Barry Goodknight

The Importance of Good Audio

George Lucas once famously said “The sound is half the picture.”  He isn’t wrong, but you don’t have to be making multi-million dollar blockbusters to be able to use his advice.

It doesn’t matter how good a movie or video might be, if the audio is bad, it isn’t going to do well.  We can be quite harsh in our judgments against other people, especially through the anonymity of the internet.  We seem to be much more judgmental and rude when we know we are a couple of thousands of miles away from the object of our ire.

So with that said, any criticisms you receive over something like bad audio on one of your productions has the potential to escalate out of control.  It isn’t fair, but it’s much easier to improve the audio on a production than change the way the internet works.

The single best way to improve audio in most situations is to use a separate microphone.  The ones built into many camcorders are okay, but will pick up any other ambient noise in the scene.  This can often detract from it rather than enhance it.  Unfortunately, most cheaper cameras don’t have them.  It’s only on the more expensive ones that includes an audio in, so it’s something to look for when shopping for a new one.

By using external microphones they can be directed to only pick up the sound you want for the scene.  They can either be attached to the top of the camera, or better still placed near the action.  You can even take the feed from a sound board if one is being used, like for a conference or something.

To collect audio from a soundboard you will need a line level adapter, which is an inline widget that reduces the sound level down to what a microphone can cope with.

If you film a lot of interviews or monologues, then it may be worth investing in a wireless microphone.  These are small and unobtrusive but offer decent audio without interference.  Being wireless also aids portability and freedom of movement for the subject.  They are used extensively in professional studios, just look for the telltale bulges of the transmitter in the lower back of the subject.

You can get wired versions but they are much clunkier than wireless.  It’s definitely better to go wireless if you can afford it.

If all you have is the microphone built into the camera, you will need to move closer to the subject to get better audio.  Preferably between them and the interfering noise.  It doesn’t work better than a remote microphone, but it’s better than nothing, certainly if you can’t afford the other equipment.  Not everybody films people or interviews enough to warrant the expense.

Remember, good video is the most important, but it’s nothing if the audio isn’t any good.  You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on the best equipment around, but you should spend some if you have it.  If not then use technique and placement to make up the shortfall.  Getting yourself, and the camera between the noise and the subject will enhance the overall audio no end.

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