What to watch out for when using a voice recorder for videos

Whether for an online course or for videos on a YouTube channel, capturing audio makes a huge difference. The quality of sound is the difference between amateur and professional content.

So, it’s really worth learning a few tricks about voice recorders for videos. After all, bad audio ends up affecting the entire content.

In addition to the audience’s experience not being the best, all the work you put into preparing your script, planning the topics and even rehearsing dialogs is compromised. And of course, the results don’t live up to their potential.

In order to leave the amateurish videos behind and increase the quality of your material, keep reading!

What is the importance of audio quality in videos?

Have you ever received a printed text whose readability was pretty bad?

It looks like a huge block of words, disorganized, that doesn’t make you feel like reading it, even if the content is great.

When we deal with videos, the quality of the audio is practically as important as the scannability of a text, as well as its lighting.

If you take a look at two video classes about the same subject, but one is noisy and the other one has a better quality of sound, you’ll hardly prefer the former.

Voice clarity makes all the difference not only making the video look more professional, but also so that the content can be understood. In other words, the audio resolution is decisive for a positive audience experience.

What equipment is needed in order to record good audio?

Now that you know more about the importance of audio in videos, write down the equipment you’ll need.

Microphones

A microphone for videos is one of the key items.

You can capture audio directly from the recorder, but this is where the main thing responsible for the final quality of the sound lies. So, having a good microphone is worth it.

For starters, there are condenser and dynamic microphones.

The former is more sensitive, so they are the ones preferred by recording studios, for example.

The latter, on the other hand, are great for capturing different sound intensities, thus the name. However, they don’t have the same precision as condenser microphones.

In addition, this equipment has a huge variety of technical characteristics and shape, and this influences the results.

Basically, the most common audio capturing standards are:

• Cardioid (heart-shaped): Captures audio in front intensely, and from the sides, slightly;
• Omnidirectional: Has the sensitivity to capture high-intensity sound from any direction;
• Unidirectional: Captures, with excellent precision, all sounds from the front, only slightly picking up sound from the sides;
• Bidirectional: Has the same capturing capacity in two opposing directions (front and back) and are mostly used for musical duets.

You also need to select the shape of the microphone, such as the lapel, shotgun (or boom) and round (shaped like an ice-cream cone). In order to use them together with the voice recorder for videos, the first two are better suited because they ensure better audio direction.

Now, if you can’t, or don’t want to, invest in this equipment, you can also capture audio from your smartphone. Of course, the results won’t be as perfect as if you use a professional microphone, but certain devices nowadays have excellent built-in features.

Recorders

As important as the microphone is relying on an excellent voice recorder for videos. It is crucial so that you can later insert the audio file into your video. Therefore, it’s a good idea to write down this tip also.

You can record the audio on separate equipment as well as use the recording features of audio editing programs. So, don’t forget to choose good software.

And if you choose to buy a recorder, don’t get those that have a lot of compression and short frequency range, because they don’t deliver good results.

Cables and headphones

Last but not least are the cables and headphones, which should always be in excellent mechanical condition.

And no jerry-rigging, okay?

Accessories should be kept clean,  without splices or smashes, so that the audio can be captured correctly.

What care should be taken when recording audios?

There! You’ve written down the equipment you need, so let’s get to work!

When recording, pay attention to the following details:

1- Pay attention to the room’s soundproofing

The smaller the space for sound distribution, the better the audio capturing will be.

Have you ever noticed how audio on WhatsApp is clearer when it’s recorded inside a car or any other small space?

Well then, you should have a recording studio with good soundproofing, even if homemade.

2- Watch out for possible noises

Attention to noise is very important so that the voice recorder doesn’t pick up sounds that might interfere with the clarity of your voice.

The more soundproofed the microphone is, the better it will be so that the audio doesn’t suffer from interference. In addition, observe if the room doesn’t contain the following:

• A lot of wind;
• Nearby animals;
• Bodies of water (rivers and waterfalls, for example);
• Factories, construction work or traffic;
• Noisy equipment (such as appliances);
• Loud neighbors, etc.

Also, pay attention to reverberation, which is the effect of sound persistence after its emission, like an echo. This occurs in very large spaces. Rugs, upholstery and even furniture help control the problem.

3- Rehearse your speech

You have a great room, an excellent microphone and the best voice recorder for videos, but your results still seem amateurish? Perhaps your speech is flawed.

Even if you know a lot about the subject, bad language habits, difficulty in developing your thoughts, repetitions and stutters can be avoided by rehearsing.

4- Avoid sudden movements

One last thing is to avoid sudden movements during the production of videos.

Especially if your microphone is very sensitive, suddenly opening your arms wide might create noise, for example. Since we usually gesticulate while we talk, there’s a chance that it will be impossible to remove noise without compromising the construction of phrases.

How about investing in audio quality for your videos?

As you’ve seen, capturing quality audio requires certain care and good equipment. Hunting for a condenser microphone and investing in a voice recorder for professional videos will be worthwhile.

This might seem like a mere detail, but you can rest assured that your audience’s experience will be improved with first-rate audio.

Did you enjoy these tips or do you have any questions? We’d really like to hear you out. Just leave us a comment below!