Audio Basics: Fundamental Audio Set-Ups for Video
In this article we will look at basic audio set-ups for video.
Please note that at PAT Rentals, we carry a whole range of audio solutions for your productions.
There is a few cardinal rules that govern quality audio:
1.) Mediocre microphone close to the speaker is better than excellent one far away, so it's imperative to get the mic as close to the subject as possible.
2.) Shotgun microphone picks up audio from the front as well as the back of the mic so it's imperative to point the mic TOWARDS the sound source and AWAY from any other noise, thus the best placement for shotgun microphone is pointing down (or up) rather than on top of the camera.
In the most basic set-up you place the mic over your speaker (using a boom to reach from outside of the camera's frame), then run the audio via XLR cables to your camera always remembering to monitor the audio with headphones.
A bit more complex set-ups involves a.) improving redundancy by adding a lavaliere microphone on the speaker (via wireless set-up or XLR for lac mic). b.) Running the microphone via external audio recorder/mixer to decrease noise level of the mic. Dedicated external audio recorder/mixer has quality internal pre-amps that greatly reduce noise level in comparison to most video camera's internal electronics.
Using a quality mic, with good mic placement and running the audio via quality pre-amps produces superior audio quality that can be discerned as such by even untrained ear.
Hopefully you found this article useful. You can find all the necessary elements for rent at PAT Rentals (www.patrentals.com).