Decent Lav Mic

A

airforceguy

Active member
I need an inexpensive lav mic for a series of interviews but don't have a lot of money to spend. I was looking at the Audio-Technica 700 series for about $300. Have anyone used this one? Any good ones at this price range?
 
You can get a fantastic lav mice for under $200. Just not wireless. If you want a lavaliere, look at the Countryman EMW. If you want wireless, go back to the bank and get some more cash, because you're not going to find anything useful in wireless for under around $500 (Sennheiser G2) and even then, the stock mic head is less than satisfactory. You're going to want a better mic head.
 
Thanks Barry. I wrote mic but what I meant was the entire system. What would be a decent inexpensive system (preferably one I can mount on a camera)?
 
Barry_Green said:
You can get a fantastic lav mice for under $200. Just not wireless. If you want a lavaliere, look at the Countryman EMW. If you want wireless, go back to the bank and get some more cash, because you're not going to find anything useful in wireless for under around $500 (Sennheiser G2) and even then, the stock mic head is less than satisfactory. You're going to want a better mic head.
Click to expand...

He just answered you.

Buy a Sennheiser G2 for $500 (or, for $600 get the stick mic transmitter too)

Replace the stock lav with a countryman EMW wired for g2 $200

This is the minimum acceptable professional mic. There isn't anything cheaper that works.

If this is too steep, go wired and save up.
 
And if your shoot allows for a wired lav, by all means use a wired lav. Wireless is my last ditch effort to get sound but its all too often a necessary means. Wired will sound much better and relieve you of quite a few headaches though.
 
I got the Countryman wired LAVs, for the price can't beat em. Although I want to upgrade, but get wireless, even though I dread wireless. If you can get away with wired LAVs, use it, and the Countryman are the best for the price/budget imo.

And basically do what these guys have just said. I myself have been looking into getting the G2. Wireless just gets expensive for quality, and even then you can get better quality with wired for much much less. Wireless, is just needed in many situations but for quality, wired is just much better, and less headaches is right. Although is easier to set up. Personally for interviews use wired if you can, it may be a little more annoying to set up but cheaper and worth it.
 
Why would setting up for a wired lav be more annoying? I figured it would be the other way around.
 
Well... it's more annoying to setup not to deal with. Pending the situation. Running the wire through your talents pant leg and them complaining why it has to run through their pant leg and other little issues that pop up, but - nothing compared to the headaches wireless lavs have while recording. And everything.
 
Eh I'd rather setup wired than wireless. No trying to find an open signal and matching frequency's and this and that. Here run this down your pants leg is pretty easy to say :) Just as hard/easy as hiding a transmitter IMO. Granted a majority of the time I'm lav'ing, its for sit down interviews and dont go down the pants leg. Out the back of the shirt and clip to the waist band.
 
Next time your talent complains (this works best with hairy chested men) tape the lav right to their chest and when the shoot is over, yank away. :-)

(Just kidding...maybe).

Phil
 
Wired is always preferable, pain or not. Sitting on the edge of your seat during a take , hoping for no RF spits is a drag.

I had NSL wire me an EMW for my G2 and I think it sounds pretty darn OK.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top