BASICS OF MICROPHONES 🎤 How to Compare Which Mic to Buy

[@curtisjudd]

Wow! Good info on how to make those tricky decisions about which mic to buy. Love it! One note re: impedance: On lavalier microphones, the impedance specs are all over the place, depending on the design of the lavalier and it's output connector type. There are some very good lavalier mics with output impedance specs close to that 6000 ohm upper limit and others under 1000 ohms. This is where hearing samples from them is probably more important than the impedance spec. Great work, wish I had thought to make a video like this! ;-)

[@GeneWaddle]

+Curtis Judd I have a couple of small diaphragm condenser mics. One lists impedance at 75 ohms and the other at 200. I know based on what I paid that they aren't top of the line, but they sound good to me. I'm guessing just based on the specs that they wouldn't be considered too horrible though, right? I used the 200 ohm one the other day for a vocal track and I thought it sounded really good.

[@curtisjudd]

Hi Gene, Impedance is a little tricky to use for evaluating microphones for a few reasons. I agree with BFM that you generally want lower output impedance. There are other factors to consider in relation to a microphone's output impedance. For example, the microphone preamp you use with the microphone should have an input impedance that is at least 10 times the output impedance of the microphone. Or it should be matched, one of the two. Usually these days, it will be 10 times or greater. Also, there is so much variation in microphone design and impedance is but one factor. Like BFM says, if I'm considering a microphone purchase and I see that its output impedance is greater than about 600 ohms for an XLR mic or more than 6000 ohms for a lavalier, that should give me pause. Listen to lots of samples before purchasing, but don't make output impedance the only factor you consider. Also, watch out when reading specs. Some show "load impedance" or simply say "Impedance". This is not necessarily output impedance. So the specs are not always helpful in terms of comparing microphones. For this discussion, we are talking output impedance. 75 and 200 ohms is great, especially if you like the sound of the mics. :)

[@BasicFilmmaker]

+Curtis Judd Yes, this is true, and I should have mentioned more clearly that impedance is only a measure when you can't hear the mic, but not a deciding factor. I do have low impedance mics that don't sound as good to my ears as do some with a bit higher impedance.

[@curtisjudd]

I think you hit a really good balance. This topic could easily go down rabbit holes that would fill an entire day-long course. Or longer. Good work covering all the critical things in so short a time! 🎤

[@GeneWaddle]

Thanks for the input. To be honest, I never looked at that spec when I bought them. I had to look first at budget and then at frequency response. I think mostly I lucked out with the ones I bought as they all sound good to me. I record into a Zoom H-6 which shows an input of 1.8k ohms, so it's pretty close to the 10 times. Thanks again for the response.

[@RobertShaverOfAustin]

Great info as always. Here's some other filmmaker mic topics that could stand some more coverage: 1. *PLUG-IN POWER:* It's fairly common for some sound recorders to supply a voltage on the mini-phone jacks to power those mics that need it. This is usually between 3 and 5 volts DC. 2. *MIC CONNECTORS:* The pro mics mostly have XLR connectors. This is a 3-pin connector used on low impedance mics. These are also know as "balanced" connectors because the actual signal is carried on two of the three pins and is much better at rejecting electrical interference when the cable is laying on the floor next to AC extensions or other equipment. Phone plugs are also common and may be balanced or unbalanced. 3. *MIC CARE:* Some mics are more delicate than others, but all should be protected from mechanical shocks such as dropping them on a hard surface.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Nice! Great ideas...thanks for the content.:)

[@pachonyimmy8474]

Great video of the basics on microphones! I always learn from your videos.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thank you Pachon.

[@midwestdocumentarycenterin1680]

You are a wonderful friend to beginning filmmakers. Thank you for your tireless efforts.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thanks so much for the kind comment!

[@JodyBruchon]

I want to plug the Senal SCM-600 condenser mic for voice work. I got it on a good sale at B&H for $90. I took it to a studio guy I know and we A/B tested it against a $550 AKG mic and a $2,500 (!!!) Neumann mic and my friend said that it is probably the exact same capsule as the much more expensive AKG. It's cheap but you get five times more than you pay for. The Neumann was somewhat better but costs 25 times more. My latest Gimp HDR tutorial uses it if you want to hear it in an untreated living room. I have achieved acceptable results from the no-name $8 wired lapel/lavalier mic that's available on eBay and made to plug into a four-pole TRRS headphone jack on any common cell phone. The frequency response isn't exactly great but it outperforms any on-camera or near-camera mic in the "distance from speaker" department and I can carry it in a small camera bag with my camcorder for spontaneous shooting with decent voice capture. For the super broke video maker that can't afford a nice expensive lavalier it's a good option. Side note: I laughed when you accidentally said "impediance." also, the Shure pack of mic dominoes was an unexpected treat.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Wow. I found it here: amzn.to/2IruObk. Really nice that it comes with an aluminum case, all for $129. And wow, I listened to your video and it sounds GREAT! Yeah, "impediance". LOL. Limited time and budget - when I'm into editing, not going back and correcting that. At least I didn't use the "impudence" one at the end of the video. :)

[@JodyBruchon]

Basic Filmmaker the Senal comes with a shock mount and rubber rings and a soft carry bag too. I was even able to get a 3ft XLR cable to squeeze into the carry case. The value of that purchase has been tremendous. We were both shocked at the A/B putting it on par with the AKG, a mic which my studio friend cut several of his earlier albums on. He was pretty excited about it.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Nice!

[@stopthatanimation]

I learn so much from you. Things like this that i didn't know that i should. Thank you. You are an awesome teacher.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thanks so much. Makes my day when someone learns something - me too.

[@BEERNBBQBYLARRY]

Excellent stuff. Thanks! Unfortunately, I had to learn much of this the long/hard way and struggled shopping for a new quality mic. Fortunately, I ended up buying the Rode VideoMic Pro Plus which does indeed appear to comply with your recommendations and walk through of the specs discussed. Your video makes me feel much better about my recent purchase.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Great! The VMPro is a really nice mic for the money. Out of all Rode products, the VMPro and the NTG-3 are the ones.

[@bojakcates2817]

i love your play on words.. its so good you might not notice.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

:)

[@tiyangmabalane2411]

This is really informative. Awesome video!

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thank you Tiyang.

[@BillBooz]

Thanks! Great overview!

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thanks Bill!

[@adidutta2317]

this was so well done man! I cant thank you enough for teaching me this stuff!

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Your are welcome Aditya!

[@jdsgotninelives]

Everything that you need to know about microphones in one 15 minute video. My compliments to you BF

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thanks John!

[@KevinAnson]

Such a good video, as always!!! Love your information, so so sooooo precise and easy to understand!

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thanks Kevin!

[@simon_patterson]

Great explanation! I follow Curtis' advice, and I listen to his and/or Caleb's reviews. I find that looking at the specs naturally tends to push me to spend more than I really need to, so I've come to avoid that when I buy a low end mic. Buying a high end mic would be different - then I'd be all over the specs like a rash - but I'm not at that point right now.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

For sure...you can still apply this to a low cost mic - if I'm deciding between two $39 mics, the specs might help me to decide, or, if it's just $39, buy it and try it. Thanks!

[@LarnedJustin]

Well, I know one thing for sure now. When I bought my last mic, I had know idea what I was buying. Thanks for a very informative video!

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thanks Larned!

[@JoRoderick]

Thanks so much. Some great info especially on impudence ... erm, impedance. That was a bit of a hazy area for me.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

LOL! Yeah, it took me 5 minutes to start over that segment without laughing.

[@JoRoderick]

It was too much resistance. 😂

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Groan. :)

[@WORTHITORNOT]

Lmao @ the ending. Great video and wow you have a lot of microphones

[@BasicFilmmaker]

I have a lot of lights and a lot of mics. There are 7 more I didn't even have on the table. Gear junkie I guess. :)

[@WORTHITORNOT]

Basic Filmmaker : From one junkie to another, see you at the meeting tonight :) haha

[@BasicFilmmaker]

LOL! You sir are the quintessential action camera junkie. :)

[@WORTHITORNOT]

Basic Filmmaker :)

[@BasicFilmmaker]

8-)

[@jsquaredproductions5040]

Great stuff I especially liked the "knock-off" mics LOL

[@BasicFilmmaker]

LOL! Knock off mics. Didn't even get that was a joke when it happened. :)

[@jsquaredproductions5040]

Glad you got a laugh out of it ;-)

[@BasicFilmmaker]

I did. Maybe I'll use that in some later video. :)

[@WillKetcherII]

Do a video with your thoughts on the film school!

[@BasicFilmmaker]

I could do that - but am a bit biased, I I didn't go to film school and worked my up through the ranks over the years. So far my opinion is that some people need that structure and the future contacts, others make the opportunities for themselves and make it happen. One costs more than the other.

[@michaelhaddad2190]

This is fantastic. What mic would you use for nature sounds? For example, for recording rain or the ocean or even birds.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

A shotgun mic on a boom pole for sure. Which mic depends on your budget.

[@michaelhaddad2190]

@@BasicFilmmaker Thank you very much! :) Not many youtube channels take the time to answer each and every comment. This is very much appreciated. Two questions, if I may: 1. Why would I need a boom pole? Isn't there a better setup where I would not need to stand with a pole for hours of recording? 2. When recording nature, shouldn't I use a mic that is not directional? I mean, in nature the sound comes from every direction... Thanks!

[@BasicFilmmaker]

@@michaelhaddad2190 We're really headed in the direction of what exactly you are trying to do. When sound people need to record something, they'll take a boom pole so they can place it by a waterfall or in a forest. Yes, you can get an omni-directional mic but then you'll get EVERYTHING. If that's what you want, that's cool, but with a directional mic you'll get only what you point at. I guess what I don't understand is why you would be out recording for hours at a time, which I am unfamilar with. It's usually getting nature sounds or waterfalls or whatever for minutes to layer in something. Let me know what you are intending to do here as I'm obviously confused.

[@michaelhaddad2190]

​@@BasicFilmmaker Thank you very much. Well, I simply want to document nature, sometimes for hours. So I want the sound to be as pure as it can get. So if, for example, I record the ocean, a directional microphone may be sufficient, but if I am in a forest and I am trying to record the trees and animals, won't I miss a lot?

[@BarefootMediaTV]

good vid, fyi your website is spelled wrong in the description

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Wow! Thanks! Fast fingers do not a good link make. Fixed! :)

[@genjii931]

I'd also add that spending more on a quality mic like an NTG3 isn't like spending a lot on a camera, because it won't get obsolete. An NTG3 from 5 years ago - properly taken care of - is going to be absolutely fine. There are newer mics with nice features (the NTG4 and 4+, while newer and lower-end than the NTG3 - have some cool features the NTG3 does not), but an NTG3 properly used is as good as anyone not making a Hollywood feature is likely to ever need. I'd "overspend" on audio before I'd overspend on a camera. Keep in mind you can rent these things to test them out before purchasing, if you're afraid of high-dollar items. Don't skimp on the recorder. The pre-amps in your camera suck (no, it doesn't matter what camera you have).

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Good and wise words. That's the reason my NTG-3 is my work horse - it sounds great, lasts forever, and the one I grab every time.

[@Adobe_i_Sprzet]

Thanks! :)

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Welcome!

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Shopping for mics is a real pain if you don't know what you're looking at. It's hard to compare if you can't hear that $39 mic versus that $700 mic. So how do you know? You understand the 4 main characteristics every mic has!

[@CheckitMedia]

Man great explanation thnx for the video. What i find curious that is sometimes a 15 dollar mic sounds great but also a 100 dollar mic sounds great. Maybe my ears are damages over the years.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Nope. It's really true. Some of it is the mic, some is the post processing, some is the audio recorder, and some is voice.

[@CheckitMedia]

I never use phones but i used a cheap mic and a more exspensive mics and what you see online on testing like Kevin says there are many things that has to do with audio.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Check It Media - In the end, what you have either sounds good to you or doesn't. I've seen some plug a $2500 mic into their DSLR camera (why or why - don't ask me) and it sounds terrible. If what you have doesn't sound good, first figure out if it's the room, or the recorder, or the mic (A/B Testing) until you detect the problem. As +Azad said, you can get good sound from a good phone, but if you discover your room is a bouncy sound cell, padding might be the difference. It's easy for me to say my $1200 of mic and recorder are awesome, and they are. But I can (and have) totally effed that up by relying on the equipment and not my brain. :)

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Yep. Some like coffee, some like tea. It's like me, I'm not everyone's cup of tea. Don't care. :)

[@donnyhelvey]

Excellent!!

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thanks Donny!

[@FlorianFahrenberger]

Now, not dropping that SM58 onto the table and saying "oops" during the phrase "they can withstand a lot more of abuse" is a real missed opportunity for comedy. Other than that, the video is perfect. :-) People really thirst for advice on mics. I hardly ever publish videos on KZbin, but I made two microphone comparisons mostly for myself, and they almost have the most views on my channel even though they feature the least creativity. ;-)

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Haha! Originally, I had so many fun and pun moments I was going to do, but I decided to take a bit of a different route to keep the video down in size. Yes, I plan on doing more thins about mics. And cameras. And lights. And... :)

[@spondoolie6450]

The way I decide to purchase a mic? I watch a lot of KZbin videos and the mic that they mention the most is the one I buy. Looks like I'm buying the Rode NTG-3, lol.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

That’s one way to do it! Really at this point, I’d get the NTG3 if I wanted a bit more of a lower end, or an NTG5 if I didn’t. Let me know how it goes. 👍

[@ranjanajaiswal5982]

Do you use a teleprompter ? You kinda go into 'lecture' mode while speaking. But a helpful video. Thanks !

[@BasicFilmmaker]

I do sometimes. I thought I would try a more lecture type episode on this as a test to see the views vs my usual self. :)

[@ranjanajaiswal5982]

I saw a vmp+ in the video. But in the description you linked the vmpro original. I checked out the features and they were almost same in terms of the 4 characteristics you mentioned. So does that mean that in the vmpro+ you only get some additional features such as a rechargeable battery, better shockmount and all ? And also, is 200 ohms a good thing (probably is, but you are the expert) ? And the last question, I think that the rode vmp+ would be good as a boom mic (by looking at the impedance, frequency response, transducer, polar pattern) when with a zoom h1n, a rode 10ft boompole and the vc1 extension cable. Do you agree ?

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thank you! Links fixed! The pro plus would be the one to go with. 200 ohms is not bad, and it's would be the last thing you would check - as long as it's not outrageous, it should be fine. Yes, the vmp can be boomed like any other mic, and I would suggest the Zoom H1n - it's newer and more reliable - amzn.to/2KIJNvL

[@ranjanajaiswal5982]

Basic Filmmaker thanks for the reply !

[@BasicFilmmaker]

You bet Nishant. Anytime.

[@ranjanajaiswal5982]

Basic Filmmaker how'd ya know my name ?

[@BasicFilmmaker]

I went to your channel and saw your claymation video.

[@jiordz]

my favorite ....

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thanks!

[@Al69BfR]

Because the cardioid pattern looks actually more like a kidney, that pattern called kidney or hyperkidney in Germany. 😊

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Ya know...I read this and at first, went, "Really?" LOL!

[@ranjanajaiswal5982]

Just a video idea - Make a video on tripods and tripod heads of all budgets.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Nice. I was thinking of doing this, as a friend of mine new to this bought a Sony kit from Amazon, and I swear, the tripod costs 13 cents to make - terrible.

[@djkamilo66]

male voice frequency response is 85 to 180hz? thats an absurd, same for the famale voice freq range you said.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Shit!!! I made a mistake!

[@skakdosmer]

One thing is the basic pitch of a human voice. Another thing is the frequencies that make words understandable. If you record a voice and somehow manage to cut away all frequencies outside 85-255 hz, you won't be able to understand a word.

[@BasicFilmmaker]

This is true.

[@xecydez]

Mic in the thumbnail doesnt plug to anything

[@BasicFilmmaker]

She's magic. :)

[@BadgerBotherer1]

Great overview. Thanks!

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Thank you.