review – JOBY is a company known for its GorillaPod series of tripods for small to medium cameras. In recent years, they have released other accessories for video shooting, including lights, smartphone cases and microphones. Today we take a look at the Joby Wavo PRO microphone.
What is it?
The JOBY Wavo PRO is a camera-mounted shotgun microphone for capturing better and clearer audio than a smartphone or DSLR.
What’s in the box?
- their PRO microphone
- foam windshield
- wind jammer
- 3.5mm TRS cable
- USB-C to USB-A cable
- Operation Manual
Hardware Specifications
Capsule Type: condenser electret
Polar Mode: supercardioid
Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz (+/-3dB)
Sensitivity: 19mV/Pa or -34,4dB/Pa (+/-3dB)
signal to noise ratio: 96 – 100 dB
maximum sound pressure level: 115dB (118dB peak)
Self-noise: -76dBA
high pass filter: User selectable cutoff frequency (0-300Hz) via dedicated app
Gain adjustment: Independent gain boost up to +20 dB for camera output and auxiliary microphone input
Output Impedance: <470 ohms
Output connection: 3.5mm TRS, USB-C
index: Gain, battery level, Bluetooth connectivity, audio level measurement LEDs
Power supply (battery): Built-in lithium, rechargeable lithium-ion
Battery Life: 60 hours (50 hours with ANR on)
installation method: 3/8″ Universal Mount, Cold Shoe
bluetooth ready: yes
windshield: yes
Material: Aluminum, ABS plastic, Hytrel®
aspect: 5.39 x 1.14 x 4.33 in (13.7 x 2.9 x 11 cm)
weight: 0.35 lb (0.161 kg)
Package Weight: 10.12 oz (287 g)
color: Black
Design and Features
The JOBY Wavo PRO is black, made of aluminum and ABS plastic and DuPont Hytrel, presumably for a built-in shock mount. It’s just under 4 1/2 inches tall and 5 1/2 inches long, so overall it’s about the size of an average smartphone. With the black foam windshield, it looks a bit like two submarines stacked on top of each other, with a small black base and an aluminum cooling shoe bracket on the bottom. When you remove the foam windscreen, you’ll see the elongated microphone element, the part that picks up the audio.
On the back is a large power button with audio level LEDs above and below, and a small button on top that lets you choose to record the second audio channel at a lower volume or mono mix or stereo of the second input Detach, a Bluetooth connect button, and an LED to monitor the audio level of the second input (if you’re using one). On the left side of the base are the audio output gain controls and a 3.5mm audio output jack. On the right side of the base are the USB-C connectors for power and digital audio, an external microphone gain control, and a 3.5mm external microphone input. On the front of the base is a power LED that displays different colors depending on how much power is left, and flashes when plugged in to indicate charging status.
installation and setup
When using the Wavo PRO with a DSLR or compact camera, the microphone is mounted on the cold shoe mount on top of the camera.To use it with a smartphone you need a cage such as SmallRig Mobile Video Cage I recently reviewed. If you plan to use it with a smartphone, you’ll need a TRS-to-TRRS adapter to feed audio into the phone, and a Lightning or USB-C audio adapter, depending on the type of phone you’re using. Once the mic is charged, you can simply Plug it into the camera, turn it on and set the output level, depending on the sensitivity of the camera input.
If you want to control the microphone with the basic functionality provided by the onboard controls, download iOS or android app and connect the microphone to your phone via bluetooth. The app provides controls such as volume, EQ (preset or custom), output gain, auto power mode (using the camera to turn the microphone on and off), and more. Note that audio from the microphone is not recorded over the Bluetooth connection; Bluetooth is only used to control the settings of the microphone.
Another nice feature is the secure track recording option. This sends a second copy of the audio signal to a second audio channel 10 dB below the main audio (if your camera has a stereo input) in case there are spikes in the audio that would cause distortion.
If you want to record a second mic, you can plug a lavalier or other 3.5mm mic into the external mic input. This microphone will be recorded in your camera as a separate signal along with the shotgun microphone. This feature disables the secure track recording feature. You can choose between MIX MODE and MONO MODE. MIX MODE records the Wavo PRO’s microphone to the left channel and the external microphone to the right channel. MONO MODE mixes two microphones together and records them on both channels.
is using
JOBY Wavo PRO microphones are sturdy and well made. It has enough weight that it feels like it will last a long time. This sturdy construction comes with some heft, but it’s barely noticeable with all the batteries, gimbal, lights, etc. that many shooting modes require attached to the camera. If you’re using it with a smartphone with a cage or gimbal, the weight might be more noticeable, but that’s the trade-off of using an external mic like this.
Because there are several important button controls on the mic body, you probably won’t need to go into the app as often to get good audio. When you do need to make more in-depth adjustments, it’s easy and convenient to control using the phone app as long as the Bluetooth connection is made.
In testing, I had the app tell me it lost connection to the mic while trying to sync, just to see the mic and the bluetooth button turned itself off. I have to perform this “bluetooth dance” multiple times almost every time I try to use the app to connect it. It also happens when the app tells me that the firmware of the microphone must be updated to connect it again. It only took a few tries to connect to the mic, just let it sit there and spin on the screen as I tried to start the update; I looked and the bluetooth light went off again.
Finally, when I was able to connect and actually start the update process, it took about 25 minutes to complete the update. As soon as I try to connect to the mic again, it tells me it has to do an update. I canceled the process and tried connecting again, and it worked fine without trying to get me to update again. Overall, the app experience is good; the graphics are crisp, the controls are well laid out, and there are basic and advanced EQ settings, depending on your needs or your level of audio experience.
Joby Wavo PRO also includes Active Noise Cancellation (ANR) to help clean up the audio while recording. This feature reduces vibration noise caused by walking or camera movement. With up to 60 hours of battery life (50 hours with ANR enabled), you can shoot for days before you need to recharge.
An important part of recording good audio is accurate metering. While I prefer multi-segment meters to show more accurate levels when recording, a small mic like this doesn’t leave much room for things like this. The next best thing is seeing the LED color change as the audio signal gets louder. These level LEDs are located on the back of the camera, where the camera operator is most likely to be standing while shooting, so it’s easy to notice when the audio signal is too loud. For a more detailed level measurement, you can connect the microphone to your phone via bluetooth and monitor the level there.
The tests I tried with an external mic plugged in didn’t work, as the lapel mic I have requires power, which the Wavo PRO apparently doesn’t provide. I don’t necessarily see this as a negative, just a note to make sure you know what type of mic you can use as an external source.
I did record some natural sound clips in my backyard to get a feel for the clarity it captures and both the foam windscreen and the Rycote windscreen reduce air volume. I’ve also included clips recorded from my iPhone’s built-in microphone as an example of the difference in sound between the shotgun Wavo PRO and the iPhone’s omnidirectional microphone capsule, as well as the difference in wind protection.
JOBY Wavo PRO Natural Sound Demo:
JOBY Wavo PRO windproof, first use only foam windscreen, then add Rycote windscreen:
iPhone recording naturally, wind noise is particularly loud:
Recording with the Wavo PRO compared to the iPhone’s built-in mic (there’s some noise handling, since I’m holding it in my hand so I can rotate it – usually this will be mounted on the camera, so handling noise shouldn’t be an issue)
what do I like
- Good external audio for small cameras or smartphones
- Safe audio track recording to prevent loss of audio due to distortion
- 3.5mm analog or USB-C connection for recording to phone, tablet or directly to computer
what would i change
- Includes out-of-the-box TRS-TRRS cable for smartphone
- More stable Bluetooth connection for control and updates
- Powers external microphones that need it
final thoughts
If you’re recording video, you don’t want to rely on your camera or smartphone’s built-in audio. JOBY’s Wavo Pro Microphone is a great choice for capturing clear audio while reducing walking, camera shake or wind noise.
price: $299.99
Where to buy: work network and B&H Photos
source: The samples for this review were provided by JOBY.For more information visit their Place.
