AT Pro 70 is an affordable, professional lavalier that comes with a battery pack and a standard XLR output. Ideal for both voice and instruments it also includes a handy instrument mount in the package. This microphone uses phantom power to polarize the capsule. Phantom power can be either supplied externally or generated by the battery. It’s quite useful, especially if your device does not produce the phantom power by itself. Powered by a single…
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Sanken COS-11D is a top of the line omnidirectional lavalier widely used in professional broadcast. It is very small (only 4mm in diameter) and easily concealed under clothes. The three main advantages are the size, the most natural open sound and the fact that it produces the least handling noise when rubbing against the clothes. Sanken is a Japanese manufacturer with a long history and COS-11D is probably the most popular mic they’ve ever produced….
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Giant Squid Audio Lab is a renowned lapel microphone that works wonders in all kinds of setups. Despite being one of the most affordable choices, the quality of its sound can likely blow you away. Having a standard 3.5 mm microphone jack, it can be used with most of standard devices, including computers, laptops, cameras etc. For smartphones though, it may not be the best choice, as it will require an additional 4-pin 3.5 mm…
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Shure SM93 and WL93 are subminiature condenser lavs with omnidirectional pattern. Both mics are the same units that terminate with TA4F (aka TQG) connector, designed for Shure’s wireless transmitters, except the SM93 version actually includes an additional preamplifier with a balanced XLR output for wired applications. The preamplifier module is powered exclusively by phantom power, but it drains a relatively low current. Overall, the mic sounds very smooth and as a subminiature lavalier it also…
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Audio-Technica 899 is a high-end lavalier with a standard XLR output, featuring a very low profile and an exceptional sound quality. It is somewhat expensive but it in no way overpriced, as it brings the best experience you can ever get with a lavalier. This mic can be used for pretty much anything: video making, broadcasting, theater play, church service, etc., especially when you don’t want it drawing unrequired attention. The package also includes a…
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Pixel Finch lavalier microphone is a very decent and affordable solution for iPhone and iPad users. The biggest advantage is high build quality and cable length. The cable is a single loop and plugs straight to your phone. It is much more reliable than using any adaptors and extensions required for use with other lapel mics. In terms of sound quality it can be compared to entry lavaliers from mainstream brands, which is notable. Overall…
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Sennheiser ME 2-II is a basic, entry-level standard omnidirectional lavalier mic that is mainly used with the Sennheiser wireless transmitters, such as G3 or G4 and it is included in many of their kits. It has a 3.5mm locking connector that looks similar to a headphone jack but with a female screw, which makes it only compatible to Sennheiser Audio unless you have an adaptor. In terms of quality, it’s good in a sense that…
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Audio Technica AT829CW is a quality lavalier mic designed specifically for AT body-pack wireless transmitter. If you do not have one yet, you may also get it in bundle with transmitter. This makes a very good all-purpose combo that I recommend above all for the price. Note: the mic uses a unique four-pin connector that is different from XLR, so it won’t work with devices from other vendors. However, although XLR is technically more compatible,…
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Rode smartLav+ is an omnidirectional lapel mic designed specifically for smartphones. It may not be the very best mic around but it certainly offers a great quality for the price. For a smartphone, you won’t need a high-end microphone anyway. Far more important is the usability: this device requires no special apps nor sophisticated adaptors – just plug it on and you are ready to go. With this mic, you will get a substantially better…
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Sony ECM-44 is a decent quality wired lavalier with a standard XLR output, which can be powered by either phantom power or a single AA battery. It has a bright response with an overall balanced sound and even if it’s not devoid of certain flaws, there is nothing particularly bothersome about it. Except two things – a very low output and a high self-noise. This produces an obscene level of static hiss, which is difficult…
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Azden EX503 is a cheap omnidirectional lavalier, ideal for home use and super low budget production. The quality is about decent: it may not be as crisp and clear as to capture all the inflections of speech but it still sounds intelligible and doesn’t make your ears bleed badly. There are issues with static noise –Rode smartLav+ and especially Giant Squid Audio Lab are way better in this respect. This is due to low sensitivity,…
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Shure MVL is a new lapel mic with TRRS connector designed for mobile devices. It belongs to Shure Motiv line and comes with a handy mobile app for iOS users. Other platform users will have to rely on third party software but it shouldn’t have any compatibility issues. This mic is also the worst from their new line and the sound quality is unimpressive at best. It does have its own strengths, for instance, it has…
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In this article, you'll learn how to choose professional and budget
