My workplace wants to record a number of different people for use on a
web site voice-over. Additionally, we may want a microphone solution
for making short videos of people speaking from their desk.

It seems to me that a clip-on or mike-on-stand solution would work.
The former would probably be easeir to work with, but I don't want to
sacrifice much in quality.

I'd like brand and model recommendations for microphones that could be
used plugged either into a PC or a camcorder.

I'm also wondering if there is a quality difference between using a
PC's audio jack for input vs. a USB device to feed the audio, whether
it be a usb mike or an intermediary device that the mike plugs into.

Thanks
email replies appreciated:

"Albert Silverman" wrote ...
My workplace wants to record a number of different
people for use on a web site voice-over. Additionally,
we may want a microphone solution for making short
videos of people speaking from their desk.

It seems to me that a clip-on or mike-on-stand solution
would work. The former would probably be easeir to
work with, but I don't want to sacrifice much in quality.

Consider that 99.7% of all the "talking head" video you
see on TV, from David Letterman to CNN to your local
weather reporter are ALL using clip-on electret condenser
mics.

I'd like brand and model recommendations for microphones
that could be used plugged either into a PC or a camcorder.

I'm also wondering if there is a quality difference
between using a PC's audio jack for input vs. a USB
device to feed the audio, whether it be a usb mike or
an intermediary device that the mike plugs into.

Without knowing what your PCs audio jack IS, it is not
possible to answer that question. However, generically,
a USB device will have better performance than the mic
(or line-level) input on most computers.

There are so few (one?) USB mics that it doesn't seem
like a fair comparison.

A USB mic preamp (like the M-Audio "Mobile-Pre USB")
is a very nice solution to this kind of question, at least, IMHO.
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_u...eUSB-main.html

What is your mic/preamp budget? $2? $200? $2000?
What kind of camcorder? XLR or mini-phone mic jack?

I have personally used those inexpensive "computer"
clip-on mics plugged directly into the camcorder mini-
phone jack. Works quite nicely, but limited to only one
talker at a time.

Richard Crowley wrote:
Consider that 99.7% of all the "talking head" video you
see on TV, from David Letterman to CNN to your local weather reporter
are ALL using clip-on electret condenser mics.

Is that actually true? The boom has gone bust?

Personally, I hate putting mikes under the chin and would recommend
headset mikes if you care about sound quality but don't want to tie
folks to a fixed position. On the other hand, voice-over isn't usually a
highest-possible-sound-quality situation.

If you don't have a camera on the person, then probably the best thing to
use a an electret cardioid with a good wind screen and pop filter. Take a
look at what radio announcers use.

~James. )


"Albert Silverman" wrote in message
oups.com...
My workplace wants to record a number of different people for use on a
web site voice-over. Additionally, we may want a microphone solution
for making short videos of people speaking from their desk.

It seems to me that a clip-on or mike-on-stand solution would work.
The former would probably be easeir to work with, but I don't want to
sacrifice much in quality.

I'd like brand and model recommendations for microphones that could be
used plugged either into a PC or a camcorder.

I'm also wondering if there is a quality difference between using a
PC's audio jack for input vs. a USB device to feed the audio, whether
it be a usb mike or an intermediary device that the mike plugs into.

Thanks
email replies appreciated:

"Joe Kesselman" wrote ...
Richard Crowley wrote:
Consider that 99.7% of all the "talking head" video you
see on TV, from David Letterman to CNN to your local weather reporter
are ALL using clip-on electret condenser
mics.

Is that actually true? The boom has gone bust?

Its hard to get good help, even at the network level.

And the quality of electret lapel mics has grown while
their size has concurrently shrunk. And good-quality
wireless TX/RX are within the budget of even the most
modest local station.

Watch carefully for the next month. Report back if you
see anything resembling a boom mic, boom shadow,
lack of body mic, etc.

Even "reality" shows out on desert islands have a dozen
wireless lavs, one for each contestant, etc. Go over to
news:rec.arts.movies.production.sound and lurk for a
while. Boom mics are pretty much relegated to full-length
feature (and TV) film production. (And some big-$$$
commercials, etc.)

They light/block/rehearse soaps so meticulously that maybe
booms are still used there? Dunno, haven't seen one in
several decades.

Personally, I hate putting mikes under the chin and would recommend
headset mikes if you care about sound quality but don't want to tie
folks to a fixed position. On the other hand, voice-over isn't usually
a highest-possible-sound-quality situation.

Voice-over is one thing. On-camera is a completely different
situation.

It seems to me that a clip-on or mike-on-stand solution would work.
The former would probably be easeir to work with, but I don't want to
sacrifice much in quality.



My workplace does video interviews of people in their homes and we use
lavalier mics. I edit the audio for these interviews and one of the
biggest problems is people fiddling with their mics, blowing into them,
etc. One woman blew forcefully out of her nose after every sentence.
All this is easily enough edited out, but those few extra days of going
through trying to find this microphone crap for every single project
costs quite a bit of money. If I were able to pick a setup for my
institution to use, I would recommend a mic with windscreen on a table
stand and hopefully people wouldn't feel the need to touch it
incessantly.

"Kayte" wrote ...
My workplace does video interviews of people in their
homes and we use lavalier mics. I edit the audio for these
interviews and one of the biggest problems is people fiddling
with their mics, blowing into them, etc. One woman blew
forcefully out of her nose after every sentence.

Easily avoided by proper placement. This may mean
clipping on the subject's collar on the side, etc.

All this is easily enough edited out, but those few extra
days of going through trying to find this microphone crap
for every single project costs quite a bit of money. If I
were able to pick a setup for my institution to use, I
would recommend a mic with windscreen on a table
stand and hopefully people wouldn't feel the need to
touch it incessantly.

But it would likely sound horrible. Try it sometime.

Easily avoided by proper placement. This may mean
clipping on the subject's collar on the side, etc.


The interviewer does that, which is not always somebody trained in
audio or video. In fact, one interviewer clicked her pen loudly
throughout the whole interview. Bureaucracy usually prevents things
being done how they should, unfortunately. Or even in a way that makes
any sense.


But it would likely sound horrible. Try it sometime.

How so? Given a decent mic, why wouldn't it sound as good as the lavs?

"Kayte" wrote in message
oups.com...

Easily avoided by proper placement. This may mean
clipping on the subject's collar on the side, etc.


The interviewer does that, which is not always somebody trained in
audio or video. In fact, one interviewer clicked her pen loudly
throughout the whole interview. Bureaucracy usually prevents things
being done how they should, unfortunately. Or even in a way that makes
any sense.


But it would likely sound horrible. Try it sometime.

How so? Given a decent mic, why wouldn't it sound as good as the lavs?

Distance from the source. Room acoustics.
Early reflections from the table-top, etc. etc. etc.

It wouldn't sound remotely as good as the cheapest
lav you can find. In fact, "remotely" may be the key
factor (pun intended :-)

Maybe OK for transcription purposes, but it would
never make it on the air unless you're interviewing
Elvis or something.

Try it sometime and see for yourself. You don't need to take
anybody's word for it.