As Stu Maschwitz so eloquently pointed out in his book The DV Rebel's Guide, "the built-in mic on your camcorder is for decoration only. Use an external mic piped into your camera's audio input". I couldn't have said it better myself. One of the easiest ways to add professional production value to your independent productions is to get away from the video camera's built-in microphone and use a dedicated directional microphone. Built in camera mics often pick up the sound of the tape transport since they are built into the camera's body. Putting an external mic on a boom pole will enable you to position the mic much closer to the talent, resulting in much clearer and stronger audio with better low end and less ambient room noise. Ever notice how cheap video productions sound like the audio was recorded in a bathroom? Just watch a low budget porno to see what I mean. For some reason they seem to forget about audio quality. What, you've never seen one? Okay, I believe you.I have yet to find a better mic for the money than the Rode VideoMic, a directional condenser microphone. This microphone exhibits low noise and is powered by a standard 9 V battery and offers a Low Battery LED status indicator and a switchable high pass filter to reduce unwanted low frequency rumble. It also features a built in shock mount which really helps to isolate the mic from picking up vibrations that might cause audio pops. Rode, from the land down under, are makers of some of the most repected studio mics. So you can rest assured that they know what they are doing.
How does it sound? Pretty darn good. It is capable of providing vary accurate and clean audio with a nice sounding fullness. I have compared it to mics that cost 2 to 3 times more, and this mic holds it own. For video productions on a budget, this is the mic for you.
Pros: Inexpensive, Great Sounding, Built-In Shock Mount.
Cons: Stereo Mini Jack Connector.
List Price: $249.00
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