Are clunky mic dongles going to be a thing of the past? This company is updating popular wireless mics to work without receivers

The Rode Wireless Go connecting to an iPhone without a receiver — (Image credit: Rode)

Wireless mics step up the audio on videos using a mic and receiver – but one audio giant is working to allow iPhone and iPad users to shoot videos without a mic receiver at all. Rode has introduced firmware for the Wireless Pro and Wireless Go (Gen 3) mics that allows users working with iOS and iPadOS to skip the receiver that plugs into the smartphone or tablet’s port.

Instead, the feature, called Direct Connect, allows those mics to use the Bluetooth inside the mic and the Rode Capture app to connect to the wireless mic. That eliminates the need for plugging the receiver into the phone or tablet.

The company says that the update is due in part to the success of the Wireless Micro, a mic that gained Direct Connect last year through a major firmware update.

Eliminating a pesky dongle is only part of the equation. Connecting the Mic through Bluetooth allows creators to free up the USB-C port for other accessories, like external storage SSDs, external monitors, or actually using the charging port for charging.

The iPhone and iPad app also gives creators a few different controls for the mics, including the ability to record two mics to separate audio channels, adjusting the output gain for more volume control, and LED lightness for a more discreet screen.

Direct Connect: unlock Bluetooth recording for RØDE Wireless GO (Gen 3) and RØDE Wireless PRO! - YouTube

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The Wireless Go and Wireless Pro require a firmware update using the Desktop Rode Central software. Once the firmware is connected, connecting without the receiver works much in the same way as connecting a pair of Bluetooth headphones, but inside the Rode Capture app.

While the update is limited to iPhone and iPad – making the dongle a must for Android as well as working with dedicated cameras – the feature raises a few questions. Could this receiver-free Bluetooth connection eventually roll out to Android? Could dedicated cameras with Bluetooth eventually support such a feature? Regardless, the dongle-free connectivity is an interesting direction for the mics to take.

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