In the ultralight wireless microphone system range of products, Rode was an innovator. As often happens with innovative products, they begin as the hot new kids on the block and steadily retreat from front-running as they grow longer in the tooth. So it has gone with Rode’s GO series. With a new iteration, however, Rode hopes to sprint back to the head of the pack. Building on the solid foundations, Rode GO (gen 3) adds 32-bit float on-board recording, a whopping 32 GB of internal memory, GainAssist technology, and many other quality-of-life features.
Key Features of the Rode GO (gen 3)
- 32-bit float on-board recording
- GainAssist
- Safety Channel
- 32GB of storage on each transmitter
- Locking 3.5mm TRS connectors
- Headphone monitoring
- Plug-in power detection
What’s New about the Rode GO (gen 3)
The GO series has been a favorite of run-and-gun content creators because of their ease of use, broad compatibility with cameras and smart devices, and excellent sound quality. With the new generation, Rode has gone all-in on adding features to take that ease of use to a new level.
32-bit float on-board recording
32-bit float recording is one of those buzzword features that you hear about a lot from microphone makers and enthusiasts. Without going too far into the weeds, what 32-bit float recording does is practically eliminate the chance of recorded audio to clip at the recorder. The benefit to you as a potential user is that an audio file can be recovered that normally would be lost because of clipping. By having 32-bit recording on board the transmitters, the GO is able to produce a high-quality audio file as a primary source or as a backup to the audio passed through to a camera or other recording device.
GainAssist
In addition to the 32-bit float on-board recording, the new GO series boasts an intelligent GainAssist system to help manage gain control. First introduced as a feature of the Rode Wireless ME, GainAssist automatically adjusts audio-levels during recording to keep the output clear and balanced. In addition to preventing clipping, the system ensures the output audio is at a consistent gain level without introducing background noise.
Safety Channel
Like the Wireless GO II, the Gen 3 GO can record a safety channel; the safety channel is a secondary audio track recorded at -20db from the main track. Another piece-of-mind feature, the safety channel, provides a backup audio file in case the primary audio was to distort from unexpected loudness.
32GB of On-board Storage
One of the issues with using 32-bit float is the amount of memory that the audio files consume. Good thing then that Rode has seen fit to equip each transmitter with 32GB of storage. This translates to over 40 hours of recording.
Locking 3.5mm TRS Connectors
One of the drawbacks of wired systems is the potential for one of those wired connections to become disconnected at precisely the worst moment. The GO Gen 3’s locking connectors ensure that, if you’re using a lavalier or other wired microphone, that it will not accidentally become unplugged.
Headphone Monitoring
A high-power TRRS headphone output on the GO Gen 3’s receiver enables you to monitor the output from the transmitters. This connection can be repurposed into a third audio track by utilizing a headset or TRRS-compatible microphone.
Plug-in Power Detect
If you’re camera or recording device supplies plug-in power over the audio connection, the GO gen 3 will automatically detect it and power on or off as it detects power. This helps both conserve battery power and ensure that the microphones are ready when the camera is ready.
Who is the Rode GO (gen 3) for?
The Rode GO series has been, and continues to be, an attractive package for content creators taking those first steps away from the default audio options on their phones, cameras, and other devices. The GO (gen 3) follows in these footsteps. It delivers a bevy of quality-of-life features that aim to make recordings easier and more bullet-proof.
Versus the Rode Wireless GO II
The GO Gen 3 uses the same form factor as the GO II, so, on the surface, they may look so similar as to appear all but identical. Below the surface, however, the Gen 3 sports a number of improvements. Rode added the locking TRS connectors, the GainAssist technology, 32-bit float recording, and plug-in power detection. Additionally, while the GO II receiver contains a headphone jack for monitoring audio, it cannot double as a third microphone input as the Gen 3’s can.
Final Thoughts
Rode’s GO series of wireless microphone systems has never been the flashiest. What they did was deliver excellent sound coupled with ease of use and dependability. The GO Gen 3 seems built of the same mold and adds more features to put creators on the right footing and keep them there when recording audio.
32-bit float is the marquee feature in that it eliminates recorder clipping and thus makes many audio files that would be useless salvageable. Rode could have rested on that single feature, but they didn’t. There are many reasons why 32-bit float may not be optimal in your workflow. Both the GainAssist and safety channel features can be used in conjunction with each other or separately to suit how you want to work with your files. The locking connectors are a nice feature that might seem a small thing until you suffer a plug becoming unplugged at the most inopportune time, and the headphone monitor input that can double as a third microphone input could be a very sneaky-good feature depending on your use case.
All in all, the GO (gen 3) looks like a worthy successor to the Wireless GO II that improves upon it in every way without sacrificing anything in return.
