When you’re at a loud occasion or convention, doing a person-on-the-street interview, or delivering information, a handheld microphone is commonly the only option. And on this tutorial, you will discover out why.
What Are Handheld Microphones?
Handheld microphones are quite simple gadgets, and the overwhelming majority of these which can be used for video manufacturing are dynamic microphones. There’s a small moveable coil that sits within the subject of a everlasting magnet. That coil is connected to a really small diaphragm, and when that diaphragm vibrates from sound, it strikes the coil throughout the subject of the magnet, and that creates a really small electrical present.
It is the identical manner a loudspeaker works, solely in reverse. The truth is, you need to use a loudspeaker as a microphone, though it will not work very properly for this function.
Advantages of Handheld Microphones
As a result of dynamic microphones are so easy, they’re extraordinarily rugged. They’re proof against bodily shocks and moisture, and so they have unbelievable off-axis rejection, which is an actual profit once they’re getting used at a reside occasion.
The opposite factor that is nice about handheld microphones is that you simply maintain them actually near your mouth. You’re your individual growth operator on this respect. Even if you’re doing a road interview and holding it out for an additional particular person, you usually get it fairly near their mouth, so it does an incredible job at getting a extremely good sign.
Numerous the hand-held microphones that you will see used at conferences, at reside occasions and on the information are omnidirectional microphones. The large advantage of utilizing an omnidirectional handheld microphone is that you do not have to have the microphone completely oriented, and it’ll nonetheless decide up good sound.
The opposite factor is that an omnidirectional microphone does not exhibit any proximity impact, and that may be fairly vital if you’re doing a person-on-the-street interview and are holding the microphone out for any individual after which bringing it again actually near your mouth.
You may additionally discover that the microphones which can be used for road, convention, or information interviews are usually fairly lengthy. That manner, you do not have to have your hand so near your mouth. There are microphones which can be designed particularly for that. You will discover microphones from Rode, Audio-Technica, and others which can be a bit longer than your common handheld microphones and work rather well in these conditions.
My Beneficial Handheld Microphone
I exploit a incredible handheld microphone referred to as the Shure Beta 57A. It is not an omnidirectional microphone—in actual fact, it is a tremendous cardioid microphone.
Now why would you desire a extra directional microphone to make use of in a reside setting? The first motive is that off-axis rejection I discussed earlier. If you’re in a noisy setting, an omnidirectional microphone might be not the only option as a result of it is not going to be doing any off-axis rejection. You may be getting sound from all instructions.
With this microphone, then again, while you level it at your mouth, it’ll do loads of off-axis rejection, so you will get the next signal-to-noise ratio. So if you’re at a loud occasion or convention and also you need extra signal-to-noise ratio, utilizing a directional microphone might be a greater wager.
Price of Handheld Microphones
The good factor is that each one these handheld microphones which can be nice for video manufacturing are actually cheap. The entire hottest handheld omnis, the reporter-style microphones which can be a bit longer are US$100–200, and most of them are on the decrease finish of that spectrum. My microphone price about US$140, which within the grand scheme of handheld microphones is absolutely not that a lot. However if you’re in search of extra worth, you’ll be able to positively discover nice performing microphones for lower than US$100.
Further Tools
One factor that I need to point out is {that a} dynamic microphone is not going to work properly with a smaller form-factor digital camera with out both an exterior microphone preamp or a high-quality wi-fi system.
You may get a wi-fi system with a bit of dice that attaches on to the XLR connector of a handheld microphone and turns it right into a wi-fi microphone. The explanation you want wi-fi system to make this work is that dynamic microphones have little or no output—they aren’t very delicate in any respect. Which means you want extra preamp achieve to have the ability to flip the output of the microphone as much as make it usable.
So you are going to want a wi-fi system with a type of little cubes that has a fairly good efficiency if you wish to use considered one of these microphones. Many of the wi-fi transmitters across the $400–$500 vary can do the job simply positive.
The opposite possibility is to get a self-contained wi-fi handheld unit. This would possibly not supply the identical flexibility as a separate microphone and a small XLR transmitter, however it will likely be a cheaper possibility. However remember that the majority of those self-contained methods are both cardioid or super-cardioid pickup patterns, and whereas this is not essentially an issue, it’s one thing to concentrate on.
You will discover some pretty cheap XLR microphone preamps with phantom energy that work for smaller form-factor cameras, however you really want one with actually nice preamp efficiency, and that may price most likely within the $300–$400 vary.
So that you do have choices, and you may make it work with a smaller form-factor digital camera system and considered one of these dynamic dealt with microphones, however it should price a bit of cash. When you’ve got a digital camera with XLR inputs it’ll most likely be positive, however you will seemingly have to show up your preamps way more than you’d in the event you have been utilizing a shotgun microphone or perhaps a lavaliere microphone. However a lot of the cameras I’ve seen have loads of achieve to have the ability to use them on these handhelds and sound simply positive.
Conclusion
Now that you realize why handheld microphones might be such a lifesaver in a loud or noisy setting, look out for the subsequent tutorial on this collection, the place you will study circumstances and equipment.
