Lav mics are super helpful for many scenarios such as film, interviews, vlogging, live performances and more. Join us to take a look at what lav mics are, and our top picks from wired lav mics to performance lav mics, and even lav mics for DSLR!
What Are Lav Mics & How Do They Work?
Lav mics (short for Lavalier Microphones) go by various names. You may recognize some, such as a lapel collar mic, a body mic, a clip mic, a neck mic, or a personal mic.
A lavalier microphone is a small microphone that attaches to somebody’s body or clothing. They come in both wired and wireless varieties, and are designed to be discrete and lightweight. Wireless lav mics transmit their audio feeds via radio frequencies. These travel to a receiver that a sound mixer can then adjust and control.
Now that we’ve covered what lav mics are, let’s take a look at our top picks!
Best Wired Lav Mics
Rode smartLav+
The smartLav+ has great sound and build quality despite its small size. Additionally, it has a built in windscreen to reduce background noise such as wind. Rode have also created their own iPhone app for this mic called ‘Rode Rec’, although it also still works with any recording app. You can also export to SoundCloud and DropBox with the Rode smartLav+.
This lav mic can be used with a DSLR or audio recorder. Bear in mind, though, that you may need a TRRS to TRS adapter.
Giant Squid Audio Lab
The Giant Squid Audio Lab Omnidirectional Mic has incredible sound quality for under $50!
This mic uses a standard 3.5 mm microphone jack. This means that it’s not recommended for smartphones, but works great with DSLR’s, laptops, digital recorders and so on.
Audio-Technica AT899 Subminiature
Our next wired lav mic recommendation is the Audio-Technica AT899 Subminiature. This one is great quality, a small size and a brilliant price.
The microphone is 5 mm in diameter, making it easy to hide. It also comes with lots of cool accessories. These include a clothing clip, windscreen, element covers, magnet clip and lanyard and single and double mic holders. The cable also comes in at 9.8 feet, which is super handy.
Sony ECM77B
The Sony ECM77B lav mic is a professional level lav mic. It is used repeatedly in TV studios and for interviews, so you know you’re in good hands with this one.
The sound quality is top-notch with excellent frequency response ranging from 40Hz-20kHz. If you’re looking for something small and durable to travel with, this is the one for you.
Best Lav Mics For DSLR
Rode RodeLink Filmmaker Kit
This filmmaker kit is full of helpful equipment including a transmitter, receiver and lavalier microphone.
Coming in at around $400, it’s a steal (especially considering the microphone alone isn’t usually far off this price!) It uses a 2.4GHz digital signal, has one-button pairing and looks great!
Sennheiser AVX MKE2 Lavalier Pro Set
This wireless set is designed specifically for film, and does the job perfectly. It is a little on the pricier side, but has some benefits. For example, it uses the 1.9GHz range so you don’t need a license, plus the transmitter plug goes into an XLR port.
Best Lav Mics For Live Performance
Shure GLXD14/93
The GLX-D series D14/93 is a digital 2.4GHz system with an impressive range of up to 200 feet. The WL93 microphone is an omnidirectional condenser lavalier and has a windscreen. The battery can also be used for up to 16 hours at a time, which is super handy.
Sennheiser EW 512 G3-A
The Sennheiser EW 512 G3 uses the MKE 2 lapel condenser microphone. There is an auto-lock function, a battery indicator on both the receiver and transmitter, and automatic frequency scanning. There is also an Ethernet port!
Final Thoughts
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