Pack Up Your Audio Toolbox: Audio Accessories for Video

By now, you may have decked your camcorder out with all sorts of nifty add-ons like a tripod, filters, extra batteries, padded bag, a DC light, etc. Not only do these accessories make shooting video more fun, they can also make for a noticeable improvement in your image quality.

In the same way, there's a whole universe of audio accessories out there that can impact your sound for the better. We're talking about going beyond just buying an external mike or audio mixer, into the realm of nifty audio gadgets designed to help you capture great-sounding video.

We'll break audio accessories down into three main applications: those that hold or otherwise enhance an external mike, those accessories that add functionality to your camcorder and accessories that solve specific audio problems.

The Mike Likes It
When you're ready to take your audio more seriously, an external mike should be one of your first purchases. After that, you can select from countless products that will make your microphone(s) all the more effective. In the realm of audio accessories, compatibility isn't much of an issue--most of these goodies will work with virtually any type of microphone from any manufacturer.

One example is the modular wireless mike transmitter. This ingenious accessory attaches to the bottom of any balanced professional dynamic mike, converting it to wireless operation. Azden's 31XT ($205) offers audio mute and sensitivity adjustment. The Nady Link is a snap-on VHF transmitter with companding circuitry for greater dynamic range ($755 with receiver).

When it comes to good audio, getting your mike in the right location is half the battle. If you're shooting in a stationary fashion, a simple stand may be the best way to hold your mike right where you want it. Most mike stands were designed for music, but work very well for video. Straight stands have a plain shaft and a weighted or tripod-style base, and most adjust in height from about 36 inches up to around six feet. Peavey offers their S-2 tripod-base mike stand with chrome shaft and legs for $41. Beyerdynamic's ST-400 stand ($59) offers tripod legs and scratch-resistant black finish.

For greater reach and more flexible placement, a boom arm is the answer. A boom attaches to a normal mike stand, allowing easy adjustment over a full range of angles and lengths. Booms are available from Beyerdynamic (GST 400, $79), Peavey (Microphone Boom Arm, $20) and AKG (KM211/1, $40).

For those jail-cell interrogations and round-table discussions, a desk-mounted mike can be more than just a prop--it may give you excellent sound to boot. Shure's S37A desk stand ($28) accepts any standard mike clip, while the S39A ($76) adds a shock isolation system to minimize thumps and bumps from the tabletop. One of the most affordable desk stands available, AKG's tripod table-top stand ($12) collapses for easy storage. Audio-Technica offers their AT8646AM stand with rubber shock-mount suspension ($29).

Those folks who are into do-it-yourself stereo miking can get by with just one mike stand, thanks to mounts that hold two mikes on a single stand. Stereo mounts include the AKG KM235/1 stereo microphone bar ($19) and Shure's A27M ($72), the latter of which will accept two standard mike clips in several different arrangements.

When you're on the move, a stationary stand just won't do. Unless you're using lavaliers or an on-camera mike, you'll need a way to suspend a directional mike just outside the frame for optimum sound pickup. The mike boom or "fishpole" is the answer--it allows a second person to position the mike at distances up to 10 feet away. Beyerdynamic's MZA 716 ($349) is a lightweight, four-section fiberglass fishpole that's adjustable from roughly three to 10 feet; their MZA 717 ($129) uses a two-section aluminum shaft for a five-foot reach.

Most people have heard the sound recorded by a camcorder's mike when it's buffeted by strong winds. While external mikes often have better resistance to wind noise, they're not impervious. Sometimes, a mike can need a little help from an external wind screen. Shure's foam A81WS ($34) will work with most small-diameter mikes, while the A58WS ($5) fits over most ball-type handheld mikes.

When talking directly into a mike, "p" and "b" sounds can make a different kind of wind noise. The result is a loud thump that can ruin an otherwise perfect take. For in-studio use, the most effective pop filter holds thin fabric in a hoop between talent and mike. AKG's PF-100 ($51) is one such filter, mounted on a flexible shaft for easy placement.

Camcorder Hearing Aids
There are many devices you can attach to (or near) your camcorder to increase its audio capabilities. In most cases, these accessories allow you to use professional microphones with your consumer camcorder.

Why do you need these accessories at all? Good question. Consumer camcorders have mike inputs designed for unbalanced, high-impedance microphones that don't require power from the camcorder. Pro mikes are almost always balanced, low-impedance designs, and many require a power source to operate.

Converting a professional mike to unbalanced operation and raising its impedance is the job of an impedance-matching transformer. Some models, like Carvin's MTF60 ($14), attach to the mike cable and provide a 1/4-inch male jack. The AC260 ($40) from DOD holds an impedance transformer in a sturdy metal box. Rapco's N-series mike cable ($63, 20-foot length) has an impedance-matching transformer right in the cable itself. The Shure A97F ($51) was meant for camcorders, converting a balanced XLR signal to an unbalanced minijack signal.

Most professional condenser mikes require phantom power, a small DC voltage that comes down the cable to power the mike's internal electronics. No consumer camcorder supplies this type of power, so you'll need a special device to record with a high-quality condenser mike. The Shure PS1A phantom power supply ($165) plugs into an AC outlet to supply voltage to one or two condenser mikes; Audio-Technica's AT8801 ($75) will power one mike from any outlet. For mobile use, Whirlwind's MicPower ($110) uses a pair of standard 9-volt batteries to power a condenser mike for roughly 50 hours. AKG offers a similar product in the B18E ($135).

For a tidy one-box solution for using professional mikes, check out Whirlwind's feature-packed MD-1 ($395), a battery-powered phantom supply, mike preamp and headphone amp in one.

No Problem
Finally, we come to the audio accessories no videographer should be without: adapters (or converters) and attenuators. These helpful gadgets allow you to convert from virtually any type of connector or signal to any other, and may bail you out of any number of sticky situations. The savvy videographer has a little tool or tackle box full of different adapters.

The simplest adapters are those that convert from one style of audio jack to another. Some common ones you may want to buy include 1/4-inch to minijack, XLR to minijack, female minijack to male minijack (basically an extender cable), 1/4-inch stereo to minijack stereo (for headphones) and RCA female to minijack male. The prices and different permutations of adapters are more than we could hope to cover in this article, but here are a few places you can find them: Radio Shack, Carvin, Shure, Whirlwind and Rapco.

Attenuators have the simple job of reducing the strength of an electronic signal, and they're important tools to have at your disposal. Here's why: most impedance-matching transformers bump the audio signal up to line level. This is much too strong for your camcorder's mike input, and will cause severe distortion. An attenuator brings this signal back down to an appropriate level. Radio Shack's 274-300 attenuator ($4) converts between RCA jack and minijack, dropping the signal level 40dB in the process. The Shure A15AS ($43) allows you to select between 15dB, 20dB or 25dB attenuation; their A15LA ($39) provides a fixed 50dB of attenuation.

Shure makes a few other in-line problem solvers worth knowing about. The A15HP ($50) contains a low-cut filter to reduce wind rumble, handheld mike noise or other knocks and bumps. Shure's battery-powered A15TG ($86) puts an end to "test ... test 1, 2, 3 ..." by piping a 700Hz tone down the mike cable, making it easy to set up your audio system or troubleshoot problems. Whirlwind's TESTER ($100) makes it easy to check XLR, RCA and 1/4-inch cables.

A Sound Investment
As you can see, most audio accessories won't set you back a month's salary. When you consider how they can improve the sound of your videos or simplify your life, it's easy to see that audio accessories are a good investment.

If you're ready to take your audio to the next level, it's time to accessorize!

Contributing Editor Loren Alldrin is a freelance video and music producer.

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Audio Accessory Companies

AKG
1449 Donelson Pike
Nashville, TN 37217
615-399-2199

Audio-Technica
1221 Commerce Dr.
Stow, OH 44224
330-686-2600

Azden Corporation
147 New Hyde Park Rd.
Franklin Square, NY 11010
516-328-7500

Beyerdynamic
56 Central Ave.
Farmingdale, NY 11735
516-293-3200

Carvin
12340 World Trade Drive
San Diego, CA 92128
800-854-2235

DOD Electronics
8760 South Sandy Parkway
Sandy, UT 84070
800-999-9363

Nady Systems
6701 Bay St.
Emeryville, CA 94608-1023
510-652-2411

Rapco International
3581 Larch Lane
Jackson, MO 53755
800-GO-RAPCO

Shure Brothers
222 Hartrey, Bldg. #1
Evanston, IL 60202
708-866-2596

Whirlwind
99 Ling Rd.
Rochester, NY 14612
888-733-4396

This list is only a sampling of audio accessory companies. It is not meant to be comprehensive.