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Sam Marcello
When it comes to microphones, you definitely get what you pay for. Low-end microphones, even when connected to high-end recorders, will produce sub-standard results. Research is very important to make the best purchase for your project needs within your budget. Practice with your microphone and learn how it hears so that you can adapt in the field and optimize your recording. Never assume that one microphone can do it all, different microphones serve different purposes and will yield different results.
Mic Types:
The Dynamic microphone:
Not as sensitive as condenser microphones,
Much more durable than a condenser microphone,
Does not require an external power source.
The Condenser microphone:
Much more sensitive than a dynamic microphone,
Much more fragile than a dynamic microphone,
Requires “phantom power” for basic operation.
This is an external power source, whether being supplied by a battery or from the recorder or camera. Typically, a higher-end recorder will supply “phantom power” but this usually needs to be enabled in the settings.
Microphones are designed to work in certain situations and differ in the effectiveness and efficiency based on their directionality. The directionality of microphones are classified into certain polar patterns. The polar pattern of the microphone refers to the sensitivity of a microphone in a given direction. Common patterns of microphones include cardioid, uni-directional, omni-directional and shotgun.
Omni-directional: Omni-directional microphones record equally in all directions. This also means that they record much more noise than other polar patterns.
Cardioid: Cardioid microphones pick up in a heart-shaped pattern directly in front of the microphone. Normally, this microphone type requires a microphone for each sound source as off-axis sound will not be picked up as effectively.
Which Microphone is the Best?
It depends. Certain microphones work better for certain recording scenarios. Your choice in microphone will have advantages and disadvantages. Don`t be afraid to experiment a little, there are no rules!
Walk On!
