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View Full Version : Lavalier microphone for your Podcast



andrewzarian
08-13-2012, 05:14 PM
I have started to see more and more Internet broadcasters using Lavalier / Lapel Mic. At the GFQ Network we use Lavalier Mics for the Chaunce Hayden show and its been a disaster!! Picks up way too much room Noise and its also sounds hollow. Has anyone had positive results with Lavalier microphones ?

mcphillips
08-13-2012, 06:43 PM
Sure. If you have great room acoustics, low ambient noise, expensive lav mics, and no comb filtering, you can get a great result. The TV networks do it all the time.

andrewzarian
08-13-2012, 06:55 PM
True Mike but do you feel that Podcasters should use them ?

mcphillips
08-14-2012, 04:08 AM
When you say Podcasters, if the podcast is audio-only, then I see no reason to use a lav mic. They are always the worst sounding mic in the room.

Other than an audio-only podcast, the decision on whether to use a lav mic, to me, hinges on whether you're doing a radio show with video or whether you're doing a TV show. If you're doing a TV show and have great room acoustics, low ambient noise, expensive lav mics, and no comb filtering, try using a lav mic. In the right environment, though, an overhead mic like the Audio-Technica AT4051B will do as well or better than a lav for a single person. For two or more people, a lav or headworn-mic (I hate looking at them) is probably a better way to go.

I'm going to a new Internet broadcasting studio today to look over their audio set up. It will be interesting to see which approach they're going to take.

William Thomas
08-14-2012, 07:54 AM
Hey Thats a great idea, probably should be in a thread of its own and move this if you want to .....How about everyone sending in a little 1-2 min vid of their studio set up so we can get ideas from other folks....I am sure some of you already have that.

What do you think?

andrewzarian
08-14-2012, 08:21 AM
Hey William,

We already have a thread in the general forum for this. here is a link : http://forum.ibroadcastnetwork.org/showthread.php/41-Lets-See-Your-Internet-Broadcasting-Studio

Linuxcooldude
08-14-2012, 02:43 PM
If memory serves me correctly most Lav mics are omnidirectional picking up sound from all directions. So room noise is probably an issue as noted by mcphillips. I tried to do testing using a Lav mic as secondary mic for guests and did not get good results. One reason my room is too small and bleeding from other host is a problem.

I see using this mic in very specific situations, such as a subject walking around a lot and using with a wireless system.

jamesdelfresco
08-14-2012, 07:39 PM
are there any lav mics that are not omni?

Dahalabit
08-14-2012, 07:41 PM
are there any lav mics that are not omni?

I was wondering the same thing. As i am setting up a broadcast for my job. One option was to get lav mics

mcphillips
08-15-2012, 05:49 AM
Sure, but they don't work much better than the omnis. They are also very position sensitive. Let it move a little, and the speaker's voice is now off-axis.

Sennheiser ME4 Cardioid Lavaliere Mic (http://www.sennheiserusa.com/professional-lavalier-microphone-lapel-microphone-ME-4-005020)

TomSinclair
08-16-2012, 09:32 PM
Add to the fact that wireless lavs can add some unwanted noise. Some days it seems any movement on my part causes a "radio" hum in addition to the background noise of the multiple fans in my broadcast PC.

notstr8tv
08-19-2012, 09:09 PM
If you're in a room with good acoustics, then lav mics can be great. I use them for my hosts and guests on my video/audio podcasts since I want my hosts/guests to focus more on the content then trying to talk into a studio mic properly, or worst, grabbing and playing with a mic on a stand and dealing with the handling noise. If you EQ the lav's, they can sound pretty good. Granted, sometimes the lav mics get whacked by people's hands while they're talking but it beats having handheld mics that inevitably get noisy from the handling noise from the cords, or having to invest in shockmounts for every mic in the studio.

Andrew, if I was in your situation and doing a remote show in a nightclub, I would give the hosts/guests wireless hand-held mics. Just seems like the path of least resistance, and I imagine the handling noise wouldn't be too bad since there aren't any cords getting in the way.

MovieBuff
10-13-2014, 04:54 PM
http://youtu.be/D85HmR825wM

Podnutter
10-14-2014, 07:35 AM
I was on a google group and someone was using a Lav mic thats mounted on a stand. Has anyone here ever done that