Be the Microphone: Headphones and Sound Levels
The human ear filters out a lot of sound that you aren’t interested in, but a microphone does not. This means that your ears don’t hear all that is being recorded on your audio. Monitoring your recording through headphones will give you a much better idea of what your audio really sounds like. Get some good headphones that cover your ears and listen up!

If your camera has sound meters you can control, you can adjust the sound levels as you shoot. This means that you'll need to watch the level to make sure it doesn't peak too "hot" or become distorted. If it does, turn the level down. You don’t want to hear static, distortion, or a neighbor’s radio when you are playing back your footage! Wind Screens: Filter out the Big Fuzz!

Most microphones come with some kind of screen to minimize wind and other big, thickly textured sounds. These usually come with the mic, whether you buy or rent. Be sure you’ve got the screens you need. When a big wind kicks up in the middle of your shoot, it can totally cover the audio you want if you aren’t ready for it.

Ready, Set, Record!
Ready to go into a bold new world of sound? Whether you want to record your family stories for future generations to enjoy or make this year’s runaway documentary hit, you can get the footage you need with your Sony camera and a good, solid, external mic. Start experimenting!

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