Lavalier microphones

C

cdavison2009

Member
Hello all,
planning to shoot a documentary using my HMC150 and am wondering which brand(s) and model(s) of lavalier mics you would recommend using? My interview subjects will be seated in an office or similar and I plan to place the lav on the exterior of their clothing. We don't have advanced postproduction sound to fix any noise, just need a clean sound from a good, reliable mic. Thanks!

chris
 
I use a Sennheiser E100 G2 with the mic that comes with it (me2, I believe) and get pretty good results with that set up, when used in a similar setting as you describe.
 
I went with the Audio Technica Lav Kit ATW1821d (with the 899). Saved me quite a bit of money over the Senn. (I would have liked the smaller footprint though!). However, it has worked quite well so far. No complaints, other than it's bulkier receiver than the Senn.
 
8string said:
I went with the Audio Technica Lav Kit ATW1821d (with the 899). Saved me quite a bit of money over the Senn. (I would have liked the smaller footprint though!). However, it has worked quite well so far. No complaints, other than it's bulkier receiver than the Senn.
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Sennheiser is the best though the E100 G2 looks like it goes for about $500 - $600. If I can I'll rent Audio Technica and give it a trial run. As long as I don't get any noise, as long as get a clean vocal recording from my interviews then the rest is cake.
 
sewolla said:
I use a Sennheiser E100 G2 with the mic that comes with it (me2, I believe) and get pretty good results with that set up, when used in a similar setting as you describe.
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By pretty good, do you mean that there were some minor technical issues? If so, what were they? Did you get a clean sound from your interviews? Want to show my feature doc at film festivals then release it on DVD and so need really good sound. Thanks!
 
By pretty good, I mean that it's a very capable set that gives me good, clear audio. It comes with a very good mic, great for its price point.
I shoot a medical cable TV show with mine, as well as some event stuff with it and the Senn always delivers the goods. Just test ahead of time so you can verify there will be no interference, and adjust sensitivity etc.
 
sewolla said:
By pretty good, I mean that it's a very capable set that gives me good, clear audio. It comes with a very good mic, great for its price point.
I shoot a medical cable TV show with mine, as well as some event stuff with it and the Senn always delivers the goods. Just test ahead of time so you can verify there will be no interference, and adjust sensitivity etc.
Click to expand...
I've used Sennheiser boom mics in the past and always got great results and they have an excellent reputation so I'll go with them for the lavs. One last question: what were some of the creative ways you hid the cables? I'll be doing interviews for a feature documentary and the mic itself is small enough to hide but am concerned about the cable being visible.
 
ive got the G2 and i just run the cable underneath the clothing and have the mic clip onto the collar of a t-shirt or jumper. if its a shirt or blouse then i have the clip about chest height and in between the buttons. all you can see is the tiny mic :)
 
CDAVision

If you want to use a lav, it doesn't need to be wireless. You are guaranteed to get better sound using a wired mic, and less hassle. If it is an office interview and the victim isn't moving, you should forget about wireless. Cell phones and flourescent lights = interference. It isn't always the case, but it is more likely than with a wired mic.

Any of the Countryman mics would serve you well: B3 or B6 to hide, and EMW is a bargain if hiding it is less important.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=countryman+emw&N=0&InitialSearch=yes

You should hang out in the audio section and read the stickies. There are lots of brutally honest professionals there.

Grant
 
ggrantly said:
CDAVision

If you want to use a lav, it doesn't need to be wireless. You are guaranteed to get better sound using a wired mic, and less hassle. If it is an office interview and the victim isn't moving, you should forget about wireless. Cell phones and flourescent lights = interference. It isn't always the case, but it is more likely than with a wired mic.

Any of the Countryman mics would serve you well: B3 or B6 to hide, and EMW is a bargain if hiding it is less important.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=countryman+emw&N=0&InitialSearch=yes

You should hang out in the audio section and read the stickies. There are lots of brutally honest professionals there.

Grant
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Thanks for the info, would rather use a long XLR cable and figure a way to hide it than to take the chance with anything wireless.
 
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