About those buttons... You can set high-pass filters at 75 and 150. Normally, I would say that 150 is too much bass cut. But this mic has a lot of bass to spare. And if you are using it outside on a windy day, or close talk it as I do, those cuts can come in handy. If you are using a furry outside, you can even add some top-end to it to make up for what is lost when using wind protection. It is a nice set of EQ options that work well.
There is another button that allows you to record a safety track with a much lower gain at the same time you are recording your normal track. That is a very nice feature if you find yourself in a very loud situation where gain-staging can be challenging. This is something you will not find on many mics at any price. I will probably never use it. But it is nice to know it's there if I ever need it.
Other features include a builtin rechargeable battery that lasts 30 hours per charge according to Rode. This is another feature I will never test. If you have to use that builtin power, the battery is going to definitely get you through your session.
There is also auto-on and off. Using it as a USB mic, you never have to turn it on and off. And it charges the battery when plugged into a USB source. On some devices, it automatically comes on when plugged into a line-level device that supplies power. For line-level devices that do not supply power, you have that power button with battery life that you never have to worry about.
Finally, there is a gain dial on the back that is well-made and feels premium. If connected by minijack, it is a gain dial. As a USB mic with headphones in that port, it is a headphone amp. It is a very nice touch and something I very much appreciate. Rode has done a great job at making their features feel important and useful.
Included Accessories
Starting with the cables, you get a TRRS to TRRS, USB-C to USB-C, and USB-C to Lightning (specifically for use with an iPhone). I had to update the microphone's firmware before it would work with iPhone. Note that all of the cables are very short.
The rest of the odd packaging contains the main event. But the main event is actually three pieces already assembled for your convenience. You obviously get the microphone. It also comes with a very good foam wind screen. Rounding out the bundle is an exceptional shock mount.
Rode is a great company with excellent offerings across the board. But two things make them seem insecure about their place in the world: The first is their habit of pasting their branding on products in clownishly large and awkward ways. They really need you to know they exist the entire time you are using the product. The second is the fact that they give you a lot of stuff in the box. Road, give us less of the first and more of the second, please and thank you.
You really get everything you need to start using this highly versatile mic. They could charge you extra for the iPhone cable. It is an official MFI product. Further, it is the only cable I have that works with the iPhone. Other cables Apple includes with their products don't work. This cable is a very nice extra.
If you buy a Neumann TLM 103, you get a mic in a disposable box. That's it. If you want a useful shock mount, that is going to run you another $300. The mic has no buttons, knobs, nor switches. You just plug it in and start speaking. Neumann is extremely confident in their products for good reason.
Rode often includes a lot of expensive extras as if they fear users wouldn't choose them solely for the quality of their microphones. The add-ons they include are usually of higher quality. That wind screen is ver effective against plosives even when talking close up. The shock mount is a rebadged Rycote. It seems to have been made especially for this microphone because I cannot find any reference to it as a stand-alone product. Don't lose or break this mount. You won't get another one. The closets I could find was priced a $50. That is 20% of the total price of the package.
A note about that lightning cable: It also seems to be a proprietary piece. You can buy a replacement from Rode for around $30. Don't just assume your USB-C to Lightning cable will work. It probably won't, even if it is made by Apple. This seems to be a proprietary cable with a value over a 10th of the price of the package.
The windshield isn't even listed on the product page as being a part of the package. The only reference to it is the product photos that show it on the mic. Rode does not sell it separately. They do mention similar windshields that are colored for chroma key work. They don't even sell those. They link out to other stores which don't seem to have them in stock. If you like this windshield, don't lose it or damage it. What they do have is a furry made for this mic. Expect to pay $40 for it.
The problem I associate with getting a lot of nice accessories with a mic is that companies don't want to lose money on these products. So if you get $100 worth of accessories with a $250 microphone, how much could the mic really be worth? However, I have other mics in this price range. The Videomic NTG sacrifices nothing in terms of build quality and sound quality. So it is hard to see how they could possibly be making any money on the product.
Rode has been known to offer mics with amazing accessories included, only to later adjust the offering to include less expensive add-ons. Get this mic before Rode changes the value proposition in favor of making a profit. If they were more confident as a company, they would have just charged you more and included less. But the world of microphones is highly competitive. This is the golden age for gear heads.
Conclusion: A Strong Recommend
No need to beat around the bush. If you have $250 for a mic, get this one. Because of this Videomic NTG, I see other Rode mics in my near future.
David Johnson