[Richard Crowley]

We don’t know what you are trying to “step up”? What part of your current audio does not meet your expectations? Typically, the selection of the microphone, and its placement are major factors. But you seem to want to stick with a small consumer level microphone mounted on your camera (?)

You say you want to go to “double-system” where the audio is recorded on separate gear (vs. recording in the camera). While it is true that DSLRs are almost universally not terribly good at recording audio, we don’t know if that is the limiting factor in your desire to “step up” your audio quality?

Note that most (or all?) of the “nature” video you see has audio that was NOT recorded at the same time as the video. And in many cases, the audio track was “created” in the studio and no live sound was even used. You might find it interesting to watch this video documentary about sound for nature documentaries:

https://youtu.be/Li6TSwybqjU

It is almost always the case that the optimum time/location for shooting the video is NOT the same as the best time/place for recording the audio track.

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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.

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[Richard Crowley]

I completely agree. A headworn mic is always #1 on my list.

I just received speedy delivery of these inexpensive examples from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003D2VT2K
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003D2YRLA
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003GEBGJ6

I am going to make a DIY XLR adapter for them and then publish a test video on YouTube.

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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.

[Richard Crowley]

Dynamic/condenser is primarily a factor of sensitivity. Dynamic mics are generally less sensitive vs. condenser.

If you are putting the mic that close to the subjects’ mouths, then the sensitivity factor condenser vs. dynamic becomes much less a factor. OTOH, dynamic mics are typically less expensive by the time you factor in the power/connector/interface that condenser mics require to connect to XLR. Plus that Shure WH20XLR is more rugged and more likely to hold up to use by amateurs.

Some people (more frequently women) are less likely to want to use them because it messes up their hair, or concerned about cross-contamination from previous users, etc. Have you proved that an ordinary clip-on mic is not adequate in your typical acoustic environments?

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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.

[Richard Crowley]

Yes, the Audio-Technica PRO 92cW would be more than suitable for a podcast.

Note that virtually all of those head-worn microphones are terminated with mini-XLR TAF4 connector for use with wireless transmitters and will require an adapter to use with a conventional XLR mic input. And you can assume that it needs at least 24V phantom power as well. Two examples are:
https://www.pro-sound.com/p/oscar-soundtech-lavalier-microphone-ost-power-supply.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/469581-REG/Shure_RK100PK_RK100PK_RFI_Resistant.html

There was an extended discussion of these kinds of microphones in a recent thread here:
https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/30/875816

You could even consider a “expendable” model like this if the users are too ham-fisted to treat them properly:
https://smile.amazon.com/Pyle-Pro-PMEMS10-Omni-Directional-Microphone-System/dp/B003D2YRLA/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1486418400&sr=8-8&keywords=head+microphone

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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.

[Richard Crowley]

There are many sources, models, versions, and colors of microphones like that:

from B&H: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=3779&N=4263084562+4263084994&origSearch=headset%20microphone
OST: https://www.oscarsoundtech.com/aboutus.html

I did not identify the mic in the photo because there are likely at least a dozen options that are virtually indistinguishable.

Note also that those very thin, nearly invisible models are not the favorite of aerobics instructors who move around vigorously. But for more sedate Yoga classes, they would probably be OK.

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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.

[Richard Crowley]

@Brian, now that I watch it again at 1080 I agree that her very small earset microphone is clearly visible below her jaw-line on her right side. This is an excellent illustration of the point that they can be deployed to be very effective (minimizing the difficult reverberant ambience and folowing head-turning) while remaining nearly invisible.

Finding a good place to secure the “body pack” transmitter is sometimes a challenge depending on activity and wardrobe for the particular shot. The first video was an excellent example of a good solution to a difficult case. A bare midriff and bending over backwards over that wheel are pretty far out there from normal everyday wireless mic deployment.

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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.

[Richard Crowley]

When I look at the instructor’s back, I see the wireless “body pack” transmitter under the bottom strap of the pink top garment. I see the antenna stretched up to her neck (perhaps the top of the antenna is secured to the garment? And It appears that the tan-color microphone cable loops down under the garment which suggests it it going around to the front.

However, the “presence” of the dialog recording remains very consistent as she turns her head which strongly suggests that she is wearing a very low-profile headset mic. Although I cannot see it at all. In some cases (like opera) they hide microphones just above the hair-line.

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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.

[Richard Crowley]

Look up “aerobics microphone” and you will see dozens of examples of the kind of microphones used for presenters who are moving around vigorously. This is a very common “use case” and many vendors have options for microphones of various types.

Perhaps the most popular kind if microphone for this applicataion is the headset (or “earset”) microphone. Some of them are quite ruggedly built for “heavy-duty” use in vigorous exercise programs.

Some are quite lightweight and nearly invisible.

However, my guess is that the person in the video you cited has a clip-on “lav” mic clipped to her top garment, perhaps in the center?

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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.

[Richard Crowley]

I don’t want to make it completely dead like a sound booth…

Why not? Nothing shouts “sloppy amateur hour” like a sound track with room reverb and close reflections. It immediately makes people think you recorded it in a public toilet. It seems quite unlikely that you can make it TOO absorbing (like anechoic chamber).

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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.

[Richard Crowley]

You did not mention what camera you are using (what mic preamp quality, what input connections, etc.) And assuming you don’t have a mixer available since you didn’t mention it.

I agree with Mr. Kownacki that it seems rather more likely to expect better quality from the students using individual clip-on mics, or if that is not possible, the H4 built-in-mics close-up on the kids. Keeping them all close enough together to use a stationary shotgun mic seems rather beyond reasonable expectations unless you have an experienced boom operator (which you seemed to indicate was not possible).

You did not mention the environment where this is being recorded? If it is in a typical school classroom, cafeteria, auditorium, library, lab, etc, those rooms are typically all plagued with nearby reflections and rather reverberant ambience, and we would not expect a typical shotgun mic to perform very well in that environment.

I would put a clip-on mic on the interviewer going into one channel of the camera, and take the audio from the H4 recorder and feed it into the other channel of the camera. Or at least the on-camera mic into the other channel as a “sync-track”.

———————————————————————————
Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.