Tag Archives: rode

What Microphone To Use For Man On The Street Interviews

For Man on the Street interviews (interviewing people on the street, or MOS) we mostly see people using handheld microphones.  This makes sense.  The pick up the speaker and can easily be pointed to another speaker, and the range isn’t big enough to pick up a ton of background noise.

For me the big question is do I want a cardioid pick-up pattern or an onmi pickup pattern, that usually depends on the microphones I have available and if I am going to be inside or outside.  It is nice to have some background noise so the viewer can hear the environment without being too distracted by it.

Hear are some recent videos I did experimenting with microphones on the street. For more videos please check out the categories on the website or my Youtube channel

Man on the Street Handheld Tests: Shure SM58 vs Rode Reporter Mic

Man on the street interviews are very popular. Just going up to someone and asking them questions or otherwise interacting with the public. I prefer using a handheld because I don’t have to take time to set up a lapel on a complete stranger, and I also get less background noise I risk getting if I used a shotgun.

In this video I test 2 well known handheld microphones for man on the street. The Shure SM58 is used for many, many things.  The Rode Reporter mic is aimed more for interviews. I recommend watching this video wearing good headphones and making your own decision on what would work best for you.