These opinion-based articles share my thought on the best microphones for certain applications.
Saxophones are some of the most beautiful and expressive instruments on the planet. It’s no wonder this class of instrument is so popular in music. The alto saxophone is smaller than the tenor sax and bigger than the soprano sax. The sound of the alto saxophone is comparable to the human voice (though it lacks…
A boundary microphone (PZM or pressure zone microphone) has a mic capsule that is placed flush against or as close as possible to a boundary (wall, floor, ceiling, baffle, etc.). The best boundary mics are flat and offer an omnidirectional pick up pattern that really picks up a hemisphere of sound around it. The idea…
When recording music, “room microphones” are often positioned away from the musicians and instruments in order to capture the “sound of the room” and/or a more developed and mixed musical sound. Capturing the sound of the room includes the sound reflections and reverb within the physical confines of the acoustic space. This provides a sound…
So you want to step up the audio quality in your camera work, and you’ve found out that shotgun mics are the top solution. The extreme directionality of shotgun microphones make them an ideal choice for attaching to cameras. The shotgun mic, when positioned correctly, will effectively capture the sound coming from the direction the…
When capturing audio for film, it’s nearly always critical that the microphones remain hidden within the frame or stay out of frame. Boom microphones (the mics at the end of boom poles that point downward from above the frame) provide a very common method of capturing audio on film sets. So which microphones work best…
Whether on a theatre stage or on the set of a film shoot, actors bring stories to life and bring us into their world (if they’re good, believable actors, that is). As audio techs, we aren’t in these venues to teach acting lessons, but we can add to the credibility of the actors and the…
Lavalier microphones (also known as lapel mics or body mics) are well known in the film and audio worlds. You’ve likely seen them clipped to the ties or jackets of news reporters, to the clothing of interviewers/interviewees on television, and on the garments of live speakers during “hands free” presentations. Lavalier or “lav” mics are…
The podium microphone is a common way to reinforce a speaker’s voice during live presentations. Podium microphones are very popular in churches (otherwise known as pulpit mics); in graduation ceremonies; in lecture halls, and in presentations that have several speakers in serial. So what microphones work best on the podium? Here are my top 2…
The handheld microphone is a common strategy for reinforcing a speaker’s voice during live presentations. Handheld microphones are very popular in standup comedy; in presentations that require audience participation, and are also used in large presentations (even if only as backups to lavalier or headset microphones). Handheld microphones offer a speaker the freedom of mobility and…
Recording ambience is an awesome experience. Travelling to the location, setting up, and actually using the recordings in film, television, and other media is a fulfilling job in the audio engineering world. When it comes time recording ambiences, which microphones work the best? In this article, I’ll share with you my top 3 microphone recommendations…
So you’ve written a book and want to record an audiobook version of it? Or maybe you’re tasked with recording someone else’s book and would like to know which microphone would work best. In this article, I’ll try my best to start your audiobook recording journey on the right foot with some good microphone advice….
Whether recording distant animals in the outdoors, ambience in hard to reach places, or clean audio from across a sports field, parabolic microphones are an invaluable tool. From the dish to the mic itself, these parabolic systems allow us to capture distant sounds cleary, keeping us at a safe distance from the sound sources themselves….
