Overview

Good sound quality can make a huge difference in your videos, and it's quite easy to achieve if you follow a few basic recording principles.

Improve the Sound Quality of Your Videos

A pin dropping in a tense room can be the biggest sound in the world. So can waves crashing on a beach, whether you see the ocean or not. The simple truth is that, when you're shooting video, sound -- although often overlooked -- conveys as much pure information as image. More than that, it helps you to feel as well as understand what’s going on. Whatever sort of mood you want to create, good sound quality can make a huge difference in your videos. The good news is that getting good sound is actually quite easy if you follow a few basic recording principles.

The Problem with "On-Board" Microphones

Most video cameras include a built-in, or "on-board," camera mic as part of the package. While some on-board mics do a decent job in certain situations such as quiet settings with only one or a couple subjects, they tend to provide less than optimal sound in most other environments.

Consider this scenario: Your daughter’s birthday party is coming up and you want to shoot it for the family archive. But you know from last year that, recorded with your camcorder’s microphone, 12 shrieking five-year-olds make a noisy, meaningless din. You can’t hear their real interactions, or what your daughter says when she opens her presents.

How can you be sure you get a different result this year? The short answer is: Use an external mic.

Why External Mics Make a Difference

To get the best sound possible, you need to get your mic as close to your subject as you can. Inches away, if possible. Think of it as an audio close-up. This means that for many situations, you’ll never be able to get the on-board camera mic close enough to your subject without sacrificing your image. That's where an external mic can come in. Theses mics allow you to get close to your sound source, keep the image you want, and filter out other noise that you don’t want.

So wire up, plug in, and get your mic closer to your subject! Let's take a look at your external mic options. Then we'll discuss a few tips for getting clean, useable sound.

Lavaliere Microphones: Small but Powerful

In the scenario we envisioned– your daughter's party – one thing you might try is recording your daughter with a lavaliere mic so that you hear her voice much more clearly and loudly. Here’s how lavalieres work:

Lavaliere or "lav" mics are the kind of mics you see clipped to people’s clothing in television interviews. They are tiny, unobtrusive, and convenient. You can attach them directly to your camera with cables, like other external mics. Or you can use them with wireless radio transmitters. And they are so discreet, neither your subject nor you camera will notice them! They are also great for following individual subjects around, like your daughter at her birthday party. These mics are also ideal for interviews because they can be placed so close to the voice.

Now let's look at some tips for using lavs effectively.

Tied Up or Cut Loose: Tips for Using Lav Mics

The best place to put the lav is on the front of your subject’s shirt and a bit below the collar. The mic will come with various clips, pins, and other handy gizmos you can use to attach it to your subject. You may also want to tape down the mic cables under your subject’s shirt in order to hide them. Wiring someone up can be a little obtrusive, so always be extra considerate!

Using a lavaliere with a radio transmitter and receiver means that your subject is never “attached” to you. The transmitter goes with your subject, and the receiver attaches to your camera. Your subject is free to roam fairly far from the camera, but you still get great sound. So when the five-year-olds migrate to the backyard for the piñata, all you have to do is follow the group and keep your daughter in frame. You’ll see and hear everyone, but her voice will be the loudest and clearest.

The important thing to keep in mind about using a wireless lav is that it can pick up a lot of radio interference, so think twice about using a wireless lav close to radio towers, radio stations, airports, and the like. And don’t forget to turn the mic off when your subject takes a phone call or needs a little privacy.

Maximum Control: Shotgun Microphones

If you’ve got someone to help you with sound on the Big Day, a shotgun mic can give you the most control possible over your audio. A shotgun mic is a long, skinny microphone that attaches directly to the camera. With a second person aiming the mic at your sound source while you are operating the camera, you get exactly what you want from as close as you can get to your source.

These mics are unidirectional, which means they record sound in a narrow but deep range directly in front of them. You still want to get the mic as close as you can to your sound source without entering the shot, but a good shotgun mic can also record great sound when you can’t get as close as you’d like. Back to the birthday party. A shotgun mic would be ideal for following the tots around and capturing the discreet sounds of everything they do, and not just your daughter’s voice. A shotgun on a boom pole can be pointed at a child’s mouth while he speaks, then at a piñata as it’s being pummeled, then at the water in a swimming pool, stirred up by the excited thrashing of small hands and feet. The only limitation on what can be selected is your boom operator’s agility – and endurance!

Shotgun mics are also great for sit-down interviews because they can be placed very close to your subject but remain completely out of frame.

Using a Shotgun Mic: Camera Mounts, Boom Poles, Mic Stands, and Pistol Grip

You can mount a shotgun on top of your camera if your camera is big enough to bear the weight, and long enough that the mic won’t show in the top of the frame. Mounting it on top of your camera means that the camera has to get pretty close to your subject in order to get good sound.

You can also mount it on a boom pole, which gives you the most mobility, height, depth, and breadth of movement. A boom pole is a long, telescoping pole with an attachment at the top for the mic. You can pull it out for lots of length if you need to be far away or up high, or collapse it down if you can stand close. However, using a boom also means you need a boom operator. Having someone else operate the boom for you leaves you free to shoot.

If you are working solo, a shotgun can be mounted on a mic stand for sit-down interviews or recording something that doesn’t move.

Shotgun mics are also easy to hold and direct by hand if you use what's called a pistol grip to mount it on. A pistol grip is like a handle you attach to the mic, and it allows you to hold the mic without actually touching it.

More Tips for Getting Good Sound

Now that you know your mic options, let's look at a couple of easy-to-implement best practices that'll help you get the best possible sound.

Elephants on the Roof: Avoiding Mic Bumps

Microphones are incredibly sensitive, so be very aware that every time you touch it, the mic will pick it up and you’ll get what’s called a mic bump. The word "bump" makes this glitch seem insignificant. But in reality, a movement as small as your fingers shifting position can sound like elephants on the roof!

Be the Microphone: Headphones and Sound Levels

The human ear filters out a lot of sound that you aren’t interested in, but a microphone does not. This means that your ears don’t hear all that is being recorded on your audio. Monitoring your recording through headphones will give you a much better idea of what your audio really sounds like. Get some good headphones that cover your ears and listen up!

If your camera has sound meters you can control, you can adjust the sound levels as you shoot. This means that you'll need to watch the level to make sure it doesn't peak too "hot" or become distorted. If it does, turn the level down. You don’t want to hear static, distortion, or a neighbor’s radio when you are playing back your footage!

Wind Screens: Filter out the Big Fuzz!

Most microphones come with some kind of screen to minimize wind and other big, thickly textured sounds. These usually come with the mic, whether you buy or rent. Be sure you’ve got the screens you need. When a big wind kicks up in the middle of your shoot, it can totally cover the audio you want if you aren’t ready for it.

Ready, Set, Record!

Ready to go into a bold new world of sound? Whether you want to record your family stories for future generations to enjoy or make this year’s runaway documentary hit, you can get the footage you need with your Sony camera and a good, solid, external mic. Start experimenting!