Top Microphones to Sound Awesome with on Your Live Shows

What You’ll Learn

• [9:40] About Michelle’s musical background
• [11:25] Why sometimes choosing a mic you like is about knowing what you don’t like
• [12:05] Why the right microphone is so important for live video
• [12:55] The main types of microphone you need to know about
• [17:15] Why you need to know about polar patterns
• [19:40] How to position your microphone
• [30:50] About Michelle’s mic of choice
• [35:30] About USB versus XLR
• [40:00] The difference between gain and volume
• [41:00] About a mic for all budgets

Meet Michelle

It was a real pleasure to interview Michelle because when it comes to live video, we often spend so much time worrying about visual elements that audio becomes a bit of an afterthought.

As Creative Marketing Director for Heil Sound for the last 16 years, the CEO of her own podcast studio, a musician, and an avid concert-goer, Michelle appreciates the importance of great sound.

In fact, having gone to school on a music scholarship, she’s been using microphones in one capacity or another for about 25 years. In that time she’s experimented with a tonne of different brands and different applications so she definitely has the skinny on what you should use, where you should use it, and why you should use it.

Sometimes You Only Know What You Don’t Like
Listen at [11:25]

Of course, she wasn’t always so knowledgeable about microphones. She reminisces about meeting her husband when playing in a jazz big band:

Why the Right Microphone Is So Important for Live Video
Listen at [12:05]

No one would question focusing on getting the right microphone for podcasting, but why is it equally important for those of you broadcasting live video?

As Michelle points out, it’s all about making sure people can hear your message clearly.

The Main Types of Microphone You Need to Know About
Listen at [12:55]

For live streaming or podcasting, Michelle reckons there are two types of microphones you need to consider: dynamic and condenser microphones.

Dynamic Microphones

Dynamic mics have fabric membrane and work in much the same way as a speaker does.

The flip side of that is that you do have to talk up close to them and they’re going to be in shot. And while there are ways to ensure they’re not completely in your face, having to keep your dynamic mic in close proximity is a factor to consider when choosing the right mic for you.

Condenser Microphones

Why You Need to Know About Polar Patterns
Listen at [17:15]

Shotgun mics are another option that I see quite a lot of people using these days so I’m keen to get Michelle’s take on these.

A lav mic is another option to consider.

Admittedly, we’re getting into technical concepts here but, as Michelle points out, having a little bit of this technical knowledge can really help you choose the right mic for your application. It’s also important to consider your character and personality.

Think about whether you’re the kind of person that moves around a lot, or whether you’ll be giving demonstrations in your videos and might not be able to keep your microphone close to your face at all times.

Positioning Your Microphone
Listen at [19:40]

Michelle always wants her videos to look as clean and professional as possible, so her preferred setup involves a Heil PL2T boom arm with a channel cover that allows her to thread the mic cable right the way down and snap it all into place really easily.

For her hand-held mic, she likes to use a shorter, collapsible boom arm, which acts more like a mic stand. However, because there’s nowhere to hide the cable, Michelle prefers this option for podcast recording rather than video.

Michelle also swears by her professional-level broadcast shock mount to reduce the vibrations of any noise that might travel up the boom arm such as the tapping of keyboard keys or shuffling papers on the desk.

Whatever you’re looking for from a boom arm (or any other equipment), Michelle recommends checking the spec thoroughly before you buy. Yes, there’ll be a lot of technical info to sift through but, as she says, ‘that’s what Google is for!’

Michelle’s Mic of Choice
Listen at [30:50]

Michelle’s favourite mic is the PR-30:

So her goal for her audio is always to sound as much like herself as possible and that comes down to the mic’s frequency response:

As Michelle explains, every microphone has a unique frequency response and the PR-30 has a little more mid-range presence than the PR-40 (my favourite!), which works better with her voice and makes her sound more natural, exactly what she’s aiming for.

I absolutely love this because, as you know, I talk a lot about authenticity in live video and that’s just another layer to add to the equation. And it highlights another point: we often think that we need to amplify the bass to achieve that punchy ‘radio’ sound but there are other ways of doing things, like going for a more realistic quality.

That’s why trying out different mics, if you can, to determine the best option for you, is often the best way forward.

Michelle agrees:

USB or XLR?
Listen at [35:30]

With an XLR, on the other hand, you’re going to have to get some extra gear, such as mixers, to connect everything up.

Michelle used a 4-channel mixer during our broadcast because she was all set up for Podcast Movement, during which she’d be demoing different mics. She also recommends using a mixer if you’re in a situation where you have audio coming from multiple sources, such as from a host and co-host, so each person has their own mic channel and audio levels.

However, she usually prefers a Focusrite audio interface because she likes a simple setup;

Remember: Gain Is Not Volume
Listen at [40:00]

An important tip from Michelle for those of you using a mixer: gain is not volume.

She says this is something she addresses often with podcasters:

A Mic for All Budgets
Listen at [41:00]

Before signing off, I asked Michelle for her top mic picks for those of you on a budget and for those of you who don’t mind splashing out.

If you’re recording at home, Michelle recommends a dynamic mic. She reckons that the inevitable problems you’ll encounter with a condenser mic means you’re better off just going for a dynamic plus a simple mixer straight off the bat, rather than buying a condenser and having to replace it further down the line.

If you’re worried about the cost, a Heil PR-22 is a great place to start. It retails at around $120 and is hand-held so great if you might want to go out and film remotely at any point. They’re really durable so throwing it into your luggage won’t be a problem.

At the other end of the scale (but still pretty reasonable) you have the PR-30, which you can buy for around $250 and the PR-40 for a little over $300. And it’s always worth checking retailers for special offers and bundles that make everything that bit more affordable.

Resources

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