Select the right microphone for your video efforts
The best-looking video in the world is a waste of time and money if nobody can hear your words. Here’s how to purchase and use the best sound equipment for your needs.
Most viewers will put up with lower-quality video if the audio is up to par. High audio quality means loud and clear voices, minimal background noise and little or no visual obstruction (you don’t want to see the microphone).
To make sure your subject’s voice is loud and clear, your microphone must be as close to the speaker as possible. This means you’ll need to use either an external microphone that plugs into your camera or an audio recording device. Placing the microphone close to your subject can also help minimize background noise, but other factors include the type of microphone, the volume and character of the noises and the distance those noises are from your microphone.
Microphones come in a wide variety of forms, available at prices ranging from a few dollars to several thousand. For basic video content, let’s narrow the massive field down to two basic types: lavalier and shotgun.
Lavalier microphone
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