Audio Recording - Equipment Options 

External Audio Recorder - Recording and mastering your audio separately and externally will almost always give you the highest quality results, provided you feel confident with your recording device and settings. 

Different audio scenarios will require different types of microphones, settings, proximity and placement, however a standard XY stereo recorder is a good base for recording the overall ambient sound of a scene. 

There are a number of XY microphone adapters available for phones also, which could be used to turn a 2nd phone into the audio recorder for a scene. 

Wireless Mic - Wireless mic solutions such as the Rode Videomic Go can be used on smartphones with the 3.5mm jack and a trs to trrs adapter. 

They allow for the close proximity of a lavalier, without the need for long cables to your device meaning your movement can be more free. Useful for people who want to demonstrate movement such as dance instructors, or during presentations where speakers can be free to move around the space.

Boom set up / Blimp - This set up involves suspending a long pole above the heads of the subjects to capture the voices, natural movement sounds, etc. The boom pole allows the microphone gets as close to the action as possible whilst keeping it out of shot. 

Boom poles are usually operated by dedicated audio technicians, which helps to keep the set up movable to follow the action of the subject, but also so they can monitor levels using headphones and can make gain adjustments as needed.

They can also be fixed to dedicated microphone stands in static set ups such as interviews. 

The microphone is usually connected to an external recording device via long cables, or it can be connected to a wireless transmitter. 

Microphones are often, but not always, contained within a Blimp which provide wind protection and suspension to minimise handling noise. 

Vocal Microphone - Vocal microphones are used to capture high quality rich vocal sounds. 

They are designed to be placed or held close to the mouth to obtain the best quality sound. 

Unlike a lavalier microphone, they are larger in size and therefor more visably present making them less suitable for a lot of video set ups. 

They can be used for musical set ups where we expect to see these types of microphones, and for some on-the-go interview situations where there isn't the opportunity to mic someone up with a lav. 

They can also be used off screen to record music or vocals such as narration or voiceover.