Stereo Vs Shotgun Mic- Which Microphone Should You Buy?

Capturing audio with precision can be quite tricky. The good thing is we live in a day and age where fine quality stereo and shotgun mics exist. Both these microphones are excellent when it comes to pristine and accurate audio capture.

A bit of a challenge arises when you need to pick a mic from the two options. Which one should you opt for: stereo mic or a shotgun mic?

Let us explore the two options better in this read with detailed comparisons of the two. By the time you wrap up this article, you will know exactly when to opt for a stereo mic and a shotgun one.

Basics of a Stereo Mic and Mono Microphone

To best compare and choose between a shotgun and a stereo microphone, it is important to know what the two are.

What is a Shotgun Microphone?

A shotgun mic is also referred to as a boom or mono microphone. It is an extremely directional mic that comes in a tubular, elongated design. 

Mono microphones contain a single microphone element, which explains the name ‘mono’ too. Their microphone element usually lies at the barrel’s back end. Containing cancellation vents on both its sides, it is quite effective at noise cancellation.

Moreover, a mono microphone has a supercardioid polar pattern. Due to its narrow pickup pattern, it focuses on the isolated sound source. This results in a very focused sound aka mono sound.

What is a Stereo Microphone?

Now, a stereo microphone comprises two built-in mics. With the two integrated mics, stereo microphones pick up sounds similar to how human ears do. They are also known as binaural mics.

A stereo microphone adds a lot of direction and depth to the recording primarily due to its two mics recording sounds simultaneously. 

Moreover, they have multiple mic capsules organized in a right to left configuration. The streamlined configuration allows them to pick up a wider sound field. Consequently, this produces stereo audio that offers a more engrossing listening experience.

Similarities in Stereo and Mono Microphones

Stereo and mono microphones share certain similarities that make both these mics excellent for diverse audio recording applications.

Directionality 

A stereo and mono microphone, both are directional microphones. But this excludes the external stereo microphone category. Directional mics pick up sound coming from a fixed direction while blocking noise from all the other directions. 

Due to this feature, both stereo and mono microphones are excellent for isolating the audio sources as well as minimizing background noise in an audio track. 

Professional Sound Quality

Both a shotgun and stereo microphone have professional-grade audio quality. Their excellent sound quality makes them ideal for video and audio production settings wherein superior-quality audio is paramount.

As both these mics capture detailed and pristine sound, they are preferred by content creators and sound engineers to record music, ambient sounds and dialogue.

Mounting Options

Another similarity a stereo and mono microphone share is their mountability. You can mount both these mics on microphone stands, boom poles and/ or camera rigs. Their mountability also increases their versatility in myriads of recording scenarios.

With this flexibility, content creators can position a stereo and a mono shotgun microphone strategically to pick up the intended audio with optimal fidelity. 

I am quite certain your comprehension of the mono and shotgun mics is better now. Let’s move on to the differences then.

Differences Between a Mono and Stereo Microphone

Feature	Shotgun Microphone	Stereo Microphone
Directionality	Highly directional Focuses well on a specific source	Wider field Captures sound in a left-right stereo configuration
Ideal Use	Isolates a specific sound source, minimizes background noise	Captures immersive ambient sounds, stereo musical performances
Form Factor	Streamlined and compact tubular design	Typically larger in size, often consists of multiple microphone capsules
Field of Pickup	More focused	Wider
Capsule Configuration	Single capsule	Multiple capsules
Size and Weight	Lighter and portable	Larger and heavier
Mounting Options	Compatible with camera rigs, boom poles, and microphone stands	Similar mounting options, but may require additional hardware for stereo configuration

While both mono and shotgun mics are amazing, they are poles apart when it comes to their distinct features.

Pickup Field

The pickup field aka directional or polar pattern or sound field is the 3D space around a mic from which it picks up sound.

Different mics have diverse pickup fields that also determines their ability to capture sound from different directions.

The Pickup Field of a Stereo Microphone

Binaural microphones have a broad pickup field due to their left-right stereo configuration. 

The broad pickup pattern of the stereo microphones imparts them with spatial accuracy and high fidelity. Their wide pickup field also enables them to capture different sounds from diverse directions. 

As a result, stereo microphones excel at picking up immersive environmental and ambient sounds as well as stereo musical performances. This explains the richness and depth you get in aural landscapes created by stereo mics. 

The Pickup Field of a Mono Microphone

A Mono microphone is often characterized by its focused and tight pickup pattern. It captures sound with utmost precision from the direction it is pointed in.

Due to its directional nature, a mono mic does a fantastic job at isolating sound sources. Be it individual music sounds, dialogues, or voices of individual musicians, a mono microphone will capture clean audio from these sources.

Microphone Capsules

A mic capsule is a microphone’s core component. It converts the sound waves it picks up into electrical signals.

Typically, a microphone capsule comprises a backplate, electrically conductive material and a diaphragm. Anytime a sound wave hits the diaphragm it starts to vibrate. The vibration modifies the distance between it and the backplate. These spatial differences change the capacitance that creates voltage. The voltage is finally turned into electrical signals. 

Capsule of Stereo Microphones

A stereo microphone can feature different kinds of microphone capsule configurations. These include omnidirectional, cardioid or mid-side ( a blend of bidirectional and cardioid.)

The term ‘stereo’ in a stereo microphone refers to its ability to pick up spatial audio information that results in stereo recording.

Capsule of Mono Shotgun Microphone

Shotgun microphones are usually designed with either a hypercardioid or supercardioid pickup pattern. Yes, that explains why shotgun microphones are also known as cardioid microphones. Their directionality is also much more focused than that of stereo microphones.

Form Factor and Size

Mono and shotgun microphones differ when it comes to their form factor and size.

Form Factor and Size of Stereo Microphone

A stereo mic is usually large in size as compared to a mono microphone. It typically comprises multiple capsules placed in a stereo configuration. Its multiple capsules are responsible for it picking up sound from a broad spatial field.

When it comes to their sensitivity, the binaural mics tend to resemble the conventional studio condenser mics. Typically, most stereo microphones are condenser mics. This is because of their ability to capture stereo soundscapes with clarity and authenticity.

As they are large in size, binaural mics often need extra mounting hardware for their stable placement.

Form Factor and Size of Mono Microphone

Shotgun mics are more streamlined and compact than their stereo counterparts. Usually featuring a cylindrical or tubular design, they are easy to place in different recording setups.

Their form factor is slender which increases their mountability on boom poles, mic stands and camera rigs.

They are also more lightweight in contrast to binaural mics which enhances their ease of use and portability.

Unlike a stereo microphone, a mono microphone can be dynamic or condenser in nature. Their condenser variants are more prevalent because of their capability to pick up distant sounds with great depth.

Price Range

The price range of these two microphones also varies.

Price Range of a Stereo Mic

Prices of stereo microphones depend primarily on their build quality and features. Generally, a stereo mic is more affordable than a high-end mono mic.

You can get good quality binaural mics between $50 and $300. These are good enough for entry-level content creators, small scale productions and hobbyists.

A high-end stereo mic will cost you around $500 to $3000, and even above. Mics in this range are created for professional applications. They are used in film scoring, audio production, high-fidelity music recording and broadcasts.

Price Range of a Mono Mic

Professional-grade mono microphones are quite expensive. This is basically due to their impeccable noise rejection prowess and specialized design.

Entry-level to decent quality mid-range best budget mono microphones cost between $100 and $500. Their sound quality is adequate which makes them suitable for recording interviews and video production.

On the other hand, be ready to spend around $600 to over $5000 for high end mono mics. These have very low handling noise, exceptional directionality and many advanced features including switchable polar patterns.

Applications of Stereo and Mono Microphones

Now let us take a look at the individual applications of the two microphones under discussion.

What Are Stereo Mics Good For?

• Live Performances: When it comes to recording live music, binaural mics do a great job. They reproduce the performance space’s stereo image offering a believable and lifelike reproduction of the live music.
• Field Recording: Stereo mics are widely used to capture ambient sounds in urban environments, natural landscapes and specific events in field recording. Their stereo imaging and stereo sound creates a very captivating listening experience.
• Nature Documentaries: These mics are phenomenal at picking up the wide-ranging sounds in natural environments. From rustling leaves to bird calls to wind movement- stereo microphones add an unmatched sense of depth to these sounds. 

What are Mono Mics Good For?

• Interviews: Mono mics are often employed in interview settings to capture human voices.
• Directional Sound Sources: A boom mic is also excellent in applications where you need to pick up sound from a specific direction. This can include recording a presenter, broadcaster, or capturing specific sound effects.
• Capturing Dialogues: Mono mics are unprecedented at capturing dialogues in documentaries, films or videos.

To cap it, binaural mics are preferred for picking up spatial audio and creating immersive soundscapes. On the contrary, mono mics are better in scenarios where you need to isolate the directional soundsource and minimize unwanted noise. 

Wrapping Up- Which Mic Should You Pick?

Like always, my number one tip for choosing a mic is to understand your recording needs and applications.

I know it might sound a bit monotonous. That said, the truth is wrong mic choice is the biggest reason behind not getting the desired sound quality. Yes, poor quality mics do contribute to that. However, if you have chosen the right mic for a certain recording application, the result will always be good enough.

Frequently Asked Questions