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Info: I have an ElectroVoice RE50N/D-B microphone (handheld, dynamic, omnidirectional) that I want to use for man-on-the-street type interviews. I will be holding the mic in my hand just as you would see a reporter do.

Problem: I need to make it portable (connected to some sort of recorder in my pocket) and I don't want to have to put the microphone too close to the face of the interviewee.

Possible Solutions:

  • Plug it into my android phone (not enough gain? too much noise?).
  • Buy a portable recorder (not enough gain?)
  • ???

I am really new to this, so please excuse (and/or correct) any mistakes in my understanding. Thanks!

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A small portable recorder like the Zoom H4n or any other the similar devices will do the trick. Getting enough level won't be an issue - it's what recorders (and the preamps) are designed to do.

Sound like you're doing more a radiojournalism style thing. This NPR page might be a good resource for you. It's a bit dated since it talks about DAT recorders - so just mentally replace DAT tapes with SD cards.

http://www.npr.org/about/nextgen/howto/flawn_equipment.html

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  • Thanks! I've found a comparison table at the bottom of this page: transom.org/toolbox/portable-digital-recorder-comparison - and it recommends a condenser mic for use with the Zoom - what do you think? EDIT: That article is great, thanks. They even mention my microphone.
    – user7581
    Commented Feb 26, 2014 at 13:18
  • If you're going to be in a noisy outdoor environment (traffic etc) then a directional microphone will help get a cleaner sound - but so long as the person is speaking close to the mic you can still get a really good sound. Again if it's a radiojournalism thing, hearing a bit background to give a sense of place to the voice can actually be an advantage. So long as your audience can hear what the person is saying, you're doing it right. Plus while I'm mentioning radiojournalism, I'd be remiss if I didn't include a link to How Sound: howsound.org
    – SqueakyFish
    Commented Mar 1, 2014 at 10:34

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