Nursing student here. I record lectures so review them at high playback speeds, and to share with classmates who aren’t able to make it to class.
I’ve been using the small clip-on battery powered mics made for doing interviews, but last semester revealed a few weaknesses: The profs don’t like to actually wear them, so I just clip them onto the lecture podium - works fine while they’re standing at it, but they don’t have good range, and most of the profs move around a lot as they lecture, so the volume of the recording is all over the place or completely silent if they stray too far away. Also 99% of the time a student asks a question, the mic doesn’t capture it at all, so I just get a few seconds of silence followed by some random info with no context. The battery is also only enough to get through about 2/3 of a class period - fine if I remember to swap them out during a break, but not ideal.
Going forward, I’m hoping to find an option I can just plug into my laptop, sit near the front, and record. A normal desktop conferencing style mic stands out as a decent option, but thinking of the range issue I’m having with the portable mics, I suspect a conferencing type product will have the same issue since it’s made to record sound coming from like two feet away from the mic.
I’ve seen like giant fuzzy mics used on movie sets - should I look for something like that?
And are there specific product recommendations you’d make that are on the less expensive end of the spectrum?
Thanks all!
Edit-
Thanks for all the feedback folks! Time to dig through reviews.
Audio engineer here. Definitely don’t get a directional mic like a shotgun (fuzzy) mic or a cardioid mic (like singers use on stage). These require at least an audio interface, careful placement and multiple mics. For your situation, something like a Zoom H2n will be the best and perhaps cheapest option. It has 5 built in mics, so you’ll be able to capture sounds from all over the lecture hall. Use the 4 channel surround option, or the X/Y or Mid-Side options, and see what works best. It won’t be perfect, but it will be the easiest option to improve audio and simplify recording. Plus, the batteries last for many hours (ideally use the best rechargeable Eneloop Pro AA batteries).
The professional way to do it would require a mixing desk, an expensive DPA, Shure or Sennheisser lavalier mic on the lecturer, at least 2 room mics and possibly a boom operator with a shotgun mic to capture audience questions. (Although this last option could be replaced with room mics or additional fixed mics pointing at the audience). There are various options for room mics depending on the acoustics of the room, and there are no one size fits all solutions for professional quality audio.
But you don’t need professional quality, just the best you can get. With a Zoom H2n, you can put it on a tripod near the lecturer, and it will pick up sound better than average human ears. It will be better on a tripod, because it won’t pick up floor noise as much. To reduce floor noise further, get a decoupler to reduce handling noise and use a mini tripod sitting on a desk or chair. If the lecturer hall is windy (lots of air conditioning or windows and doors open) use a windshield.
You could use any handheld recorder that does X/Y recording and it might be fine. But 4 channel recording might help pick up more from the audience, and you can still boost the lecturer’s audio by keeping the device close to them and having the “mid” mic pointing at them. The recordings can be fiddly to edit at first (especially if you want to boost part of them, like the “mid” or “sides”, but it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it. Use Audacity to edit the audio or any free audio editor you happen to have access to.
Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions, and good luck with it!
Just to summarise, get a Zoom H2n