Rix Mascarenhas
Normally, I would argue that the first impression is the most essential thing you can provide to someone, but in the case of the Godox Movelink M2, it is evident that we have already had this initial impression. So, let’s get caught up in these impressions and evaluate these small squares the right way.
Godox MoveLink M2
It is no secret that we require a decent audio solution in every video production scenario, and the possibilities for obtaining good audio grow by the thousands each year. Godox is one of the new names in this game.
Godox is well-known for its flashes and studio and outdoor strobes, which are an absolute deal in terms of quality versus price. And they are dabbling in this new field of professional audio solutions.
The Godox Movelink is one step away to become one of the Godox’s most popular professional audio systems. This is a simple option for individuals searching for a portable wireless microphone system that is easy to conceal.
It’s difficult to discuss the Godox Movelink without mentioning the Rode wireless GO or the Lark from Hollyland.
Both brands have very comparable products here, in all areas they share all the advantages and drawbacks, but we draw a line when it comes to money, with the Rode solution costing roughly $300 and the Godox Movelink costing less than $100.
One of the things that I’m really impressed with the Movelink series is the fact that it comes in a case, which serves as protection but also serves as a battery bank. So when it comes time to charge your transmitter and receiver, you can just plug the case with the units inside.
The case itself is very compact and easy to carry around, and it will keep your wireless microphone system well secure and consolidated in one place.
Even though the transmitter and receiver cases are made of plastic, the Godox Movelink doesn’t feel cheap. The controls are simple and well layout out with small buttons and nothing seems out of place.
The small screen at first look seems too small, but the interface layout is very minimalist and well put together, so dealing with menus and setups inst a problem, even when you are using a small screen.
The holding clips are great, sturdy, and magnetic, which is gives us more opportunities for placement and securing the unit in ways that aren’t possible before. It comes with a pair of extra magnets that can be used to place the transmitter on shirts and not the clothing all kneaded.
Two things that I wish Godox have made differently with the clips. The first one is stringer magnets, this would give me more confidence in using the units with the help of the magnets and not be worried all the time about the units falling from my talents.
The second one, is a clip that is able to swivel or rotate, so I can clip the unit on my talent tie, but still have the possibility to point the microphone the way I like, and not sideways.
For sure this can be solved using one of the lavalier microphones they provide on the kit, and maybe this is a better solution, but it would be nice to have the option of a rotating clip in the case where I don’t want or cannot use a lavalier.
Even though the carry case does not have any battery on it, it has just the ability to charge all units, I don’t think this is a bad thing. After all, the units themselves last a pretty good amount of time working before it need to be recharged.
The charging times for all the units run around the 3-hour mark, which is not fast, but it is way better than the almost 5 hours that the competition takes to charge just one transmitter or receiver.
One thing that I need to talk about this unit is how well the clips for the wind muffs are made, it clips on the unit are insanely good, it is so good that it is very difficult to take them off, which for some this can be a bit of a problem.
Construction
The size and weight of these units are fantastic; the Godox Movelink M2 is tiny enough to go anyplace on your backpack and light enough that you may wear it and forget you are miced.
Overall, the construction satisfy most of the needs of aspiring filmmakers of the needs of someone that will not put this unit through places that can harm the unit.
Being a plastic constructed unity, I would recommend use with a bit more care than other unities, but this doesn’t mean that you will have to baby this unity.
For me, the thing that makes me happy to see is the LCD screen, which is very reliable and easy to see, even thought we don’t have a real time feedback on things like input signal from the microphone, which is maybe something that can be fixed with a firmware update.
Range
One of the most significant aspects of a wireless system, especially when it comes to microphones, is the range of action, or how far this will function reliably.
There are systems that use UHF bandwidth to perform all the magic, and others that use 2.4ghz bandwidths to perform the same function.
One of the benefits of employing a system capable of working over greater distances is significant, and when combined with improved signal quality, we may call this a win-win situation.
The Godox Movelink has a range of roughly 40 to 50 metres with a solid connection between the transmitters and receivers. In my tests, it worked reliably up to 40 metres, with connectivity issues beginning to occur at the 45ish point.
This is an excellent outcome for a little unit that appears to be a toy to the uninitiated. And I must say, I enjoy how small it looks. With larger units, normally we have problems hiding it, but with small units, we can easily find a place on a pants pocket or even a belt. This makes life much easier when we are dressing our talents for video.
Here’s where your bacon most counts, after all, we are talking about a microphone and sound quality is the most important thing.
The Godox MoveLink had a good bang for your buck, the sound quality is good enough to carry on your professional jobs with a little post-work.
Here we have to analyze this microphone on two fronts, just the unit without the use of lavalier microphones.
Here you can hear the MoveLink in action, headphone is advisable!
One thing that I would love to see in this unit, or maybe on a future interaction of it, is the ability to record audio in the unit itself, without the need to hood it up to a field recorder, camera or cellphone, this would ensure audio quality and why not the peace of mind.
If each transmitter also has the ability to house a micro SD card and record audio with a simple push of a button on the receiver, I’m sure Godox would be leading this segment without a problem.
The only problem that I experienced is a noticeable delay on the transition, from the time you speak to the time you hear the sounds using the monitor output jack on the receiver, you can hear a delay.
I don’t know if this is a problem with my unity or if it is something that no one is talking about it, I couldn’t find anyone talking about it.
This problem can be annoying and for future possible products I hope Godox can fix this, or even a firmware update that address this problem.
This does not affect the transition quality, but it if you don’t slate your recordings, in case you are doing video and audio, you will be heading to a situation that can be a bit challenging during the post-production.
Price
Like everything in this life has a cost, the Godox MoveLink is no different, but likely the cost is not prohibitive, going way under the cost of some competitors.
The price you’re going to pay is around US200, which is pretty reasonable when you put it in the context you are getting a complete package, 2 microphones, 2 transmitters, 1 receiver, and all the cable and adapters to suit all your needs.
Conclusion
The price is fair for what comes in the box, the quality is on par with other brands and other models of microphones, and one thing that catches my eye is the design, which is a bit better than its main competitor, the Rode Mic GO.
If you need to record two people at the same time, I suggest you go after the M2 kit, and if you are recording videos by yourself the M1 kit is more than sufficient.
I am really happy that Godox is going forward with all their line of professional audio equipment, and because of that, we have a more affordable option to prejudice content with quality!
And you, do you have Godox products? List them in the comments below.
