We all know that audio is an important part of any video production. We always have good intentions, but if you haven't been out for a while or if you get caught up in the heat of the shoot, audio is usually the first segment to suffer. On the plus side, good audio is easy to gather if you remember the fundamentals. This month, we've assembled a short list of best practices, just to jog your memory.

Know Your Recorder

Back in the old days (a year or two ago), the advice here would have been simple: know the ins and outs of your camcorder and how it treats the audio you record. Today, it's a little more complicated. People are shooting video with everything from DSLRs to little Flip cameras - even their phones - and audio is increasingly handled separately through laptops and portable recorders. So, our first bit of advice here is to decide how you will record the audio - whether in-camera or with a separate recorder - and learn how to squeeze the very best recording from the gear you choose. We're not talking about reading the manual here, we mean hook it all up, test the limits and be intimately familiar with all the knobs, buttons, jacks and settings.

Know Your Microphones

In the same vein, it pays to know the strengths and weaknesses of your available microphone choices. With this information safely tucked away in your brain, it's easy to assess a shoot situation and instinctively know how your microphone will perform. It also makes it easier to choose the correct mic for the job. For instance, in a noisy factory, the noise canceling benefits of a shotgun mic could easily trump any of your other choices. However, a quiet interview might require the intimacy of a lapel mic. If you have the ability, use both. Record the shotgun on one channel and the lapel mic on the other. You can choose the best sound later in post.

Pick the Best Placement

Microphone placement can be tricky. You have to balance visual aesthetics with audio quality. If your mics must be invisible, start with a shotgun mic overhead on a boom pole. If you're new to this technique, you'll be surprised at how close the microphone can be and still stay out of the frame. Lapel mics can be hidden under clothing as long as you're aware of the potential for rubbing noises and the slightly muffled sound. If you have the time, try several different placement options and evaluate the results. Sometimes, the craziest locations work best.

Use a Windscreen

This tip is simple - if you're shooting outdoors, use a windscreen. It doesn't matter how light the breeze is, your microphones will pick it up and it could ruin an otherwise perfect take. Foam windscreens are useful in light wind conditions but, if you suspect anything other than occasional puffs of wind, invest in one of those big, furry windscreens. They are available for virtually every type of mic and from several different manufacturers. If time or money is tight, improvise one with some fake fur. The sound will be a bit dull, but it takes some serious wind to get through a fur windscreen.

Monitor With Headphones

In the past, many - if not most - camcorders had a headphone jack. Not so today. The advent of micro-sized tapeless camcorders has all but eliminated this option. If your camera does have one, it may do double-duty as an A/V output jack. Check your menu settings. If there is no headphone jack on the camera, it's possible to monitor using an external recorder. Failing that, several manufacturers make battery-operated mic monitoring mixers for boom operators. Regardless, the point here is that monitoring audio with headphones helps ensure a quality recording. Using headphones, you can catch bad cables, dead batteries and wireless interference before it's a permanent part of your recording.