What is a Small Microphone? All you need to know
Consider using a large, bulky microphone to get high-quality audio for all of your projects. Rethink that! If you want high-quality sound, a small microphone is a great choice, and there are many different models to meet your needs as a content creator. Yet what exactly is a tiny microphone? Are you unsure which one is best for you? Here is all the information you require!
Small microphones are tiny, clip-on devices that are frequently used in interviews and live performances. They can also be called “lavs” or “lapel mics” and are made to be fastened to clothing, usually close to the collarbone. Lav mics are popular because they enable hands-free use, which makes it simpler for the speaker or performer to stand out and be truly heard. Small Microphones can also be conveniently concealed from view, giving a space a more natural, pristine, and polished appearance.
What do small wireless and wired microphones do?
Knowing the differences between wired and wireless small microphones is essential when selecting the best small microphone.
Small wired microphones usually cost less and have slightly better sound quality. Their lack of battery dependence makes them incredibly convenient, with their only drawback being a restriction on wearers’ range of motion. Consider the cords that might be connecting your wired lav microphone to the power source if you anticipate moving around a lot while recording.
Mics that transmit audio wirelessly, frequently using Bluetooth or infrared technology, are known as wireless small microphones. As a result, the speaker or performer can move around unrestricted by a cable. For many speakers and performers, lapel mics are a necessary accessory, though wireless microphones are becoming more and more common. There are many situations where these clip-on microphones are used, including broadcast television, public speaking, and theatre.
What do the terms “Omnidirectional” and “Unidirectional” small microphones mean?
Small microphones come in two main categories when it comes to pick-up patterns: omnidirectional and unidirectional.
Omnidirectional microphones are perfect for use in noisy environments because they capture sounds from all sides. They are therefore ideal for interviews and mobile recordings where the wearer of the mic is moving around a lot.
Unidirectional microphones, which are the opposite of omnidirectional microphones, capture sound from a single direction and source without picking up any extraneous noise. They are most frequently used in broadcast television, broadcast filmmaking, and public speaking because they can separate the speaker’s voice from ambient noise.
Advantages of Small Microphones
Discreet: The ability to conceal lapel microphones is one of their main selling points. This means that it is possible to record clear audio directly from the actor in almost any situation. Furthermore, just because it’s called a lapel mic doesn’t mean that’s the only place it can fasten to a jacket. There are numerous ways to conceal a lapel mic, as we’ll see.
Portable: Portability might not seem like a benefit if your actor intends to remain still. But what about scenes where the actors are moving around a room, running down a street, or standing far apart from one another? There will be too much for a single boom operator to keep up with or catch. Here, pre-blocking and scene-setting will help determine how to record the audio most effectively.
Points to be remembered for Small Microphone
Clothing: Finding clothing can be difficult. If the lav mic is not set up correctly, you could waste valuable set time trying to make adjustments to get clear audio. You could conduct trials with the actors, their attire, and the microphones during Pre-Production to perform the troubleshooting beforehand to help prevent this.
Quality: There are times when sound quality is worse than with other types of microphones. There may be a drop in quality where portability and invisibility are obvious advantages.
Battery-powered: small microphones require frequent battery changes and recharge, so be ready for this. To reduce the inconvenience when a battery dies, be sure to have extra batteries fully charged and ready.
When should you use a small microphone?
When an actor or interview subject needs to move around and the production doesn’t want to use a boom mic, a small microphone can be very helpful. However, there are some other scenarios in which a small microphone will be most beneficial.
Cross-talk occurs when two actors or interview subjects talk over one another during the filming of a scene or an interview. While cross-talk can be reduced during rehearsal, it might be beneficial to use a single mic to isolate the audio of each actor or subject.
Background noise can be a big issue in film and video production because boom mics pick up sounds like planes, traffic, and other ambient. Because of its sharply focused recording area, a small microphone quickly proves to be a valuable tool for eliminating the majority of background noise.
Summing Up
As you can see, small microphones, especially wireless ones, are incredibly practical and simple to use. The type of audio you need to record and the setting in which you’ll use it will determine which one is best for you. Today, take a look through our enormous selection of small microphones to start easily capturing great sound of high quality.
