Download DV_module_13 - Acquiring Audio

Adobe Digital Video
CURRICULUM GUIDE
FIGURE 13.2: Cutaway views of a dynamic transducer mic (left) and a condenser transducer mic. (Illustration
courtesy of Shure Inc., 2003.)
Shure adds that “condenser mics are more sensitive than dynamic mics and are very responsive to high
frequencies produced by an acoustic guitar or cymbals on a drum-kit.” Condenser mics are excellent for
interviews, narrations, and performance or studio music vocal recordings.
Lavaliere Mic
Most lavalieres use condenser transducer technology. They're perfect for formal, sit-down interviews. Their tiny
size means that you can conceal them to minimize that "Oh, we're watching TV" disconnect. The downside is
that most require batteries. As you know, batteries invariably fail at critical moments, so always use fresh, highquality mic batteries. It is possible to power lavalieres directly from some mixers, but few budding video
producers will use mixers.
I tested Shure's WL50B. The clear and crisp sound was a cut above the handheld and is reflected in its higher
price: $316.
Shotgun Mic
So-named because it resembles a shotgun barrel, the shotgun mic's unidirectional barrel (called an interference
tube) narrows the focus of the audio field to about 30 degrees.
A shotgun mic can handle a number of tasks. I picked up one idea from top freelance photojournalist John
Alpert. He's a one-man band who ventures into uncomfortable and frequently dangerous situations and uses his
affable demeanor to get some amazingly revealing sound bites. Instead of shoving a handheld mic into his
subjects' faces—which frequently leads to "mic-stare" and other nervous reactions—he uses a shotgun mic
tucked under his armpit. He leans his head away from the camera viewfinder and simply chats with his subjects
in his unique, gee-whiz kind of way. It works like magic.
One thing shotgun mics don't do is zoom. As Chris Lyons, the Shure engineer who wrote the audio expert
sidebar says, "They're more like looking through a long tube at someone." They narrow your "view" of the sound.
Adobe Digital Video Curriculum Guide – Module 13
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