Whether you shoot video with your mobile, DSLR, mirrorless hybrid or a more traditional shoulder mount camera, you can be certain that the quality of your audio is just as important as the images.
Video footage produced in any scenario demands clear audio to immerse viewers in the footage. Unfortunately, poor audio is extremely difficult (if not impossible) to correct in post production and will make your content look amateur. So, whether you are reporting on location in the middle of a war zone, filming vox pops in the street or recording a piece to camera in a studio, getting the audio right is a necessity.
It is important to remember that ‘one size fits all’ approach doesn’t apply when aiming for the perfect audio every time you film. Elements like background noise, wind, echoic spaces and the number of people you are trying to record at once can affect how you approach the recording of your audio, so you need to be able to adapt to the situation in hand and know how to choose the best microphones to fit your needs.
First, some terms it is useful to know:
- Omnidirectional: Omnidirectional mics, as the name suggests, record sound evenly from all directions around the mic (including behind).
- Cardioid (Unidirectional): The polar pattern (field of senditivity) of a cardioid microphone is somewhat heart shaped, so sound is picked up mostly from the front and sides of the microphone, but poorly from the rear.
- Hypercardioid: An exaggerated version of the cardioid pattern, the hypercardioid records sound mainly from the front. Supercardioid mics are also available, with a polar pattern between cardioid and hypercardioid.
- Bidirectional: Sound is recorded from two opposite directions with a bidirectional mic.
- XLR lead: The standard cable for microphones, with three pins on a circular connector.
- 3.5mm jack: The kind of lead you get for headphones and mobile devices
- Phantom power: Some microphones need to be powered separately, but most audio interfaces like the iRig (of which more later) will include this as standard. Smartphones do not.
Depending on the camera you are using to film your footage, you will need to decide how you are actually going to record your audio using your desired microphone.
Many microphones and cameras have a 3.5mm jack input so you can plug straight into your camera and have no concerns about syncing the audio with the video. Be careful about the audio here as it is useful to ensure you have independent control over the mic’s gain, or volume.
Unless you are using a professional camcorder, your camera is unlikely to have the XLR inputs needed to attach most professional microphones. A dedicated audio recorder like the Zoom H4n or Tascam DR100 will allow you to record the audio from your professional mics without linking them directly to a camera. They both cost up to £150 but are handheld and include XLR inputs, jack inputs, phantom power, built in microphones, gain control and more.
For mobile journalists, hardware like the iRig Pre (around £30) or iRig Pro (around £100) will allow you to record audio to your mobile using a professional mic. MoJo expert Glen Mulcahy has made a great comparison video of the two devices.
Recording audio separately from the camera to a device in your pocket will make any mic feel wireless, so you can walk away from the camera and record audio in the distance.
With that in mind, there are four main types of microphone useful to journalists, each with their own characteristics.
In-built microphones
A DSLR by Scott Symonds on Flickr. Some rights reserved
The in-built microphone in your camera is rarely used for recording usable audio as it is usually omnidirectional. When a presenter or interviewee is standing away from the camera, sound will appear to be echoey as it bounces off the ceiling, walls and floor before arriving at the microphone slightly later – and picks up noises from around the camera, distracting from the speaker's voice.
It is however, useful for syncing external audio to your footage and capturing ambient noise.
Handheld mics
A hand held mic by Chris Engelsma on Wikimedia Commons. Some rights reserved.
These microphones are commonly seen on location reports or ‘run and gun’ interviews due to their durable frames and portability, where getting the mic in shot is a stylistic choice. Most handheld mics of any quality will have an XLR lead so it's worth getting one of the interfaces audio interfaces or hand recorders mentioned above.
A lot of handheld mics use the cardioid polar pattern to get clearer audio from individuals, but it's worth thinking about whether an omnidirectional mic is necessary for speaking to more than one person at a time.
Recommended: The Røde Reporter Dynamic Mic is affordable at a little over £100, with an XLR input and omnidirectional polar pattern. The Shure SM86 is a good alternative for a cardioid mic, reducing background noise, but is a little pricier at £150.
Shotgun mics
A shotgun mic by PJ on Wikimedia Commons. Some rights reserved.
These microphones – shaped like the barrel of a shotgun – are hypercardioid and highly directional, so they must be aimed at the target source in order to effectively pick it up.
As most news reports and interviews aim to amplify the voice of the subject or presenter as opposed to losing them in the background noise, this mic is most popular for individual interviews and pieces to camera. One of the key benefits of this mic is its versatility – it can be used with a boom pole, attached to the camera or held as a reporter mic.
Be aware that these mics are very fragile and sensitive to movement and wind – so a mic holder and wind protector may be required.
Recommended: You can get a decent Røde shotgun mic with a 3.5mm jack input and camera mount for around £120, or a good one for a little more. But if you really want to go pro the Sennheiser MKH416 is a standard among top broadcasters and TV producers. It'll cost you close to £1,000 though.
Lavalier mics
A lav mic by Claes Wallin on Wikimedia Commons. Some rights reserved
This mic can be clipped to someone's shirt or tie for discreet use – a favourite for news anchors and interviews.
Mobile journalists are now also benefiting from specially designed lavalier mics that fit right in to a mobile’s headset jack, such as the Smartlav+. However, be wary of knocking the mic or it rubbing on your clothing as most lavaliers are omnidirectional and highly sensitive to vibrations of any kind.
Recommended: The Røde SmartLav+ does the job for most mobile journalists (including ourselves) at under £50, but a lot of studios and news organisations go for Sennheiser's wireless set, which can mount directly on to bigger cameras, for around £650. They even throw in a transmitter to plug directly into the base of a handheld mic.
There are an abundance of reviews online to further help you choose the right microphone for your work. Researching audio equipment is a long process at the beginning, but the rewards of great sound will be worth it.
Got any other recommendations? Let us know in the comments below.
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