Lavalier microphone for your Podcast

[andrewzarian]

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]

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]

True Mike but do you feel that Podcasters should use them ?

[mcphillips]

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]

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]

Hey William,

We already have a thread in the general forum for this. here is a link : http://forum.ibroadcastnetwork.org/s...casting-Studio

[Linuxcooldude]

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]

are there any lav mics that are not omni?

[Dahalabit]

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]

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