Stupid question, but it's been bugging me

[Captain Pierce]

When I watch "The Daily Show" and other TV shows with visible lavs, it always seems like the lavs are what I would consider "upside down," with the elements pointing down at the floor rather than up at the talent's mouth. Is this something to do with omni lavs that poor ol' sound-reinforcement, hypercardioid-loving, me just doesn't know about?

 

[PerroneFord]

They probably get a lot less popping and essing with them pointed down.

 

[wabbit]

Two reasons; first list above by Ford. Second is the half loop serves as tension release and it is coming from below so it is an easy and neat setup.

The mics are omni so it doesn't matter which way the mic is facing.

Cheers

 

[John Willett]

A tiny tie mic. is truly omni - having it upside-down protests the diaphragm from wind blasts, mainly from the nose.

A loop helps decouple the mic. from the cable - but this should be done whatever way up the mic. is - you should always do a loop and trap it in the clip so that any cable rubbing does not transmit to the capsule.

 

[dugstar]

i know someone who also swears that it cuts down on proximity effect, but i have played around a bit with various tie clips and never noticed much difference

 

[Captain Pierce]

Thanks, guys. Good to know.

 

[Steve House]

i know someone who also swears that it cuts down on proximity effect, but i have played around a bit with various tie clips and never noticed much difference

Maybe ... but omni mics don't have a proximity effect - pressure transducers don't but pressure gradient transducers do. If the lav in omni, as virtually all are in film/video work, proximity effect drops out of contention.

 

[John Willett]

i know someone who also swears that it cuts down on proximity effect, but i have played around a bit with various tie clips and never noticed much difference

Maybe ... but omni mics don't have a proximity effect - pressure transducers don't but pressure gradient transducers do. If the lav in omni, as virtually all are in film/video work, proximity effect drops out of contention.

Correct - omnis don't have any proximity effect at all - only directional mics have proximity effect.

Fig-8 has the most as it's pure pressure-gradient.

Cardioid is half pressure and half pressure-gradient, so it has less.

A super-cardioid is two-thirds pressure-gradient so the proximity effect is higher.