What Type of Microphone do you need for a Video Podcast?
When to buy a microphone
Imagine this: you’re about to film some content and you got the camera all set up and composed well. Then, you film the video and it looks amazing but sounds like trash. Surprise! It’s time to buy a microphone.
When it comes to audio for your video or podcast, there are endless microphones to chose from, so we are not going to discuss specific microphone models here, but we’ll cover the type of microphone that you may be looking for. There are all kinds of speciality microphones, but the main three types you’ll most likely going to need or want are:
A shotgun microphone
A dynamic microphone
A lavalier microphone
Lavalier microphones
Any microphone no matter the price, brand, right type of mic will sound its best the closer it is the sound source. Most lavalier mics have what’s called an “omnidirectional pickup pattern” which means the capsule itself does not need to be oriented in any way to get the best sound. So you can clip the mic facing any direction on the person and will sound the same no matter it the mic is.
The lavalier, also known as a lapel microphone, is probably the best option when it comes to beginners in the content creation world. They can be the easiest to use because you can just clip it to your shirt and capture audio on it and they force you to get the mic close.
Dynamic microphones
The dynamic microphone is probably the most popular in podcasts and radio shows. A dynamic microphone has a very small pickup pattern and is usually in the frame either on some sort of arm or desk mount. Because of the pickup pattern, dynamic microphones are great for small spaces with bad sound treatment. These mics are less sensitive and force you to talk close into the mic which uses the “proximity effect” and gives that very close sounding “radio” voice.
Shotgun microphones
Shotgun condenser microphones are typically what you see a boom operator use on a film set. Shotgun microphones are very directional and have a pickup pattern that is very narrow with a spread similar to an actual shotgun, hence the name. These mics are great at rejecting sounds coming in on the sides and usually do pretty well at rejecting the sounds coming from the rear.
The condenser mics are the most popular in film because they usually have a more natural sound that they record and are held just out of the frame on the shot. They are typically the highest quality when it comes to sound, but it really comes down “is this the right tool for the job?”
The right tool for the job
There are some shots in film that would be impossible without getting a boom mic in the shot, which can force the situation to require a lavalier mic. But, this blog is about podcasts, right?
We would suggest using a dynamic microphone or a lavalier for podcasts. Dynamic microphones make the most sense for a simple podcast setup in a small room.
