About this course
Here's a video I filmed answering questions about which microphones to use with your DSLR (or iPhone using the adapters listed below):
On-camera microphones usually don't make the grade when you want to create videos that sound great. Thankfully, there are a number of low-cost options available which will help you achieve great audio quality.
Selecting the right microphone depends on the situation and the environment.
Lavalier Microphones
Lavalier microphones are placed on the "talent" and can either be visible, or hidden. If you use a wireless lavalier microphone, you can capture great audio even if your "talent" isn't located near the camera.
You'll frequently see presenters at conferences either wearing a lavalier microphone on their shirt lapel. This keeps the microphone in the right location as the speaker moves around the stage.
Personally, I use my Sennheiser wireless microphone more than any other microphone I have (and I love it).
Shotgun Microphones
If your camera is going to be close to the subject(s) you are recording, a shotgun microphone like the Rode VideoMic Pro can be mounted in your DSLR's hotshoe and can be plugged into your camera's microphone jack.
If you're camera is going to be positioned a good distance from your subject(s), you can use a Rode NTG shotgun microphone mounted on a boom pole. Rode NTG series shotgun microphones have an XLR output, and most of them (aside from the NTG4 Plus require something called phantom power, which is where your recording device supplies power to the microphone).
Capturing the Audio from Your Microphones
Personally, I like to use the Zoom H6 Multi-Track Recorder because it solves a number of recording challenges. It comes with several microphones that can be used to record quality audio for computer screencasts as well as 4 XLR inputs (which you can use to power and capture audio from the Rode NTG Microphones).
You can use it to capture audio from the Sennheiser EW 112 G3 wireless lavalier microphones using the XLR output cable that comes with the Sennheiser. It records multiple tracks at the same time, which means you can run up to four audio inputs into the recorder at the same time (e.g. two wireless lavalier microphones and two shotgun microphones).
When you purchase a wireless microphone system, the old adage that you get what you pay for tends to be true.
I purchased a number of "more affordable" wireless systems when I get started and I wish I had just invested all of that money into a quality system from the beginning.
The iPhone 6s Plus and earlier have a 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack. However, the jack requires a male 3.5mm TRRS plug to work properly. Most microphones that you purchase will require an adapter.
Starting with the iPhone 7 and Google Pixel 2, we started to see the 3.5mm headphone (and microphone) jack being removed to make it physically possible to build "all screen" phones. Here's the solution for the iPhone 7, 8, 10, and beyond:
First, you plug the Apple Lighting to USB Camera Adapter into the Lighting port on your phone. Then you plug the Sabrent USB External Stereo Adapter's USB plug into the USB port on the Apple Lighting to USB Camera Adapter.
This leaves you with a headphone jack and a 3.5mm microphone jack (on the Sabrent Adapter). Plug in your microphone and you're ready to capture audio from your external microphone. If it doesn't work, switch the microphone to the other female port (you likely had it plugged into the headphone jack).
You've made a smart decision. Video is powerful and it's becoming the preferred medium to consume new information. In this course, you're going to learn:
If there is one piece of advice I can give you, it's this...
This trips up more people than I can count. It even tripped me up for a while. Whatever you do, don't skip this video (it's that important).
Being camera shy can feel paralyzing, cause you to freeze up and go blank as soon as the record button is pressed. The good new is, there's an effective way to overcome being camera shy.
Video is a very effective, high-leverage tool to quickly build relationships and trust.
Follow the steps and you'll be making videos fast...
Discover what your audience wants to watch.
Google will give you clues about what people want to watch.
Here's how to get YouTube to suggest what kind of videos you should create...
These key components will capture attention, hold attention, and encourage action.
These mistakes plague the people that aren't getting the results they want. Here's how to avoid them...
In this lesson, you'll learn how to get your viewers to watch your videos, share your videos and like your videos.
This is a deciding factor in whether your video will be watched or skipped.
A lot of people skip this step and it's one of the main reasons why they get poor results.
Tutorials work well for people who want to learn about your product or for customer service.
Screen capture videos are simple, easy and fast.
Check out this super-portable video rig using an iPhone
In this lesson, you'll learn how to use backgrounds to help you achieve the goal of your video.
Audio quality is very important if you want your viewer to stay engaged.
Adobe Premiere Pro is a robust video editing software that works on both Apple computers and PCs.
iMovie is available on the Mac, iPhone and iPad.