Microphone choice.

Basic Categories of Microphones:

1. Shotgun Microphone

These mics are great for pinpointing the exact audio you want without the problem of audio interference from surrounding ambient noise. The mic can be manually held  using a boom pole or attached to a boom stand.

2. Handheld microphones

These are typically what you see local TV reporters using. They are useful for “run and gun” type of situations.

3. Lapel Microphones  These are tiny little mics, also referred to as lavalier microphones, that clip to someone’s shirt or tie and are usually used in a sit-down interview situation. These are great for capturing consistent audio levels as the microphone does not move around like a handheld mic. (Helpful Hint: always tuck away wires and cables for a more professional look.) Directional Microphones | Audio Pick Up Patterns Different types of microphones gather sound in varying ways and there are three (3) basic audio patterns. Understanding these patterns will help for choose the right microphone for the  project: Omni-directional - This is a great all purpose microphone, gathering a wide range of sounds from all directions. For example, this kind of mic is great for picking up all voices in a group discussion. Camcorders typically operate with an internal omnidirectional mic. For good quality sound, the mic must be held close to its subject. Cardioid – So named because the pick-up pattern of the audio is somewhat heart-shaped. The mic pics up sound mostly from the front and sides of the microphone and also a bit from behind. Handheld microphones used for gathering news usually have this audio pattern for the widest possible usage. Uni-directional – Used in shotgun mics, this audio pattern is great for focusing in on a specific sound and blocking out ambient noise. For example, this is a great mic if you want to pick up the voice of just one person in a group discussion or one actor in a scene. (This mic is not for long distant sound as some people think) Unidirectional mics are highly directional and must be pointed directly at the subject to capture the best sound quality. No dozing if you’re the boom mic operator!

General Mic Placement Principles:

Instead of looking at the mic placement used on specific instruments, here are a number of guidelines that work in almost any situation.

• One of the reasons for close-miking is to avoid leakage into other mics so that the engineer can have more flexibility in balancing the ensemble in the mix. If at all possible, give the mic some distance from the source in order to let the sound develop, and be captured, naturally.
• The best mic position cannot be predicted, it must be found. It’s OK to start from a place that you know has worked in the past, but be prepared to experiment with the placement a bit since each recording situation is different. The song, arrangement, player, instrument, recording environment, and signal path all have a bearing on the final sound, and chances are that at least one of those parameters has changed since the last time you recorded.
• If the majority of the sound will come from the room, start getting sounds from those mics first, and then add any other mics that act as support.
• The 200 to 600Hz range is where the proximity effect often shows up and is why many engineers cut the EQ in this range. If a number of directional microphones are being used at the same time in a close-mic situation, they will all be subject to the proximity effect, and you should expect a buildup of this frequency range in the mix as a result. This is another good reason to use a variety of mics and different directional patterns, so that the proximity effect buildup is diminished.
• A huge sound is a larger than life sound, but that doesn’t always come as a result of something being loud. One way to accomplish a larger than life sound is by recording a sound that is softer than the recording will most likely be played back. For instance, sometimes an electric guitar run through a 5 watt amp with an 8-inch speaker can sound bigger than a 100 watt Marshall stack.