Rode Blimp MkII

I'm a field recordist and use this blimp mainly with stereo microphones or similar setups, also doing a lot of nature recording.

The Rode Blimp MkII is a big improvement over the MkI. it is lighter, sounds better, and the use of rycote's lyre system is a big plus.

While it's sound and ergonomics can't be compared to the more pricier alternatives like rycote or cinela, it will provide you with a decent amount of protection against wind. There a bit more muffling of the sound than the pricier alternatives. (Any windjammer muffles the sound somewhat, the Rode blimp a tad more than it's higher end competitors).
But it is still a decent blimp for the price. And if you're on a budget but need a windjammer, this is the cheapest one. It works from light to moderately stong winds.

I've used it for almost 4 years now and I think it is quite sturdy, I travelled a fair bit with it, and apart from a few scratches on the handle it almost looks new. I do put it in a PVC pipe when it needs to go in checked luggage.

The biggest dissappointment is the fact that you can't get a stereo conbox. I often use this with a stereo mic, but instead of the conbox, I just use a short 5pin xlr lead that I feed into the handle.

Another dissappointment is that the connections of the lyres to the rail is not compatible with other lyres from Rycote. so you can't replace the lyres in the blimp with for example a duo lyre from. At least not like that. I now use a 3D printed adaptor that actually lets me swap out the lyres (I use the duo with heavier stereo mics).

If you need to boom a long time, the weight of the blimpmkII might become an issue. for short runs it's fine. and withaout the blimp it also works as a good pistol grip.

In short, if you're on a budget but need a blimp, this will work well, especially for dialogue. If you need to record critical ambiances, or need to work in heavy wind, you might need to look at pricier alternatives.

I bought the Rode Blimp MKII couple of months ago from Thomann. I have been using this product on my location recording when recording in exterior environments to protect my shotgun mic from capturing wind noise.

Pros:
- The Rode Blimp really does the job and reduce a huge amount of wind noise when used
- Cheap price compared to its rivals like the Rycote products
- very lightweight which makes it convenient when holding the boom pole for several minutes over your shoulders.
- Neutrik connectors

Cons:
-the only con about this rode blimp is the wire that goes from the back of the windshield to the bottom of the handle. I think it is a bit exposed and not really secure if you are clumsy on a set the cable might be damaged easily. it would have been nice from Rode is this cable was hidden. But again if you take a good care of your equipment nothing can go wrong.

In a nutshell, this is a great product from Rode, I am really satisfied with its performance. If you are looking for a windshield system and can't afford the high Rycote prices I highly recommend buying the Rode Blimp MKII from Thomann.

Happy with the purchase of the blimp!

The main goal of the product is easily achieved - zero wind present in recordings during moderate West Ireland winds!

The quality however does feel a small bit flimsy/unstable. The plastic build of the blimp itself (the handle is fantastic) seems a bit unsure of itself - especially when carrying a 460g Rode NT4!

Also, the cover at the end of the elastic tightener on the dead cat cover came straight off on first use.
I replaced this with minor difficulty - and it came straight off on second use.

This was overcome by tying the elastic ends together with electrical tape.

Happy so far, but not too sure how the Rode NT4 will fare in the blimp over a long period of time.

Long story short, the product works and is decent for the price compared to Rycote equiv, but the build quality is simply not of the same standard.

And unfortunately, I lost one of the plastic caps for the adjust knobs on the base of the Blimp cage, and Rode are basically incontactable from what I can tell. 2 emails to CS with no response. Not thomanns fault in anyway, but feel like people should know.

But in reality this was really my fault, so I cant hate on them too much. The product, in general, is decent for the money. Just dont lose any parts of it and read the instruction carefully. This is not an intuative piece of kit to use!