Microphone for DSLR video interview shoot on a budget – Need advice

[Bill Bruner]

Hi Jakub – you can save yourself some money with a $23.99 Omnidirectional Lavalier for your smartphone.

You can clip this lav to your subject, plug the mic into your iOS or Android phone, put the phone in the subject’s pocket, record to a free app (e.g. Rode Rec LE for iOS, Smart Voice Recorder for Android or Skyro Voice Recorder for Android) and sync your sound in post.

Here is how a lav/phone combo works (example is for the Rode SmartLav, but it makes the point for the entire lav/phone category):

https://youtu.be/P2RIFZOGMZo

This is a little more work, but costs less than buying a Zoom H1 – and will give you much higher quality sound than plugging a mic directly into your DSLR.

Hope this is helpful and good luck with your interviews!

[Aaron Star]

I would get an H1 or H4, the H4 gives more options down the road for corded mics or mixer input.

Also get the troll hair wind screen in a neutral color, black preferably.

Then get a shock mount adapter that will allow for connecting to a Boom Pole. Have someone Boom your shots or interview just out of frame with the H1 mounted as the boom mic. Put a safety strap on your H1 or H4 in this mode, to keep your Boom Op from dropping your recorder out of the shock mount. You also will not have LAV mics in your frame. With the H1 or H4 mics in 90 degree mode, your sound will be rich and in stereo. If you really need a Lav for noise issues, the H4N will allow XLR grounded cabling, and connection to an Sony ECM-44B Lav. ECM-44B has great sound and much less than wireless lavs.