Getting perfect audio in your interviews every time? With the right microphone ...

Video as a medium for information is nowadays an element we all interact with every day with different purposes and at various levels. 

In recent years, the explosion of some platforms (firstly YouTube) has also seen "normal" users go from being ordinary users to skilled format and content creators. 

While video has really made great strides, the audio aspects are where quality suffers. Even more than a video, low, noisy or – worse – distorted audio is inevitably thrown away and redone!

To achieve an appropriate sound that meets the standard, we have to choose the right instruments. 

So, what do we have to keep in mind to have an audio that always meets the standard?

The market is awash with relatively expensive products, but often the high cost doesn't even guarantee results. It all depends on the situation and the equipment used. That's why Ribalto, through its extensive experience in the professional sector, can always offer you the best advice regardless of budget!

Do you want a practical example? 

Take any medium/high-end Smartphone equipped with a good HD camera and combine it with a very simple product such as Saramonic - SmartMic and you have high-quality final results both for video recording and, above all, audio. Always remember that a confused voice filled with unwanted sounds or, worse, distortions will make your video mediocre if not unusable. SmartMic is a miniature microphone with 90° directional capsule and a 3.5 mm (⅛ inch) male stereo jack that can be inserted directly into our device. A "go straight" solution that does its job very well and, moreover, is highly economical. Don't have a stereo IN jack on your device? Well, never mind! For just a few euros you can find an IN mic adapter in any physical or online store ...

SmartMic belongs to the so-called lavalier (close-up recording) category of microphones where the small recording capsule is placed very close to the mouth by means of a clip.  

Still with reference to "easy and straight" Lavalier solutions, certainly one of the most popular is the Saramonic LavMicro U3A, an omnidirectional microphone that connects directly to Android devices via the USB-C connection. In this case we have a longer cable which therefore allows us to play more freely with shots.

Moreover, with any USB-C adapter to another connector it is possible to interface it with other devices.

What about when the camera is far from the subject? 

A correct observation that many people will make. 

Although possible, it is not likely and convenient to use metres and metres of cable, especially in situations where the footage is in motion. In this case we are helped by wireless systems. The professional market is full of wireless systems by relatively well-known brands and are not always cheap to buy.

In reality, a wireless system for this kind of use (shooting an interviewee is a typical example) not only expresses a high-quality sound but should also have some characteristics that make it suitable for use with video shooting. Saramonic – UwMic9 Kit 12 is a complete wireless kit which, in the deluxe version, includes the clip microphone, a camera attachment, the wireless receiver, the wireless transmitter and the accessories to wear it. The assignable UHF frequency range is from 514mHz to 596mHz with 96 channels selectable in 2 groups, for a range up to 100 m in open spaces so you can work in various situations. 

This microphone provides professional performances and, if used correctly, will allow you to always achieve excellent audio recording.

In terms of Kit, a very smart system that's perfect for two-person shooting is the Saramonic Blink500 Pro. In this case the fact that the kit contains two bodypacks (and therefore two recording microphones) which convey both signals into a single receiver and therefore into a single signal are a convenience factor, as are the all-important technical specifications. In this case, the typical situation of interviewee and interviewer is rendered extremely simple. 

Then you have the second type of microphone, shotgun microphones which are nothing more than highly directional microphones which can be very useful in any situation where lavaliers can't be used. A typical example is given by the sound recording at a football match where the players, for obvious reasons, can't wear personal microphones ... 

Saramonic SoundBird T3 is a professional directional condenser microphone perfect for this type of recording. It has a 150 Hz low-pass filter, very useful if we wanted to "cut” disruptive low-bandwidth noises, a -10dB pad attenuator, and a + 6dB high-frequency boost. All are enclosed in a solid and compact brass construction. The microphone can be powered with 48V phantom power but, if we don't have this option, with an ordinary stylus battery! 

So, remember that the success of your video, whatever it is, depends very much on the quality and intelligibility of your voice and your host's. Give it a try yourself and try listening to a video that is well done but with a confused voice. Your attention level will plummet in seconds ... 

First rule? Choose the right microphone and learn how to use it in the best possible way!