subject: Better Audio For Youtube Video [print this page] Almost anybody can post a video on the web now but one thing that will help that video have a professional feel is high quality audio. When acquiring audio there are 3 vital things to consider; audio source, audio levels and ambient noise.
The most vital thing to think of when recording audio for a youtube video is the audio source. Be it a camera mic an external microphone or a feed from a mixer the source will be the biggest part of audio quality.
Almost every video camera has a camera mic will produce lower quality audio. The audio from camera mic will often capture the sounds from the camera itself, the noise made by operating the camera and not to mention they are not often very directional so they pick up a lot of ambient noise.
If there is no choice but to use the camera mic the best solution is to get close to what ever audio is being recorded. If it is a person speaking, zoom out and move the camera closer to the person. If it is the sound of a saw cutting, again zoom out and move it. The closer the microphone is the better the audio will be.
An external microphone will almost always give better audio quality than a hand held mic will often be the best choice. stick mics are what you will often see on-screen reporters using with a mic flag that shows what station they work for. This type of microphone is good at eliminating unwanted noises and is easy for a person to point back and forth from themselves to another person.
In high end productions a boom microphone is often used. The boom microphone requires an operator and can be complicated. But in skilled hands it will acquire the best possible sound. They are highly directional and very sensitive. A good boom operator can acquire sound from multiple people and other sources at the same time.
Audio levels are just as important as the audio source. If there is a great audio source but the level is being over driven the audio will be unusable. Many cameras that have an external audio jack will allow the operator to control the levels of the audio. If the camera does not have controls, it will have automatically adjust the levels for the operator.
When using a camera with manual controls, it is always better to set the levels than to let the camera do it automatically. When a camera sets the levels automatically it will adjust the audio level to the loudest sound.
Many times, between sentences of a speaker there will be a pause. During this pause the camera will then adjust to the loudest sound, which could be something like the air conditioner, which is pretty quiet. When the speaker starts to talk again the first work will be very loud and then the camera will adjust again.
When setting the levels manually it is best to have the peak of the meters at about the mid range. That will assure that the audio will be clear and if the source gets louder it will not distort. If the camera has decibel (db) meters, on a digital camera set the peak at 20db and on an analog camera set it at 0db.
Ambient noise is often the biggest problem for audio. Ambient can range from a loud bird chirping to a plane flying overhead to a loud street. Avoiding ambient noise is always the best idea, but if not possible there are a few things that can be done to help reduce it.
When in a noisy area try to always use an external mic. In very noisy areas a stick mic is the best option, but if the look of a stick mic is not welcome a lav will work fine. If an external mic is not an option always face the camera mic, away from the noise source.
Here are a few tricks to help avoid ambient noise.
Use natural barriers, such as houses, trees, walls and cars to block noises,
Use the body of the person speaking to block noise (turn their back to the noise when using a lav or stick mic)
Get the microphone closer to the source of audio
Unplug noisy appliances
Now get out there and make a video with outstanding audio, your viewers will thank you!
