The Best Wireless Mic for Filming Keyboard Builds: Rode vs DJI vs Hollyland

Recently, I’ve been trying to get into more content creation around keyboard builds. I haven’t made that many YouTube videos yet, but I’m figuring it out as I go. One of my dilemmas, though, is how to get good audio without taking up (1) desk space and (2) my hands. These two factors are important because I have a small desk and need space to build my keyboards, and I want my hands to be free for building. A mic arm or a tabletop mic would take up too much space during the builds. A solution to my problem is a wireless microphone. So, over the past couple of weeks, I have been deliberating on which wireless microphone to get. Based on YouTube videos, especially the one done by Gabe Shakour, "I tested EVERY 32-bit float wireless lav mic so you don't have to..." This gave me a clear idea of the major competitors in the wireless mic space and what actually matters. His YouTube video showed these wireless microphones: the Hollyland Lark Max 2, Boya mic, DJI Mic 2, DJI Mic 3, Rode Wireless Pro, Rode Wireless Go III, and Sarmonic Ultra wireless. After hearing the multiple audio tests (outdoors and indoors) and learning about the battery life and range (which honestly isn't that important to me), it narrowed my choices down to the Rode Wireless Pro, Rode Wireless Go III, the DJI mic 2 and 3, and the Hollyland Lark Max 2. These mics just sounded the best to me, and after watching a couple more videos, I deep-dived into wireless microphones to narrow down these options even further.

Wireless Microphones

For starters, each of these microphones has similar performance specs: 32-bit float internal recording, an audio receiver, long-range operation, and a long battery life (6+ hours). They all have 3.5mm jacks except the DJI mic 3. And most of the microphones come with similar accessories.

With the baseline in mind, I started narrowing things down. Unfortunately, the first to go off my list was the Hollyland Lark Max 2. Now this is still a good choice, don't get me wrong, it has the longest battery life of 11 hours, a slim form factor that can be clipped onto anything, the logo is matte, it is lightweight (16g tied with the DJI mic 3), and it has an additional adapter that adds a 3.5mm jack. The 3.5mm jack module system is quite unique and cool. Despite these factors, I eliminated the Hollyland Lark Max 2 due to its sound quality and only 8GB of internal recording storage. The raw audio file and the processed audio from the Hollyland was close to the DJI, but I preferred the DJI and Rode audio quality more. This is definitely biased by my ears, but I felt it had less rich and crisp audio than the DJI and Rode microphones.

My second microphone to drop out of the running was the DJI mic 2. It is a popular microphone, but it's the oldest on this list, and it kind of shows compared to the others. Now, for some people, the 3.5mm jack is a very important factor. It can support lavalier microphones and give a more professional look when filming. This isn't that important to me, so it's not a deal-breaker, but a nice addition. However, the DJI mic 2 is heavier than the others at 28g, making it more difficult to clip onto a t-shirt. It has only 8GB of internal storage for recording and 6 hours of recording time per charge, the lowest in this group. The audio quality is fine, but the DJI mic 3 blows it out of the water. The DJI Mic 2 is muffled and dull, like the Hollyland Lark Max 2, while the DJI Mic 3 is clearer and brighter, with a wider-sounding tonal range.

Rode Wireless Pro

The Last three microphones, the DJI mic 3, Rode Wireless Pro, and Rode Wireless Go III, were the hardest to narrow down. The Rode Wireless Go had all the same bells and whistles as the Rode Wireless Pro, but didn't come with any accessories and had only two differences: the Rode Wireless Pro microphone has timecode and only one color option, but neither of those really matters to me. However, despite the glaring price difference between these two microphones, $255 for the Pro vs $185 for the Go, the accessories that come with the Rode Wireless Go III are lacking; there is minimal flexibility with what comes in the box, and getting a charging case, lavalier microphones, or any additional accessories will be more expensive if bought separately. So, even though these two options are identical aside from the time code, price tag, and color options, I have to eliminate the Rode Wireless Go III because I know I'll spend another $90 on a charging case for its storage, computer compatibility, and simultaneous charging. The charging case isn't just a charging case; you can plug in all three microphones into your computer at once while charging your microphones and receiver. The SC33 charging "hub" that comes with the Rode Wireless Go III is not compatible with the computer, and you cannot transfer audio files, which is a big deal for me. I also put "hub" in quotations because it is really just a bar with USB-C ports sticking out of it.

DJI Mic 3

After all this research, I narrowed it down to the Rode Wireless Pro and the DJI mic 3. This was the hardest part of this whole process. The main thing I looked at for these two microphones was their user interface. How hard was it to operate these two microphones? Did one of them have a clear advantage when operating? The DJI mic 3 has a small form factor of just 16g, which I am looking for; it has a touch screen receiver that is easy to operate while filming, which is a plus for me since most of my filming is just me. The DJI user interface is easy to use, and you can customize most, if not all, of the microphone settings on your phone or the receiver. It has a longer battery life than the Rode Wireless Pro of 8 hours vs 7 hours, quick charging that gives you 2 more hours of recording in 5 minutes, Bluetooth compatibility, and built-in active noise cancellation. These were all major factors. However, the Rode Wireless Pro has better audio quality in my opinion, which mattered the most to me. It's also more multifunctional, and it can double as a recorder for things like a guitar, and it's clearly built with vocals in mind. The user interface is simple and a little outdated; the receiver only has buttons and no touchscreen, but the Rode system has an iPhone and a desktop-compatible app for changing settings and updating the system, which is another plus for me. DJI not having a desktop app is kind of criminal in my opinion. The Rode is definitely bigger and a bit clunky at 35g, but with the lavalier microphones included, I can just clip that on and throw the microphone into my pocket. The Rode also has a safety recording system, which allows me to record another channel at a lower decibel level, just in case I get any clipping.

So, despite all of this, if you are looking for a wireless microphone, any of these would work; you just have to choose what is best for you. I think the DJI mic 3 would have been the microphone for me if I were more out and about, but since I am indoors, active noise cancellation is not something I was looking for. I wanted really good audio quality and a hands-off system that worked with my phone and camera. If you know the DJI system is right for you and you need a lavalier, the DJI Mic 2 is even better. Hollyland Lark Max 2 is really popular right now and offers many of the features listed above. At the end of the day, it really comes down to what matters more to you: convenience or the best possible audio… because realistically, the iPhone mic is good enough for like 90% of people anyway.