Not sure which one you need?
Straight answers to the gear questions we hear most, from people who sell it every day.
What is the difference between a condenser and a dynamic microphone?
In a treated studio recording a quiet source, pick a condenser for the extra detail. In a live room, a stage, or anywhere sound bleeds in from outside the mic, pick a dynamic. When unsure, a dynamic is the safer default for anything outside a treated room.
What is the difference between a partyline and a wireless intercom system?
Choose partyline when positions are fixed and cable runs are practical. Choose wireless when crew needs to move: camera operators, stage managers, floor directors covering ground. Some productions run both, wired at fixed stations and wireless on moving crew, off the same system.
Should I get a soft case, a hard case, or a rack case?
Grab a soft case for gear that lives in one room. Move up to a hard case for anything that travels or gets shipped. Reach for a rack case only when the gear itself is rack-mount, and size it by the total rack units the gear needs plus room to route cables.
Should I use a lavalier, a handheld, or a shotgun microphone?
Mount a lavalier on talent who needs their hands free and cannot hold a mic. Hand a performer a handheld when they are working a stage or an audience. Boom or camera-mount a shotgun when the mic itself cannot be in frame or on the subject and the boom operator can stay close.