If you do not have good audio, then you do not have good video. Live by this, because your videos will die by this if you don’t.

A few big things go into good audio: environment, microphones and how it’s recorded. I want to touch on how it’s recorded.

If you’re using a HDSLR like I am, then you have to find a better way than recording straight into the camera to record audio. A mic, or god forbid just the camera’s mic, straight into the camera is not going to cut it. One option is to use an external recorder, and then sync the audio in post. That’s extra steps and can be difficult if you’re just starting out. Though if done properly the results are fantastic, and most times best.

In my situation though, I need to be able to shoot and edit quickly, making that extra work tough to squeeze in. So I use a preamp. A preamp filters the audio before it enters the camera. This way all the audio is being recorded to the camera and you don’t have to sync in post. I use a JuicedLink Riggy Micro, which I couldn’t imagine my kit being without. When using it, you put the gain on your camera down to one or two, and adjust the the gain on the preamp higher. You can also use better microphones with your preamp, as better microphones will use XLR outputs and your camera does not have XLR inputs.

News Shooter (formerly DSLR News Shooter) put together an excellent post a while back that you should read on the JuicedLink Riggy Micro. Their spot-on review of it, is above.

OliviaTech also has a good post on using preamps and another on making sure your preamp is grounded properly if sitting in the hot shoe of your camera.

I don’t have many complaints about the Riggy, expect that it’s not made well to sit under the camera and the “adapters” to mount it on top  in the hot shoe are relatively expensive. It’s essentially a hot shoe mount, but what you need are the mounts for mics on the preamp when it sits on top of your camera.

Of course there are other options aside from JuicedLink, like the newly announced Tascam DR-60d. Haven’t used that or heard too much about it, but I do have a Tascam DR-100 MKII and DR-40 and they are excellent. I realize this was JuicedLink heavy, so please let me know if you have used another preamp and your experiences with it.

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