In school, we had learnt how important sound is, when it comes to communicating with someone. This is the same notion you have to keep in mind, if you are about to make a short video, a film, or a YouTube video, or something similar.
When making a video, audio quality is as important as the video quality, and it is very important to remember that sound can either make or break the video you are making. Would you sit and watch a video with bad sound quality where all you can hear are alien noises? I think not. Therefore, to ensure a good sound quality for your video, you need to use microphones which come in various shapes and sizes.
Microphones for Video Making
Sound is an essential part for filmmaking as well as video making. If you’ve studies about films, you’ll know how audio quality sets the bar of a film. Sound also adds to the effect of a video, making it more impactful and wonderful to watch. You can choose the sounds you want and edit out those which are deemed unfit but having a proper sound in your video is something that cannot be underestimated.
The best way to make sure that you have a great audio quality in your video, is to use a separate microphone. That is because any in-camera microphone is near you, which means that it is not near the source of the sound. With a separate mic, you can move it around as you like, closer or farther away from the source. But with an in-camera mic, you will not get the sound quality you want, and that is pretty frustrating.
Given below are the types of microphones you can use to make a short video of film: –
-
Wireless microphones, which will give you maximum portability but they’re very costly as well.
-
Lavalier microphones, which you can clip onto you clothing. They’re a great way to record people.
-
Directional microphones, they mainly pick up sound from the front, cutting out sound from any other direction.
-
If you’re filming with an SLR, you might need an audio recorder as well.
Best Mics for Making Short Videos
If you’re about to make a short video or a YouTube video, you’re probably out and about doing your research, looking for the best microphones. To help you, listed below are some of the best microphones you can get for video making. Take a look: –
1) Lavalier Microphones
Lavalier mics are probably the best microphones to work with, since they are small and very easy to travel with. All you will need to do is pay attention to the connector type they need because some lavaliers are designed for smartphones and some are designed for portable recorders and DSLRs.
Some of the best lavalier microphones are mentioned below: –
-
Boya BY-M1 is a great affordable lavalier mic, has a strong output level, and a long lead. It works great well with smartphones and cameras as well.
-
Rode Lavalier is an expensive mic but has a better quality.
-
Rode SmartLav+ is a great option if you don’t want to dish out several hundred dollars, just to professionally shoot a video. This mic uses a TRRS connection and is made to easily fit to your phone. The SmartLav+ or the Boya are best alternatives to a radio mic.
-
The RodeLink Filmmaker Kit is a wireless lavalier kit, which is designed to be connected to a digital recorder or a DSLR. With this, you will get a high-quality mic which can work from far away, unless you’re in a very crowded event.
-
The Audio-Technica ATR3350iS is the best budget lavalier mic which is a steal of a deal. It has a very long cable and also comes with an adapter. As a result, you can use this mic with a mobile phone or a camera as well.
2) Directional Microphones
A directional microphone is also called a supercardioid mic, which mainly picks up sounds from in front, eliminating all other sounds from other directions. This way, you will get the sound you want without any unwanted noise.
Some of the best directional mics are listed below: –
-
The Rode NTG-2 is a popular directional mic, which can be held on an extending boom pole. The NTG-2 and a higher quality option like NTG3 use professional XLR connections, that help to keep the noise down when you’re using long cables.
-
The Rode VideoMic Pro is made to be mounted on a camera. It is a great option since it comes with a built-in elastic suspension system, that reduces the handling noise. If you’re making a short video with a DSLR, this one is perfect because it can boost the output level and therefore, you won’t need a separate preamp. The VideoMic is the best option for a pro directional mic substitute.
3) USB Microphones
USB microphones are probably the easiest ones to set up and use, but they come with limited usability. You will be limited to your ability to upgrade and increase your video’s sound quality over time.
Some of the best USB mics are listed below: –
-
The Rode NT-USB is a popular choice that comes with a USB connection to give you an easy plug-n-play usage. You will also get an included tripod to help keep noise levels reduced. This mic is preferred by several YouTubers as it gives an excellent sound quality and also has a headphone jack with volume control, plus a mix control dial! Definitely an amazing deal.
-
The Blue Yeti is a favorite among YouTubers and it’s no surprise. It comes packed with features and offers an amazing sound quality. It comes with three condenser mic capsules, a mute button, gain control, a decent stand, and a headphone jack with volume dial as well. Plus, the Yeti comes in various colors as well!
So, here you go. A proper list of some of the best microphones you can get to make your short videos. This list will help you save a lot of time and research, just go through the list and all the specifications. Then, choose the mic you want. Remember, a great sound quality can be the difference between an okay video and a great video, so choose well.