XLR is a professional grade connector mostly used in balanced audio cables and microphones. The XLR standard consists of a male and female three-pronged plug shielded in a round metal tube. XLR inputs and outputs are found on a variety of professional quality gear such as pro video cameras, shotgun microphones, and more. Four-, five-, six- and seven-pin XLR cables also exist but they are less common and used for equipment such as fog machines, intercom systems, and theatrical lighting controls.

In this article, we’ll look at a few examples of equipment with XLR audio connectors and we’ll also talk about the pros and cons of using this audio connector type. Finally, we’ll provide some links to help you choose the best equipment for your purposes.

Examples of XLR cable connectors

Here are some examples of several types of equipment you might encounter that uses XLR connectors.

• Here’s an example of a standard XLR audio cable. This particular one measures 6 feet long but XLR cables come in all sorts of lengths.

• The Sony HXR-NX100 HD NXCAM Camcorder is an example of a professional video camera with 2 XLR inputs. In the case of this camera, the dual XLR inputs are housed in a box on the front of the top handle. TwoFor instance, two XLR cables can be plugged into the HXR-NX100, which can lead to a shotgun microphone and an XLR lavalier microphone. Not every video camera has XLR inputs, so XLR adapters for DSLRs and camcorders exist to bridge that gap and allow you to use XLR shotgun microphones for instance with these cameras.

• The Shure SM58 microphone is a well known handheld microphone with an XLR connector at its base. To connect this microphone to a camera, you’ll need to use an XLR cable in the middle, for instance, like the 6 foot XLR cable we linked to earlier in this article.

• Here’s a sound mixing board that has six XLR audio inputs and two XLR audio outputs for speakers, in addition to several other audio inputs. A sound mixer like this might be useful if you need to patch together six different XLR microphones, each from a different person, for a live event, with the sound going to a set of speakers (such as a discussion panel on a stage where everyone has a microphone, for instance).

Pros & Cons of using XLR audio connectors

If you need to decide whether or not to use gear with XLR connectors or not, here are some factors to consider in making your decision.

Space/weight: Gear with XLR connectors tends to be heavier and bulkier, in part because of the metal connectors that are used and partially because the cables tend to be heavy duty. This is because they’re designed for professional use and therefore it might be either a pro or a con depending on what your needs are.

Size: A normal 3.5mm headphone jack (1/8th inch) is quite a bit smaller than an XLR connector and consequently the gear features full-sized XLR connectors tends to be larger. There isn’t room on a DSLR for full sized audio inputs. Depending on what’s important to you, you might have to make your choice based on the size of the gear.

Balanced vs unbalanced audio: For longer cables, the issue of balanced vs unbalanced audio becomes important to prevent signal interference and audio errors. XLR cables are balanced whereas many other types of cables are not.

Understanding male vs female XLR

Which side of an XLR cable or connector or port is male or female? In the photo above, the female XLR connector is shown on the left in blue, and the male XLR connector is shown on the right. The side with the pins is the male side of an XLR connector. XLR ports on equipment like cameras are generally female XLR ports because you’re plugging things like cables that lead to microphones into them.

It is sometimes also possible to reverse the direction of an XLR cable to plug in combinations of equipment that would not normally connect together. To do this you may need additional equipment like an XLR barrel adapter like a male to female XLR adapter, or a female to female XLR adapter, or male to male XLR adapter.

Browse more XLR adapters, gear & accessories

Here are an assortment of articles about other gear that uses XLR audio connectors.

The Ultimate Guide to Lavalier Microphones & Lapel Mics

XLR to RCA Audio Adapter Cables & Converters

XLR to 1/4th Inch TRS Adapters & Patch Cables

What are the Best DSLR XLR Audio Adapters?

5 Best XLR to USB Adapters, Converters & Preamps

Best XLR Shotgun Microphones and Boom Mics for Filmmakers

XLR to 3.5mm (1/8th inch) Audio Minijack Cables & Adapters

How to connect an XLR shotgun microphone to a DSLR

The post What is an XLR Cable? What Are XLR Microphones & Cameras With XLR Inputs? appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

Here’s the catch: depending on what model of Zoom (or other brand of digital recorder) you have, you’re going to have different audio input jacks. So in this article we’re going to provide you with great lavalier microphones for Zoom recorders by model type. Let’s get started.

Lavalier microphones for the Zoom H4, H5 or H6

The Zoom H4, Zoom H5, Zoom H6, and many other digital audio recorders have full-sized professional XLR audio inputs. These recorders can use both wired and wireless lavalier microphones that provide you with an XLR output. If your Zoom digital audio recorder (or other brand recorder) has full sized XLR inputs like these Zoom models, here are some options for some of the best lavalier microphones you can choose to use:

Sennheiser EW 112P G3-A omni-directional wireless lavalier microphone system

The Sennheiser G3 is known as a workhorse in the documentary filmmaking community. It provides clear, professional quality audio when it’s hooked up to either video cameras or portable audio recorders like the Zoom H5, Zoom H6 or similar recorders with full sized XLR inputs. The G3 is rugged, easy to use and can be operated at a wide variety of radio frequencies to avoid nearby interference. This wireless lavalier microphone’s range is up to a couple hundred feed and it runs on AA batteries (two in the transmitter, two in the receiver unit which is hooked up to your camera or audio recorder like a Zoom).

Movo WMIC70 Wireless 48-Channel UHF Lavalier Microphone System

If you’re looking for more of a budget conscious lav microphone for use with your Zoom audio recorder or other digital audio recorder with full sized XLR inputs, the Movo 70 Wireless Lav is worth considering. It’s definitely cheaper but can also provide decent quality sound within a 328 foot wireless range. Like the Sennheiser units listed above, this lav mic comes with both XLR and 3.5mm audio outputs so you can plug it into either a pro level video camera with 3-pin XLR inputs as well as DSLRs and camcorders with 1/8th inch audio minijack inputs. If you’re interested in getting a Movo, also be sure to check out the other kits and configurations available such as a dual wireless lav setup or kits with reporter style microphones.

Two-pack of wired lavalier clip-on microphones

If you’re using your Zoom recorder for a podcast or interview format audio recording, you’ll probably want to consider something like this set of two wired lavalier microphones from Movo. It consists of two lavalier microphones with foam windscreens and mounting clips that you can plug into the dual XLR inputs on your Zoom H4, H5 or H6 audio recorder. The mic cables are 6 feet in length, easily long enough to set the recorder on a table in between two people sitting in chairs on either side with plenty of extra slack for comfort.

Related: The Complete Microphone & Audio For Film/Video Guide

Saramonic UWMIC9 96-Channel Digital UHF Wireless Lavalier Microphone System

The Sarmonic wireless lavalier microphone system is a great budget friendly choice of wireless mic for digital audio recorders. It has a wireless range of up to about 300 feet and it provides clear high quality audio. This kit includes both an XLR output cable as well as a 3.5mm minijack for your Zoom recorder or other digital audio recorder.

Stony-Edge Condenser Lavalier/Lapel Microphone for Digital Audio Recorders

This wired lavalier microphone for Zoom audio recorders with 3.5mm microphone jacks (like the Zoom ZH1 or Zoom H2n) also works with smartphones like Android or iPhones with a 3.5mm headphone jack. It includes the microphone with a 4 foot cable (1.27 meters), a foam windscreen, a reversible mounting clip, and a convenient carrying bag.

Frequently asked questions about lavalier microphones for digital audio recorders

Do these microphones require external batteries?

Generally speaking wired lavalier microphones don’t require additional batteries unless otherwise labeled. Wireless microphones require additional batteries in both the transmitter and receiver packs on the other hand.

What are the pros and cons of using wired lavalier mics vs wireless lavalier microphones?

Wireless lavalier microphones or lapel mics provide freedom of movement for your interviewee and a range of typically around a hundred feet or more. On the other hand, wireless mics are also more expensive, require batteries, and can occasionally experience radio frequency interference resulting in bad audio.

Why would you want to use an external microphone with a Zoom audio recorder or similar device?

Generally speaking, the closer your microphone is to the person speaking, the better audio you’ll pick up. This is true in quiet environments and it’s even more true in noisy spaces. Putting a microphone a foot away from a person speaking vs three feet away can make a world of difference, which is why professionals place microphones quite close to the people speaking. Lavalier microphones or lapel mics are a common way to supplement Zoom audio recorders (or similar digital sound recorders) to get high quality audio interviews. They’re also used for filmmaking to get clear audio in cases where audio and video are recorded separately and synced up with each other after recording.

The post Best Lavalier Microphones for Zoom External Digital Audio Recorders appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

Boom microphone stands & mic stand holders

Light stand with boom arm kit

This is a simple kit that consists of a lighting stand, a boom arm with a clamp for mounting it, and a counterweight. The stand extends up to 6.5 feet tall (about 2 meters) and the boom arm telescopes up to 7 feet long (2.13m). The adjustable counterweight weighs about 12 pounds which is enough to balance shotgun microphones at almost any length extended. You’ll also want to pick up a pair of film sandbags to weight the lighting stand’s legs down for safety so the whole thing doesn’t tip over or come crashing down on your interviewee.

To attach your microphone to the end of the boom arm, you’ll want a shockmount with a standard 5/8″ screw thread, like this one.

Pros: Simple setup, lightweight kit (except for the included but optional 12 pound counterweight!). Can also be used for small lights or other purposes. Doesn’t require you to already have a boom pole.

Cons: Not quite as versatile or rugged as a heavy duty C-Stand. Also can’t accommodate quite as much weight. Doesn’t use a boom pole so if you need to quickly reconfigure and switch into “run and gun” mode you may want to consider a C-stand with a boom pole holder attachment.

Boom pole holder for C-Stands

To use this boom pole holder with a stand, you’ll need: a heavy duty C-Stand, a grip head mount to clamp the holder to the C-stand at an angle, and of course a boom pole, shotgun microphone, XLR cable, and film sand bags to weigh down the C-Stand legs for safety. The length that you can extend this solution to is however long your boom pole is.

Pros: Works with your existing boom pole, allows for quick release, doesn’t generally require a counterweight on the boom pole, works with a standard C-stand if you already have one handy, e.g. for lighting

Cons: Requires more accessories, the C-stand will also generally bit a bit bulkier to set up (although it’s not difficult, just heavier).

Rode VideoMic Complete Boom Kit for DSLRs

If you have a DSLR and you need a way to hold a shotgun microphone above an interviewee while filming, this is a great possible solution. It’s a complete kit with almost everything you need, ranging from a stand to a Rode Videomic for DLSR cameras or camcorders, a wind muff, a 25 foot audio extension cable, and all the mounting gear you’ll need to set it up. The only thing you’ll want to pick up in addition to this all-in-one-kit is a couple of XLR cable, and film sand bags for safety (to weigh down the legs of the stand so it doesn’t tip over – especially if someone trips over the audio cable). The stand extends up to 7 feet tall (2.13 meters). The boom arm is only about 3 feet long and does not extend however.

Pros: Includes just about everything you need to hold a boom mic for an interview, including the microphone itself!

Cons: Only works with DSLRs or camcorders with 1/8th inch audio inputs. Doesn’t work with larger cameras that have XLR inputs (though this may not be a con if you’re using a DSLR to begin with). The boom arm does not extend past about 3 feet in length so you won’t be able to get the stand too far away from the person speaking, which means your shot will need to be relatively close up (not a full body shot).

Frequently asked questions about rigging a boom microphone and pole to a stand

Is it better to get a C-stand with and outfit it with boom pole mounts, or just get a dedicated boom pole stand?

It depends. While C-stands are certainly more versatile and can be used for lots of other things beyond just holding boom poles, they’re also heavier, larger and they may take up more space. On the other hand, C-stands are certainly the sturdiest, most rugged option. Dedicated boom pole stands may be less expensive and easier to transport but they won’t be quite as durable and might not last as long.

Another factor to consider is whether you already have a boom pole that you want to use, or if you’re without a pole to begin with and you only have the shotgun microphone to start off with.

Is there a maximum weight load for these boom pole holder solutions?

Generally speaking, any shotgun mic you use will be light enough that it won’t need much of a counterweight nor will it be too heavy for the boom arm in general. However, if you’re planning to also use the boom arm on a light stand to hold lighting or other items, you’ll probably want to use a C-Stand since that’s the most versatile heavy duty solution.

Top Photo credit

The post Boom Pole Stands & Boom Pole Holders: How to Set Up a Boom Mic on a Stand appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

Shotgun microphones (boom mics)

Shotgun microphones – Shotgun microphones are a specific type of highly “directional” mic that can capture sound in specific area without getting tons of background sound. Hyper-Cardioid (i.e. very directional) shotgun mics are useful in film and video because they are capable of discarding “off-axis” background noise allowing for a clean pickup of only the people talking, or whatever is being recorded. See also our article on shotgun microphones for documentary filmmaking.

Shotgun mic windscreens – Shotgun microphones are often susceptible to capturing wind noise and so there are a variety of kinds of shotgun mic windscreens that can eliminate or reduce the sound of wind as well as protect the sensitive microphone.

Boom Poles – Boom poles are extendable rods that hold a shotgun microphone as close as possible to the people speaking or the place where the sound you want to capture is coming from. Handheld boom poles are typically used to suspend a shotgun microphone directly above people speaking (with the mic just above the frame line so it doesn’t get into the shot). For help choosing a boom pole, see our article: Best Boom Poles for Filmmakers. Boom poles can also be connected wirelessly to your camera using wireless boom pole transmitters.

DSLR shotgun microphones – DSLRs have notoriously bad on-camera mics so an additional microphone is almost always needed to capture good sound. DSLRs typically have 1/8th inch or 3.5mm audio input jacks instead of full sized XLR audio inputs. Thankfully a plethora of microphones has been created to fill this specific need. See our article: Best DSLR Shotgun Microphones for shotgun mics specially designed for DSLR use. If you get a specific type of adapter you could also connect a shotgun microphone to a DSLR. See also: The Best DSLR XLR Adapters for Sound.

On-body microphones (wireless lavalier mics)

Lavalier microphones – Lav mics are small microphones that are placed on a person’s body to capture sound. Often times lav mics consist of a small microphone attached to a cable attached to a transmitter box which is then wirelessly linked using radio frequencies to a receiver box which is connected to a camera with a cable. Wireless lavalier mics are the most common form of lav these days but wired ones do still exist too. Lav mics are used in both fiction and nonfictional films although they’re hidden when used in fictional Hollywood movies. For more, see Ultimate Guide to the Best Lavalier Mics as well as our article on the The Best Lav Mics for Documentary Film.

Lavalier mics for DSLRs – Because the receiver pack of most conventional lavalier microphones only have XLR outputs, they’ve traditionally be hard to connect to a DSLR camera that doesn’t have XLR inputs. That’s why a new group of DSLR lavaliers has come out. Of course you can also use a XLR adapter for DSLR cameras.

Specialty microphones

Microphones for voiceover – Condenser microphones are often the mics used for voiceover purposes. This is because, in a nutshell, they’re often higher quality than any other microphone and can capture a wider range of the human voice. However, because they require more power to run and they’re more “fragile” than other types of microphones like shotgun mics, they are saved for studio use only. Condenser mics are also often used for recording music vocals. See our related article: What are the Best Voiceover Microphones for Narration?

Reporter style microphones – A “dynamic mic” or a reporter style microphone is used handheld and usually isn’t concealed on screen. You’ve probably seen them in use on television news shows when a reporter is interviewing someone standing on the street. These mics can be either omni-directional (they pickup sound in all directions) or cardioid (highly directional and will only pick up sound above it, discarding off-axis sound). The best reporter style handheld microphones for street interviews.

Microphone accessories & audio adapters

Headphones for video editing – Over-ear headphones are preferred for video editing over earbuds because they are far more immersive and higher quality. See our related article: Best Headphones for Filmmakers & Editors.

XLR Audio Adapters – XLR is one of the main professional interface standards for film and video audio. Because not every device has an XLR input or output, there are a range of XLR adapters you can use to hook things up properly. Find more Audio adapters and converters here.

Related:

Guide to the Types of Video Cameras

The Complete Documentary Filmmaking Equipment List

Storyblocks Audio Review

External GoPro Microphones

The post The Complete Microphone & Audio For Film/Video Guide appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

We’ve arranged these in order of how much wind they can handle, from less wind to more wind:

• Level 1 (light wind): Simple foam windscreens
• Level 2 (moderate wind): Foam windscreen + a “dead cat” furry cover
• Level 3 (heavy wind): Blimps
• Level 4 (extreme wind): Blimp + a “dead cat” furry cover on top

The downside of using any of these methods past a simple foam windscreen for shotgun microphones is that the sound you capture will be slightly muffled. As a result the high frequency range may be cut a bit (which reduces the hiss of the wind but may also narrow the range of normal sounds that you capture). As a result it’s always worth testing your audio gear setup before you head out for a shoot so you know roughly how it’ll perform for the types of sounds you’re looking to capture.

Below we’ll go into detail on each of these types of wind protection and make some specific product recommendations for the best windscreens for shotgun microphones.

Foam windscreens and windshields for shotgun microphones

Movo F12 Foam Windscreen for Shotgun Microphones

Foam windscreens are pretty basic: the main thing you want to be sure of is that the length of your microphone will fit within the windscreen. This two-pack of foam windscreens for shotgun microphones is well reviewed and fits microphones up to 12 cm in length (a little under 5 inches for the portion of the shotgun that is capturing sound– no need to cover the stock of the barrel which isn’t capturing sound). If you have a longer shotgun microphone check out this model for microphones up to 18cm (a little over 7 inches of microphone).

Pros of foam windscreens: One benefit of using just a foam windscreen for wind cancellation is that it’s very light. Weight counts when you’re holding a long boom pole for extended periods of time, and heavy wind shields can make you tired faster. Foam generally doesn’t do much to cut down the high frequency response.

Cons of foam windscreens: On the con side, foam frankly doesn’t do a ton to cut down especially windy weather noise. Depending on how windy it is, a simple foam windscreen may be no match for the weather outdoors.

“Dead cat” fuzzy microphone muffs for shotgun microphones

Neewer NW-MIC-121 Outdoor Microphone Furry Windscreen Muff

The fuzzy “dead cat” microphone muff is one step above a simple foam windscreen. Muffs can be used either on top of a bare microphone or on top of a microphone that is already “wearing” a foam windscreen underneath. As an added layer of protection, shotgun microphone muffs emulate the look and feel of fur which is the reason they have been given the “dead cat” or “dead wombat” nicknames. (However today virtually none of these products are made from actual fur– artificial fur is used which cuts down on the cost, improves durability and eliminates animal cruelty.)

Pros of “dead cat” microphone muffs: “Dead cat” muffs can seriously cut down on the amount of wind noise that shotgun microphones pick up on. Although they do add a small amount of weight to your boom microphone setup, it’s usually not a substantial amount. You can choose to layer either a foam windscreen on top of them or alone on top of a naked mic.

Cons of “dead cat” microphone muffs: Shotgun microphone muffs will cut down on your high pitched frequencies a bit more than just a foam windscreen alone. And if it’s raining or snowing while you’re using these, they may get funky afterward (a hair dryer can be used afterward to make sure it’s completely dry before you pack it away however).

See our related article: Best Shotgun Microphones and Boom Mics for Filmmakers

Movo WS220 Professional Windscreen

Bonus to consider: This alternate microphone muff windsock will not acomodate a foam shield underneath it because it has foam built in.

This shotgun microphone wind noise shield reduces wind noise by 24dB all the way up to 40 decibels. It is available in a range of sizes all the way up to 27cm (over 10.5 inches).

Made of artificial rabbit fur.

Movo WS-G7 Foam & Furry Indoor/Outdoor Microphone Windscreen Combo Pack

Bonus to consider: This two pack of one foam windscreen and one slip-on furry muff that can be layered on top of it fits the Rode VideoMic (VMGO) and comes with a one year warranty. If you happen to use that specific microphone, this wind sock combo pack might be a good choice.

Blimp Microphone Windshield/Windjammer

Rode Blimp Microphone Windshield Suspension System

The blimp – a hard shell honeycomb pattern shotgun microphone enclosure is an extremely effective wind jammer. But it’s also heavy duty and can cancel out some higher frequencies so you’ll need to be thoughtful about when you really need to deploy it. Blimps can also add quite a bit of weight to your boom microphone setup. This particular Rode Blimp kit comes with both the hard shell enclosure for the microphone as well as the grip mount (which can screw on to a boom pole or optionally be used handheld), as well as a furry coat, which adds on even another level of microphone wind protection. This shotgun microphone blimp can accomodate even especially long shotgun mics almost 13 inches in length. Includes XLR “tail cable.”

Pros of microphone blimps: Really effective wind noise reduction, even in relatively high winds!

Cons of microphone blimps: Can be complicated to set up, and certainly adds weight and size to your boom microphone package.

Sennheiser MKH-416 Shotgun Microphone Pro Pack

Bonus to consider: This microphone kit includes a Sennheiser 416 shotgun mic, a Sennheiser 60-1 blimp windscreen, a furry muff, plus a pistol grip that works with the combo. If you don’t already have a shotgun mic then you might want to consider this kit which also some swith some mounting accessories. Boom pole and XLR cable not included.

Honorable mention: Nylon windscreens for shotgun microphones

Movo WST220 Professional Premium Quality Ballistic Nylon Windscreen

Bonus to consider: This is a unique produce from Movo which promises to reduce wind noise from 24db all the way up to 40db– a substantial amount. It’s somewhere in between a blimp and a dead cat mic muff and it’s been getting good reviews despite being a relatively new entrant to the market (it’s been around since 2012 or so whereas most of these wind muffling methods go back decades). This microphone wind jammer comes in a variety of sizes all the way up to 30cm (almost a foot long for very long shotgun mics).

Frequently asked questions about noise cancellation techniques for shotgun microphones

What is the most effective way to shield a microphone from wind noise? This article lists the ways you can protect a shotgun microphone from wind noise from the least effective to the most effective for heavy wind. The absolute most effective way to reduce wind noise for video in heavy wind is a blimp style microphone enclosure (as listed above) with an artificial fur muff on top of it.

Is there a way to remove wind noise from audio after it’s been recorded? Unfortunately there’s not a very effective way to get rid of wind noise after it’s been recorded. You can’t just “fix it in post.” Although you may be able to minimize it slightly using a high pass audio filter in your editing program, the most effective way to reduce wind noise after having shot your video is by dubbing the audio– essentially re-recording the audio track (and re-creating any foley sound effects and a light ambient noise track) and placing it at exactly the right times so the viewer can’t tell that the audio was re-recorded. In filmmaking this process is commonly called ADR, looping, or audio re-recording.

The post The best windscreens for shotgun microphones – foam, blimps, dead cats & more appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

What features should I look for in a boom pole?

Depending on your requirements you may weight various factors more than others. But generally speaking if you’re looking for the best boom pole for your needs, you may want to consider:

– Maximum length of boom pole: Some use cases demand particularly long boom poles, for instance like reporters at the White House who are often far away from the president at press availabilities on the White House lawn.

– Boom pole weight: This is an obvious one for anyone holding a boom pole for long periods of time by hand above their head. Even small differences in weight may make a big difference in fatigue at the end of the day. And keep in mind you’ll be adding a microphone and sometimes a cable on top of the weight of the pole itself.

– Minimum length of boom pole when collapsed: For travel or case purposes, you may want a boom pole that can collapse into a specific length.

– Internal XLR cable or external cable? Traditionally boom poles have simply been an extendable pole that a sound mixer would spiral their microphone cable around and hope that the cable didn’t slip. But newer boom poles have internal coiled XLR cables that plug into your microphone and provide an XLR output at the bottom (which you use your own XLR cable to connect to the sound mixer or camera). Internal XLR cables are becoming much more popular these days which eliminates a fair bit of cable management and handling noise, freeing the user to focus more on capturing good sound. Of course there is also the possibility that an internal XLR cable may wear down over time, requiring a replacement (cheap boom poles with internal XLR may not allow you to replace the cable while more expensive brands sell replacement internal cable kits).

– Is the XLR output on the bottom or the side? For boom poles with internal XLR cables, does the XLR output at the bottom of the pole exit at the bottom or the side? Typically cheaper boom poles will exit at the bottom which can be inconvenient if you want to comfortably rest the bottom of the pole on the ground in between takes. More expensive boom poles often have a side-exit for the XLR output port which can be more convenient.

– What material is the boom pole made out of? Cheaper boom poles tend to be made of aluminum rather than carbon fiber or graphite. The more expensive boom poles are made of the latter two materials because they’re lighter which can make a big difference if you’re holding a long pole up for extended periods of time. Another difference is that aluminum will dent while carbon fiber/graphite may crack (though if you treat your gear extremely well neither should be an issue). Pro sound mixers tend to swear by the lighter graphite or carbon fiber boom poles and look down on aluminum ones as cheap and heavy.

All right, with all these factors in mind, here are some of our picks.

The best boom poles for indie filmmakers

K-Tek KE79CCR Avalon Series Aluminum Traveler Boom Pole

This is a midrange boom pole with internal coiled XLR cable. You get some cost savings because it’s made of aluminum instead of the more expensive carbon fiber or graphite but it also has a side-exit XLR port for the internal cable so you can rest the bottom of the boom pole on the ground when you’re not shooting. Although this isn’t the longest boom pole, extending to 6 feet and 7 inches maximum, it is able to fold into a strikingly compact 1 foot 8 inches when collapsed, making this a great boom pole for travel. Weight: 1.6 pounds without microphone.

K-Tek KEG-100CCR 5-Section Carbon Fiber “Traveler” Avalon Series Boom Pole

If you need a boom pole that collapses into a compact 2 foot 2 inch size that extends to an incredible 8’9″ reach, this is one of the best boom poles for the job. This pole comes from K-Tek’s super-portable traveler line and is made of carbon fiber which means it’s lighter weight than even some shorter poles (1.4 pounds without microphone). The internally coiled XLR cable is side-exit so it can be easily rested on the ground in between shots.

K-Tek Avalon Graphite KEG150 Boom Pole

If you need one of the longest boom poles that’s lightweight, look no further than the K-Tek Avalon KEG150 series pole. It’s made of graphite so it weighs a mere 1.9 pounds before you add a microphone, making it one of the absolute lightest long boom poles available. This boom extends all the way from about three and a half feet up to 12 and a half feet! It features coiled internal XLR cable with a side-exit too, as you would expect from a higher end boom pole like this one.

LyxPro MPL-20 Boom Pole with Internal Cable

This model is a basic no-frills internal cable boom pole for shotgun microphones. It telescopes from 2.4 feet up to 9 and a quarter feet and has an internal cable (bottom exit, not side). It features a soft hand grip and 5 adjustable sections with locking rings to make the pole go longer or shorter. This model is made of aluminum and weighs 1.6 pounds.

Movo CMP-25 8.2′ Telescoping Carbon Fiber Boom Pole

Here’s another lower end boom pole that still includes an internal XLR cable and is made of carbon fiber (weighing in at 1.59 pounds for a maximum reach of just over 8 feet). This model comes with a handy protective soft case that it fits into when it’s folded up to its minimum length of around 3 feet. The XLR cable output is bottom exit on this model and it has a load capacity of around 6 pounds.

Other useful accessories for boom poles

Boom Pole Case

If you’re traveling with a boom pole, it’s important to protect it. This is a generously sized boom pole case that can accommodate boom poles up to 35″ in length. This bag is compatible with a variety of boom poles from Rode, Neewer, Lyxpro, and On-Stage.

Auray Boom Pole Holder

This is a standard boom pole holder which you can mount on a c-stand to suspend a boom pole and microphone above a person for an extended period of time without having to hold it yourself. Boom pole stands or holders can be particularly useful if your talent is just in a static spot such as seated in an interview or a similar type of setup. This boom pole holder is designed so it’s easy to quickly remove or re-mount your boom pole to the stand so that you aren’t left fiddling with screws in case you need to quickly switch to a handheld setup. To use this boom pole holder, you’ll also need a clamp for the c-stand, the c-stand itself, and sandbags for safety so it doesn’t tip over.

Coiled XLR cable

If you’re connecting the boom pole into a body worn sound mixer as many location sound recordists do, using a coiled XLR cable to connect the boom pole internal XLR output to your mixer can help reduce cable management while you’re capturing great sound. Because coiled cables have some “stretch” to them, you don’t need to be taking up cable constantly and letting it out as you switch between setups. Because coiled XLR cables have are springy they’re also less of a trip hazard in some scenarios.

Rode PG2 Pistol Grip ShockMount for Shotgun Mics

< Shock mounts for mounting shotgun mics on boom poles come in many styles but this pistol grip style is widely used. It accommodates many sizes and lengths of shotgun microphones. Using a high quality shock mount for your shotgun microphones and boom poles will help eliminate the handling noise of your hands holding the pole itself and adjusting your grip.

See also: The best windscreens for shotgun microphones – foam, blimps, dead cats & more

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Since this is a long guide, we’re using a table of contents to help you find what you need faster.

The Best Lavalier Microphones for Documentary Filmmaking & Interviews

There are few pieces of documentary filmmaking equipment more useful than the wireless lavalier microphone. You can use a wireless lav for interviews, put it on a subject as they go about their daily life and you film them, even set a wireless lav on a podium and use it capture sound from the person speaking at a public event. Wireless lapel microphones used to be quite expensive but today they’re a standard part of any documentary film sound kit.

The Best Lavalier Mics for Interviews

Sennheiser EW 112P G4-A Omni-Directional EW System

The Sennheiser G3/G4 is known as a workhorse in the documentary filmmaking community. It’s one of the most common wireless microphones in the industry and for good reason: it’s rugged, easy to use, affordable and sounds terrific. This wireless lav has a good wireless range of up to a couple hundred feet from the transmitter on a person to the receiver unit mounted on the camera.

Sennheiser also sells a G3/G4 kit with a plug on transmitter to use with reporter style interview microphones that you can use with the lav receiver instead of the lav body pack. Uses two AA batteries in the receiver, two in the transmitter.

Sennheiser AVX Wireless Lav System

The venerable Sennheiser G3 also has a bigger brother called the AVX. The AVX is a newer wireless lavalier and it incorporates new tech to provide a better wireless range, rechargeable batteries, and smarter power saving technology. It also has a smaller receiver unit which is lighter on your camera which is especially nice for run and gun documentary filmmaking when you’re not using tripods as much so you get tired faster (less weight is a big win!). With automatic on-and-off switching, the AVX saves battery power and lasts longer than the G3.

Check out this video that shows some of the enhancements of the new AVX wireless lav that make it the best Sennheiser lav mic:

Movo WMIC70 Wireless 48-Channel UHF Lavalier Microphone System

If you’re looking for more of a budget lav microphone for documentary filmmaking, the Movo 70 Wireless Lav might be up your alley. It’s definitely cheaper but can also provide decent quality sound within a 328 foot wireless range. Like the Sennheiser units listed above, this lav mic comes with both XLR and 3.5mm audio outputs so you can plug it into either a pro level video camera with 3-pin XLR inputs as well as DSLRs and camcorders with 1/8th inch audio minijack inputs. If you’re interested in getting a Movo, also be sure to check out the other kits and configurations available such as a dual wireless lav setup or kits with reporter style microphones.

Honorable mention – The Sony UWP-D Lavalier Microphone is another great wireless lav mic for documentary filmmaking. It’s slightly easier on the budget than the Sennheiser versions an provides excellent sound quality at a decent wireless range.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Lavalier Mic for Documentary Film

When you’re choosing which lavalier microphone to get for documentary interviews, there are a few different things to keep in mind:

Compatibility with other systems – All of the wireless lav mics for documentary that we’ve listed here are compatible both with DSLRs/camcorders and also professional video cameras because they include XLR outputs and 3.5mm minijack plugs for your camera. But if you choose a model with that is compatible with other accessories (like the Sennheiser options for instance), you can use this mic to connect to other systems. For instance, if you pair a Sennheiser G3 or AVX which uses a 3.5mm microphone input, you can disconnect the mic cable and swap it for a 1/8th inch to XLR cable which allows you to plug into event soundboards and wirelessly receive the microphone feed at rallies or speeches–quite handy.

Type of batteries – Lav mics tend to burn through batteries in a few hours, although how long your batteries last depends on how actively you’re using them and the distance between the transmitter & receiver. The further apart they are, the harder they have to work to reach each other and the faster your batteries may run down. Especially high or low can also negatively wireless lavalier battery life.

The upshot is, you’re probably going to be going through a lot of batteries if you’re doing heavy shooting with wireless microphones. Many wireless mics use standard AA batteries, although some higher end models like the Sennheiser AVX use rechargeable battery packs. If you’re getting the AVX, we strongly recommend getting extra battery packs for the transmitter & receiver to go with it. Even though its battery packs last longer than typical AAs, nothing is worse than having material to shoot but not enough battery power to film.

Cost – Expense is often a factor for low budget documentary filmmakers and unfortunately the sound department is often the victim of cost cutting. Just remember, nobody gives you credit for having great sound but everyone will notice if your sound is poor quality. Fair or unfair, bad quality sound is often less forgivable than poor picture quality.

The Best Lavalier Microphones for Indie Film

Independent filmmakers work very hard to balance budget demands with a desire to achieve high production values. Even though sound is “invisible” it’s also extremely important and not an area you want to skimp on since poor sound can doom a film faster than many visual problems.

Luckily wireless body microphones are cheaper and higher quality than ever before. It’s entirely possible to build a pro-sounding sound kit for indie filmmaking for affordable prices these days. We’ve done research on the best wireless body mic options. Here they are below.

Wireless Body Mics/Lav Mics for Indie Filmmakers

Sennheiser EW 112P G4 – G Omni-Directional Wireless Lavalier Microphone System

The Sennheiser G4 wireless lavalier microphone is well known in the indie filmmaking community for its versatility, durability and good quality sound. Sennheiser is one of the most respected microphone producers in the world and their G4 lav is a classic. Although its shipping configuration is aimed at documentary filmmakers and television reporters with a lapel clip, you can easily detach the clip and hide this lav under an actor’s shirt with tape (more on this below in the tips section). We would argue that every indie filmmaker looking for a great wireless sound system should at least consider the Sennheiser G4.

Lectrosonics ZS-LRLMb-B1 L Series Kit

If you’re curious which lavalier microphone Hollywood sound departments use, look no further than Lectrosonics. Their high priced, high quality microphones are used extremely frequently in professional Hollywood films. This kit includes the Lectrosonics receiver M152 omni-directional microphone, a transmitter and receiver pack, as well as a semi-soft carrying case to safely store them away with. It also includes mounting hardware to attach this pro-level wireless lav to your camera setup, although many Hollywood sound departments are recording directly to an external audio recorder and therefore have no need for camera mounting hardware.

Saramonic UWMIC9 96-Channel Digital UHF Wireless Lavalier Microphone System

The Sarmonic wireless lav system is used by some low budget indie filmmakers to get good quality sound for the money. It has a wireless range of up to about 300 feet and it provides clear high quality audio. This kit includes both an XLR output cable as well as a 3.5mm minijack for DSLRs or camcorders with 1/8th inch microphone input ports. It also includes camera mounting hardware to secure the wireless receiver to your camera’s hot or cold shoe.

Honorable mention – The Rodelink FM Wireless Filmmaker System is a good medium budget lav microphone for indie filmmakers. It’s also compatible with a neat Rode accessory for easily concealing lav microphones underneath shirts. Since you’ll probably need to hide lav mics underneath clothing for your film, this is an option worth considering.

How to hide a wireless lav underneath clothing

Unlike documentary filmmaking where microphones are commonly seen on screen, indie filmmakers normally need to hide all microphones. Here are three tricks to hide wireless lavs under your actors’ shirts:

Using a vampire clip – A vampire clip (see photo) is a tiny clip that holds a lav microphone and secures it underneath a shirt by sticking two tiny pins as if they’ve “bitten” into the shirt. This won’t work especially well if your actor is wearing light colored clothing since these pins are traditionally black, stick out on top of a person’s clothing, and will stick out and might be visible. But if your actors are wearing coats or dark colored (or patterned) shirts, they can work quite well.

Using tape – You can also use a special type of skin-safe tape to affix the microphone to your subject’s chest or the inside of their shirt. For more on hiding lavalier microphones, check out this video:

Using a Rode Invisilav concealer: Additionally, you may want to consider getting the Rode lav mic and a set of invisible lav holders that Rode makes to easily conceal their microphones underneath clothing. If you go that route, sure to get a minijack to XLR converter if you have a camera with XLR inputs because the Rode FM Wireless Filmmaker System only comes with a 3.5mm jack out of the box. Depending on the size of your lav microphone this invisible lav holder might work with other lavs too (some people are using it with the Sennheiser G3 with good results even though it’s not a 100% perfect fit.)

The best lavalier mics for iPhone, iPad

If you’re recording audio on an iPad or iPhone you already probably know that the quality of these devices’ built in microphones isn’t great. A lavalier microphone for iPhone can be a great solution.

If you have an iPhone that has a headphone jack (like the iPhone 6 or earlier), then you can get a normal 3.5mm lavalier microphone. However if you have an iPhone 7 or later with just the small rectangular Lightning jack, then you’ll need either a lavalier microphone with a Lightning cable or a lav mic with a 3.5mm jack plus two adapters daisy chained together. Below we’re going to break down your options for using a lav mic with an iPhone or iPad.

How to use a lav microphone with an iPhone/iPad

Sennheiser ClipMic digital Mobile Recording Microphone for iOS Devices

Sennheiser makes very high quality microphones and if budget is no concern, we have no hesitation recommending this high quality lavalier microphone for iPhones. It features the ME 2 microphone head– the same model used by professional documentary filmmakers– with a Lightning connector at the end to plug into your iPhone or iPad. It works with the normal iOS voice recording app that comes with your phone, as well as third party voice recording apps. This unit is a plug and play microphone for iPhones– it doesn’t require a special app or software or drivers. This is an excellent quality iPhone 7 microphone, and probably the best lav mic for iPhone 7 that exists today.

Wireless Lavalier Microphone System w/ Apple Lightning to USB Adapter

If you need a wireless lavalier for iPhone or iPad, consider getting a USB lavalier microphone like this one and connecting it to a Lightning to USB adapter like this one.

Professional Grade Lavalier Lapel Microphone for iPhone

If you have an iPhone 6 or another iOS product like an iPad with a headphone jack, you can buy this smartphone lavalier microphone and you’re good to go. If you have an iPhone 7 and above, or other iOS device with just a Lightning jack you can still use this lavalier microphone but you’ll need two adapters to use it. First, you’ll need to plug into a Lightning to headphone port adapter like the one that came with your iPhone (if your phone didn’t come with one or you’ve lost it, you can get a replacement one here). Next, you’ll need to plug a headphone-microphone jack splitter into that. You can get a cheap one of those here. Does that make sense?

Here’s a short video demo-ing how this works with the adapters in practice:

Honorable Mention – If you would prefer a microphone with a Lightning jack at the end of it instead of a clip on lavalier microphone, consider the Zoom iQ6, which plugs directly into your iOS device’s Lightning jack and provides you with a high quality microphone.

The best lavalier microphones for Android smartphones

If you have an Android phone or tablet, it’s pretty simple to plug in a lavalier mic with a 3.5mm jack and record good quality audio. Here are our favorite lavalier mics with 3.5mm headphone-size jacks:

Professional Grade Lavalier Lapel Microphone for Android

This solid quality lavalier microphone for Android smartphones that plugs into your phone or tablet’s headphone jack. It includes the lav mic itself, a removable shirt clip and an extra cable extender in case the original cable is too short for your intended use. The shirt clip is reversible so you can easily configure it to clip on either the right side or left side of whatever article of clothing you’re using (a tie, a jacket, shirt, etc). The cable extender can also be used with headphones instead of the microphone, to provide you with an extremely long-cabled headphone. It comes wrapped with a convenient re-usable velcro tie.

Stony-Edge Condenser Lavalier/Lapel Microphone for iPhone & Android Smartphones

Dual Lavalier Microphone Kit for Smartphones

If you need to do a two-person interview or you’re recording a podcast on your cell phone, consider this two-lavalier microphone kit. It plugs into your phone’s headphone jack and then branches out into three directions. Two of them are lavalier microphones with shirt clips, and the third is a headphone jack so you can wear headphones to monitor the sound quality (optional but helpful in some situations). Be sure to read the description of the item for more information on how it works.

How to use a lav mic with USB C Android phones

If you have a newer Android phone that only has a USB C port instead of a headphone jack, you may still be able to use an adapter cable to hook up a lapel microphone. There are a few possible routes for making this work (although we should note that they may not work with every single Android gear/software combination).

Option A: Use a USB C to microphone dongle to connect a lav mic with a 3.5mm audio jack (like the ones listed above) to your smartphone. Here’s an example USBC to microphone dongle that’s getting decent reviews. Again, keep in mind that depending on what your exact hardware/software combination is, there’s a chance it might not work. Reading the reviews from other customers or using the pre-buy question asking feature can give you clues however.

Option B: Use a USB C to full sized USB adapter and the connect that to a USB lavalier microphone, like this one.

Lavalier microphones that work with DSLRs

Midrange to high end DSLRs typically have microphone input ports but they’re not the same size that professional video cameras have. Pro video cameras typically have XLR audio inputs, whereas DSLRs will often have 1/8th inch microphone jacks that look like headphone ports. So, how do you use a professional lapel microphone with a DSLR that only has a 3.5mm microphone input?

There are generally two options: you can either get a DSLR audio adapter for XLR microphones, or use a lavalier microphone for DSLRs. Below we’ll present a roundup of the best lav mics for DSLRs.

Lav microphones that work with DSLR cameras

Sennheiser EW 112P G3-A omni-directional EW system

The Sennheiser G3 is known as a workhorse in the documentary filmmaking community. It’s one of the most common wireless microphones in the industry and for good reason: it’s rugged, easy to use, affordable and sounds terrific. This wireless lav has a good wireless range of up to a couple hundred feet from the transmitter on a person to the receiver unit mounted on the camera.

Sennheiser also sells a G3 kit with a plug on transmitter to use with reporter style interview microphones that you can use with the lav receiver instead of the lav body pack. Uses two AA batteries in the receiver, two in the transmitter.

Movo WMIC70 Wireless 48-Channel UHF Lavalier Microphone System with Omni-Lav

Movo makes budget-friendly wireless lav microphones which work well with DSLR cameras such as the Canon 5D, 7D, Rebel, Sony A7, Panasonic GH3, GH4, GH5 and many others.

This model of lav for DSLR boasts a wireless range of up to 328 feet. It offers both an XLR cable and a 3.5mm microphone jack that you can use to plug into your DSLR camera or camcorder.

The Movo WMIC70 comes with all the mounting gear you need to affix the receiver to the hot or cold shoe mount on top of your camera and runs off standard AA batteries.

Saramonic UWMIC9 Digital UHF Wireless Lavalier Microphone System<

Sarmonic is a competitor to Movo in the budget lavalier microphone category. Its products come with both DSLR-friendly audio jack hookups as well as XLR cables suitable for bigger professional video cameras. This particular unit offers 96 wireless channels and easy to read displays on both the receiver and the microphone transmitter body pack. It can even auto-scan frequencies to find an available one without interference from other wireless devices nearby. This is one of the best lavalier microphones for the money.

Frequently asked questions about using DSLRs with pro microphones

Can I use a lavalier and a shotgun microphone on a boom pole at the same time with my DSLR?

Yes but it’ll require a bit more gear. In order to use two different microphones with a DSLR you’ll need to use an XLR audio adapter. These breakout boxes take two different microphone inputs and mix them down to a single 3.5mm microphone cable (but still two channel separable stereo) which you can plug into your DSLR. We’ve got an article to help you pick the best XLR audio adapter for DSLRs.

Is there an advantage to using an XLR lav with an XLR adapter for DLSRs instead of using a lav microphone with 3.5mm audio output?

Since XLR audio adapters for DSLRs can be heavy and bulky, we’d generally suggest that you use the 1/8th inch (3.5mm) microphone jack to plug into your digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera directly instead of running it through an adapter first. With that said, if you’re planning to use multiple microphones at the same time (such as a a boom microphone and a lavalier), you’ll need one of these XLR breakout boxes.

Do these lavalier microphones for DSLRs also work with pro video cameras (i.e. with XLR audio ports)?

The lapel microphones for DSLRs that we’ve listed in this section all include both 3.5mm microphone jacks for DSLRs/camcorders as well as full size XLR audio adapters for pro video cameras. That way if you buy a full size video camera with XLR inputs later, you’ll still be able to use these wireless microphones.

What is the best lav mic for DSLR cameras?

If you’re looking for the best DSLR lavalier microphone and money is no object, we’d recommend you consider the Sennheiser AVX system. It offers many of the features of its less expensive cousin model the G3, but the AVX offers some additional features. For one thing its round shaped receiver pack is smaller and lighter than traditional size lavalier receiver. Size and weight is often of particular importance to DSLR videographers and so that’s a win. Plus it has some advanced power saving features which may mean that you need to carry less batteries with you, again lightening your load if you’re shooting as a “one man band” as many DSLR shooters are.

How do I use two lavalier microphones with the same DSLR camera?

In order to use a DSLR camera with two microphones, you’ll need to add an XLR audio adapter for DSLRs which can merge two audio streams into a single cable that you plug into your camera. Of course you could also conceivably use an external audio recorder such as a Zoom recorder to capture audio completely separately from video, although you’ll need to then sync them up later. Generally unless you have really substantial post-production resources we recommend recording audio and video together because it makes your editing process afterward much simpler and less error-prone.

Lav Mics for Camcorders

Consumer level camcorders generally have 3.5mm microphone jacks. Not every lavalier microphone or lapel microphone system works with these– many only offer the larger XLR size audio outputs. In order to use your camcorder with a wireless lapel microphone you’ll need to get a special type of microphone that has 3.5mm (or 1/8th inch– same size) audio output cables. We’ve rounded up the best of these below.

The best wireless lavalier microphones for camcorders

Movo WMIC70 Wireless 48-Channel UHF Lavalier Microphone System with Omni-Lav

This basic lapel microphone for camcorders has a range of up to about 330 feet (100 meters). It’s simple to connect the receiver unit to your camera using the 3.5mm microphone jack, and the transmitter body pack with the microphone comes with a handy belt clip (although you can also place it in a person’s pocket). Both the transmitter and receiver units are powered by 2 AA batteries each and they can last for up to 8 hours of continuous use before they’ll need to be replaced with fresh batteries.

Saramonic UWMIC9 Digital UHF Wireless Lavalier Microphone System

Sarmonic makes decent quality budget lavalier microphones for camcorders. This unit has a range up to 100 meters (over 300 feet) and offers 96 channels to choose from so you can avoid radio interference from other devices.

It also has an auto-scan function which can help you choose a clear frequency to use. This wireless microphone works with camcorders and also full sized professional camcorders with XLR audio inputs. Runs off of AA batteries.

BOYA BY-WM24G Wireless Lavalier Microphone System for Canon 6D 600D 5D2 5D3 Nikon D800 Sony Panasonic Camcorders

This wireless lavalier system for camcorders is one of the easiest to use on the market today. It comes with a 3.5mm audio output jack that you can plug into your camcorder or DSLR and has a maximum range of about 164 feet (50 meters). It doesn’t have a screen since you can’t switch wireless frequencies. Powered by two AA batteries (both the receiver and transmitter) which last for up to 4 hours of continuous use.

Note: this unit does not include an XLR audio adapter which the other two units listed in this section do. So if you plan to get a bigger professional camera with XLR audio inputs later on, consider choosing a different model. If all you need is a lav mic for camcorders with 3.5mm audio microphone inputs however, this is unit may be a good low budget choice.

Frequently asked questions about using lapel microphones with camcorders

These are all wireless microphones; what about wired lapel mics for camcorders?

Generally we recommend people choose wireless lapel microphones since they provide you with much more flexibility in terms of what/how you can shoot, plus there’s no long cable that people can trip over. However if you really need a wired lapel microphone for camcorders, then we recommend the Movo LV1 Lavalier Lapel Clip-on Omnidirectional Condenser Microphone which comes with a 20 foot audio cable to connect to your camcorder. It has a normal 3.5mm audio jack to connect to the “audio in” port on your camera, as well as an adapter for 1/4th inch (6.35mm) audio inputs. Comes with a tie clip and foam windscreen, runs off a LR44 button cell style battery (included) which lasts about 700 hours. You may want to remove the battery from the unit when it’s not in use to avoid any accidental “vampire” power drainage.

How do I adjust the audio level of a lapel microphone?

Each camcorder is a little bit different and some camcorders allow to you manually adjust the volume of external microphones while others do not. Often these audio settings are buried deep in the camcorder’s menu system so we’d recommend first looking to see if you have any options to adjust this. You can also often adjust the volume of the microphone from the receiver or transmitter of your lavalier microphone by using its menu system or external buttons. Consult your manual for more detailed instructions applicable to your specific microphone model.

Lavalier mics for podcasting

Often podcast hosts will use desk-mounted condenser microphones for podcasting, but there are situations where podcasters may want to use lavalier microphones instead. For instance if you’re recording a podcast on the go, using your hands, or you’re recording a live event you might want to be able to clip a microphone to your shirt or jacket. Because there are a lot of different possible podcasting setups, we’ve picked a variety of great lavalier microphones for different configurations below.

Best lavalier microphones for podcasting

Movo M1 USB Lavalier Lapel Clip-on Omnidirectional Condenser Computer Microphone

This is a basic no-frills USB lavalier microphone for podcasting. It works on both Macs and PCs and has a normal USB type A connector at one end and a lavalier microphone with a windscreen and clothing clip on the other. If you need a lavalier microphone for podcasting and you’re planning to record on a computer, this might be a great choice– especially for the money. It has a 20 foot long cable (6.1 meters) and comes in black. Comes with a bonus extra foam windscreen in case your first one gets lost.

Samson SWXPD1BLM5 Stage XPD1 Presentation – USB Digital Wireless System

This is a wireless USB lavalier microphone for podcasting. The kit includes a lavalier microphone, a transmitter body pack powered by two AA batteries, and a USB receiver stick which you plug into your computer. It has a wireless range of about 100 feet and you can use it to record podcasts or other applications where you need to record audio to a computer. Since this is a simple lavalier microphone system you won’t have to fiddle with choosing which wireless frequency to use; it works right out of the box without any setup.

Tascam DR-10L Digital Recorder Lav Mic System with 32GB SD Card and Headphones

If you need to record a podcast without access to a computer, you might want to consider using an all-in-one unit like this Tascam digital recorder with lavalier microphone. It records broadcast quality WAV files to Micro SDHC memory cards and this kit includes a memory card and headphones for monitoring, in addition to the recorder and microphone itself. This is a great lavalier microphone for recording podcasts with if you need to be mobile.

Zoom H4n PRO 4-Channel Handy Recorder Bundle with Movo Omnidirectional and Cardioid XLR Lavalier Microphones

If you want to record a podcast without a computer, this podcast recording kit could be a great solution. It combines a high quality Zoom H4n audio recorder with two lavalier microphones for podcasting. Two people can clip these lapel mics to their shirts and podcast from anywhere, powered by the Zoom unit’s batteries (2 AA batteries not included). The lavalier cables are each about 6 and a half feet long (nearly 2 meters) and you can also record with just the Zoom recorder’s built in microphone array.

Note: if you need a kit with four lavalier microphones for podcasting, instead of just two, consider this kit instead.

Extra tips for using lavalier microphones for podcasting

You can also find lavalier microphones for iPhone/iPad and lav mics for Android phones.

Keep in mind that almost all lapel “clip-on” microphones are omni-directional, which means that they’ll try and pick up sound within a 360 degree circle around you. Their range may not be too far but if you’re in a noisy environment such as in a crowded room, they may pick up some of that background noise. For best results, try to record only in quiet environments.

Generally speaking it will always be easier if you can record all your audio to the same device rather than trying to stitch together multiple audio streams from different devices into one single file. Because of the way different recorders work, there can be small discrepancies in time that get bigger the longer the recording gets.

Lapel microphones for pastors & church use

Lavalier microphones for church can be quite useful because they free the person speaking from standing behind a lectern. Being able to move around can make a sermon more dynamic and can also allow for a wide range of different types of interactions with worshippers. We’ve rounded up the best wireless lapel or lavalier clip on microphones for religious institutions.

Best lavalier microphones for church uses

Sennheiser EW 112P G3/G4 omni-directional EW system

Sennheiser is known for their professional quality audio gear and this lavalier kit for pastors is no exception. It provides a range of about 100 feet (perhaps more in some environments) and it’s also easy to set up and use. It has a wide range of tunable frequencies so you can find a frequency that will work interference-free in your church, synagogue, or mosque.

Nady 401X QUAD Wireless 4-Channel Handheld & Lapel Microphone System with 4 Transmitters

This kit includes a receiver system plus two wireless clip-on lavalier microphones and two handheld microphones. The wireless microphones and lav mics have a range of about 250 feet (and sometimes more under ideal circumstances). The receiver has very simple and easy to use controls with volume knobs for each microphone which allows you to adjust the levels of each one individually. On the reverse of the unit you have four XLR outputs or a 1/4th inch “phono” cable.

Nady ENC DUET Wireless Dual Channel Handheld / Lavalier / Headset Microphone System with 2 Wireless Transmitters

This wireless microphone kit for pastors comes with three microphone options: A standard handheld microphone, a wireless clip on lapel microphone and a headset which can be plugged into the wireless lavalier transmitter body pack. It has a range of up to 250 feet (sometimes more, depending on the space) and runs off of 9V battery packs for up to 10 hours of continuous use before you’ll need to swap out batteries. The wireless components have low battery indicators which tell you when you’ll need to swap batteries.

Frequently asked questions about church microphones

How do I combine the sound from multiple microphone systems to use with my speakers?

If you have multiple wireless systems or multiple microphones working at once that you want to combine into a single stream to send to your speakers, you’ll probably need an XLR mixer like this unit. Make sure you choose one that has both the right number of inputs (how many audio sources/microphones you can plug into it) as well as the correct audio output types for your speakers.

How do I record an MP3 of a sermon so we can put it on the internet or release it as a podcast?

We recommend using a portable recorder which you can plug into your soundboard using a 1/4th inch phono to 1/8th inch microphone input adapter cable.

Lav mics for weddings

Lavalier microphones for weddings need to fulfill a few different requirements: they need to be easily concealable (or at least not super-obvious) and they also need to have decent range and a wide variety of choosable frequencies because of the number of cell phones that will be in the area which can cause radio interference. Below we’ll provide examples of lavalier microphone gear for weddings.

Best lavalier microphones for weddings

Sennheiser AVX Wireless Lav System

The Sennheiser AVX wireless lav system is a great microphone for weddings. It has a range of up to 150 feet, more than enough for most wedding videography uses. It also offers an intelligent link protection feature which can automatically switch frequencies if there is any interference (which is helpful if you have 100 guests with cell phones in their pockets and purses). Plus the Sennheiser AVX has a small and light transmitter and receiver which works with both DSLRs that have 3.5mm microphone jacks as well as full size video camera with XLR inputs.

Check out this video that shows some of the features of the AVX wireless lav that make it the best Sennheiser lav mic:

Sennheiser MKE 1-EW-1 – Omnidirectional Subminiature Lavalier Microphone with Evolution Wireless Connector – White

If you need to put a lavalier microphone on a bride wearing white, there’s a good chance you won’t want to use a traditional black microphone. Sure you can get a white lavalier windscreen, but why bother with that if you can get an actual white lavalier microphone to use with your wireless transmitter and receiver kit? This white lav mic from Sennheiser works with their popular G3 system as well as their advanced AVX lavalier microphone system, mentioned above. The MKE 1-EW-1 is an extremely small, extremely high quality lavalier microphone that’s smaller than the one included in the default AVX or G3 kit, and it comes with white casing. Plus with extra sweat-proof coating above and beyond what most body mics provide, this model is one of the best lavalier microphones for weddings.

Countryman B6W4FF05WSR B6 Omnidirectional Wireless Lavalier Microphone for Sennheiser Transmitters

This tiny Countryman lavalier microphone is ideal for mic-ing up brides. It comes in white and works with Sennheiser and other lavalier microphone transmitters with 3.5mm locking connectors such as the popular Sennheiser G3, the newer Sennheiser AVX, and even lower cost systems like the Saramonic TX10. It’s a little less expensive than the Sennheiser white lavalier microphone but it’s still excellent quality for the money. It features a protective cap that you can remove for cleaning off sweat, makeup, etc and you can draw on it with a felt tipped marker to color it temporarily for additional camouflage.

Other tips for using microphones at weddings

If the wedding you’re filming already has a DJ with a sound system that’s hooked up to amplify wedding vows and the officiant speaking, it’s often better not to try and duplicate the work they’ve already done– instead you can usually piggyback on their setup. If you can get an audio stream out of the DJ’s sound system you can patch that into your camera. We like to use this trick to get a wireless feed from a sound board:

1. Unscrew the microphone from a standard lavalier transmitter pack like the popular Sennheiser G3 to a 3.5mm to XLR cable.

2. Connect the XLR cable to the sound output port on the sound board. You will then have an transmitter that’s broadcasting the “sound out” of the board.

3. Connect the transmitter to your camera and adjust the gain settings on the board, transmitter, receiver, or camera, as necessary (usually you’ll have to crank things way down since the board will often be feeding you line out by default– way too high).

If you arrive with plenty of time before the wedding, or make arrangements ahead of time, this solution can often be worked out with the DJ’s help or the wedding venue’s help if it has a built in sound system.

Best USB lavalier microphones for YouTube & other uses

USB lavalier microphones are useful for a wide variety of purposes. Many people use USB lavalier microphones for YouTube videos or speech to text dictation programs like Dragon Naturally Speaking for instance. However some cheap USB mics are extremely low quality and can lead to sub-par results. We’ve done the research on the best lavalier microphones for computers (PCs & Macs) and we’ve laid out our findings below.

Best USB lav mics for PCs & Macs

Movo M1 USB Lavalier Lapel Clip-on Omnidirectional Condenser Computer Microphone

The Movo M1 lavalier microphone with a USB jack provides you with a generous 20 foot cable and plugs into your Mac or PC. It comes with a foam windscreen and can be clipped to your shirt or another article of clothing. Available in black, no batteries necessary. This is a great microphone for YouTube as well as a good microphone for dictation programs because you don’t need to wear it as a headset which can become uncomfortable over time, and can mess up your hair.

Samson SWXPD1BLM5 Stage XPD1 Presentation – USB Digital Wireless System

In some circumstances you might want a wireless lavalier microphone for computers, for instance if you’re making a podcast or you like to record memos while pacing around the room. This wireless lavalier USB microphone has a range of about 100 feet (30 meters) and consists of a transmitter bodypack, a clip on microphone and a USB receiver unit that plugs into a normal USB Type A port found on most computers today. You don’t need any special software, this USB microphone works with any standard audio recording program that allows audio input from an external computer microphone.

USB Over Ear Headphones with Microphone

In some cases you might want a USB microphone that also provides headphones in the same unit. For those situations a USB headset like this model might be an ideal choice. It combines a pair of high quality over-ear headphones with a microphone. This pair of headphones with microphone is comfortable for several-hour use and provides a generously-lengthed cable. It’s compatible with Macs as well as PCs without any additional software to install. This is also one of the best headsets for gamers.

An additional note about USB lavalier microphones

Although the choices we’ve listed here are “native” USB microphones– that is to say they have USB plugs at one end to connect directly to your computer– you can also connect other types of headphones into a USB port. If you have, for instance, a professional XLR microphone you just need a USB preamp like this unit which lets you hook up an XLR microphone to a USB port. It also works with a variety of other types of audio inputs ranging from RCA cables to 3.5mm microphones and headsets.

Lavalier microphones for GoPro cameras

GoPro cameras can use a variety of different types of microphones and we’ll be breaking down the best GoPro microphones below. One thing that’s important to know is what type of GoPro camera you have. If you have GoPro Hero 5 and above you’ll need one type of microphone but if you have GoPro Hero 4 and below you’ll need a different type. We’re going to list the best external microphones for GoPro cameras below, separated by which type of GoPro they work with.

Best External Microphones for GoPro Hero 3 & GoPro Hero 4

MXL Mics MM-165GP Lavalier Microphone for GoPro Cameras

This lavalier microphone for GoPro Hero 3/4 plugs into your Gopro’s mini USB port and provides you wih a clip on microphone and windscreen. The cable is 5 feet long which will give you plenty of room to mount the Gopro as needed without needing to be too close to the camera yourself. This all in one external clip-on microphone for GoPro is ideal for recording a person’s voice, and it will also pick up higher quality environmental sound than the microphone built into your camera.

Marshall MXL MM-C003GP Mic adapter for GoPro Cameras

If you already have a microphone with a 3.5mm headphone style microphone jack that you want to use with your GoPro, this is an adapter that can help you bridge that gap. On one end it offers a 3.5mm (1/8th inch) female port and on the other end it plugs into your GoPro camera’s mini USB port. This GoPro external audio adapter should work with most 3.5mm microphones.

Saramonic G-Mic Microphone for GoPro Cameras Hero4, Hero3+, Hero3 (Black)

Although this is technically an article about lavalier microphones for GoPros, we’re going to sneak this other external mic for GoPros in here just because it’s quite popular and worth considering. It’s an L shaped microphone that plugs into your GoPro 3 Hero or GoPro 4 Hero’s Mini USB port on the side and then extends upwards to capture sound much better than the tiny microphone built into your action camera. Also be sure to check out the extra furry dead-cat style windscreen which can dampen down wind noise.

Best External Microphones for GoPro Hero 5 and GoPro Hero 5 Session

GoPro Pro 3.5mm Mic Adapter (HERO5 Black/HERO5 Session) (GoPro Official Accessory)

If you have a GoPro Hero 5 or GoPro Hero 5 Session or above you’ll need an external microphone adapter for USB C. This GoPro external mic adapter provides you with two functions: you can use the 3.5mm microphone jack to attach an external microphone (like these) and you can use the USB-C port to hook up to an external power supply to charge your GoPro for extended run recording longer than the camera’s internal battery.

Additional resources & accessories for GoPros

The Best GoPro Carrying Cases

GoPro Camera Comparison Chart

What is the best GoPro Gimbal Stabilizer?

The 3 Most Popular GoPro Selfie Sticks, Boom Arms & Monopods

The best cheap lavalier microphones for the money

Extremely high quality professional lavalier microphones can cost a thousand dollars or even more. However you it is possible to get decent quality sound using a lavalier microphone on a low budget. We’ve rounded up the best cheap lav mics for the money below.

Cheap wireless lavalier microphones

Saramonic UWMIC9 96-Channel Digital UHF Wireless Lavalier Microphone System

Saramonic offers a good cheap wireless lavalier phone that comes with 96 user selectable channels so you’ll be sure to find one that doesn’t have any radio interference on it. It also comes with two types of audio ouputs for you to use, depending on what type of camera you have (XLR pro audio outputs plus 3.5mm microphone jack style outputs). This unit has a range of up to 330 feet in ideal conditions although realistically you probably won’t need to get that far away from the camera. Both the transmitter and receiver run off of two AA batteries each.

BOYA BY-WM24G Wireless Lavalier Microphone System for Canon 6D 600D 5D2 5D3 Nikon D800 Sony Panasonic Camcorders

Here’s another low budget lapel mic. This unit saves money by not including an XLR output so if you have a pro video camera with XLR video inputs you’ll want to look elsewhere. But if you have a camcorder with a 3.5mm headphone jack sized mic input, this model will work just fine. It also saves cost and makes operation easy by only operating on one pre-set wireless frequency.

Azden WMS-PRO Wireless Microphone System

This cheap wireless lavalier microphone has a twist up its sleeve: not only does it allow you to use a clip-on microphone, it also includes a handheld microphone which you can optionally use with the transmitter pack instead of the body mic. Note that this model only comes with 3.5mm microphone jack output for your camcorder or other device– it won’t work with cameras that have full sized XLR audio ports without an 3.5mm to XLR adapter cable.

Extra notes on cheap wireless lavs

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “buy cheap, buy twice.” We haven’t included the absolute cheapest wireless microphone systems since those are almost always poor quality but instead we’ve hunted down the units that at least have decent reviews and features that people commonly need. Still, it is possible that you won’t be satisfied with the results of a very low budget microphone system. In our view the “sound department” is very often overlooked and shortchanged but poor audio quality can often separate a good video from a bad one. So we’d encourage you consider your options carefully when selecting a lavalier microphone system and weigh the pros and cons of choosing an inexpensive mic option vs a more expensive one.

Best lavaliers for undercover microphone recording

If you need to secretly record audio by “wearing a wire” as they say in movies, there are a few different options available to you.

Best undercover microphones for secret recording

Tascam DR-10L Digital Recorder Lav Mic System with 32GB SD Card and Headphones

This recording system will capture high quality audio from a lavalier microphone attached to a small recorder that’s easily concealable. It records audio on a micro SDHD memory card (included). You can tape the microphone underneath your shirt to your chest or clothing and conceal the wire and recording pack underneath your clothing. This is not a wireless recorder; it doesn’t transmit to anywhere, but instead records straight to the unit. Comes with a pair of headphones.

Spy Pen With Hidden Audio Recorder

This spy recorder will capture audio for several hours on its built in memory storage. You can easily slip this pen into a shirt pocket or place it on a desk and hit record to capture audio. It even writes if you need to use it as a pen (it comes with 2 refillable ink cartridges). To transfer it to a computer simply unscrew the top of the pen and plug it in via the included USB connector. It can even serve as an 16GB USB flash drive if desired. Works with Mac OSX and Windows.

Important notes about secretly recording audio

Keep in mind that local laws vary from place to place and before you do any secret audio (or video) recordings, you’ll want to check to see what laws are applicable in your local area. For instance some US states are considered “one party consent states” which means that as long as one party to the conversation knows it’s being recorded (and presumably you know, since you’re doing the recording) it’s legal. Other states however are two-party or all-party consent states which means it may not be legal to record people without their permission.

For more information on your own state’s status, go here and click on your state in the sidebar. If you live outside the United States, be sure to research the legality of secretly recording conversations in your municipality.

Wired lavalier microphones

Most of this article is dedicated to helping you select appropriate wireless lavalier microphones but of course wired lavalier microphones exist as well. Although they’re more limited in how you can use them (and how close you need to be to the camera), they’re also cheaper and they can be easier to operate. With a wired lapel microphone you don’t need to fuss with changing channels or wireless interference.

The Best Wired Lav Mics

Movo LV8-C Broadcast-Quality XLR Omni-directional Lavalier Microphone

Here’s a basic low budget lavalier microphone that connects to your camera with a 6.5 foot (2 meter) XLR cable. It doesn’t require any batteries (it’s powered by the phantom power from your pro video camera with XLR sound inputs) and has an omni-directional pickup pattern. A cardiod version is also available, which will only pick up sound in one particular direction instead of all around. This wired clip on microphone also comes with a soft carrying case for travel use and storage. Note that if your camera doesn’t have an XLR audio input port, you’ll want to consider a different mic.

Stony-Edge Condenser Lavalier/Lapel Microphone for iPhone & Android Smartphones

This is a basic lavalier microphone with a 3.5mm jack that plugs into a microphone or “audio in” port on a camcorder or even a cell phone. It has a cable that measures 50 inches long (1.27 meters) and it comes in black. Includes a windscreen and a tie clip. No batteries necessary.

Movo M1 USB Lavalier Lapel Clip-on Omnidirectional Condenser Computer Microphone

If you’re looking for a lavalier microphone that plugs into your computer, look no further than the Movo M1. It’s a basic wired lavalier microphone for computers and it works with both Macs and PCs without any additional drivers or software (it works with whatever recording app you’re using). You can use it as a microphone to record podcasts, for voice dictation programs like Dragon Naturally Speaking, for YouTube video narration and more.

Notes to consider about getting a wired lavalier microphone

Because of how much wireless lavs have come down in price, we’d still encourage you to consider getting a wireless mic instead of a wired one because of how much more flexibility it gives you. Using a wireless lav you can shoot much further away from the camera and in all sorts of setups you can’t make work with a wired model. Plus with a wireless lapel mic, there’s one less cable to trip over or forget that it’s connected while you start walking away.

Didn’t find what you were looking for? Consider browsing Amazon’s directory listings for lavalier microphones.

Frequently asked questions about lavalier microphones

What is the lavalier definition?

Above: a lavalier microphone with a cable that has not been concealed.

What is the difference between a lapel microphone and a lavalier microphone?

The terms lavalier microphone and lapel microphone are often use interchangeably; they both refer to a microphone which clips on to a person’s clothing (also sometimes called a body mic). Sometimes the term “lavalier” is used more frequently in the filmmaking community and the term “lapel” is used more often in the videography community.

What is the difference between omni-direction lav microphones and directional ones?

Omni-directional microphones have a roughly spherical pickup pattern. This means that audio from roughly any direction around them. By contrast, a directional microphone like a cardioid mic will only pick up audio in one particular direction (or at least it tries to isolate sound). While directional cardioid lavalier microphones do exist, they’re rarer and in some ways more error prone since they won’t pick up the sound of your voice unless you have them positioned perfectly.

How do you mic a two person interview?

There are different ways to capture sound for a two person interview and if you’re shooting one we recommend you read our article: How to mic a sit down interview.

What are lavalier microphones used for?

Lavalier microphones are used for all sorts of purposes in many different industries. Here are some example uses for lav mics:

• Interview microphones for documentary filmmakers or TV journalists
• Wireless microphones for musical theater
• Clip on microphones for YouTube videos
• Lapel microphones for tour guides
• External microphones for camcorders, GoPros, and DSLRs
• Lavalier microphones for indie filmmakers
• Mics to pick up sound far away from cameras

Related: External GoPro Microphones

The post The Ultimate Guide to Lavalier Microphones & Lapel Mics appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

Recommended reporter style handheld ENG microphones:

Shure VP64A Omnidirectional Handheld Microphone

Shure, the well known manufacturer of the classic instantly recognizable SM58 “ice cream cone”/”stick microphone,” provides this model of handheld mic for reporters. It’s omni-directional, meaning it has roughly a circular pickup pattern capable of picking up both a reporter and a person they’re interviewing asking them questions. Comes with a windscreen for outdoor use and a microphone mount. First introduced in 2003 this rugged ENG microphone is one of the industry standard mics for TV reporters around the world. Has an XLR plug at the end (if you have a camcorder without XLR inputs or a DSLR see this article about XLR adapters with phantom power or use one of the wireless solutions listed later in this article).

Rode Reporter Omnidirectional Dynamic Interview Microphone

The Rode Reporter microphone is a newer entrant into the interview microphone category and it’s getting rave reviews. It features an extra long stem which allows you to get closer to the action even in situations where there are many reporters gathered around a single person. The Rode Reporter microphone is omni-directional so it can pick up both the interviewer’s voice as well as the interviewee’s voice, no matter the direction of the mic. It also comes with a handy carrying soft bag and an optional over-the-top flag for your logo sticker. Has an XLR plug at the end (if you have a camcorder without XLR inputs or a DSLR see this article about XLR adapters with phantom power or use one of the wireless solutions listed later in this article).

Sennheiser MD 46 Cardioid Interview Microphone

The Sennheiser MD46 is a premium quality handheld interview mic with a special design to reduce wind noise and handling noise of your hand adjusting its grip on the stem. Unlike the other microphones in this list, this is a cardioid microphone which is well suited for noisy outdoor environments because it will isolate the sound of your reporter instead of the background noise. Note: Sennheiser also makes a omni-directional version of the same microphone. Features rugged metal housing and a long stem. Has an XLR plug at the end (if you have a camcorder without XLR inputs or a DSLR see this article about XLR adapters with phantom power or use one of the wireless solutions listed later in this article).

How to Make an Interview Microphone Wireless

There are two basic ways to have a wireless microphone for street interviews. You can either plug in a wireless transmitter and battery pack to the bottom of the microphone, or you can use a special microphone that’s already wireless out of the box, and hook either of these up to a wireless receiver which is connected to your camera. Here are our picks for the best wireless interview microphone solutions:

Sennheiser Wireless Microphone System with Plug on Transmitter, Receiver, Lavalier Mic & Handheld ENG Microphone

If you’re looking for all the interview microphone basics in one bundle, this is the set for you. It includes a microphone for interviews (DSLR compatible), a receiver to attach to your camera (camcorder, pro video camera or DSLR compatible– both XLR and 1/8th inch or 3.5mm jacks are included), plus a lavalier microphone transmitter pack and a plug on transmitter for the handheld microphone. It even comes in a handy Pelican hard case to keep your microphone kit protected. The plug on transmitter will also work with shotgun microphones on boom poles to make them wireless too (although neither a boom pole nor a shotgun mic is included). Note that if you already have a Sennheiser G3 lav kit and a handheld microphone for interviews, you can buy the plug on transmitter separately (just make sure you get the right model for whichever wireless band your Sennheiser G3 lav receiver uses– there are multiple bands available).

Saramonic Wireless XLR Microphone System with XLR Plug-in Transmitter, & Receiver Unit

If you’ve already got a handheld ENG “stick” microphone or you’re planning to purchase one of the models we’ve listed earlier in this article and you want to make it wireless, this Saramonic kit is what you need. It includes a transmitter which plugs directly into the bottom of your microphone’s XLR port and provides power, and a wireless receiver which you can mount on your camera. Both units have easy to read LCD displays and a range of up to 300+ feet. If you have a DSLR or camcorder this will work with your camera as well since it comes with both an XLR cable and a 3.5mm headphone style jack output on the receiver unit.

Note: Saramonic also offers a wireless microphone and transmitter kit.

Interview Microphone Cube Logos/Handheld Microphone Flags:

On television news you frequently see reporters holding microphones with cube shaped or triangle shaped logos on their stems. These microphone cube logos are officially called microphone flags, and they’re a combination of a plastic cube (or triangle) with printed logos upon them. Here are some microphone flags or “microphone interview cubes” to choose from:

Auear Square Cube Shaped Interview Microphone Flag

This basic microphone cube for a station logo comes in white and is large enough to display a 6.7cm x 5.1 cm logo on each of its four sides (2.64 inches by 2.01 inches). Its diameter is 3.9cm, appropriately sized for most professional electronic news-gathering microphones (handheld reporter style microphones) to be held securely with its foam insert.

Triangle Mic Flag for Reporter Microphones

This microphone flag for ENG microphones (handheld reporter microphones) is 9.4cm by 5cm (3.7in x 1.97 in) and has a 3.9cm hole to fit a microphone stem into. Also available in a white version. Made of durable ABS plastic.

Rycote Triangle Mic Flag for Reporter Mics

This triangular microphone flag (“microphone interview cube”) grips your interview microphone with rubber vanes instead of foam which ensures that it won’t slip or wear out over time. Plus you can remove vanes to achieve a custom fit, depending on how thick or thin your microphone is. This model is also available in a cube version which is less expensive.

Additional Accessories for Microphones for Street Interviews:

Foam Mic Cover Handheld Microphone Windscreen, Black

If you’re planning on conducting interviews outdoors, using a foam windscreen will cut down substantially on wind noise. This 5 pack of foam microphone windscreens is shaped appropriately for news interview type microphones (ENG).

Balanced XLR Cable Premium Series Microphone Cable, 25 Foot

If you’re not planning on using your reporter style microphone wirelessly (see the section on wireless handheld mics above) then you’ll need an XLR cable to attach it to your camera. A 25 foot cable is often a good mid-length choice for this purpose and this XLR cable we’ve chosen is great quality and comes in several different colors for visibility to minimize the chance people will trip over it. It also comes in different lengths in case you want a shorter or longer cable.

Reusable Cinch Straps

XLR cable ties are a must if you have any lengths of XLR at all in your workflow. These handy velcro cable ties come in a 10 pack are measure 1 inch wide and 12 inches long– plenty long enough for even a long XLR cable. They attach to your cable and then wrap around either the full coiled cable or a section of it to make it shorter, to keep it snug and secure.

Frequently Asked Questions about Interview Microphones:

What is the best microphone for DSLR interviews?

Any of the microphones used in this article will work with a DSLR if you use an XLR converter box for DSLRs. (In the same way, any of these models with a breakout box can be an interview microphone for camcorder use.) However if you want an interview microphone that works natively with 3.5mm 1/8th inch jacks out of the box without a converter, we suggest considering the wireless Saramonic Handheld Microphone which comes with both an XLR cable and a minijack for smaller cameras. Plus, it’s wireless!

What is the best microphone for interviews with iPhone or Android?

The interview mics listed in this article will not work with cell phones since your phone doesn’t have an XLR input jack. But the good news is there are some microphones specifically designed for use with smartphones. If you have an iPhone or iPad we recommend this model, and if you have an Android phone we recommend this one.

What is the logo cube on a reporter microphone called?

The cube or triangular logo block on a reporter’s microphone is called a microphone flag, flag, or station ID tag.

Related Articles & Resources:

Ultimate Guide to the Best Lavalier Microphones

Ten Killer Documentary Filmmaking Interview Tips

Best Interview Lighting Kits for Documentary Filmmakers

List: Top Shotgun Microphones for Documentary Filmmaking

Best Wireless Lavaliere Microphones for Documentary Film

How to mic a documentary style sit down interview

Microphone & Audio For Film/Video Guide

The post The Best Reporter Style Handheld Microphones for Street Interviews appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

Getting great sound for documentary style sit down interviews is extremely important and if you’re reading this article you’ve probably already realized that on-board (on camera) microphones just don’t cut it. Generally speaking there are two common ways to mic a documentary interview: either with a lavalier microphone (skip down to this section) or a shotgun microphone suspended above the interviewee (skip directly to that section).

Both of these approaches can work extremely well and both of them can also have drawbacks. In order to help you decide which microphone to use for an interview, we’ll do a how-to for each technique in detail below, and include links to all the gear you need to set each one up. First up, let’s look at how to mic a documentary interview with a lav mic.

How to mic a documentary interview with a wireless lav mic:

Probably the most common way to capture sound for a sit-down documentary style interview is by affixing a wireless lavalier microphone to the interviewee. As pictured above, a lav mic, sometimes called a lapel microphone, typically affixes to the interviewee’s collar, shirt, jacket or tie.

Pros to using a lav mic: If you’re doing a shoot with an interview subject that’s walking around and completing tasks as well as a sit-down interview, it can be convenient to keep a lav on them for the duration of the whole day. If you plan on doing some “walk and talk” interviews it’s also handy to use the same microphone. Using a wireless lav mic also reduces the number of cables that people can trip over on-set.

Cons to using a lav mic: They take a few minutes of your subject’s time to set up properly and to wire the cable up someone’s shirt. Depending on the type of clothing a person is wearing, they may not be easy to rig up (women’s dresses are a classic example). Some filmmakers find lav microphones tacky looking and depending on the aesthetic of your film or video this may be a consideration.

Sloppy lav placement with a cable exposed

Tips for using a lav mic: Always hide the cable between the microphone and the transmitter pack so you don’t have it dangling into frame which looks very tacky or amateurish (see photo). Disconnect the microphone and cable from the transmitter pack and give it to your interviewee to thread through or drop down their shirt, then reconnect the pack and give it to them to put in a pocket or belt. In some circumstances, it is possible to conceal the microphone itself although depending on the type of shirt or fabric the interviewee is wearing, it may lead to scratchy clothing sounds or muffled sound. Be sure to remind interviewees not to hit their chest because that will often create a heavy thump sound on the microphone.

Recommended Wireless Lav Mics:

Sennheiser EW 112P G3-A omni-directional EW system

The Sennheiser G3 is the rugged workhorse of the documentary film industry. It’s probably the most popular wireless lav mic for indie filmmakers, documentarians and broadcast reporters today and for good reason. It features a plethora of frequencies for interference-free reception of crystal clear audio up to about 100 feet away with an easy to read display and menu navigation. The transmitter pack also features a “Mute” switch which allows your subject to turn off recording when they go to the bathroom or step out of the room to take a phone call without having to take off the lav completely or fiddle with turning it off. Both the transmitter pack and the receiver pack are powered by two AA batteries which typically last several hours before a swap is necessary. This kit comes with the clip on transmitter, a receiver with a camera mount plate that fits atop your camera’s hot or cold shoe mount and adapters for both XLR camera inputs and 1/8th (3.5mm) jack inputs.

Movo WMIC70 Wireless 48-Channel UHF Lavalier Microphone

If the Sennheiser G3 is out of your budget range, we recommend the Movo 70 wireless microphone system. It features a wide range of selectable operating frequencies and it works with both professional XLR input cameras as well as 3.5mm inch jacks on DSLRs and other prosumer camcorders. Comes with a belt clip for the transmitter and a cold shoe insert to mount the receiver on top of your camera. Both the transmitter pack and the receiver use 2 AA batteries.

How to Mic a Documentary Interview with a Shotgun Microphone:

Photo credit

Using a shotgun microphone suspended from on a boom pole or jib arm just out of frame is a slightly more complicated way of doing sound for a documentary interview but it can yield terrific results and it also has some special advantages over using a lav in some circumstances. For one thing, having a shotgun microphone already set up and suspended above the interviewee’s chair even before the interview starts can reduce the amount of setup time needed and make more time for actual interviewing if your subject is pressed for time (like a CEO or politician).

Photo credit

Pros to using a shotgun mic: Reduces the amount of setup time while your interviewee is in the room and can eliminates any risk that your subject may feel uncomfortable about putting a cable down their shirt. Using a shotgun mic for an interview also means it doesn’t matter what type of clothing your interviewee is wearing because you don’t have to affix anything to them or hide any microphone cables. Finally, using a shotgun mic also allows you to rotate in and out several interview subjects in the same space very quickly if you have a “hot seat” in the same place and want to capture many interviews in a limited period of time without rigging and re-rigging everyone for sound with a lav.

Cons to using a shotgun mic: You will need a jib arm and a stand in order to suspend the microphone above your interview subject. This means more gear to buy and also pack and transport, assuming you’re traveling to the interview location. If you’re not careful it can also mean you’ve got another cable for someone to trip over (the XLR cable).

Tips for using a shotgun mic: Always tape cables to the floor using a wide gaffer’s tape so people can’t trip over loose wires. Also be sure to weigh down your lighting stand with film sandbags to reduce the risk of it falling over.

Recommended gear for recording interviews using shotgun microphones:

Rotatable boom stand for microphones

The first thing you’ll need is a good quality stand with a jib arm/boom pole to suspend the microphone from. This stand can get up to 13 feet high with an arm that can reach out up to 6.9 feet in length. It also comes with a sandbag although you may want additional film sandbags to use around the base of the stand too.

Adjustable shotgun microphone shockmount

You’ll also need a mount to hold the shotgun microphone in place at the end of the boom arm on the stand. This basic shockmount will do the trick, plus it’s adjustable which allows you to customize the angle at which your microphone is directed. It’s wide enough to handle most microphones and quite sturdy.

For more, read our related article: Boom Pole Stands & Boom Pole Holders: How to Set Up a Boom Mic on a Stand

Sennheiser MKH416 Super-Cardioid Shotgun Tube Condenser Microphone

Of course, you’ll also need a good quality shotgun microphone for capturing great documentary interview sound if you use the boom pole method. If you don’t already have one, the Sennheiser 416 is one of the industry workhorse shotgun microphones used in film, reality television, and documentary. It’s super-cardioid so its pickup pattern will be precise, meaning background noises will be mostly eliminated. The 416 is an industry standard and a great documentary interview microphone although if it’s out of your budget range, consider the Audio Technica 897 instead. If you don’t have a nice long XLR cable to connect this microphone to your camera, you’ll need that too.

Frequently asked questions about how to get sound for documentary interviews:

Should the interviewer’s voice be heard on screen?

That’s an aesthetic question that nobody but the director can answer. However, if you plan to include audio of the interviewer asking questions during interviews, we recommend micing them up properly (often with a simple lav microphone). Poor audio can take the viewer out of the film faster than anything else and it feels very amateurish. For more on this topic, we’ve written a whole article answering the question should the questions be heard on screen?

Is there any reason I shouldn’t just get a cheaper wired lav microphone instead of a more expensive wireless one?

Although wired lapel microphones do exist, they’re somewhat old fashioned and leftover from the days when there was a more substantial price difference between wired and wireless models. Back in the old days wired mics were way cheaper and so documentary filmmakers used them more often but they have several drawbacks. First, although you won’t run into any wireless frequency interference problems, they do have limited range: however long your cable is.

Second, it adds another cable that the person you’re interviewing can trip over or forget is connected and start to walk away with, yanking your camera or a light stand with them. Finally, even though you might save a few dollars by opting for a wired microphone, you will sacrifice versatility, which we’d argue is unwise. Even though a wired microphone might work all right for a sit-down interview, you may not be able to use it for other types of shoots later when a wireless solution is required, like walk-and-talk interviews or covering events.

Is it possible to wirelessly operate a shotgun microphone on a boom pole so it doesn’t have to be connected to my camera?

Yes, there are solutions for this. See our article on wireless shotgun microphones on boom poles. Note that they may add a little bit of extra weight to your shotgun microphone so if you have it suspended on a jib arm or boom pole above your interviewee, you’ll want to make sure your counterweight is heavy enough so it doesn’t come crashing down on their head in the middle of an interview.

What is the best way to mic an interview with two or more interviewees?

Two-person or group interviews are notoriously difficult to shoot for a variety of reasons. But if you really need to do one, we recommend having a sound operator with a boom pole who is manually moving it from person to person to capture whoever is speaking at that given time. With only two interviewees it may also be possible and economical to use dual lav microphones– one for each of them.

What is the best way to mic an interview where the interviewer is seen as part of the film?

In films or videos with a host or reporter who is seen on screen interviewing people, we recommend recording sound for both the interviewer and the interviewee in the same way. If you’re planning to use a shotgun mic on a boom pole suspended above the interviewee’s head to capture their sound, we suggest you do the same with the interviewee. If you’re planning on micing one of them up with a lav mic (and honestly this is more common for TV-journalism style two person interviews) then we suggest doing that with both of them. The reason you want them to ideally match is that if both the interviewer and interviewee talk a substantial amount and both are seen on screen, it may be jarring to have two very different sounding microphones for each of them, and it may seem as if they are not even in the same space together.

Related Articles & Resources:

Boom Pole Stands & Boom Pole Holders: How to Set Up a Boom Mic on a Stand

Ten Killer Documentary Filmmaking Interview Tips

Best Interview Lighting Kits for Documentary Filmmakers

List: Top Shotgun Microphones for Documentary Filmmaking

Best Wireless Lavaliere Microphones for Documentary Film

The best reporter style handheld microphones for street interviews

The post How to Mic a Documentary Style Sit Down Interview appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

Option 1: Use popular song that you don’t have the permission to use (and risk getting it taken down from places like YouTube, or getting sued)

Option 2: Use “free” Creative Commons music (which is often poor quality, of limited selection, hard to find or has lyrics making it not suitable for use as a video soundtrack)

Option 3: Buy stock music tracks one by one from various royalty free music sales websites (which can get expensive fast)

Option 4: Hire a composer to write custom music for your film or video (which can get really expensive and often overkill for a small video or client project)

I’ve done all three of those approaches in the past, so I know how much they all tend to suck in their own ways. But recently I heard about a new option that seemed too good to be true at first. Imagine a website with thousands of songs that don’t contain lyrics that you can download and use in any type of project forever by just paying a reasonable annual fee. Sort of like a royalty free stock music all you can eat buffet. Could such a service exist?

Enter Storyblocks Audio, a website with production music, sound effects and audio loops that offers a huge selection of high quality downloadable audio for your video editing. I decided to sign up for an account on Storyblocks Audio to see if it was really as good a deal as it claimed to be. Here’s my Storyblocks Audio review. At the end of this article I’ll give you a special link which you can use if you decide to sign up for a subscription. (I may receive a commission if you choose to sign up.)

How good is the Storyblocks Audio Selection?

I’ve found that Storyblocks Audio has a pretty decent selection both of sound effects and royalty free production music. Their search is decent and and includes sorting options like mood (aggressive, epic/inspiring, happy/upbeat, playful/silly, relaxing, sad, sentimental or suspenseful), as well as music genre. The music genres are split into the following categories for music:

Similarly, audio loops like drums or sound effects are organized into their own genres as well. I’ve been quite satisfied with their selection and haven’t needed to use other audio services ever since I signed up for an account with them, using a promo code (I’ll give that code at the end of this article) and haven’t looked back since. I’ve used their music in a documentary I’m working on as well as several short videos for clients. Everything has been quite well received.

How good is the Storyblocks Audio User Interface?

There are several things that I like about the Storyblocks Audio interface. First, each music track is available as both an instant MP3 download or a WAV download which is helpful because some editing software requires WAV files. Their music results pages also can be navigated using your keyboard’s arrow keys (previous/next) which is especially handy if you’re going through dozens of tracks to find the perfect one. I also like the ability to narrow down a search to sort by instrument set (show only results with an orchestra, guitar, etc).

What type of projects can I use Storyblocks Audio music in?

According to their site’s official FAQ, they say:

Our content may be used for nearly any project, commercial or otherwise, including feature films, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational video, print projects, multimedia, games, and the internet, so long as substantial value is added to the content. (For example, incorporating a video clip into a commercial qualifies, while reposting our video clip on YouTube with no modification or incorporation does not.) Once you download a file it is yours to keep and use forever, royalty-free, even if you change your subscription or cancel your account.

Sounds pretty good, huh? I can’t think of a better terms of use for royalty free music myself. They also know that sometimes songs can incorrectly get flagged for copyright infringement on YouTube so they have a special support form for accidental YouTube copyright claims fixed (something I’ve not seen any other stock music site offer, and I’ve used several).

Is Storyblocks Audio worth it? Value for the money

When compared with free music: Earlier on in my career I tried to use a lot of free music in the videos I would edit. Although I love the idea of Creative Commons music licensing (a permissive alternative to copyright that is gaining popularity slowly), some CC licenses require you to release your finished video with the same license type as the music you use. Meaning that if they release their music for free and allow you to re-use it and you use it in your film, you have to then release your film for free and allow people to re-use your finished work as well. For some types of projects, particularly client work or anything you want to eventually sell, this is a bit of a poison pill that can taint the entire project.

When compared with traditional royalty free stock music: After more than a year of using Storyblocks Audio and having used traditional music licensing sites for years before that, I can safely say that Storyblocks Audio has paid for itself many, many times over in just the first few months I was using it. The ability to audition tons of temp songs without making clients suffer through listening to music with audio watermarks (cough cough, Pond5) alone is worth it.

Royalty free music tracks can cost anywhere from $5 up to several hundred in my experience and Storyblocks Audio offers an all you can eat buffet of high quality tracks without words. In a recent project that I edited for a nonprofit organization client with a low budget I used more than 10 different audio tracks (it was a series of videos each with a few different music cues). If I had used a traditional stock music licensing website where you have to pay for each track that you used, we wouldn’t have been able to afford nearly that much music, and the video quality would have ultimately suffered as a result. The freedom to throw in an additional music cue here or there to mix things up in an edit without having to worry about budget is amazing.

Storyblocks Audio – where to sign up

The bottom line for me is that Storyblocks Audio has simplified my editing workflow, made me more efficient and most importantly saved me tons of money licensing music, while allowing me to be more creative with my editing choices without having to worry about budget. As a video editor I would without hesitation recommend subscribing to Storyblocks Audio for a year.

Click here to give Storyblocks Audio a try:

The post Storyblocks Audio Review – Is Storyblocks Audio Worth It? Royalty Free Stock Music Review appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.