What Are The Best Microphones For Live Streaming

There are a lot of factors that go into making a successful live stream, but perhaps none are more important than good audio quality. For many of the live streaming events that we handle, we might need to use several different types of microphones for a variety of scenarios. Thus, we will always bring multiple microphones to make sure that we have the best audio possible.

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If you are holding a live streaming event, while the camera and broadcaster are both important, the age of the iPhone means that pretty much everyone has a powerful camera in their pocket. Social media sites such as YouTube and Facebook make it easy to make live recordings with the push of a button. But while the video and live streaming elements may seem easy enough, recording pro level audio is a different story. That’s where it becomes necessary to use additional gear to ensure that everyone listening at home can hear what is being said crisply and cleanly.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the different types of microphones we use on a regular basis and what each microphone is built for.

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Shure Beta 58a

The Shure Beta 58a is known as a very reliable and versatile microphone that can be used for a lot of different scenarios. It is what’s known as a dynamic mic, which is a kind of microphone that intakes the sound waves and converts them into an electrical signal via electromagnetism. There are two main types of dynamic microphones, ones that use a moving coil and those based on ribbon microphones.

The Shure Beta 58a uses a moving coil magnetic diaphragm, which makes it possible to reliably capture sound. It is especially useful at high sound pressure levels, meaning you can use them at loud events, such as concerts or sporting events. They are also designed for quieter settings as well, a major reason they are considered so versatile.

These microphones look like a traditional microphone, the kind you hold in your hand close to your mouth while speaking. At a wedding, they are perfect for giving toasts and speeches, or for the MC to use while making announcements. But I can also use these on a mic stand to capture the sound from a live musical performance at a wedding or funeral. At their price point, I have found them to be one of the best dynamic mics on the market.

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Rode Pro Podcaster

Rode is one of the leading companies when it comes to producing high end mics, so it was a bit of a surprise when they dropped their new Pro Podcaster. At a more affordable price point, this mic was specifically designed to get pro level audio for home podcasters who may not be able to afford to record in a professional studio. But at Portland Event Films, we’ve found a number of great uses for this simple but versatile mic.

One of the most common types of events we need to live stream for are panel discussions at conferences, seminars, presentations, and the like. You’ll have four or five people at a table speaking to the audience, and might have a separate moderator positioned somewhere else on stage. We tried to avoid the situation where you have one or two mics on stage being passed back and forth between speakers, as this tends to bog down the discussion and make it less organic. This is why the Rode Pro Podcaster is such a terrific solution.

We can set up a mic in front of each speaker so that they are all talking directly into a microphone at all times. For the moderator, we either give them a podcaster mic as well, or if they need the freedom to move around on stage, we’ll give them a handheld microphone, like the Shure Beta described above. We’d then have one or two wireless microphones on hand as well for audience questions. This is a great example of how a single event might need different types of microphones for everyone involved.

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Rode M5

The Rode M5 is what is known as a pencil thin condenser microphone. They do not have the ball head that we normally associate with hand held microphones. What’s great about these little microphones is they are cardioid microphones, meaning they only pick up sound from the front. Audio coming from the side or rear is generally blocked out. This is why they are so popular for recording bands and concerts. If you put one of these directly in front of the guitar player, you’re only going to hear the guitar, not the bass or drums.

These are great microphones to use in noisy environments where you only want to pick up the speaker. While a bit more expensive than some entry or mid-level options, the excellent sound fidelity they provide more than makes up for the added cost, while still being cheaper than the professional microphones you might find in a studio. The only draw back for events is they can’t easily be used as handheld microphones and require a stand set up.

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Shure 412 Gooseneck

These mics are known as a gooseneck because they have a long, thin, flexible stand that allows the user to finely adjust the positioning. They are similar to cardioid mics, but have an even narrower area of sensitivity. This means that the speaker is better isolated and ambient sound is blocked out. They also offer a greater feedback resistance, which can be an annoying problem at events when cheap mics or amplifiers are used.

You’ll most likely see these mics on podiums or lecterns. They make a great option for keynote speakers or moderators. In the scenario described above, your panel might be using individual podcaster mics, while the MC is at a separate podium with the Shure 412 Gooseneck. As always, it’s imperative that you approach events with an eye on versatility and adaptability, so you can adjust to the circumstances as needed.

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Rode Shotgun Mic

In the audio game, shotgun mics, also called line or gradient microphones, are a standard must have for live events. These are the long microphones that you’ll see sound people holding at the end of a pole they keep positioned overhead. Rode is famous for their shotgun mics, and they offer options at various price points, depending on your budget.

These mics are known as hyper cardioids, with a very narrow range but that is able to pick up sounds at a greater distance than a standard dynamic mic. This is because the capsule is located at one end of an interference tube, helping to eliminate sounds from the rear or sides thanks to phase cancellation.

These mics will be used when the speaker is some distance away from the microphone. If it’s not possible to provide individual mics for each speaker, or even a hand held mic that is passed back and forth, then your only option may be to place a shot gun mic next to your camera or sound recorder and aim it at the speaker from a distance. Just keep in mind that you’re likely to pick up more ambient noise, and you will need to move the mic to follow the speaker or sound source, if they are moving about.

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