Getting good audio

In a world where video is king… hold that thought… often the quality of the audio matters more. What? How can that be? Well, say you’re watching a video and you’re straining to hear the person speaking. Does a quality image make up for that? Would you rather be able to easily hear what’s being said? Audio matters and here at Soma, we treat it with the respect it deserves. A few things to look for. Get the microphone as close as possible to the presenter’s mouth. Clip-on lavalier mics work well here (for in-person events), USB mics positioned close to the speakers mouth work well for virtual events, or a headset. But keep in mind that all headsets are not equal.

Here’s a starting point for mics:

1. Old Apple EarPods with the 1/8” adapter (not the lightning adapter). You might have those hanging around.

2. AirPods (however look out for bluetooth interference)

Here are some better options:

1. Blue Yeti USB (once set up properly, this will provide great recording quality with depth to your voice).

2. Blue Yeti USB Mic

3. Blue Yeti USB Mic Nano

4. Rode NT-USB Mini USB Microphone

5. Senal UB-440 Professional USB Microphone

6. Stage Right by Monoprice USB Large Condenser Mic with Stand

7. What’s pictured above is a true broadcast microphone - the Shure SM7B but you also need a USB audio interface (this might be more than you need).

Also make sure the levels are as high as possible before clipping. Say what? Make it loud but not crunchy. This is something that should be reviewed before recording to ensure that the audio levels sound good so make a test recording and play it back on some headphones to hear how it sounds. I could say more but remember this, bad sound can ruin a great video.