Bantymom
New member
Hi! *waves*
Newbie here, but I have found that forums are the absolutely BEST place to get real information, so I've joined here hoping it will work out again. I know nothing about microphones or mic stands
Why is this post so long? Wanted to provide as much information from my side as I could right up front. I appreciate your patience in reading this.
Situation: I need to record Mathematics lessons in various classrooms. For this, I have been supplied with an iPad, which seems to do a serviceable job of recording the video. However, when recently viewing a similar video taken by another teacher, it was clear that the mic on the iPad was barely capable of picking up what the teacher was saying, but it was nearly impossible to hear the students.
So I'm looking for a microphone that could help; one that would pick up the sounds that a person sitting in the room would hear.
Audience: These video recordings are for teachers to view, either individually on their own devices or as a group in a Professional Development training, where the video would be projected on to a screen to about 6-20 teachers at a time.
And did I mention I'm a teacher? I can't afford the best thing out there. I know I can't do this on the cheap, but I don't have a Hollywood budget either. Have mercy.
Considerations:
1) I do not have my own room, but go from room to room supporting teachers, so I can't set up any kind of permanent system. Whatever I use needs to be portable.
2) I might have to shoot the video from a back corner of the room, but if there were a fairly easy way to do so, I might be able to get a mic closer.
3) An Alvoxcon 20 Wireless Mic was suggested, but it seems to be one you would have to hold right up to the speaker, which will not work. I work with 1st-grade and Kindergarten classrooms and passing around a mic would be very distracting to the lesson.
4) As much as I would love to find a way to suspend the mic above the students, most likely it would end up being behind the students.
5) I need to find a way to support the mic in one place where it can pick up the teacher and the students, just the way a person in the room would be able to hear them, so specific suggestions for a lightweight mic stand would be very helpful.
6) It would be best if I didn't have to connect the mic directly into the iPad (thought that is not a deal breaker), so is wireless possible?
Since I don't even know what I'm talking about, I have probably missed some important information. Just let me know and I will do my best to supply it.
Edit: Just read something about a "shotgun mic" which looked like it gets mounted on top of a camera and so points to what is being shot, but doesn't have to be in the speakers faces. Is this kind of thing a possibility if I were to set to the side of the lesson and point it toward the group from the side? I'm sure that isn't clear. Imagine the teacher at the board and the students on the carpet on the floor facing her. Would a shotgun mic work set up on the side of that situation and pointing in?
Thank you for any help you can give me,
Bantymom (microphone newbie)
Newbie here, but I have found that forums are the absolutely BEST place to get real information, so I've joined here hoping it will work out again. I know nothing about microphones or mic stands
Why is this post so long? Wanted to provide as much information from my side as I could right up front. I appreciate your patience in reading this.
Situation: I need to record Mathematics lessons in various classrooms. For this, I have been supplied with an iPad, which seems to do a serviceable job of recording the video. However, when recently viewing a similar video taken by another teacher, it was clear that the mic on the iPad was barely capable of picking up what the teacher was saying, but it was nearly impossible to hear the students.
So I'm looking for a microphone that could help; one that would pick up the sounds that a person sitting in the room would hear.
Audience: These video recordings are for teachers to view, either individually on their own devices or as a group in a Professional Development training, where the video would be projected on to a screen to about 6-20 teachers at a time.
And did I mention I'm a teacher? I can't afford the best thing out there. I know I can't do this on the cheap, but I don't have a Hollywood budget either. Have mercy.
Considerations:
1) I do not have my own room, but go from room to room supporting teachers, so I can't set up any kind of permanent system. Whatever I use needs to be portable.
2) I might have to shoot the video from a back corner of the room, but if there were a fairly easy way to do so, I might be able to get a mic closer.
3) An Alvoxcon 20 Wireless Mic was suggested, but it seems to be one you would have to hold right up to the speaker, which will not work. I work with 1st-grade and Kindergarten classrooms and passing around a mic would be very distracting to the lesson.
4) As much as I would love to find a way to suspend the mic above the students, most likely it would end up being behind the students.
5) I need to find a way to support the mic in one place where it can pick up the teacher and the students, just the way a person in the room would be able to hear them, so specific suggestions for a lightweight mic stand would be very helpful.
6) It would be best if I didn't have to connect the mic directly into the iPad (thought that is not a deal breaker), so is wireless possible?
Since I don't even know what I'm talking about, I have probably missed some important information. Just let me know and I will do my best to supply it.
Edit: Just read something about a "shotgun mic" which looked like it gets mounted on top of a camera and so points to what is being shot, but doesn't have to be in the speakers faces. Is this kind of thing a possibility if I were to set to the side of the lesson and point it toward the group from the side? I'm sure that isn't clear. Imagine the teacher at the board and the students on the carpet on the floor facing her. Would a shotgun mic work set up on the side of that situation and pointing in?
Thank you for any help you can give me,
Bantymom (microphone newbie)
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