So the extraordinarily long reading we were given for class this week was all about sound. One aspect of this that relates specifically to media and film was what sort of microphones were appropriate for different sorts of environments and situations.

Types of Microphones

Lavalier Microphones

These are a type of small omni directional microphone powered by battery that is placed near the mouth. These are generally worn by T.V. hosts and those in theatre.

Handheld Microphones

Omni-Directional Microphones

These types of microphones best record ambient sound, it records sound in all directions except directly behind the microphone. Only sound relatively close to the microphone will be recorded meaning that it is ill equiped to deal with long range audio or vocal recording.

Bi-Directional

These microphones are rare and record in 2 directions, but not in front or behind the mic.

Uni-Directional Microphones

These microphones are supposed to pick up sound from a single direction, these are the most common microphones and are usually used to record voice. There are three main types of uni-directional mic’s.

• Cardroid- which record only the sound in front to the mic
• Supercardroid- records what is in front and what is a little behind the mic
• Hypercardroid- records pointedly in a specific direction and some sound behind the mic

Shotgun Microphones

Distance is the word when it comes to shotgun’s. They are generally held or a boom pole and record sound during filming. They generally record at a distance between 1-15ft, the recording quality is not always as good as those of handheld or lavalier recorders, however, they can record sound in scenes it would otherwise be impossible to record.