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Microphone Buyer's Guide 2008

An external microphone, such as a shotgun or lavalier, is vital to getting excellent video. It isn't hard to achieve quality audio, and it all starts with a quality microphone (mic), combined with a good pair of headphones, a mixer and cables.

There are different types of mics, with varying features that include pickup (how they receive sound signals), stereo/mono and balanced/unbalanced. This Buyer's Guide will help you decide which mic is best for your needs. The sidebar below offers details on some of the audio accessories you'll need to insure that audio you've gathered has just as much punch as its video.

A wireless transmitter with a receiver hooked into the camcorder is an excellent way to free up the mic from the camera. Wireless Lavs, handhelds and even boom mics can give the subject more freedom to move around. Two things to note: range is a factor - the further away, the weaker the signal. Also, the digital TV transition in February may cause problems for users of older mic systems. The reason is that some wireless systems use frequencies that used to be TV channels (but are now reserved for public safety).

Phantom power is a way to power a mic from the camera through the cable, using DC power. Unless the camcorder's battery dies, the mic will run for the life of the camera's battery. A mixer usually also provides phantom power to a microphone. However, you can't use phantom power if you have the mic plugged into a wireless transmitter.

Mics are really effective only if you're close to your subject. Using only the on-board camera mic can be a problem in an interview, when the subject is sitting more than three feet away. What happens when the camera is further away? What happens when the talent moves away from the mic while talking?

The same thing goes for buying an excellent shotgun microphone and placing it on the camera's mic mount, something this writer has seen done by both professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Using a boom mic pole (also called a fishpole) or a lavalier mic to get in close to the subject is the key to successful audio. Don't get too close or the audio will sound loud and distorted; try to keep the mic one to three feet from the mouth-to-upper-chest region.

There are several types of microphones available, which have specific and broad functions. These mics include:

• Condenser: There are two plates in this mic. One is like a diaphragm, which resonates when sound hits it. The signal goes to the next plate, a capacitor, and the distance can vary with the signal. It needs constant power to work.
• Boom/Shotgun: This mic is very commonly used, and you can find it on the sets of movies, TV shows and interviews. Its long shape allows it to be much more directional than any of the other mics. A boom operator can move the mic around if the subject's head moves, ensuring clean and clear audio.
• Lavalier: Also known as a lav, this mic attaches to a person's clothing near the chest or neck, which relieves the subject or sound operator of the need to hold a microphone. Downsides are that the mic picks up ruffling of clothing and that audio levels drop when the subject's head turns.
• Parabolic: These mics are unidirectional and hypersensitive, because they pick up sound much as a satellite dish picks up audio and video signals. They pick up sound from far away, which is great for natural sound and more.