There’s a great article from Adam Molina on soundguys.com that walks you through all of the considerations for selecting a microphone to use when creating online content. It’s clearly written in response to the uptick in organizations and individuals joining the ranks of online content creators. As a result, it’s an excellent mix of ground floor understanding and technical considerations to help you match a microphone with your usage and budget.
Plenty of technical jargon isn’t important, but it can be hard to tell it apart from the important stuff. Plenty of salespeople will just assume you know all of it when you ask about mics. So what do you need to look for in a microphone? Whether you’re shooting a short film, starting a YouTube channel, or upgrading your podcast setup, these are a few things you should know.
The article is broken into several sections designed to cover practical knowledge and critical tips for audio recording newbies:
- What’s your intended use case?
- What are the different kinds of microphones?
- Should you get a USB or XLR microphone?
- What are polar patterns?
- What is frequency response?
- What is sensitivity and SPL?
- Tips and tricks
- Treat the room
- Lavs shouldn’t be bumped
- Do you need an audio interface?
- Aim shotguns mics down at the chest
- Look into getting a Cloudlifter if you have a powerful dynamic mic
Each section is short and sweet so if you’re concerned this will come across as a lecture or online learning course, rest easy. Even if you aren’t looking to purchase microphones, this article has a number of useful considerations.
