Buying Guides

The acronym "PA" stands for Public Address, and a portable PA system allows you to do just that—speak publicly to a large group of people. A portable PA is a compact audio solution for amplifying your voice and music. Before you buy a portable PA system, there are a few questions you should ask yourself first...

MXL has come out with a new USB computer audio interface and microphone combo called the Mic Mate. It enables you to record up to four microphones, directly into a Mac or Windows computer, all in a compact package. A microphone is included, along with a table stand and the necessary cables. With the addition of the MXL Fox Microphone 3-Pack, you can have a full-blown mobile podcasting studio.

There are many options in the portable digital recorder market today, but there aren't too many choices that promise a solidly built device designed specifically for broadcast professionals. One such recorder is the Marantz PMD661, and it's packed with many useful features that may not be immediately apparent. In this post I'll take a closer look at the PMD661, and point out a few key features that make this unit such a good choice for field recording.

One of the coolest things about being a guitarist in a band is that you get to rock out with an awesome looking electric guitar. The same thing goes for drummers. There are few things that are cooler looking than drum sets. But what about the lead singer? Microphones are sort of cool looking, but that doesn't really cut it. The solution is to hit the stage with a stylish chrome Ultimate Support MC-90C mic stand.

This week one of my co-workers asked me which inexpensive shotgun microphone I recommended for use with a Zoom H4n portable recorder. His one requirement was that the mic could not cost more than $150. I looked at the available options in this price range for a few minutes and eventually came back with nothing. The simple answer was that the best shotgun microphone in the $150 price range costs around $250.

When the president of the United States speaks, the world listens, so long as the mic is on. Since 1968 that mic has been the Shure SM57 in a dual configuration. Dual mics add redundancy, and frankly, a sense of importantance. 

One SM57 is usually wired to house audio, and the other to a breakout box which is fed to media outlets. In all the years I've been watching Presidents talk (since Carter!) I've never heard a dropout or tech failure--a salute to the rock solid reliability Shure SM57s have.

Loads of people are shooting HD video with DSLR cameras these days, and likewise, they're discovering that attaching microphones and other audio equipment to these cameras can be a little tricky. If you want to use a professional shotgun microphone on your camera, you're going to need a special kind of mount called a "shockmount" that will help the sensitive microphone avoid handling and vibration noise. Here's a list of a few good shockmounts for DSLRs...