Basic Audio for Video - Overview of Microphones

[kylejack2]

We have the same bed sheets... That's creepy. Anyway.  Good video.

[Hgirl4011]

I want to buy a shotgun mic for a boom pole. I want to also get an external recorder, or something to hook the mic up to and record the audio separately from the camera. I don't have any information on the recorder, do you have any suggestions?

[visiblehorizons]

@Hgirl4011 I would recommend the Zoom H4n. It sounds great and has very low noise preamps which give you a nice clean sound. Always remember to use headphones to monitor your audio.

[KcarterO6]

i have an M one usb mic that plugs into my macbook and a pair of headphones that plug into the mic. sound quality is great through the mic into the headphones but once i record and listen to the recording it just sounds like my regular macbook mic is picking it up. im not great with this kind of stuff im just trying to get a better set up for my singing to sound better, any tips?

[visiblehorizons]

@KcarterO6 You may want to check your settings and make sure it isn't defaulting to the built in mic.

[KcarterO6]

@visiblehorizons ya thats definitely what it was thanks lol

[FunkySpaceManIsland]

i bought a camera and a shotgun mic. my problem is when i plug the mic into the camera no sound is recorded. do you have any ideas what my issue could be and or how to fix it? thank you.

[asiandaddy]

I'm going to buy a shotgun mic on sale, but are lapels better?

[visiblehorizons]

@asiandaddy Since they serve different purposes I would say you are safe with either. I like using a shotgun mic if I don't want the mic in the shot or if I'm doing more of a run&gun shoot. Lapels are great for sitdown interviews where it is ok to have the small mic shown. They do tend to pick up the speaker better since they are closer.

[MrPanda8000]

can u help me want to know if an xlr adapter will screw into a handheld camcorder

[visiblehorizons]

@MrPanda8000 I would assume not unless it is a prosumer or professional camera. Depending on the camera you may have a 1/8" miniplug mic input, but most consumer cameras don't have any type of mic input. The best option if you don't have a mic input is to buy an external recorder and sync it all up in post production.

[Catwink41]

There are so many great videos on Youtube which have not been filmed with the right microphone setup. Little by little, people are learning what to do.  Thank you!

[YouMotherIsAwsome]

i have a panosonic hds-sd40 can you plug in mic to that kind of camera?

thanks!

[visiblehorizons]

@YouMotherIsAwsome It doesn't have an input so you would need to get an external recorder. Like a tascam dr-08 if you want a small, inexpensive one.

[xato909]

how much cost shotgun mic

[visiblehorizons]

@xato909 It depends on the brand, durability, etc. They start around $100 and go way up from there.

[scottstevensonfilms]

Ha I have that same black plastic lock box and I also use that radio shack mic and MacBook pro. I keep all of my production gear in it when I travel to and from a shoot. Looks like you use it the same way I do.

[visiblehorizons]

@scottstevensonfilms Yeah I have used it to transport my gear a few times. Not much anymore. The big drawback was the lack of wheels.

[Odakufilms]

Shot gun mike it is

[Odakufilms]

Thumbs up

[Odakufilms]

you probly answered this already but I am making a amateur film, should I use shot gun mike for filming 3 ppl? I wonder if the lav mike could be hidden...

[BachTantra]

great video, how would you get around having mic's if you are interviewing someone and need two mics for sound from both of you?

[visiblehorizons]

@BachTantra You could use 1 mic. Ask the question in it and then point it towards them. Or if you don't really need to be heard just have the mic on them. You will still pick up the questions you ask, the audio level will just be low.

[megamatt53]

nice video.

i have a question ?

how would you mic a movie ? would you use a shotgun mic ? or a boom mic ?

what one do you feel is better and why ?

[visiblehorizons]

@famouse6 If you are talking about movies they have mixer with a boom mic. They add a lot of sounds in post and even sometimes the voices are redone. However for me I use a shotgun mic on the camera or a stand if it's just me that goes straight into the camera. I also have a small recorder that I use with a lapel mic for weddings to get sound closer without being too intrusive. Hope that helps.

[punkshift2]

can i use a regular mic as a boom mic and hook it up to my laptop?

[visiblehorizons]

@punkshift2 You can but the results will be different. A Shotgun or Boom mic is unidirectional meaning it takes most of its sound from in front of the mic. A "Regular" mic that you're talking about is typically Omni-Directional meaning you will have a lot more noise from the surroundings.

[punkshift2]

@visiblehorizons What if I wrap a paper onto it? or a cone-shaped cardboard?

[visiblehorizons]

@punkshift2 You could get some weird sounds, maybe echo. It probably wouldn't sound right. Maybe I can test this in another video.

[punkshift2]

@visiblehorizons i'm subscribing so I can get updated and will see that video! :D

[boron47]

how does the lapel mic connect to the camera? do you have to upload it and sync it (if so, are most video editing softwares able to do that? and does it work the same way with a shotgun?)

[factory2012]

can i use shotgun mic for recording song cover?

[AIHBA]

Hi I was wondering if you could help me. If I were backstage at a show with a lot of people and a lot of noise around and I had to do a short interview with someone, which mic would you suggest? Thanks for the vid xx

[visiblehorizons]

@AIHBA The key would be to get the mic really close and eliminate as much of the background noise as possible. If you are trying to do it fast either a shotgun or handheld mic would be best. I would prefer something that was more directional to help with some of the background noise as well. Just remember you probably can't get rid of all the background noise, but moving the mic closer will give more sound from the interviewee.

[blakelund]

how do i get the handheld mic to work on my computer? its all plugged in and external mic is selected but it doesnt seem to work :(

[visiblehorizons]

@blakelund The Problem is probably not enought input volume. Ideally you would want a mixer or audio interface and then go into the computer. Audio interfaces usually produce higher quality sound then the mic input on most computers.

[lovestrucklovergirl]

I do just tutorials and review videos on here, for video I use a canon vixia hf r 10 and the internal mic sucks, so I am looking for a mic that will work with my video camera. Any suggestions? I am looking at shot gun mics. Keep in mind I would like to not spend more than 50 dollars.

[visiblehorizons]

@lovestrucklovergirl I'm assuming that camera has a miniplug or 1/8" mic input. I know there are several shotgun mics in that price range. It would help out a lot as you are correct "the internal mic sucks." As is the case with most internal mics. Another option would be a very inexpensive lapel mic from Radio Shack. You can get them for around $20 and you just clip it on the person.

[SJBLOOD408]

i have a canon 7D i am a film maker and have used boom mics that i have been borrowing from a class i used to have. now i wanna buy my own what boom mic is affordable what do you sugest?

[visiblehorizons]

@SJBLOOD408 Not really sure what your budget is. If you are looking for a good mic get one with an XLR output and then buy an Audio Recorder. I suggest the Zoom h4n. It gives you more control and better quality audio over the input in the 7D. This is my next upgrade for my canon 60d. I use my canon xh-a1s right now for audio since it has xlr inputs.

[FerrrisWheelPro]

I hate how my ATR-6550 gets that fuzzy static noise in the background on my Kodak Zi8, I need to know HOW TO FIX IT!

[visiblehorizons]

@FerrrisWheelPro You may see if you can lower the gain on the mic or in the camera. Also make sure the mic is close to the person talking. It's also important to speak loud.

[bbabybry]

Hello, Im looking for a good XLR Shotgun Boom mic within my price rage to be used for the Zoom H4N and a canon T2I, my price range is in between $100 - $300 if you could let me know that would be great!

[visiblehorizons]

@bbabybry Azden makes some good mics that are within your price range. Check them out they have several models in that range, just depends on what you want.

[sammamouth]

I am a novice but wanted to know the best audio equipment would you use to record telephone interviews using skype? I take it my USB headset is not the best! I plan on conducting interviews and posting to them online Thanks so much and cost is not a huge factor (but a factor of course!)

[sammamouth]

I am a novice but wanted to know the best audio equipment would you use to record telephone interviews using skype? I take it my USB headset is not the best!  I plan on conducting interviews and posting to them online Thanks so much and cost is not a huge factor (but a factor of course!)

[Insideeddie]

hi my friend... i was wondering if you could help me out... i want to get better audio on my videos and i was thinking about getting an external mic but unfortunately my camcorder does not have a external mic input is there another way to do it using my mackbook pro and imovie???? thanks a billion... eddie

[visiblehorizons]

@Insideeddie You should be able to use imovie and either a usb mic or a mic into your mic jack on the mbp. Then you will just have to line up the audio in the editor. Might be pretty tough in iMovie, but should be able to do it with some patience. I might recommend getting Final Cut Express as it would make it easier.

[BreRoz]

Great work. Helped me a lot. It would be great to mention prices though! However, you really did a nice job. Thank you!

[visiblehorizons]

@BreRoz I don't mention prices because they do tend to change and then if I say $XX is a good price in a few months that may be way overpriced. If people ask what the price is I will tell them what the current prices are.

[BreRoz]

@visiblehorizons And when I looked at prices - they range from $40 to $2,000 so uh, that would be pretty hard for you to narrow down. :)

[SingSwing17]

do any of these mics help improve the sound of recorded music? because whenever there's a higher or louder note the sound goes crazy....

and if i can't get a mic, is there any other way of dealing with that?

[visiblehorizons]

@SingSwing17 They will help improve the quality of recording. However, the issue you are talking about is clipping. This is when the audio signal goes above what the camera or mic can handle. This can usually be eliminated by lower the input level or gain on the mic on the camera. (If it is a good enough camera with this feature. Look in the Manual for this. ) Hope this helps.

[radicalangel7]

NERD !!! !! !

[sideshow45]

are there any microphones i could just put on the side of a Zi8 that would improve sound quality in all areas like clearness and range?

[visiblehorizons]

@sideshow45 I looked into a couple. Sony makes one that is stereo. As far as clarity and range it is about the same as the onboard mic. I would try to find a good shotgun mic and a mount to the tripod.

[SuperElias10]

do we half to use a sertant type of camra to use the lepel mic?

[visiblehorizons]

@SuperElias10 you just have to have one that has a mic input. Either a 1/8" or XLR input will do.

[simulationsimulacra8]

hey love ur videos. i ve got a panasonic sd600 which doesn't have a jack input or any kind of input to get an external mic on. what can i do to improve my sound? are there any good quality usb mics?

[visiblehorizons]

@simulationsimulacra8 you might check out Blue Microphones, they make some pretty good sounding USB mics.

[tadentt]

how much was your lapel mic?

and is it wireless??

[visiblehorizons]

@tadentt That lapel I got at RadioShack for $20 or something like that. It is just a wired mic. I added an extension onto it so it is long enough to reach.

[acoolmanproductions]

man i love your videos

[1joke2joke3joke4]

Can you use two lapelle mic's or only one on the zi8?

[visiblehorizons]

@1joke2joke3joke4 not sure on this. You might be able to use a splitter to do this, but you wouldn't be able to control the volume of the mics independently. You could use a small mixer to accomplish this though. Run the two mics into it and then run one line out into the camera.

[MrNC26]

hi. very explained well video. just got a question to ask. how do you get audio sound onto your camera useing video and left and Right leads? Is there a way of doing this? as i have a sony camcorder with a jack hole in the front of the camera, can that be used for putting audio onto the camera ie putting music on or commentarys, etc? If you could help me on this id be greatfull, cheer mate

[trevorh2007]

any way to use a XLR mic with the Zi8???

[trevorh2007]

i mean while maintaining the XLR's quality??? i was thinking XLR to 1/4 then the little 1/4 to 1/8 adapters but using so many adapters would my quality be degraded a lot???

[visiblehorizons]

@trevorh2007 It really depends on the connection. I have a Female XLR cable to Male 1/4" and then an adapter to 1/8". I would watch out that the weight doesn't cause the input to warp or break. That would be my main concern. I will try to shoot a video with my big shotgun mic some time to see what it sounds like.

Honestly you can find some really good 1/8" mics I have a shotgun and lapel that will work great.

[SimpleShorts]

where did u get your shotgun mics or where can i get them for a decent price?

[visiblehorizons]

@SimpleShorts I buy most of my A/V equipment from B&H Photo Video. They don't always have the lowest price, but their customer service is great. And they are very reputable.

[CONZMASTERFLEX]

hey, so i'm thinking about getting a kodak zi8 and i've read some reviews and watched some videos and the internal audio doesn't seem to be so good. some people said it even has a whining sound. this doesn't sound to good to me, so i've been looking into getting an external mic

are there any mics that are small and easy to use and capture a lot of sound and make the sound of the internal mic go away?

hope that makes sense.... and thanks for ur help in advance

[visiblehorizons]

The internal audio whine you are talking about was fixed with a firmware update. Any of the new ones will have the latest firmware (v1.06). As far as a mic goes it really depends on what you want to use it for. I use the lapel mic for these videos. Or you can use a shotgun. Or there are some small stereo capsules that Sony makes. They sound pretty good.

To get good audio it is important that the mic is close to the source. In the viewer questions ep. I'm going to go into this in more detail.

[theboxdevil]

what about boommikes man gotta have boom mikes

[visiblehorizons]

A shotgun mic is a boom mic. I will break out the boom pole on another episode to show you.

[renski202]

Thanks for sharing :)! 5*

[RDM213]

Good video. I'm about to get a camcorder and narrowed it down to the flip ultra hd and the kodak zi8. now I'm thinking the kodak will be the better choice because I play guitar and the external mic option sounds sweet. should I go with the shotgun mic to record guitar?

[visiblehorizons]

A shotgun would be ok. However probably a better mic would be a Shure SM-57 or a GLS ES-57 which is a knock-off of the Shure and about a third the price. I have heard it used to record and it has a really good response. Some even say it is better then the Shure. You can find it on ebay.

Also check out my full review of the Kodak Zi8 if you haven't already.

[markapsolon]

good  stuff dude!