Recently I did a wedding video with a live ceremony in the back yard of a home. It was a VERY windy day and the sound bars on my camcorder let me know that the built-in microphone was picking up all of it. One of the best equipment purchases I ever made was the Azden200 UPR two channel UHF wireless microphone unit.



While the wind howled and screeched I could calmly listen to the audio track for the ceremony without the slightest worry. The voice of the preacher came through my headphones crystal clearly, and the voices of the couple accepting their covenants was also free of any wind noise. My soundtrack recorded flawlessly under conditions that would've worried many videomakers. If uncle Joe had been recruited to video the wedding, you would've been able to remember every gust of wind but not a word of counsel from the preacher. With my twin wireless microphone set, nothing was lost or disturbed by the weather.

Wireless Microphones can be hidden.

By hiding the lavaliers inside the tuxedo of the groom with a mic clip on his tie and likewise for the preacher, neither the weather nor passing traffic could ruin the beautiful ceremony. These mics picked up all the sound very clearly and invisibly. The crowd only knew the wedding party was wearing mics because I asked everyone to turn off their cell phones during the ceremony. Not that such would actually interfere with the signal, but it sure is an irritating noise in the middle of something so important.

Configuring wireless mics to record on the same group but different channels is the secret to avoiding feedback during recording. They really are a must-have for any serious videographer who records natural voice at events. These little preparations are the critical difference that makes our industry worthwhile to our clients. No client of mine will ever again have to worry about microphones being visible or not working since both of the problems are fixed by my system. I don't say this to brag, I say this to encourage other videographers to spring for the few hundred bucks that will take their audio recordings to a professional level overnight.

The ability to capture high quality audio in tight crunches is an essential skill as a professional multimedia producer. Regardless of whether the video is corporate, personal, or web oriented, bad sound will nauseate your audience. Do them a favor, and take a little extra time to get a high quality sound track.