Picking a Microphone

Microphones come in all shapes, sizes, and price ranges.  There are 2 important features to check when choosing a microphone to utilize with the CompetitionSuite Judge app:

• Cardioid Pattern
• TRRS Connector

Cardiod Pattern: The pattern a microphone has describes how it picks up sound from the environment.  Typically, you will want a cardioid pattern with any microphone that you use in a loud environment.  A cardioid pattern microphone will (mostly) pick up sound from the direction the microphone is pointed (ideally, the judge's mouth).

TRRS Connector: Tablets (and phones) typically have a normal 3.5mm headphone jack. A TRRS connector has 4 metal bands on the connector.  If the connector has less than 4 bands, the device will not record through the microphone (it will probably record through the actual device).