So you’ve got your camera and you’re shooting some special footage. How can you make it sound good?

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If you keep your subject within arm’s length, you can use the onboard (built in) mic to get passable audio. If you’re recording to tape, you’ll get some tape sound, but it’s likely that it will be usable audio. Photograpy cameras in movie mode sometimes have decent audio.  Test what you’ve got and see how it sounds! If your camera has audio monitoring levels, you’ll want to watch those as you record, too.

Improving your audio is as easy as getting a microphone. Even a $10 computer condenser microphone will improve your audio. A small mic gets closer to the subject and that’s always good.
As far as sources for audio options, I shop at B & H. If you’ve got another spot you like to shop, leave a note in the comments.

Here’s the breakdown of some of the microphones we use for the Storque.

Lavaliers: Here on the Etsy Media Awesome Team, we use a wired Audio Technica Pro 70 and a wireless Sony mic and they both work well. They are XLR, so if your camera doesn’t have an XLR input you’re going to have to get a converter cord or a Beachtek adapter. XLR is a way of hooking up mics that gives better quality sound than 1/8 inch jacks.

Shotgun: We use two Sennheissers. One is tiny and one is big.  They both work great. (The price I quoted for the big Sennheiser in the video is wrong. It’s more like $450. If you need a cheaper shotgun, I’ve shot with the Azden, and it’s fine, too.) To learn more about shotgun mics, check out this article.

Although it’s not in this video, if you’re looking for a basic old-skool handheld mic, I’ve had a good experience with this Shure.

If you’ve got a mic you’re happy with, make sure to leave a note in the comments! For more videos about making videos, keep reading our Getting Started in Video series!