Have you ever been to a film shoot? Have you ever noticed a guy holding a rod with the furry structure in the front right above the actors performing? It all looks fascinating, right? Shooting a film is definitely fun, exciting and fascinating but quite complicated and exhausting at the same time.
Field recording is the production or recording of the audio outside the studio. It includes the recording of natural as well as human sound. Your mic needs to capture that sound only, which is required to capture. There are lavalier microphones, shotgun microphones and dynamic microphones that are available in the market for shooting purposes, but shotgun microphones are mostly preferred for field recording scenarios as scenes should look natural without the mic getting into the frame.
Shotgun microphones are those mics that I mentioned above where some person holds a long rod having a microphone at the end. There are some factors you should keep in mind like the mic should be field-proven, signal-to-noise ratio, low self-noise, polar pattern etc. Here I have sorted some of the best mics for field recording for you by analyzing all these factors.
If you are a singer, then I will suggest you to look at our mic for singers - which gives excellent quality.
LIST OF BEST MICS FOR FIELD RECORDING
Product Image | Brand Name | Product Details | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
 | RODE | ||
 | AUDIO TECHNICA | ||
 | VIDPRO | ||
 | NEEWER | ||
 | SENNHEISER |
8 BEST MICS FOR FIELD RECORDING REVIEW
1. RODE NTG4+ - BEST SHOTGUN MIC FOR FIELD RECORDING
PRODUCT DETAILS
With a super-attractive build, the Rode NTG4+ mic is one of the very first few mics that introduced an in-built battery. Its super powerful battery ensures 150 hours of uninterrupted operation so that you can easily carry this microphone for long outdoor field recordings.
You don’t need to worry about its charging time too, as its long-lasting battery just gets charged within 2 hours through the micro USB provided so that you can charge this microphone with the help of a computer, power banks or even in your car, making it more convenient to carry. Rode NTG2 was very popular and widely accepted by users.
To make further improvements, Rode introduced a condenser capsule in Rode NTG4+ microphone. This condenser ensures a low noise floor & high sensitivity to get a rich and smooth sound experience. Its digital switching makes the onboard equalization and controlling of levels even easier. It has a high-pass filter, high-frequency boost and a pad that can also be controlled by digital switching.
You don’t need to adjust the settings again and again, as its persistent state retains your settings even when your microphone is off. It includes an RM5 mic clip for easy placement, a foam windshield to reduce the unnecessary wind and background noises, especially in outdoor environments, a ZP1 pouch for good protection and a Micro USB for charging and connection purposes.
With solid metal construction, this directional condenser microphone is one of the best mics for field recording.
Pros
Cons
2. AUDIO TECHNICA AT875R - BEST CONDENSER MIC FOR FIELD RECORDING
PRODUCT DETAILS
Audio Technica Microphone is one of the best mics for field recording, video productions and broadcasting (ENG/EFP) audio acquisition. The most convenient to mount and operate as it is just 7 inches long with a small diameter.
You can easily mount this microphone on DV camcorders, and you won’t even feel that anything has been added to it without any noticeable heft that makes this microphone perfect for even compact digital cameras. You can easily use this microphone with stands and boom poles.
With a fixed-charge backplate and permanently polarized condenser, this microphone ensures the best sound quality. With an excellent off-axis rejection, this microphone provides smooth and natural on-axis sound quality by rejecting the sounds arriving from the sides and rear of the mic.
It features a tailored response mechanism to reduce the camera and handling noises so that you can easily record with other heavy pieces of equipment required for shooting. The microphone is capable of picking sound from long distances with its narrow acceptance angle, making it more desirable for outdoor shoots. Its well-balanced frequency response ensures a natural and distortion-free sound experience.
You get a foam windscreen to cut background noises and a stand clamp, a mounting adapter for easy placement, a mic clip and a protective pouch with the microphone. With a rugged and lightweight body, the microphone operates on phantom power and delivers professional-quality recording outputs.
With good directional-pick-up characteristics, solid and compact build and reasonable price, this mic is the best mic for field recording.
Pros
Cons
3. VIDPRO XM-55 - BEST MIC FOR AMBIENT FIELD RECORDING
PRODUCT DETAILS
The VidPro XM-55 microphone kit comes with a condenser microphone and so many amazing accessories to use with video cameras and DSLRs that complement this professional microphone. Perfect for amateurs as well as professionals, this best mics for field recording gives you all the necessary equipment in one case along with the best mic for field recording.
The microphone has XLR connectivity. To support the XLR connection, it has various short and long audio cables with multiple connectors, a mini 3.5 mm jack and a ¼” adapter. It has 26 feet audio cable that makes it ideal for scenarios like outdoor interviews where you may need to roam around from one place to another.
Furry wind muff and foam windshield ensure smooth and natural output by reducing wind noises while cushioned foam-padded hand grip for comfortable off-camera usage. The microphone is widely compatible with various mounting options available.
It has an adjustable shock suspension mount, fixed mic stand mount with adapters and camera shoe mounting easily compatible with ⅝” mic stand, ⅜” boom pole and ¼” tripod.
To protect this all-in-one kit, a protective easy to carry hard case is also provided to make this microphone transportation friendly. Its super-cardioid pattern picks up the sound from the frontal area rejecting off-axis attenuation.
With solid, durable aluminum-alloy construction, the XM-55 microphone works supremely well with HDSLRs, handheld recorders, camcorders, field recorders make it the perfect choice for indoor and outdoor shooting that includes studio recording, interviews, recording documentaries, promo videos, films, travel videos etc.
Pros
Cons
4. NEEWER - BEST BUDGET MIC FOR FIELD RECORDING
PRODUCT DETAILS
The Neewer unidirectional shotgun microphone features a cardioid voice pickup pattern. The cardioid pattern of this unidirectional microphone isolates the main sound source minimizing background noises so that you can get the best vocal performance.
It ensures a smooth frequency response to get the most natural sound experience. Its artificial fur wind cover reduces wind and other noise interference, while the anti-wind foam cap gives you a vibration-free smooth recording.
It has one 3.5 mm XLR cable and one 6.35 mm, 8 meters long XLR cable along with two microphones stand so that it can pick up good sound range from long distances.
Easily mountable with camcorders and DSLRs with 3.5mm or 6.35 mm input sockets, this microphone gives a wide compatible range. You need a hot-shoe adapter for Sony and Minolta cameras. With amazing sound quality, this microphone is the best mics for field recording, business conferences, media interviews, stage, speech, films, television, shotgun interview, video makings etc.
Pros
Cons
5. SENNHEISER PRO - BEST DYNAMIC MIC FOR FIELD RECORDING
PRODUCT DETAILS
Suitable for both indoor and outdoor, this microphone by Sennheiser is quite sensitive to its surroundings with a clear focus on sound perfect for professional film recordings as it rejects maximum side noises. It picks up the sound coming from the direction of a camera only and attenuates the noises from the side and rear.
To reduce handling and wind noise, it has a low-cut filter so that you can enjoy the high-quality, clear sound with no background noises. Its excellent low-frequency reproduction ensures a rich sound experience and high intelligibility so that you can record with more comfort.
It suppresses lateral noise interferences and delivers outstanding directivity. You can record your audio from a distance, and you won’t even feel that the sound source was not close to the microphone. Its foam windshield and hairy cover effectively reduce irritating wind noises, which makes it a light and weatherproof microphone achieving perfect interplay of audio and video even in adverse conditions.
Mostly the phantom power is required for the operation of a shotgun microphone, but Sennheiser Pro audio microphone can also be operated on standard AA batteries, making it perfect for the cameras not equipped with a phantom power supply.
You can easily switch on the battery power and turn it off when the camera is no longer in use to avoid rapid discharging. The battery gives you 8 hours of runtime with an LED switch to indicate its battery status making it more flexible for outdoor shoots. With a rugged solid metal body, easy plug and play mechanism and camera settings, this is one of the best mics for field recording.
Pros
Cons
6. SYNCO SHOTGUN MICROPHONE
PRODUCT DETAILS
With the hyper-cardioid polar pattern and sound wave interference system, the SYNCO shotgun microphone can pick up off-axis sound effectively, making it one of the best mics for field recording.
Perfect for recording low or distant voices as it picks up the sound in more detail with the max acoustic input. Its ultra-low noise floor ensures low background noises while transferring desired signal waves.
Balanced frequency ensures the same input-output results, and the ultra-flat response of this microphone gives you this same input-output result to give you the best natural sound experience.
The windshield provided with the microphone reduced the environmental noises making it perfect for outdoor recordings, while 19.7 inches XLRM-XLRF cable can connect this microphone to tripods, boom poles, camcorders etc., making it a widely compatible microphone for field recordings.
Pros
Cons
7. DEITY SHOTGUN MICROPHONE
PRODUCT DETAILS
Deity shotgun microphone is one of the best mics for field recording as it has a super-cardioid wide pick up pattern that minimizes unnecessary ambient sound and captures the sound perfectly even when the source is a little bit off track, making it the perfect choice for reality TV crews, interviews, filmmaking etc.
Its low off-axis coloration rejects the frequencies from outside that ensures crisp, clear and natural output even in scenarios like a low ceiling or overhead obstructions. Its ultra-low self-noise features make the speech and dialogue more natural without any distractions.
The body of this Deity Shotgun microphone is designed from 100% solid brass with epoxy sealed gold-coated PCB board and moisture-resistant capsule, making it perfect for rough shooting conditions. The hard case is waterproof and shockproof that keeps the microphone safe during traveling.
Its mic clip effectively isolates vibration and cable noises. It has a foam windscreen to get rid of unwanted background noises. You can add faux fur windjammer over foam windscreen to get an extra layer of protection against wind noises.
Low profile shotgun microphone perfect for beginners as well as professionals that rejects RF interference and off-axis frequencies should be on your consideration list.
Pros
Cons
8. COMICA CVM-VM20 PROFESSIONAL SHOTGUN MICROPHONE
PRODUCT DETAILS
This professional shotgun microphone by Comica is one of the best mics for field recording to capture target sound accurately and clearly as its super-cardioid polar pattern eliminates the background noise effectively. It has two low-cut filter modes (75 dB and 150 dB) to filter out low-frequency noises to get perfect and pure sound quality.
You can adjust the gain step by step according to your needs freely, making it more convenient, smooth and stable to use. It is featured with an OLED screen to track the battery status and monitor real-time power usage.
The battery gives 60 hours of performance also; you can use it while charging, which makes it perfect for shooting anytime, anywhere. The body is made of metal providing excellent shielding. You can adjust the positions of the shock mount that reduces shaking and vibrations during recording.
Also, the windscreen and wind muffs provided reduce the wind and background noises to give you the best recording effects. With 3.5 mm TRS and TRRS adapter cables, this microphone is compatible with most devices, including smartphones, DSLRs, camcorders etc.
Pros
Cons
CONCLUSION
So these are some of the best mics for field recording I handpicked for you. Not only for field recording, but you can also use them for Youtube, vlogging, shooting traveling videos etc. These mics are the best for any kind of outdoor shooting due to their lightweight and amazing sound capturing capacity.
You need to be careful while handling these mics with care as the components used are quite delicate. Also, check battery life, precision, signal to noise ratio, flexibility, weight, self-noise, connectivity etc., before buying. No doubt your budget plays an important role too. Choose wisely, have fun recording and shooting. Happy Shopping!
Hey all, I’m Elise, I love to play music with the most lovely tuning instruments. I tried many of the musical instruments that I wished to play. Like me, many might have been seeking for good musical instruments. For those, I would like to provide a good list of instruments that I tried playing. This may help your search progress! Move ahead and read the articles.