Rode NTG4 Supercardioid Condenser Shotgun Microphone with Digital Switches

Rode NTG4: The Bright-EQ Documentary Shotgun with Digital Switching

The Rode NTG4 is the digitally-switched, bright-tuned supercardioid condenser shotgun in the NTG family — sitting between the dual-powered NTG2 below it and the RF-bias NTG3 above it. Built for documentary boom operators, indie filmmakers, on-camera podcasters, and ENG reporters who need broadcast-clean dialogue from a short, lightweight 10.9-inch barrel. Three digital pushbutton switches in the body store a 75 Hz high-pass filter, a -10 dB pad, and a +6 dB high-frequency boost — set them once for the shoot and they hold position even between phantom-power cycles. The bright EQ tuning prioritizes dialogue intelligibility, and the HF boost recovers the top end that a fluffy windshield routinely dulls in outdoor production.

Digital HPF, Pad, and HF Boost — Why the Switch Type Matters

Older analog shotguns put high-pass and pad controls on tiny recessed sliders that work loose mid-shoot — a stray brush against the boom-pole and the HPF is suddenly off, ruining the take. The NTG4 replaces those sliders with three digital pushbuttons that store state in firmware. Set the 75 Hz HPF to roll off wind and HVAC rumble, engage the -10 dB pad for loud SFX coverage, or punch in the +6 dB high-frequency boost above 5 kHz to restore the dialogue articulation that a deadcat windshield smooths over. Settings persist between phantom cycles — power-cycle the field mixer, the NTG4 wakes up exactly as you left it.

Bright-EQ Dialogue Tuning vs. the Warmer NTG3

The NTG4 capsule is voiced with a presence lift around 5 kHz — bright enough to push dialogue forward in a busy mix without post EQ. That tuning makes the NTG4 the first-pick run-and-gun mic for documentary, journalism, and on-camera podcasting where talent voices need to cut through location ambience straight from the camera or recorder. It is the bright counterpart to the NTG3's warmer, broadcast-traditional voicing — pick the NTG4 when the priority is dialogue intelligibility over body, and pair it with the +6 dB HF boost the moment a windshield goes on the mic.

Supercardioid Reach, 16 dBA Self-Noise, and 135 dB Max SPL

The 10.9-inch line-gradient interference tube delivers a tight supercardioid lobe that hands you the voice while traffic, HVAC, crowd murmur, and off-axis room thin out behind it. Low-noise circuitry holds 16 dBA equivalent self-noise — soft dialogue, room tone, and library-quiet interior scenes record cleanly without the hiss that gives budget shotguns away. 135 dB max SPL handles loud SFX, gunfire blanks, and drum-room work without internal clipping. Output impedance is 200 Ohms balanced on 3-pin XLR, so a 50 ft cable run to a sound-mixer bag delivers signal with no high-frequency loss.

Short, Light, and Camera-Mount Friendly

At 10.9 inches and 6.2 oz, the NTG4 is short enough to stay out of frame on lightweight gimbal rigs where a 16-inch broadcast shotgun gets clipped, and light enough to balance on a DSLR or mirrorless cold shoe without a fluid head. The aluminum body wears a matte black anti-reflective finish that disappears into front-of-camera and boom-overhead positions. Standard 0.87 in (22 mm) capsule diameter fits every Rode Lyre-style shockmount including the SM3-R camera-shoe shockmount, the SM4-R boom shockmount, and the Blimp windscreen system.

Standard P48 Phantom — Works With Every Field Mixer, Recorder, and Camera

The NTG4 runs on standard 44 to 52 VDC P48 phantom power supplied over the XLR cable — no batteries, no proprietary power module, no preamp boost required. Every working field mixer (Sound Devices, Zoom, Tascam, Zaxcom), every bag recorder with phantom-capable XLR inputs, every camera or cage with XLR-with-phantom (Sony FX series, Panasonic GH-series with XLR module, Canon C-series) drives it cleanly. The NTG4+ variant adds an inbuilt rechargeable battery for cameras without phantom power — this NTG4 is the phantom-only version for production sound mixers, bag-recorder operators, and DSLR cinematographers running a phantom-capable XLR rig.

Who the NTG4 Is For

First-time documentary shooters and indie filmmakers who need a broadcast-clean dialogue mic without RF-bias NTG3 pricing. Upgraders moving from a budget NTG2 or third-party shotgun who want digital switches that hold position and an HF boost that fixes deadcat dulling. Spec shoppers comparing the NTG4 against the NTG3 (warmer, RF-bias, weatherproof) and the NTG5 (RF-bias, ultra-lightweight) — choose the NTG4 when bright dialogue, digital switching, and a short lightweight body matter more than RF-bias moisture immunity. Plug into any phantom-capable XLR input, set the switches, start rolling.