Let’s learn about microphone placement and what to keep in mind while setting up the microphone on your subject.
Lavaliere (Lapel) Mic
​
Placing a lavaliere mic isn’t a difficult task, but there are some things to keep in mind. As explained earlier, since the lav mic has an omnidirectional pickup pattern, you can’t really go wrong when placing it on your subject. Just be sure that the microphone is within 6 or 8” away from the subject’s mouth. This will ensure that their breath or chin don’t hit the microphone and that it is close enough to produce a full sound. By moving the mic further away than that general range invites background/room noise into the mix as well as distances the mic from the sound source, so it becomes weaker.
Clipping on a microphone breaks the wall of personal space, so you should always ask your subject ahead of time. Politely ask, “is it alright if I clip this on your collar?” If not, they can always clip it on themselves with your guidance. If shooting video, it’s always a good idea to hide the wire so it isn’t visible on camera. You can ask your subject to drop the wire down the front of their shirt or to unbutton or unzip a jacket hide it underneath. Try to clip the mic in the center of their chest, just under the line from their collarbones. You can also clip it on a tie or jacket lapel. If they are wearing t-shirt, you can use a small piece of medical tape (or similar) to tape the microphone on the inside of their collar. Be sure to leave the tip of the mic poking through so that it doesn’t rub on the inside of their shirt. A few things to keep in mind while using a lav mic also include looking out for long hair and jewelry that might rub on the mic when recording or jingle loudly next to it, overpowering the subject’s voice. While there are a lot of variables, using a lavaliere microphone is always the best option for capturing a single voice.
Shotgun Mic
​
Placing a shotgun microphone is a much simpler task than placing a lavaliere, but it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give it attention. Shotgun microphones are usually fit into a shock mount, a holder for the microphone that keeps it suspended on a set of rubber bands to prevent shakes and bumps from transferring to the recording. Some shock mounts are attached to the microphone, like in the example to the left, and others are separate units that you slide the microphone into. Either one is crucial for capturing clean audio. The shotgun microphone can be placed on top of your camera with the proper adapters, in a hand grip for you or an assistant to hold, or on the end of an extension pole to get as close as possible to your subjects.
When using the shotgun microphone, the goal is to get the microphone as close to the subject without being in the camera frame (if you are using a camera, that is). As mentioned in the previous topic, the further away you keep the shotgun microphone, the more room and background noise are introduced into the path of the mic. If you are placing the mic on top of a camera, be sure that the camera is within close range, about 4-6 feet away, and it is aiming at your subject. If you are using a hand grip or extension pole, get as close to your subject as you can and point the microphone at their mouth (when filming, this is usually just above or just below the subject, out of the camera’s frame). If you are interviewing more than one person and using a handgrip or extension pole, turn the microphone toward the person who is speaking as you need to. When you are using a shotgun microphone to capture general audio, placement is simple; just aim the microphone in the direction of the sound.
Proper Placement of a
Lavaliere Mic
Shotgun Microphone Properly Aimed
from a distance of about 5 feet
Topic 3 - Microphone Placement
Shotgun Microphone Placed
Above Subject and Out of Camera Frame