What are shotgun microphones best used for?

A professional shotgun mic is usually used to capture sound at a distance, meaning that the microphone is trying to pick up low-level signals. This is why a quality shotgun microphone needs to have sensitivity higher than those intended to pick up close sources.

Is a shotgun mic dynamic?

A type of microphone characterized by an extremely directional polar pattern. Shotgun mics may be condenser or dynamic, but are almost always built with a long (8 to 24 inch) tube protruding from the front.

Is a shotgun mic omni directional?

The shotgun mic is like a laser, narrowly focused on one spot.” An omnidirectional mic picks up sounds from all directions equally, so you need to hold it close to your subject if there are competing background sounds. The shotgun mic focuses wherever it is pointed with a narrow and long beam.

How far away should a shotgun mic be?

The most expensive shotgun mics can only capture audio from a distance of six to ten feet, while more affordable mics sound their best at a distance of three to four feet away. Interviews are typically shot from about seven to ten feet away from the subject.

How does a shotgun mic work?

How do they work? All shotgun microphones use a standard directional microphone capsule – generally one with a tight polar pattern (supercardioid) placed at the bottom of a long, hollow tube with slots along the surface of the tube. In essence, a shotgun microphone operates on the principle of “waveform interference”.

What is the polar pattern of a shotgun mic?

A shotgun microphone has a lobar polar/pickup pattern (an extension of the supercardioid or hypercardioid polar patterns). Interference tubes are placed in front of the diaphragm to achieve extreme directionality. These unidirectional mics generally have small side and rear lobes of sensitivity.

Why do shotgun mics have windscreens?

The foam windscreen offers the least protection from wind. It is usually a free accessory included with the purchase of your shotgun mic. A deadcat is a sleeve of fake fur and open-cell foam that slips directly over your shotgun microphone.