What Audio Equipment is Best for Your Project
Audio is an essential key to video production and serves as the heartbeat of a well crafted piece. While there are many options that lie in the realm of audio, it’s important to know what tool is best to use during your project.
Shotgun Mic
A shotgun mic is a microphone that sits on top of your camera usually fastened in a hot shoe and attached via a mic cable. In professional cameras it is usually attached via a holder on the camera and attached via XLR. both are effective and used for the same things. A shotgun mic is great for close interaction to the camera usually within 3-4 feet to have optimal recording. This however is somewhat subjective as it depends on your positioning and what is around you. For the most part however it is an effective mic for on the go audio capture and is super popular amongst vloggers and filmmakers shooting in a run and gun situation.
Lapel/lav Mic
A lapel mic is a seamless way to capture quality audio by allowing the subject to move about freely and has the ability to be concealed for extra production value. This type of mic is generally used as a primary source of audio in production from testimonials, interviews all the way to reality tv. You can run these wirelessly, or as a wired stand alone set. We have experience with both and depends solely on what works best for the production situation that you are in.
Boom Mic
Ever see a BTS (behind the scenes) photo or a video of a person with headphones holding a long pole over their head? That’s mostly likely a boom mic. A boom mic is used in addition or in replacement of a lav mic. Typically, a boom mic is used to capture or pick up sound a lav mic cannot. Because it’s so large, it’s typically hard to conceal so the boom operator has to be conscious so it doesn’t fall into frame of the camera. Talk about a arm workout!
Handheld Mic
Ahhh yes! The handheld microphone the most nostalgic of them all we reference these back to the glory days of news television where the journalist is on the scene interviewing the subject at hand. These microphones are best used in practice at live events and on productions that have a host. These also can be used wired or wirelessly.
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While there are many forms of microphones, these are the most commonly used. Utilizing audio to its fullest potential will take your production to the next level. It’s no easy feat but with practice, patience, the right tools and some good ears, you’ll be an audio expert in no time!
