Watch BEFORE Buying a Mic For Your Smartphone | 2024 Buyers Guide

Summary

This video script offers a comprehensive guide to achieving high-quality audio for various video content using smartphones. It covers the importance of audio over video quality, starting with built-in microphones and advancing to lav mics, shotgun mics, and wireless Bluetooth mics. The script also highlights the significance of editing for audio enhancement, introducing tools like Adobe's 'enhanced speech' and demonstrating audio editing techniques in CapCut and Premiere Pro. Tips on mic placement, acoustic treatment, and a course recommendation for further learning round off the informative tutorial.

Takeaways

• 🎥 The importance of audio quality in video production is emphasized, as poor audio can undermine even the best video content.
• 📱 Modern smartphones have decent built-in microphones, but their effectiveness is limited by the need to be close to the device to capture clear audio.
• 🔊 A free tool mentioned can enhance audio quality, even if the initial recording is of poor quality.
• 🎤 Lav mics (lavalier microphones) are an affordable option that can be plugged directly into a smartphone and offer better audio quality with more mobility.
• 📡 Shotgun microphones are directional and are the industry standard at a professional level, but smaller versions for smartphones may not offer significant quality improvements.
• 🎙️ Bluetooth wireless microphones are recommended for their versatility and high quality, with the Hollyland Lark M2 being a top pick for smartphone content creators.
• 🔗 The Hollyland Lark M2 kit includes multiple microphones, a receiver, a charging case, and a reliable smartphone receiver that draws power directly from the phone.
• 🔊 Mic placement is crucial, ideally 6 to 12 inches away from the mouth to avoid capturing plosives and background noise.
• 🛠️ Acoustic treatment of recording spaces can greatly improve audio quality by reducing reflections and reverberations.
• ✂️ Editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro offers advanced audio processing tools, including compressors, equalizers, and limiters, to refine audio quality.
• 🔗 A free tool from Adobe called 'enhanced speech' can significantly improve audio quality and is available to users for integrating into their editing workflow.

Q & A

What is the main issue that can ruin the quality of a video according to the script?

The main issue that can ruin the quality of a video is poor audio quality, not the video quality itself.

What are the three categories that the video script covers for achieving clear audio?

The three categories for achieving clear audio are using the built-in microphone, lav mics, and Bluetooth wireless microphones.

What is the major limitation of using the built-in microphone on a smartphone?

The major limitation is that you need to be within a few feet of the phone to get good audio quality; it struggles with distance and picks up ambient noise.

What is a lav mic and how does it compare to the built-in microphone on a smartphone?

A lav mic is a small lapel microphone that can be plugged directly into a phone. It offers better audio quality than the built-in microphone, especially when moving around, but still requires proximity to the microphone for optimal sound.

What is the advantage of using shotgun microphones in professional settings?

Shotgun microphones are directional, meaning they pick up sound more precisely in the direction they are pointing, making them the industry standard for professional audio recording.

Why might a smaller shotgun microphone not be ideal for smartphone use?

Smaller shotgun microphones designed for smartphones may not offer significant advantages over built-in microphones due to their size limitations, and they still require the user to stay close to the microphone.

What is the recommended Bluetooth wireless microphone for smartphone content creators according to the script?

The recommended Bluetooth wireless microphone for smartphone content creators is the Hollyland Lark M2.

What feature does the Hollyland Lark M2 microphone have that makes it stand out for smartphone use?

The Hollyland Lark M2 microphone has a very small and reliable smartphone receiver that draws power directly from the phone, eliminating the need for an internal battery, and includes a Smart AI noise cancellation feature.

What is the purpose of the 'enhanced speech' tool from Adobe Podcast and how does it work?

The 'enhanced speech' tool is designed to improve the quality of audio recordings. It can take audio that sounds terrible and enhance it to sound much better, and even improve good audio to make it sound great.

What are some tips for improving audio quality regardless of the microphone being used, as mentioned in the script?

Tips for improving audio quality include proper mic placement (6 to 12 inches away from the mouth), using R coat stickies for lav mics, acoustically treating the recording space with rugs, panels, or blankets, and using Adobe's 'enhanced speech' tool for post-recording audio enhancement.

What are the basic steps involved in the audio editing workflow in Premiere Pro as described in the script?

The basic steps in the audio editing workflow in Premiere Pro include using the single-band compressor with the 'voice leveler' preset to normalize loudness, adjusting output gain, applying a parametric equalizer with the 'vocal enhancer' preset, and adding a hard limiter to prevent clipping.

What is the significance of the -6 dB mark in audio editing?

The -6 dB mark is significant as it is the target peak level for audio in editing. It helps to ensure that the audio is loud enough without clipping or distorting.

What is the '14-day filmmaker' course mentioned in the script and what does it offer?

The '14-day filmmaker' is an online course and community for creators that teaches everything needed to shoot and edit professional cinematic content in under 14 days. It covers gear, shooting settings, composition, movements, lighting, audio capturing, and editing, with lifetime access to a private community and additional resources.