Audio

Good presentations — Audio

Like video, audio is an art unto itself. However, you can make a great presentation even better by remembering to focus on a few details.

Here is some common advice on producing clean audio.

Use a good, external, microphone
Though this may sound obvious, a good microphone can make a the biggest difference. Most DV cameras have audio-input for your microphone. Use it.

Most built in microphones are not good quality and will suffer from the hum of the electronics of the "host" camera or computer. Even if it's not a great microphone, if it's external, it's probably going to sound better.
Consider a microphone splitter with two microphones
If you are doing an interview with one camera, you can use two microphones with a splitter ($5 from Radio Shack). This often gives better results than one omni-directional microphone at a distance. You can use "lapel" microphones with a splitter.
Properly position the microphone
Position the microphone as close to the sound source as possible (even with omni-directional microphones). Sound volume decreases rapidly over any distance, and the better levels (volume) you have coming into the microphone, the better quality you will get.
Consider investing in some "lapel" microphones
Even an inexpensive (less than US $20) lapel microphone can make a huge difference.
Control environment noise
If a chair squeaks, use a different one. If you have a wood floor and you can hear people shuffling their feet as they talk, put down a rug.