Best Budget Shotgun Microphone 2024 | Quality Sound at Low Cost

Take a look at our picks for budget shotgun mics and prepare to be amazed as they make your productions mesmerizing.

You would be amazed at the difference a quality microphone can add to your productions. The superior audio captured by the shotgun mic makes the footage immersive and keeps the audience engaged. You also do not have to break the bank to get your hands on quality shotgun microphones because the budget category offers more than decent microphones.

After extensive research, we have found some of the best budget shotgun microphones on the market so you can enhance your production quality. 

Let’s get to them!

1. Rode VideoMic NTG Is The Best Shotgun Microphone For Recording In Loud Environments

Rode VideoMic NTG offers the features and design of the Rode NTG shotgun packed in the compact body of the Rode VideoMic, allowing it to work with smartphones and cameras alike. It is one of the easiest-to-use microphones as it has been tailor-designed to be used with cameras and smartphones. All mic controls, including the gain knob, are located close to cameras, allowing users to make quick and precise adjustments. 

Thanks to the super-cardioid polar pattern, it offers an excellent off-axis rejection – something that can be used to record in busy streets with absolute clarity. You can use the headphone jack for real-time monitoring of the audio and manipulate the controls to get the desirable results. 

2. Audio Technica AT875R Is The Best Shotgun Microphone For Vocals

Audio Technica AT875R is a professional-grade shotgun mic designed to record vocals. Thanks to a wide dynamic range and a tailored frequency response that has a bulge at 5 Khz, the vocals sound crisp and natural. The off-axis rejection is pretty balanced as it is not too tight to miss most of the sound signal, but also not too loose to let background sound in. 

The construction is quite rugged and resembles that of premium microphones. You can mount it on a camera or on a boom pole, depending on the applications, which is surprising in this price bracket. It stands out as one of the best vocal mics in a 500$ budget. It must be mentioned that it is a condenser microphone so it will require a preamp and phantom power to work.

3. RODE Auxiliary VideoMic Go Is The Best Shotgun Microphone For Beginners

When you have only recently stepped into video production or only dabble with it, spending exorbitant amounts of money on a microphone is not a great idea. You should get a basic shotgun microphone like Rode Auxiliary VideoMic Go, which offers all the standard features to get you started and learn your way around external microphones.

The output quality is far from what you get from expensive high-end shotgun microphones, but it gets the job done. Thanks to the unidirectional polar pattern, you will experience minimal background noise in your videos. It offers a frequency response that covers 100 Hz to 16kHz, which is excellent if you record around a lot of electrical appliances. Their sounds typically have frequencies below 100 Hz, so you will not have to put in much work in post-production.

4. Shure MV88 Is The Best Shotgun Microphone For Apple Devices

Shure MV88 is a rather unorthodox shotgun mic, designed specifically for Apple’s devices. It features a lightning connector, enabling plug-and-play functioning. The sound quality is as good as it gets in this category. You get rich lows and crisp highs, ensuring all frequencies are captured without producing annoying sound in the output. 

You will have to master the ShurePlus Motiv App to get the best results from this microphone, as it controls pretty much every aspect of it. The DSP offers pre-designed equalizers for different settings, which come in handy for beginners. However, you can turn it off if you are more comfortable with handling things on your own in post-production.

5. Rode VideoMic Is The Best Shotgun Mic For Recording From Long Distances

Rode VideoMic can be a great addition to your recording gear to make the footage more immersive and engaging. It delivers a rich and warm sound, but perhaps the biggest advantage is you can record the sound at about a distance of 20 feet. Even in a windy and noisy environment, this shotgun mic can isolate the sound of the speaker from the unwanted noise.

Although the polar pattern is directional, it is not as strict as some of the other microphones discussed above. It blocks most of the background noise, but let some in which creates an ambiance in the sound. You may or may not like it depending on the type of your shoots, but it is not something that cannot be manipulated in post-production.

Best Budget Shotgun Microphones – Notable Mentions

What Should You Know Before Buying A Budget Shotgun Microphone

The budget shotgun market is very competitive, compelling companies to innovate yet piercing their products to be within the range of a diverse audience. While it is beneficial for users, it can be a little overwhelming for those who are new to the market. You can make the right choice only if you are familiar with the fundamentals of shotgun microphones and how they impact their applications.

So, these are the factors you must know before making the purchase;

1. Desired Application

The first and probably the most important factor you need to account for is the applications that are compelling you to purchase a shotgun microphone in the first place. A shotgun microphone has a wide range of applications, ranging from vlogging to recording a live music performance. However, the features required for vlogging are different from those needed to record a group of musicians. 

No shotgun microphone offers all the features, some are designed for vlogging while others may serve better for recording music. So, you need to be familiar with your usage and look for the features accordingly.

2. Types of Shotgun Microphones

There are two types of shotgun mics; on-camera and boom pole mount. While the fundamental purpose of both shotgun mics is the same, their applications can vary. On-camera microphones, as the name implies, are mounted on the camera, allowing you to freely move around without compromising sound quality. 

Boom pole shotgun mics, on the other hand, are attached with a boom pole and suspended closer to the sound source. The benefit of such a microphone is close miking, which helps a great deal in noisy environments. However, you will need an assistant to carry the boom pole at all times, which is not suitable for most people. These mics are generally used for professional-grade films. 

3. Condenser Vs Dynamic Shotgun Microphones

Another factor you need to look for while purchasing a shotgun mic is the type of capsule it incorporates. There are two types of capsules: condenser and dynamic. Neither of them is necessarily better or superior to the other, but their applications vary significantly.

Condenser microphones have more sensitive capsules designed to capture more natural sound. That said, these microphones do not work well in a loud and noisy atmosphere. You will also need a preamp, phantom power, or AA batteries to make them work. The phantom power is either provided by a premixer or a mixer. Such shotgun mics work best if you record vocals or light instruments indoors or in a quiet environment.

Dynamic microphones, on the other hand, are not capable of recording as quality sound as their condenser counterparts, but they are exceptional at background rejection. You can use them to record in a windy and noisy atmosphere. They can also be used to record loud instruments without needing phantom power.

4. Polar Patterns

Polar patterns describe the areas on the mic’s capsule that pick up the sound. Typically, there are two types of polar patterns, unidirectional or cardioid and omnidirectional.  A unidirectional microphone picks up the sound coming from one direction only and rejects the sound signals falling at the other parts of the diaphragm. Thus, they isolate the primary sound source and reject the other ones, keeping the audio recording free of unwanted noise.

Omnidirectional microphones have limited off-axis rejection and are not that good at rejecting sound coming from different angles. Thus, they record the ambient atmosphere which is required when you are recording multiple sources.

Most affordable shotgun mics feature a directional polar pattern, but there are some that come with an omnidirectional pattern. Some modern shotgun mics also offer both polar patterns, which can be switched with a button.

5. Sound Quality and Frequency Response

A mic that produces the same sound as the built-in microphone on your camera is no good, warranting you to pay close attention to it. You can check the sound quality by listening to the samples provided in the aforementioned section. If you want to dig a little deeper you will have to look at the frequency response.

Some shotgun mics offer a flat frequency response, meaning they produce the exact sound they receive. However, such microphones are not suitable for all applications. You need to look for a mic that offers a frequency response tailored to your requirements.

For example, if you want a shotgun mic for vocal recording, you should look for the one that offers some gain at lower frequencies. The gain augments the lower frequencies so they are audible in the audio recording.

In contrast, if you record in a loud environment, you should get a shotgun microphone that rolls off at higher notes so it does not distort the sound.

6. Compatibility With Recording Device

You must also check whether the shotgun microphone you have narrowed down is compatible with the device you want to use. Typically, plug-and-play microphones are compatible with a wide range of devices. However, those that require phantom power have limited compatibility. 

It is best to get the shotgun microphone with the connector that is available on your recording device. While you can use an adapter to convert the connector, it compromises the quality of sound. 

Tips To Get The Most Out Of Affordable Shotgun Mic

Manufacturers have to cut some corners to make the mics affordable, but there are certain tips that will help you extract the best out of them.

1. Use Quality Shockmount

Shotgun microphones have to be mounted on a camera, smartphone, or mic stand. The movement of your hands while recording a video with these devices produces vibrations, which can travel to the microphone and generate annoying noises. Shockmount is the best way to counter it as it absorbs most of the vibration and keeps the final audio clean and crisp.

Almost all shotgun microphones come with a shockmount but not all of them are good enough. If the shockmount that comes with the package is not effective, you must purchase a new one to get the best results. 

2. Invest In Quality Windscreens

If your microphone produces distorted output, one that has implosive sounds you may want to invest in a quality windscreen. It blocks the plosive sounds and keeps the audio clean. You should also use it while recording outdoors to ensure the sound of wind does not get to the microphone.

3. Familiarize Yourself with The Microphone

Modern shotgun microphones come with an array of features and each of them has a significant impact on the output produced by them. For example, some microphones offer low-cut filters, which block the sound below certain frequencies. It allows you to keep the audio clean from the subtle sounds of electrical appliances in the environments.

You should also know about the polar pattern of the microphone to understand which parts of the microphone picks the signal. It is particularly important when using a directional microphone as it is not forgiving. So, if the microphone is not rightly positioned you may not get anything at all in your output.

4. Monitor Recording In Real-Time

Most modern affordable shotgun microphones allow you to monitor the audio in real-time, either via a wired or a Bluetooth headphone. You must use this feature and manipulate the different features of the microphone to get the desired results. Using these features saves a lot of time in post-production. 

5. Get a Quality Editing Software

A budget microphone will never provide the same results as premium shotgun microphones. However, the gap between the two can be bridged via quality editing software. The market offers a lot of quality editing softwares, which can improve the output by many folds. That said, it is important to pick the application that serves your needs the best.

Frequently Asked Questions

Credits

Images from: Patrick Rambles, Podcastage, Curtis Judd,