AUDIO SPECIAL ACADEMY
GET THE RIGHT MIC
External mics are mostly shotgun type, where there is a long tube that the noise travels down, which is pointed towards the subject. This makes themmore directional and cuts down the noise from around the camera. Your kit should at least include a shotgun mic, which typically has an elongated polar pick-up pattern, called supercardioid, hypercardioid or lobar, depending onhownarrow its shape is. This means it needs to be aimed accurately, but shotgun mics are often the best option, as they’re highly versatile and able to be mounted on the camera, handheld by you or the subject, or mounted on a boom. A camera-top mic, usually designated a DSLR mic, has a standard input jack and many manufacturers make them, including Rode, Sennheiser, Shure, Saramonic and Deity. Basic units, like the Rode VideoMic Go, sit on the hotshoe and plugs into the mic socket - and that’s it. There is nothing to
adjust, and it doesn’t even take batteries. It’s far better to invest in something of higher quality with battery power, adjustable gain, a shock mounting and a foam rubber windshield to cut down on wind noise. Some, like the Shure VP83 series, even have a built-in recorder. And the new Rode VideoMic NTG even has USB-C connections so can be used as amic plugged directly into your computer. And Tascam offers a hotshoe-fitted recorder with its own shotgun mic. There are also different types of hotshoe mics out there, such as stereo units that are great for recording large concert performances, for example. These kind of mics are also good for sport and loud gigs as they are made not to peak too highly, to stop the nasty clipping of audio due to excessive volume. But a step up to a professional- quality XLR mic and you have an industry-standard bit of kit. Again, many manufacturers make these at a range
IMAGE The Sennheiser MKE 440 has two aligned and matched mini shotgun mics, ensuring it captures stereo audio while rejecting off-axis noise
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PRO MOVIEMAKER SUMMER 2020
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