Handhelds have two very different pickup patterns. You see them used on local and national news broadcasts every day. These simple microphones are great for quick audio setups and man-on-the-street interviews. You might consider the handheld (stick) microphone as the nunchuck of the audio world. The moral of the story? Start with external microphones first. Their conversation takes over and your interview is ruined. Then, Uncle Elmer, who is sitting near the camera, begins to discuss his wife’s selective memory with Grandma Esther. You composed the shot nicely and the lighting is great, but you can barely hear her speak. Your camera is 15 feet away from Great Aunt Martha as she recounts her childhood during the Great Depression. It’s easy to understand why: the camera has several internal motors constantly whirring and grinding away. Sure, it’s always with you and requires no setup or cables, but the sound is unprofessional and less than inspiring.

When shooting, the last thing you want to use is the built-in microphone that came with your camcorder. When you understand all of their strengths and weaknesses, and how to use them, you will instantly know which choice is best for each audio situation.Īsk any martial arts instructor and they’ll likely tell you hand-to-hand battles are the least desirable.

The same is true of your microphone choices. He is the master of many weapons and skills and instinctively knows which one will serve him best in each situation. It’s a bit of a stretch, but we can learn a lesson from the ninja. He completes his mission and slips mysteriously into the night. One by one, he handily defeats each with a variety of weapons and even his bare hands. The black clad ninja sneaks into the compound unseen and is about to rescue the emperor’s daughter when a band of thugs appears in his path.

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