Unidirectional mics, as the name
indicates are gadgets that are developed to choose up audio from mainly one
route in regards to the mic.
A unidirectional polar pattern
lapel mic comes into its own in environments or locations where there isn’t
complete silence because it is dominantly receiving sound from one direction or
area in a circumference and by default not others.
When used or indicated in a given
route to get sound, be that from the wearers voice or the subject matter of an
interview for example, such a mic will choose up roughly less than 50 percent
as much sound, from the sides as from the front and less than a tenth as much
sound from the rear.
This gives a presenter a greater
quality of concept with particular focus and this is exactly why they are perfect for
catching individual conversation and speech in many ‘on the go’ circumstances
and configurations.
A crowded area with background
noise would be one such situation and setting. However, a news cast or home
video take with no such background noise would also be ideal because it can be
worn against the body without risk of noise from clothing or breathing
interference.
In fact this is the very reason
why unidirectional lapel microphones are a preferred choice for such things as
hosting live shows, conducting interviews, doing a news room broadcast or
filming video recording particularly with mobile devices now.
Placement Counts
Unidirectional lapel microphones
might be the polar pattern of recommendation or choice but users can still end
up compromising the sound quality if the device isn’t placed correctly. In
general, lavalier or clip on microphones are attached to a speaker’s clothing
and ideally between 6 to 8 inches from the mouth. Yes they can be placed in the
collar or in a v-neck or even a kerchief so that they do not show up in video
recordings, however this can cause some compromise in sound quality if you are
after absolute perfection but can be quite adequate for most situations.
Too close to the sound source and
the mic will likely amplify every breath and it will sound husky or annoying or
both and too high under the chin will likely miss some ’s’ consonants and clarity
of speech.
Too far away and you can lose
volume and are more likely to pick up feedback.
If concealed under clothing and
out of view, rustling of clothing may compromise the quality of sound also.
Users must also take the placement and security of the wire into account since
any movement may be captured by the mic. This is easily done with the clips
provided or a good compromise is to use soft stick tape.
Recording settings and speech
A microphone is a tool to amplify
your voice, not a substitute for good vocal expression.
It means that you should check
your device for the default or required settings that it enables you with and
when all is set and done – volume, pitch, rhythm, clarity, vocal expression,
word emphasis and ultimately engagement come from the speaker, not the
equipment.
It brings in one last point and
that is the use of windscreens
There is no hard and fast rule
with the use of these other than when there is an obvious breeze blowing out
doors. Designed to cut down, cut out or minimize wind interference, using one
indoors is a personal preference depending on how a particular subject sounds
when talking into a lapel microphone.
This is easily checked with a
test record before going live. It will either sound better with one or without one, and
therefore use accordingly.
