Dialogue audio too quiet in interviews – should I use a boom or lav?

That’s a classic issue with camera-mounted mics – they’re just too far from the subject. The VideoMic Pro+ is decent, but at arm’s length, it’s picking up more room than voice. For your budget, I’d actually suggest a hybrid approach: get the Rode Wireless Go (the original, now under $200) with a lav, and also pick up a cheap boom pole like the Neewer 10-foot pole ($30) to mount your VideoMic Pro+ if you ever have a second shooter. The Wireless Go is a game-changer because it gets the mic literally inches from the mouth, so you don’t need to boost gain as much. It also has a safety channel that records at -20 dB, which saves you from clipping if your subject suddenly gets loud.

In Premiere, use the Essential Sound panel: set your audio to Dialogue, then enable Reduce Noise and Reduce Rumble. Start with Reduce Noise at 15%, and only increase if needed. Also, use the Adaptive Noise Reduction effect (under Audio Effects > Noise Reduction) – it’s more intelligent and won’t make your voice sound like a robot. For the hiss you’re getting, a high-pass filter at 80 Hz will cut the rumble, and a gentle de-esser can tame sibilance. But the real fix is capturing clean audio at the source – lav mics are the way to go for static interviews.

Thanks for the advice,
I went with the Rode Wireless Go (the original, found it for $180) and tested it yesterday on a quick interview with my neighbor. The difference is night and day – even without any post-processing, the dialogue is crisp and I don’t have to touch the gain in Premiere. I also used the high-pass filter tip you gave, and the audio sounds clean.

I’m still going to use my VideoMic Pro+ for b-roll and ambience, but now I know that for interviews, a lav is the right tool. Thanks again for the help – this saved me a ton of frustration!