Edumarketer Tip #112: Microphones

Throughout the month of May, I will be sharing some information about video recording equipment. I’ll be talking about everything from lighting and microphones to cameras and teleprompters. This week’s topic is about microphones.

Sound is an important element of video production, especially for educational videos. After all, you are sharing valuable information with your audience, so you want to make sure that they can clearly hear what you have to say!

That being said, it’s vital that you use a microphone that produces good quality audio. If you’re shooting on an iPhone, the internal microphone works well, although using an external microphone always makes for clearer audio.

If you’re shooting on a camera and you are not directly holding it out in front of you, it’s best that you use an external mic as well. Without one, you’re more likely to pick up background noise which can be distracting.

Here are some microphone recommendations based on our own experience using them and additional research:

Rode VideoMic ME-L

This is a high quality microphone for your iPhone or iPad. They do make one that is compatible with Android, but you need to purchase an additional cable patch in order to use it.

It’s great for shooting on the go, and comes with a furry windshield for shooting outside. I use this all the time when recording videos on my phone and it is one that I always recommend to people.

Lavalier Microphone/Rode –smartLAV+ Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone

For more precise sound, use a lavalier microphone. This still plugs into your phone and can be used with actual cameras, but the actual microphone clips to your shirt, allowing for clearer audio. These types of mics are especially useful when you have your phone or camera on a tripod and you are at a distance from the recording device, as an on-camera mic might be too quiet.

If you’re going to be recording from your computer, it is recommended that you use an external microphone. It will decrease the background noise that the internal computer microphone picks up. You can still use the lavalier microphone we mentioned above, or you can use the Blue Yeti USS Microphone.

There are many microphone options out there, and these are one that we’ve used and had success with. Even if you’re just beginning or have been at this for awhile, these are all great options for video recording.

Always remember if there is anything we can help with, be sure to let us know.  You can reach us at [email protected].