Illustration by Good Studio
Depending on what you have heard, recording interview audio may seem daunting or as simple as plugging a mic into your mirrorless. Truth be told, neither is 100% true, but audio, like any part of the interview process must be learned and mastered before the first frame is recorded. In this article, I will discuss different types of microphones and how to best use them for interviews. This guide will provide an overview of affordable and high-end options for each type so you can find the right tool for your budget.
Imagine a college film student who spends days choosing the location for an interview. His team furiously decorates the set the morning before the shoot, while the lighting crew is adjusting their gear. The talent spend two hours in hair and make-up. The host is in wardrobe and it is finally time to start rolling the cameras. Right before they begin their first take, the student director quickly places a cheap microphone on the table in between the chairs. The shoot went smoothly. The footage was perfectly framed and looked fantastic.
But, when the interview was edited the dialogue was nearly impossible to understand. The student ended up failing this assignment because he forgot that the most important part of an interview production is the audio. The viewer will lose focus if they can’t understand the words. The student should have spent more time choosing the right microphones and making sure they were placed properly.
Before you run any cables, you have to decide on your location. For interviews, you want a location that sounds as good as it looks. This means finding a place free from unwanted noises (traffic, refrigerator, ringing phones, etc). Listen closely to any location before setting up. If you hear distracting sounds, you can be sure the mic will pick them up too. If possible, find a quiet and fairly small indoor room that does not echo. Absorbent surfaces (carpets, couches, curtains, etc) will reduce the amount of reflection and echo in a room.
Capturing great sound starts with choosing the right microphone. There are five common styles of microphones based on their “polar patterns”. Polar patterns are a three dimensional shape around the capsule that defines where the microphone is the most sensitive and where it rejects sounds.
As you can see above, an omnidirectional microphone captures sound everywhere around it in a sphere. A cardiod mic is directional and captures sound in front while rejecting most behind it. Hypercardiod has a tighter forward focus than a cardiod, but does not fully reject sounds from behind. A bi-directional microphone captures two ovals on either side while rejecting sounds 90 degrees off axis. Lastly, a shotgun microphone is the most focused directional mic as it has a narrow field of sensitivity directly in front. Because it has small areas of sensitivity on the sides and back, relatively minimal sound is captured there. Shotguns are very effective at rejecting unwanted sounds.
The shotgun style microphone is very popular for recording speech in interviews due to its highly directional nature. This allows the sound operator to focus the microphone on the voices while minimizing environmental and other distracting sounds. Some shotgun microphones are mounted directly to cameras. For an interview, this would be too far away from the sound source. To solve this problem, boom poles (such as the K-Tek KEG-60CC Avalon Series) are used to get the microphone as close to the subjects as possible without being in the shot. As a rule of thumb, you should point the shotgun mic in the direction of the area around the interviewee’s chin.
The top-of-the-line shotgun mic is the Sennheiser MKH 416. This mic is regarded as an industry standard for recording human speech. If you have ever seen a movie trailer that begins with a deep voice saying something like, “In a world where…” chances are it was recorded with this mic. This is the microphone for professional sounding dialogue. The MKH 416 features rugged construction, low self-noise, and a low proximity effect. The MKH 416 will require phantom power (+48v) in order to operate.
For recording interview audio on the budget side, we have the versatile Azden SGM-250. This versatile microphone can be powered by AA batteries or +48v phantom power. At 10″ in length, the SGM-250 is at home on top of a mirrorless rig or a boom pole. The custom-designed, slotted acoustic barrel offers excellent side noise rejection while providing super-cardioid directionality for perfect voice quality.
Lavalier (lav) microphones are another very popular choice for recording interview dialogue. Lavs are small omnidirectional mics that can be clipped or taped onto the actor’s clothing, usually hidden near the collar or lapel. With the exception of low-budget productions or perhaps reality shows, you will never see a lav microphone appear on a character in a film.
Lav mics have the advantage of always being the same distance from the speakers voice but also can fall victim to interviewee error. The interviewee might accidentally rub the microphone with their clothes, or gesticulate, creating unwanted sounds.
Over the last few years, the availability of powerful, wireless, and affordable lav kits has skyrocketed. Of these new and updated systems, the DJI Mic 2 kit stands out to me as a tremendous bang-for-buck option. You can read the full write-up, but the TLDR is that this system includes noise cancellation as well as 32-bit float internal recording. With a 250m recording range and even a back-up track, this system has you covered.
There is a budget way to avoid the cost of a wireless pack. First, you find a low-cost wired lav mic like the omnidirectional Godox LMS-60C Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone. Next, you purchase a low-cost digital recorder such as the Zoom H1essential 2-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder. You attach and conceal the lav mic on your actor, then run the cable through the shirt and into a pocket.
You plug the lav mic into the Zoom H1, check levels, press record, and leave it in the actor’s pocket. With this DIY lav pack, you can take the leash off your actors for under $125. While this technique is a great way to keep the budget down, it can also be used for other purposes. You may find yourself in a situation with a ton of interference. You might save yourself from issues by eliminating the need for a signal to be transmitted. Of course, the H1 also serves as an excellent recorder for audio-only interviews.
For an even lower budget option, use an adapter that allows you to connect the lav to your smartphone. That means you would have to give up your phone for the whole shoot. However, you shouldn’t be taking calls or texting on set, anyway. It is important that the whole crew has their phones on airplane mode or turned off when rolling. Yes, the ringer is a problem, but the real concern is induced cellular interference (digital hash) when recording audio. Even a phone on silent can ruin an audio take if it is still receiving cellular signal. Airplane mode or off are the only options when on set.
Handheld microphones are the iconic “reporter on the street” style mic. They are held in the hand of the interviewer and it is often moved back and forth between people during an interview. Unlike a lav or a shotgun mic, the handheld mic is used by the actor or interviewer and will be seen on camera. For that reason, these types of mics are only used when it is appropriate to have a microphone in the frame. The optimal position for a handheld interview microphone is a couple of inches below and infront of the speaker’s chin, pointing up at their mouth.
Handheld microphones are omnidirectional because of how much they move while recording. There is a good chance that the interviewee may turn their head suddenly as they speak, and the mic will have to sway to follow them. When using an omni in this situation, the microphone isn’t trying to cancel out ambient noise from the sides, so the sound is going to maintain a more consistent level. For example, if you used a cardiod mic in this situation, you would get a dip in your audio level and likely miss what they are saying. By design, omni microphones have less handling noise than cardioids. Many Handheld microphones are dynamic and do not require external power or batteries.
The Rode Interview Pro offers amazing audio quality, onboard recording, and connectivity to the Rode Series IV wireless receivers. It features an intelligent GainAssist to prevent clipping and distortion. With a high-quality pop filter, timecode capability, and low handling noise, the Rode Handheld will help you get the best sound possible in some of the worst possible conditions.
The Audio-Technica AT8004L is a lower-priced handheld option. Omnidirectional, it provides a forgiving pick-up area for talkers who tend to move and change directions. The 8004L has an extra-long handle that allows the interviewer to relax their arms as they hold the microphone.
So which microphone should you use? The answer is: the more the better. Most productions use shotgun and lav mics simultaneously. This allows at least one backup audio source. You never know what is going to happen once you start rolling. An interviewee might get cold and put on a sweater over their lav mic, which would muffle the mic’s ability to record properly.
One of the microphones might pick up some radio interference. Or worst yet, one of the mics might not be recording at all. Multiple sources of audio will allow you to mix and match to hide mistakes and generate the clearest interview audio. That being said, the shotgun mic on a properly handled boom will likely yield the highest quality audio. Regardless, backups are a must. Lastly, and most importantly, use your ears when recording dialogue.
Experiment with different mics and placements the same way you would change lenses on a camera. Listen to a sample before you record the whole thing. Make changes and listen again. Like any art, it is all about experience. An expert with budget level microphones could capture better audio than a novice with the most expensive equipment.
Updated October 2024 – Daniel Norton
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