If you need to record dialogue or sound effects outdoors, then a shotgun microphone is the ideal tool for the job. Shotgun microphones are extremely focussed so that the sound of your target is easily isolated. They're also designed to handle a bit of wet weather and quickly shifting temperatures - perfect for working on location.
When Is a Shotgun Microphone Needed?
Usually, a shotgun microphone is secured to the end of a boom arm so it can be suspended over the heads of the actors or subjects while keeping the microphone out of shot. Because shotgun mikes often have a supercardioid or hypercardioid polar pattern and an interference tube, they are extremely focussed so you can capture clean and tight audio from as much as a metre away. However, because of the interference tube, any sounds coming from either side of the microphone are extremely coloured, which makes the natural echoes in a closed space sound a bit unnatural. This is why shotgun microphones are generally used for outdoor recordings. If you're recording dialogue indoors, a normal small-diaphragm condenser microphone with a super or hypercardioid polar pattern will do a better job.
Directional Microphones for Video Recorders or DSLR Cameras
Video cameras or DSLR cameras and system cameras almost always have an audio input in the form of a 3.5mm mini-jack. While you can't plug a standard XLR microphone in, you'll have no problem hooking up a dedicated camera microphone. These microphones will usually come fitted with a 3.5mm mini-jack plug and will often have a shoe mount so they can slot directly onto your camera.
USB Shotgun Microphones for Smartphones
In our range of camera microphones, you'll also be able to find a few shotgun microphones that can be connected up via USB. While there aren't many of these models available just yet, they're already extremely popular among vloggers and YouTubers simply because they can be plugged directly into a phone or tablet. As such, the range of available models is only likely to grow.
XLR Shotgun Microphones
You might be wondering how normal XLR shotgun microphones are used on a film set. Most of the time, the sound is captured via a separate audio recorder, and then during post production, the sound is synchronised with the film. There are some solutions that lie in between. For example, some microphone designers like Sennheiser and RØDE offer XLR shotgun microphones that run on one or more batteries, and can be directly connected to the audio input of a camera via an XLR to mini-jack adapter cable. Other names like Tascam, IK Multimedia and TC Helicon also offer compact and portable microphone preamps fitted with one or more XLR inputs and a mini-jack output which, depending on the setup, can be less draining for your camera battery.
Wireless Shotgun Microphones
Unfortunately, wireless shotgun microphones don't actually exist. However, using a snap-on transmitter, you can convert a standard shotgun microphone into a wireless one. Just make sure that the snap-on transmitter you choose can also supply phantom power, or just use a battery-powered microphone. This method is actually used a lot since it gives a sound technician a lot more room to move around.
A Microphone on a Stick: Holders & Boom Poles
During film and TV shoots, a shotgun microphone is usually mounted on the end of a boom pole so it can be held over the heads of the actors, keeping it close to the audio source while keeping well out of shot. A sound technician will physically hold the boom pole so that they can move the microphone as the actors move. If you don't point a shotgun microphone directly at the subject, then the audio can sound a bit far away and diffused. Shotgun microphones, like any other condenser microphone, are really sensitive to contact noise and wind, so it's always a good idea to suspend the microphone in a shockmount and cover it with a windshield. With a classic microphone blimp, you get both jobs done in one shot.
Frequency Asked Questions About Shotgun Microphones
What's a directional microphone?
Directional microphones, like shotgun microphones, are extremely sensitive to sound coming from a specific direction. So any sounds coming from any other direction will sound much quieter. Directional microphones include models with a cardioid, supercardioid or hypercardioid polar pattern.
What's a shotgun microphone?
A shotgun microphone is a specialised directional microphone that's commonly used within the film and television industry. Most shotgun microphones have a supercardioid or hypercardioid polar pattern and the way that the microphone captures audio is often made even more focussed via an interference tube - the longer the tube, the more focussed the microphone.
