Sound for Video Session: Microphone Polar Patterns & Q&A

In this week's Sound for Video Session, we cover the tradeoffs of using different types of polar patterns and when you might want to choose a shotgun mic vs a non-shotgun boom. Then cover your sound related questions.

If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. We also just added a course on sound for live-streaming with the ATEM Mini.

Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, DVE Store, or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:

- Behind the Sound Cart by Patrushkha Mierzwa - Amazon

- Earthworks SR314 - B&H, Sweetwater

- Panasonic GH5 camera - B&H, Amazon

- Canon C70 Camera - B&H

- Canon RF 24-70 f/2.8L IS lens - B&H, Amazon

- TA3-M to XLR-F Adapter cable to feed microphones to C70 or Blackmagic Pocket cameras - B&H

- ATEM Mini Extreme & Extreme ISO - B&H, DVE Store, Amazon

- Allen & Heath SQ5 Digital Mixer - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Sound Devices MixPre II Series Recorders - B&H, Sweetwater, Amazon

- Rupert Neve Designs Shelford Channel, pre-amp, EQ, compressor - Sweetwater, B&H

Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself.

Copyright 2021, Curtis Judd

Sound for Video Session: Microphone Polar/Pickup Patterns and Orca Sound Bags

This week we're back with a question and answer session. The questions submitted this week asked about polar/pickup patterns of microphones: When would I use a hypercardioid vs supercardioid? What about microphones with multiple polar patterns?

Then we talked a little about bags for your recorder or mixer. Big lesson I learned: Don't buy a bigger bag than you really need. Instead, buy a bag which fits your recorder snugly but comfortably, and then have a separate bag for all the stuff you don't want to carry with you while you're recording.

Also had a look at my two Orca bags - bags made specifically for sound recorders and mixers which have a ton of ergonomic features which make recording in the field a much more pleasant experience and help ensure you capture the sound like you intended.

Orca OR-34 (huge bag for the Sound Devices 688, Zaxcom Nomad, or similarly sized recorders/mixers)

Orca OR-30 (smaller bag for the Zoom F8, Sound Devices 633, or similarly sized recorders/mixers)