With the precision of a knife, throwing stars find their target and stick tight. The same is true of lapel or lavaliere microphones. You'll place these tiny microphones directly on the body of the subject, sometimes in plain view, depending on the genre of your program. Their distance from the mouth is consistent which makes them an excellent choice for sit-down interviews. Lapel microphones are small and unobtrusive in your shot, too. This is the professional standard for newscasters and interview subjects. Along with a variety of sizes and colors, lapel microphones also come in omni and uni-directional flavors, although omni-directional is the most common. Windscreens are available for outdoor applications and it's even possible to hide a lapel microphone under a shirt or sweater. Just don't bury the microphone too deep in clothing as it will muffle the sound. Look closely at professional interview videos and you may find a miniature microphone hiding under a collar or just behind a row of buttons.

Leveraging the ability to get the best of one's opponent from a distance is the strength of the staff. Shotgun microphones work in much the same way. Whether stand or boom mounted, a shotgun mike reaches out with a highly directional pickup pattern. This requires the operator to point the microphone precisely, but the benefit is high isolation from unwanted sounds. This is the microphone of choice for movies and television shows since the sound mixer can use just one or two microphones to cover a group of people. Shotgun microphones are very sensitive and prone to pick up more than their share of wind noise. If you're shooting outdoors, make sure you have a foam windscreen at the very least. For more extreme wind reduction, you'll need a special device called a zeppelin. This is a sort of cage for your shotgun microphone, often covered in a thick fur. The fur breaks up the wind and the cage mechanically separates the microphone from the wind.

If you're choosing your first external microphone, consider the type of video you shoot most and buy one that compliments that shooting style. As your skill grows, add other types to your collection to offer alternatives.

Regardless of your external microphone choice, you will always record better audio than you would with a built-in microphone. The added expense and setup time are well worth it and give your productions the professional edge.

The next time you face the angry thugs of video sound, go into battle with the right weapons and the knowledge of their particular strengths. You'll rescue the princess every time.

Author Hal Robertson has been producing stereo soundtracks for over 24 years. He owns a consulting company that specializes in media production.