DJI might be best known for drones and camera stabilizers, but it is also branching out into audio. The DJI Mic kit has everything needed to get great wireless audio from up to two people at the same time. While it’s a great accessory for the recent DJI Action 2, the vast compatibility makes it a great choice for many applications. Be sure to hit the video below to see and hear all of the details.
Table of contents
Rode might be the best-known competition to the DJI Mic with its popular Wireless Go II system, with a single mic for $200 or the dual mic set for $300. The DJI set takes it up a notch, though, with the handy carrying and charging case as well as two transmitters for $330. The DJI Mic isn’t available yet but is expected to ship in early March. Preorders are open at B&H.
What’s Included?
DJI has included plenty of accessories for compatibility with multiple devices, but it also keeps things pretty well organized within the charging case and a soft carrying bag. Within the case are the single receiver, two transmitters, a removable cold shoe mount, Lightning adapter, and a USB-C adapter.
Additionally, the kit comes with two windscreens, a short TRS 3.5mm cable, and a USB-A to USB-C cable for recharging the case or any of the devices.
Compatibility
All of those accessories and attachments mean the DJI Mic kit is widely compatible with many devices. It’s great for DSLR recording, iPhone and Android recording, as well as just recording on the microphone itself with roughly 15 hours of internal storage. It even worked on my PC just fine through a USB-C to USB-A adapter.
DJI Mic: Video
Charging case
The charging case is simple on the outside but hides a lot of thoughtful functionality on the inside. The lid hinges open with a satisfying magnetic snap shut and there is a USB-C port on the back near the bottom. On the front, four LED lights will display the current battery level of the case. Otherwise, it’s a pretty bare black box with some texture on the front and back that helps make it easier to grab.
Opening the case reveals all of the components laid out in an easy-to-find manner. The receiver will turn on and the bright touch screen will display the current charge of all of the devices. On the left and right are the transmitters. Everything fits well into the case with a satisfying click and a secure connection. Above the receiver are two adapters – one for Lightning and on USB-C. These can be attached to the receiver to work with iOS devices or Android devices. Underneath the receiver is a removable cold shoe mount.
Transmitters
The transmitters measure 1-⅞ inch tall by 1-¼ inch wide and ⅞-inch deep with the clip on the back making it a bit smaller than the Rode Wireless GO II. Despite that small size, the battery life on the transmitters is rated to 5.5 hours, and the mics also support up to 15 hours of internal recording that can be offloaded via the USB-C port on the side of the transmitter.
Next to the USB-C port is a power button to manually turn the transmitter on or off. On the other side of the device is a record button as well as a link button. In the manual, DJI describes the link button as being able to start and stop recordings when connected to mobile devices that allow recording to start and stop with the volume button. I couldn’t get this to work with my iPhone 8 on iOS 15.1.
Up top, the transmitters have a built-in microphone with a 3.5mm TRS input next to it for supplying your own microphone.
DJI has a pretty handy design for the windscreen as well. There is a small bracket that will twist and lock onto the transmitter around the microphone for a secure connection that can’t be accidentally knocked off.
One other mounting feature that is reminiscent of the DJI Action 2 and Insta360 Go 2 is a magnet that attaches to the clip on the transmitters. This way, if your subject just has a crew-neck t-shirt on, you can still position the transmitter at an optimal location by placing the magnet behind the shirt and the clip on the outside. It will secure through the fabric of a shirt and keep the transmitter in place. This will get a little less functional depending on how thick the shirt is or if there is a jacket involved, but for standard t-shirts, this is a great way to mount the microphone.
Receiver
Measuring nearly the same size as the transmitters, the DJI Mic receiver can be equipped with the Lightning adapter, USB-C adapter, or a cold shoe mount. I found the cold shoe mount hard to attach and remove, but when it is attached it works well with a DSLR camera.
On the left side are two 3.5mm jacks. One is audio out while the other is for monitoring the audio through headphones. Over on the right side, the receiver has a power button and USB-C port for charging and also updating firmware.
On the bottom of the receiver are charging contacts to connect to the case as well as a mounting point for the adapters.
Menu and options
On the front of the receiver is a small touch screen with a lot of functionality. When both the transmitters and receivers are powered on, the touch screen will display recording modes, wireless signal levels, current volume as well as other information. The touch screen is quick and responsive.
By swiping up or down, there are more menus for controlling the receiver.
One handy feature is the ability to swap between mono, stereo, and mono safety recording modes. One note here, the Lightning adapter only supports mono mode, but the USB-C and 3.5mm out both support all three modes.
Mono combines both transmitters into a single audio file. Stereo will separate them into left and right channels for a little more control in post-production. The mono safety mode will record a second track at -6dB just in case the main track peaks.
Additionally, you can control the receiver gain by up to +/-12dB, transmitter gain, screen brightness, enable a low-cut filter, change vibration settings, and more. There are quite a few handy features built into this small package.
DJI Mic In-Use
All of these features and designs make the DJI Mic powerful and easy to use. The huge variety of connection options makes it great for my work with a DSLR but also easy to use with my iPhone. I haven’t used the built-in recording much yet beyond just testing it, but having the option to do that is pretty awesome.
Audio quality has been great in my experience. The variety of mounting options makes it easy to get in a perfect position. Don’t want to see the transmitter? Grab a simple affordable lav mic from amazon and use some tape to hide it under a shirt or clip that onto a lapel.
Battery Life
Battery life on the DJI Mic transmitters is rated to 5.5 hours, and the receiver can last for around five hours. The charging case can recharge all of the components 1.8 times, taking the total operating time to 15.4 hours on the transmitters and 14 hours on the receiver.
For professionals, this can a bit of a bummer that it’s not a quick swap of some AA batteries to get the pieces back up and running again. You’ll have to wait 70 minutes to fully recharge the transmitters and receiver. You can power them via USB if necessary, but this makes them a little more cumbersome.
Competition
Rode’s Wireless Go II is the most well-known competition to the DJI Mic. For $200, you can pick up a single receiver and transmitter and $300 will get you a 2-person kit with two transmitters and the receiver. The Go II kit does work with iOS and Android but additional cables will need to be purchased.
While the DJI Mic kit is $30 more, it has adapters and a handy charging case with more functionality than the Rode kits. The Rode Wireless Go II will work with an iOS device, but an additional adapter must be purchased.
On the budget side, we recently reviewed the Comica VDLive10 kit. Available in a USB-C version for $180 or Lightning for $200, this kit has a lot of features but falls short in fit and feel and doesn’t have quite the universal functionality due to the two different versions. I also prefer the audio coming from the DJI mic to the Comica kit.
gadgetnewsonline’ Take
If you want an all-in-one kit with incredible versatility, the DJI Mic kit is a great choice. Just filming with your iPhone today? You’re covered. Doing an interview with your Sony camera? The kit has you covered. Don’t want to take the whole kit? Just hit record on the transmitter and download it later to sync up with your video. I’m pretty impressed with everything it can do and the handy charging case it comes in.
Preorders are currently open with availability expected in March from B&H
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