Lavaliere Mics?

[darryl2112]

I am taking charge of video production for the company I work for and am totally new to video editing and filming and all of that. I'm in the market for a decent (doesn't have to be incredible) lavaliere mic? Where should I look?

[Kenton]

Budget?

[darryl2112]

less than 150

[mixedupsteve]

MM Audio - The Next Generation of Pro Audio Equipment

[MicDaddy]

Electro-Voice RE90L Omnidirectional Lapel Mic with Mic Pre-Amp RE90L - SJ Media Systems

RE90L

[Kenton]

I've had usable results with the Audio Technica AT831 - it's cardioid which may or may not be what you want.

Otherwise:
Sennheiser ME2 - omni.
Sennheiser ME4 - cardioid
Sony ECM44 - omni

are within your price range too.

Do you want it hard wired or attached to a particular radio system?

[DannyL]

When mic'ing for camera you need to be concerned with the appearance
as well as the sound of the mic. The small elements look better.

The AT are ok'ish but are also large, as are the EV and Shure lavs, both of which not only look bad on camera, but sound awful.

The Sony ECM 44, 55, 66 are all a little large.

The Sennheiser Mke-2 capsule with the K-6 battery preamp is pretty good.
Have a look at the Countryman E6 lavs.
I also like the Sony ECM 77...they are small and sound pretty good.

The Sony, Sennheiser and Countryman are also fairly durable and should last for many years if you are somewhat conscientious.

Danny

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by darryl2112

less than 150

150 what?

€

£

$

¥

[MicDaddy]

Large ? weighing in at 34g (8.3oz) I can't see how this is considered a large lavalier?

[hbphotoav]

Ditto the ME2 Sennheiser. I use three as my primary audio-for-video capture on location (I do a lot of multiple presenter/panel-type things) through Sennheiser RF rigs. They have a bit of a boost above 6K or so, which helps with sibilants, but they do get a bit sizzly sometimes. One of the better ($139 at the 'usual suspects"... Sam Ash, Sweetwater, B&H).

When quality matters, or a singer is involved, I reach for DPA 4061s (I have two lavs and one headworn) and/or a PSC MiliMic, or the Countryman E6. All are omni and sound great (the DPAs are especially flat response mics) and also work well under clothing (the MiliMic came with all sorts of gadgets for adhering it to garments). The E6 is an earworn mic with an omni capsule and a decent frequency response. It works especially well when the capture is both for recording and for PA reinforcement.

Countryman and TRAM both have other lavaliere mics that would work, and seem to show up used more often than Sennheiser or DPA. Used, they often go for $200-$250 and are worth the dough if you're using them regularly.

[loujudson]

Originally Posted by mixedupsteve

MM Audio - The Next Generation of Pro Audio Equipment

Omigoddess. this is something I have been looking for for yeasr at a price that is reasonable!

Anyone have used them and can verify they are as good as they say they are?

Lou

[hbphotoav]

If the published specs are accurate (it's on the internet, so it MUST be true...) it looks to be nearly "as good as" the E6 line. Here's a thought... buy one and test it out (if it's not as good as they say they'll give you your money back...) and let us know what you find!

HB

[loujudson]

Originally Posted by hbphotoav

If the published specs are accurate (it's on the internet, so it MUST be true...) it looks to be nearly "as good as" the E6 line. Here's a thought... buy one and test it out (if it's not as good as they say they'll give you your money back...) and let us know what you find!

HB

Already ordered a pair. I have headworn, cardioid, and omni Sennheiser mics, but of course every client wants the invisible ones. Plus they should be less prone to feedback I hope!

L