box meant that by the time I took it out to mount it again for something else two of the shock mount bands had come loose. I just spent probably 15 minutes getting them locked back in. A very poor design that I hope they correct in their next version of the videomic.

Rode should do the decent thing and improve the problem and offer a FREE solution to rectify their shortcut/design flaw, but I doubt they will do....

[D.J. Ammons]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

HI DJ

Sorry should have mentioned that I have the normal mic not the more compact Pro that the DSLR guys are using!! I have never seen the Videomic Pro so I'll leave suggestions to others. You could also use a simply mic clamp..With my Panny AC-130's I took off the mount and just clamped the VideoMic in the mic clamp that came with the camera...Lokks like with the Pro you do need a custom mount!!

Now, a question of my own!! The single screw that attaches the cold shoe to the mount ALWAYS comes loose!!! It drives me mad ...Surely you guys also have found that...I'm figuring maybe epoxy here or a much better bolt and nut rather than a screw???

Chris

Chris, I also have that issue with that screw but luckily it stays tight enough to last through a shoot. Recently during a wedding shoot the screw came out of that same place on the Rode shockmount cold shoe I have for my NTG-2. Luckily found the screw on the carpet and was able to put it back together. My new SOP is to check that screw and the Videomic one before eqach shoot to make sure they are tight. Just as soon as I would put a drop of superglue or something on them I would need to unscrew them!

[D.J. Ammons]

Originally Posted by Mike Beckett

If you just want the Invision Video Mount, it is cheaper than buying the full kit.

InVision™ Video » Rycote
Rycote InVision Video Hot Shoe Adapter 042901 B&H Photo Video


It's about $80 though, still not cheap. In my opinion, it's worth it, but it all depends on how deep your pockets are.

Oh, and if you buy an NTG-1 you'll still need to buy a shockmount. <grin>

That looks a lot better! I jusrt may have to pony up that $80 at some point for peace of mind.