When Should You Use A Lavalier Microphone?

[@mrgreenguy]

I know this is a video about mics, but god your background is so cool, and your shirt matches the style perfectly. Also, I noticed you have an interesting aspect ratio, I didn't know KZbin took 2:1 so well. Anyway, love this video and your style :)

[@tombuck]

Thank you so much! I like to use 2:1 sometimes because I think it looks really good on newer phones (and I just like it 😁 ). But turns out KZbin is pretty awesome at accepting all kinds of aspect ratios. I've experimented with some pretty wide/anamorphic files and it handles them flawlessly.

[@SoundSpeeds]

I'll be nice... you are generally right but missed a few things for example - when you use the Rode lav, it's going into a transmitter and compressed, converted, etc as opposed to being hardlined for the comparison. While that won't affect the quality of the lav, it may affect the quality a little due to the quality of the ADC and pres. Another thing is that while lavs are omnidirectional, they are on your chest thereby changing the polar pattern they were tested with to more of a boundary layer mic. That will pick up your chest resonance (more bass) and might even put the lav off axis to your mouth if it's underneath your mouth. Add to that clothing noise when the lav must be hidden or cable transfer, other sounds may be heard (heartbeats, for example). This is why us in the film industry spend years mastering the art of laving up people in various wardrobes. I've hidden lavs and transmitter packs on guys wearing skin tight shirts and girls wearing sports bras. Best of all, you never know when you hear it because we use much higher quality lavs and transmitters than the Rode. DPA 6060s with Core on a pro digital UHF transmitter like an Audio Limited, Wisycom, Zaxcom, Shure or Lectrosonics will sound far better when I place it than anyone using a 2.4GHz lav system. I could go on but I need to get back on set. Great video dude.

[@tombuck]

I definitely recommend checking out the captions in a few areas where I mention you specifically screaming to the heavens at a few points. 😉😁 My main angle here is that lavs are really great but also cause a lot of headaches to solo creators who don't necessarily have the time or experience to master them.

[@SoundSpeeds]

@@tombuck Achievement Unlocked.

[@cwichura]

I have to agree with what Allen did not want to directly say, which is heavily slam the R0DE lav. It sounds terrible compared to your studio and shotgun mics...

[@mattwruff]

We came at it from both sides and meet in the same place at the end... Lav's are great if your using great Lav SYSTEMS it not just the light mic at the end of the wire!

[@baileystone8395]

Great video as always Tom! One of my favourite uses for a lavalier microphone is to get some ambient noise on set, or even if I have a camera at the back of a hall, and can't get a line out from the mixer, I can just tape a lav mic near the stage, or on the talent, and get better audio than I could normally.

[@tombuck]

I like that- super smart!

[@sidepieceseason1414]

Thanks!

[@tombuck]

I'm just seeing all the comments/support now, so thank you again. It really means the world to me.

[@JoeCastellon]

I really appreciate the comedic relief of your videos. Today I learned that omnidirectional comes from the mic nom nom nom noming on the audio all around 👌🏻

[@tombuck]

I mean, that's just a scientific fact. 🧪

[@remka2000]

We do an “itinerant” podcast where guests choose their own location. Could be a bar, a park, at their place… so we do need a very portable setup. We’ve been using lavs for everyone and a field mixer has been our way to go since the beginnings. The good thing of people forgetting their microphones is that after a bit they sound super natural, vs sitting in front of a boom pole. Another good thing is that convenience stores in Japan always sell aa batteries 😂

[@HeriocAngels]

Saw someone filming on the street, their sound engineer used both lavs and a shotgun/boom and then later mixed the two audios together, great idea 💡

[@HeriocAngels]

For anyone wanting to hear the ^ video example, it was from this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ip6loqKtmtuijKM

[@tombuck]

I’ve heard of that! I think it’s supposed to help give high quality sound without losing the feel of the environment.

[@SoundSpeeds]

Depends. It's not always a great solution. Tom, you and I should do another call. This is my world.

[@mtmccornack]

yesterday I walked though someones setup while taking some foley of public spaces... my kids had no clue and were talking and talking, meanwhile I saw the techie get more and more frustrated.... I just smirked!

[@ManuelGoicolea]

Really good points Tom, thank you for the video!

[@tombuck]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ChristianMercadoAcevedo]

I have learned so much from you over the last year. Thanks for creating such high quality content!

[@tombuck]

It really means a lot to hear this, thank you very much 🙏

[@M3LV]

I really like this! As a podcaster, I think it's smart! You can record a high quality separate MP3 for Soundcloud with your Icon microphone ;and, someone could record a video podcast with your shotgun or Lavalier (or both) for KZbin (or where ever! ). I kinda hate having to download the the audio mp3 from anchor or converting in VLC, but for now its the only way I can move my files around. Just having them ready and available would make my life so much easier. Thank you for providing some solid insight! The puns make the morning coffee so much better lol ! GJ thumbs up!

[@Laiqul]

Hi, i just wondering what is the name of feature that shows text “say adios to bad audio” under the title near tags? great content btw

[@tombuck]

Oh shoot, haha. I think KZbin is starting to put playlist names above video titles- now all my dumb playlist names are going to haunt me 😱

[@PiXimperfect]

Came for the lesson, stayed for the jokes 😌

[@OITW]

I’ve been waiting for this video ever since I saw it on your upload queue! I have been shooting with an on board shotgun mic for the longest time, and I’ve really been wanting a lav for wide/long shots when I’m out in the wild. Been mainly looking for info on how the set up is, and how much environmental sound is lost, if at all. This video is a good push to help finalize the purchase!

[@tombuck]

Hope you get a good one! There are a few audio pros in the comments here you have mentioned some of the other gear needed to really make a lav sound it's best. I should've included an outdoor test, because I think it does sound significantly better outside, which is where you'll be using it the most. 👍

[@marcosluna7792]

Great video! Love the audio editing

[@ykhemani]

Great video, thank you, Tom! 100% agree with your thoughts on lavalier microphones. I have a used a lavalier microphone, and I just get better sound from other microphones. When I want to have a microphone that stays with my mouth, I use either the Shure SM35 or Audio Technica BPHS1 headset. Of course, these will be more visible than a lavalier microphone, but the sound is also so much better. This is my go-to when I'm running a half day workshop, for example, or when I need to whiteboard on my iPad in a meeting. Whether I'm looking down at my iPad or at my widescreen display, I know that my mic stays with my mouth. My big take away from this video is to try putting my RODECaster Pro II on a boom arm to reclaim a bit of desk real estate! Now to go look at which boom arm you have it on in this video! :) Again, thank you, as always!

[@tombuck]

The RCP on an arm has been super nice! Any VESA monitor arm with work (mine is just a $25 one from Amazon, nothing crazy).

[@DetailVideo]

Such a helpful video! Also big props for the seamless audio edit 👏

[@tombuck]

Thank you! It can definitely be jarring to keep cutting between different mics sometimes 😁

[@promiseguy02]

You are the best as always sir! 💯

[@tombuck]

Thank you! 🙏

[@Wbc1811]

very nice b-roll, and great video as always, keep it up!

[@tombuck]

Thanks! It's kind of tough to film something so small and have it make any kind of sense 😁

[@sidepieceseason1414]

Tom! Thanks for the consistently great data. I am dreaming of that MKH50...

[@tombuck]

It's such a great mic! It feels really good to find a tool like that where it just totally solves a problem and then you never have to worry about it again.

[@sidepieceseason1414]

@@tombuck I have G.A.S. & need to work on leveling up my content before I spend that type of money, but when the time is right it is going to be MKH50 all day!

[@nedzeppelin]

I loved this. Tom, I wanted to let you know that my life as Odysseus looking for a voice mic I can speak into while playing drums has come to a happy end. I got the DPA 4488. They gave me a loaner to test for a couple of weeks, and I'm hooked. Unfortunately, I'm waiting for own to arrive, now, and made my first youtube drum lesson video with my old sportscaster headset today. It's called, "Birds & Bees: The unfortunate anatomy of the drumstick". I'm still watching and re-watching your videos every week. Thanks so much for all the wonderful help you're putting out into the world Tom. OK, I'm going to go make another video :) :) :) :) :)

[@tombuck]

Oh wow this is awesome! I've seen the 4488, but I didn't really know what it was. I never would've thought about something like that! Great idea. hopefully yours gets to you soon!

[@GuilDormeus]

Lavs are dope! What I did once for a seminar is put two lavs on my client and it came out great. One Comica wireless mic and a H4n pro. Both we in his suit pockets and the lavs were clipped to his tie

[@promiseguy02]

Two lavs sounds different? Awesome! 😍

[@tombuck]

I’ve seen people have two lavs at once but I never knew why. Always assumed it was a backup or something 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@xtraceex]

Yep - backup. A few years ago doing live network news, the anchors' lav died on-air (lost battery volts / phantom), and everyone went to doubling up after that embarrassment.

[@GuilDormeus]

@@xtraceex makes sense

[@beyond2809]

I had been considering a lavalier mic for some time--mostly because I tend to use my hands a lot when talking and often end up hitting my microphone! However, I don't have the best environment for an omnidirectional mic and your video helped me to save some money! (This is a first... I'm usually throwing money around after watching one of your reviews) So I'll be sticking with my Podmic for now. Thank you!

[@tombuck]

Ahh yes, I too am guilty of smacking the mic because I move my hands too much. 🫠

[@gunn1ng]

Although generally omnidirectional, a lavalier underneath clothing works really well in a hard surface environment, arguably better than cardioid shotguns in my experience.

[@wilhelm_jonsson]

Great video and some very good points. Comparing a $100 lav to a $500 studio mic/$1200 boom mic isn't that fair though. There are big differences between lavs and there are some great ones out there. You should test a DPA lav, like the 4060 I use or a 6060, and you'd be amazed at how close to a boom it sounds!!

[@tombuck]

I'd definitely be interested to see the quality boost of a super high end lav 👍

[@jpbarren]

Unvaluable test. Totally helpfull. Thank you. 🙏

[@DissertationAcademy]

Great video Tom. I've recently used a Lavalier mic to interview at length some students on campus and it worked great. Had to do a bit of processing to remove background noise, but the final result was good.

[@tombuck]

So glad it worked for you! As time goes on I'm learning more and more that post processing really helps. But I guess it's still best to get things as good as possible while recording 👍

[@ykhemani]

Hi Tom! I find myself coming back to this video as I evaluate the Shure CVL lavalier microphone in the context of a wireless microphone system. The reason I think this mic may work for me is that it has a cardioid pick up pattern. I'm using it with the Shure BXL14. Is it a compromise relative to a boom mic, yes. But as you mentioned, the lavalier microphone is great when you want to be able to move around. Thanks again for this video.

[@tombuck]

Glad it was helpful! I've been trying to learn so much about lav mics over the past year or so. Choosing between omnidirectional and cardioid is definitely a big factor!

[@Colombo5218]

Absolutely superb! Thank you. A pleasure listening to you.

[@tombuck]

Thanks so much! That's such an awesome compliment 🙏

[@ChristmasClatter]

Very timely for me. I'm traveling in October and have been considering grabbing the DJI Mic to take with me.

[@tombuck]

Ahh yes, a little portable wireless system is awesome.

[@perola1966]

Great video on when to use and when not to use a lav mic. Earlier I use an lav mic on for video narration on my chest with a Rode Wireless Go. As you mentioned it is omni directional mic and apart from picking up my voice it also picked up my heartbeat, which was audiable when editing the sound later.

[@tombuck]

I've heard of mics picking up heartbeats! I've never had that happen, but it's super interesting. I guess if you were filming a horror movie, it could potentially add to the intensity of a scene 😁

[@PatrickRambles]

Is that a monitor arm, you are using to elevate your Rodecaster?

[@tombuck]

Yep, any VESA mount will work 👍

[@williamburkholder769]

Why do I like your lavaliere mic more than the studio mic? The Sennheiser sounds absolutely great, but not relative to its additional cost. Personally, I love my EV RE-20 for narrations (used it for 43 years), but the Røde Lavaliere 2 I bought for our DJI mic kit sounds really, really good. With a little EQ and compression, it is more than fine for interviews and budget film dialog. It does present concealment challenges, but a hole punch and some URSA Soft Circles usually fixes the issue with the front-facing capsule.

[@tombuck]

I've really been trying to work on my lav mic positioning and EQ since making this video, and I've definitely learned a lot. I'm currently using Sennheiser's new EW-DP wireless system and really love it.

[@WellnesswithSerwiusz]

I have used £7 lav mic from Amazon with 3m extension cable connected directly to my Canon M50 mic socket. Does it sound fantastic, no, but it is OK. Nobody complained so far. If I had a dedicated studio space, I would use better mic, but since I record most of my videos in my kitchen, quick set up is the main advantage. Tom, I agree with all your points. It is also good to remember that if your audio is just Ok that's good enough, the content is more important. I saw many KZbin creators with bad equipment and lot's of following.

[@tombuck]

"Just ok" audio is still probably better than the vast majority of audio out there. I always recommend people upgrade their audio before anything else, but the law of diminishing returns hits quick. a cheap lav vs. nothing is going to sound WORLDS better. But a $100 lav vs a cheap lav isn't going to have the same leap in quality. I'm glad you have something that' easy and works well!

[@lm3xtra]

Great video, as always, and it serves as a very smooth segue to a "lav' microphone systems' comparison video series" (please 🙏).

[@tombuck]

That's a super interesting idea! I would definitely need to learn a lot more about lav mics, but that's probably not a terrible thing to do.

[@vickielawson3114]

Pedantic, but I wish people would call these what they are: lapel mics. Actual lavalier mics (larger and hung around the neck) haven’t been used since the 1970s.

[@tombuck]

That's true, but for clarity (especially in videos) I usually default to whatever gets the point across easily (kind of like how saying "boom mic" is an easy way to refer to a mic mounted out of frame).

[@onocoffee]

I wish people would keep the lavs on their body because when you hand hold them they tend to be more tinny sounding. By keeping it on your chest you get more resonance and most lavs are already on the tinny side so the resonance really helps. I don't know if you do much field work but the WirelessGO2's internal recording feature saved my butt during an interview I was shooting and the cameras kept overheating. I was able to record clean audio and rebuild the interview with b-roll. It's the best feature of the G2.

[@tombuck]

It definitely irks me when I see a lav being handheld, but in the end, it's helping to give better audio than without it, so I'm happy people want decent audio. It's just so inconvenient to hold!

[@punknugget561]

Again, great vid! I too have the same Rode wireless II setup and use that for outdoor recordings. Then using post processing software cleans things right up nicely to get rid of background noise like traffic and wind. Using a boom mic or studio mic is the better way to go for better sound quality. Thanks again for doing this mic demo! 😎

[@tombuck]

Gotta love when software can help make things sound extra sweet 👌

[@punknugget561]

@@tombuck Yup! The iZotope RX 9 works “automatic” wonders! I just use the “Dialogue Isolate” in their menu and hit the render button and I’m done. This app so many features! Known to be the best out there for autocorrection apps for VO. Hope that helps.

[@rodrigomurta84]

Great video! Thanks for sharing.

[@tombuck]

Glad it was helpful!

[@anickfontaine]

I love your humour. You are a great teacher. Keep up your good work!

[@tombuck]

Thank you! Will do!

[@Sandalia98]

Great video!! Super useful!!

[@tombuck]

Glad you think so!

[@ChristianVedder]

I shouldn't encourage you, but I gotta admit some of your play -on- words still crack me up! Like this one at 2:05!

[@tombuck]

That was one of those delightfully unplanned puns 😁

[@piotrbandomir4378]

I've been watching you for a while now. Your broadcasts are very cool and help me make decisions. I have a small request. Could you please throw in a link to "Arm for Rodecaster Pro". At my place, in my country, the link you provided does not work.

[@tombuck]

Thank you for the kind words! If the link doesn't work in your area, you can search for any VESA arm. Since the RCP2 has a built in VESA mount, it'll work with any monitor arm. The one I have really isn't anything special, just something I found on Amazon.

[@csmvideoproductions7359]

I shoot corporate video and I use a lavaliere mic for one reason and one reason only….redundancy. I boom an overhead shotgun because that is ultimately the sound quality That I want. The Lav is my backup in case of clipping, unintended ambient noise and/or an issue with no audio to my primary channel. I will have the Lav going to a different channel. It saved me on a job once where my Sennheiser MKE-416 picked up the ambient noise going on in the hallway. My lavaliere mic was the audio source that I was able to retrieve the cleanest sound from.

[@tombuck]

Absolutely brilliant. I'm sure your clients are super happy (even if they don't actually know what you're doing 😁).

[@csmvideoproductions7359]

@@tombuck -You can never have too much insurance. Imagine a client paying you thousands of dollars for a production and then a day or two later asking them to shoot again because you have no audio of their interview. That is too terrifying a scenario for me to envision. I’d never hear from that client again. Keep up the excellent content. Good stuff.

[@punchtravelchannel]

Thank you for explaining this complicated subject!

[@prajay9657]

I have seen but had no clue about lavalier microphones, now I know something about not only lavalier, but studio and boom mics, thank you for the fun watch @tombuck

[@nermaldigital]

I was watching this as unsure over lav or studio mic, I didn't even consider a boom mic set up. After watching this, I've tried setting up my Zoom F1 with the boom mic attachment and have it set up on my Elgato key light stand and it works brilliantly for my set up. Love your videos mate and this one was a huge help.

[@MuggerRingo]

A video of how the audio is edited in the computer would be nice. Just a thought.

[@LucasDegen]

I've been using the Rode Lav for two years for remote podcasting, before moving to the Rode USB and Riverside for remote podcasting. But still if you ask me, for starting a podcast, the Rode Lav is the best quality/price mic on the market the start with. I even want to use it to quick record a podcast when I don't have my ultra podcast studio available for me. So you want to start podcasting on a budget, go for the Rode Lav mic!

[@tombuck]

It's a really great lav! Definitely one of the easiest-to-get-good-results lavs I've used.

[@PatrickBoberg]

I try to only use lavs if I'm in a walk and talk situation. Where subject needs to cover some ground and a boom just won't cut it. That being said if you can run a lav and a boom, that is where it's at.

[@tombuck]

This makes me think I would love to see you in a West Wing style "walk-n-talk" role 😁

[@PatrickBoberg]

@@tombuck I could only pull that off it were a juvenile comedy where the w/t ended with a pie in the face.

[@Nethanel773]

Great and clear comparisons! Very helpful. Thank you for putting this up.

[@TechAuditTV]

1:54 I've watched this part 10 times and I'm still not sure if you're standing or on your knees

[@tombuck]

Chopped off my shins like Cotton from King of the Hill 👍

[@zensasmr]

This is helpful, thanks, Tom~ I'm thinking of this mic for ASMR.

[@tombuck]

A lav for ASMR could be super interesting!

[@aroncontinuousconversation]

0:20 cool shot! I have to catch up with your videos.

[@tombuck]

How dare you not stay caught up constantly?!

[@mattconstance2196]

Another great video Tom. Currently deciding on what to do for a boom mic in the home studio for recording our webinars etc. We have the Wireless Go2 with Rode Lav, but the sound just isn't as warm and "authoritve" as the studio mic (Procaster) that we use. I know a boom won't be either but oh the decisions.....

[@tombuck]

It really depends on the boom. I'm in love with my MKH50, but it's really expensive. I've heard that the Rode NTG5 can get similar sound at a much lower price, but I haven't used it myself. The Deity S-Mic 2 might be worth looking into also. 👍

[@mattconstance2196]

Cheers @@tombuck I'll have a look in to the Deity the NTG5 is actually on the consideration list.

[@elishashappinesscampaign1597]

Nice one Tom.

[@tombuck]

Thank you!

[@BigElad]

Do either of the Rode Wireless Gos work with the Rodecaster Pro 2? If yes, does it show up as one or two sources? Thanks!

[@tombuck]

Not via USB at the moment, but you can run them into one of the main inputs with a 3.5 to 1/4" or XLR adapter 👍

[@juanselobo]

So many dad jokes! keep them comming hahaah great video as always!

[@tombuck]

Thank you Juanse!

[@DavidSenteno]

Now the word microphone sounds weird to me and I’ll be thinking about it all day. Thanks for sharing.

[@tombuck]

I'm sorry that I broke your brain 🫠

[@OurLifestylePodcast]

Thanks for the video!

[@tombuck]

You're welcome!

[@makasii]

😂😂😂 the size change when you stand in the back, I'd love to see you play these giant guitars 😂😂😂

[@mattwruff]

WOW, you were pouring on the PUNs this week. You need to clarify that most Lav Mic's need power. Wireless Mic transmitters generally supply that power. If you want to use a Lav as a Wired Mic you have to supply power to it Rode sells a thing (Rode VXLR Pro) and then you would turn phantom power on and it will reduce the power to somewhere around 5 volts. The Rode Lav isn't that great of a mic, to be honest. I use Shure TL48's but hey there $450 dollars. The new DJI Wireless kit is the best of the consumer one I think. Being a Church sound guy for over 50 years I used more wireless mics than wired mics. You need things that most KZbinrs (except Curtis Judd/and the like) know very little about. The normal signal chain for a Law is from the receiver it goes into a Compressor/De-esser/etc (DBX 286s) and then into an EQ before it is even recorded. Now it is true My Shure TL48 can't totally compete (it would be much closer than you would think) with an excellent Mic like the EarthWorks Icon and MKH50. It can beat a Rode Pod Mic or others in that class. When recording out of a studio it's good to have everything double Mic! So you would use a Shotgun Mic and a Lav.

[@tombuck]

I think this is why it's tough for lav mics in situations like mine. It feels like they require a lot of knowledge/effort/gear that a typical "solo creator" isn't going to have or want to invest the time into. Probably being a bit general there, but it just seems like there are so many other options that are so much easier to hit the ground running with.

[@ImpressiveTony]

I could have definitely used this video a couple months ago, when I was testing all these different types of mics for my channel. lol I think I'll stick with the boom mic for now (Oktava MK-012). I value not having a mic arm in the frame, and it's got way better audio than any of the lav mics I've tried.

[@tombuck]

I’ve heard great things about the Oktava!

[@ImpressiveTony]

@@tombuck It can be hard to find, but the sound, at least on my voice, is fantastic for the price.

[@epi2045]

The lavaliere “sound” for the most part sounds like I’m being sold Ginsu knives at a live demo stand at the state fair.

[@tombuck]

Haha, it definitely evokes those kinds of memories 😁

[@waynewrz]

Thanks for the great info. Plaid is rad and I’m glad it hid your mic well.

[@tombuck]

Always glad for plaid 🥸

[@Jakepf]

I often liked to mix the two mic recordings together to get a pretty good sound

[@christianoswald8606]

Do you have any mic recommendation for recording your voice in the car? I'd like to practice my speaking voice and intonation while driving. A lavalier would pick up too much of the surrounding noise, but for obvious reasons I can't put a microphone arm in front of me. Would appreciate any ideas! And thanks for the excellent video!

[@tombuck]

It's funny you ask because I was just listening to a live stream yesterday where someone said they clip the Rode VideoMic Go to the sun visor in their car and run it into their phone. It'd probably pick up road noise, but it seems like a really nifty solution. I'm not 100% sure how they clipped it, but I think there are a bunch of different adapters out there that would make it pretty simple.

[@christianoswald8606]

​@@tombuck That actually sounds like a pretty good way to do it. I'll give it a shot! Thanks a lot!

[@FILMTOPIA]

Now I know the origin of "omnidirectional" thanks Tom, thanks 🙏

[@tombuck]

Very scientific and very accurate.

[@officeofdemonology]

I went with the DJI wireless and love it so far. Can I ask what the arm you have holding up your Rodecaster Pro II. I’ve been looking for one. Thanks.

[@tombuck]

I've heard great things about the DJI mic! The arm is just a generic VESA monitor mount from Amazon. Nothing crazy, but it works great!

[@SylvereNazaire]

People often forget about one type mic often used for miking moving subjects: The headset/earset microphone! These are useful because it's more common for these to have a directional polar pattern (cardioid, super/hyper-cardioid, etc.) and, because they mounted on your head or ear they often sound better than lavaliers. One of the reasons lavaliers don't sound the best is because they get attached to your chest, headset/earset mics just avoid that whole issue.

[@tombuck]

100% you're right, didn't even occur to me here and definitely serves a really valuable purpose!

[@ArpitGandhiMusic]

Your processing is amazing on the microphones. What is your chain looking like?!

[@tombuck]

Wow thank you! I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing with lavs haha. For this video I didn't do too much. I like to play with the graphic EQ a bit in Final Cut just so it suits my voice and I sometimes use the parametric EQ to identify and cut out unpleasant frequencies. Then usually just a tiny bit of compression to help everything come together. 👍

[@dirktomsin]

Hi Tom! Good stuff! Would a microphone on a boom arm out of frame work for KZbin talking heads video with 2 people?

[@tombuck]

Yep, it just depends on the mic! My Sennheiser MKH50 has a very narrow pickup pattern (although I have used it with my wife on stream before and it works fine as long as we're squished together). But a mic with a wider pickup pattern, maybe like the Sennheiser MKH416 or something similar, could get the job done. You'll likely have a lot more room tone/reverb, but you can process that out with software (or use the new voice isolation feature in Final Cut Pro, which works wonders).

[@Damoforce]

Would a lav be best for area and rooms that are not sound treated and that hate a lot of reverb

[@tombuck]

That's a really great point and I think the answer is yes (or at least it's worth testing).

[@jimshaw899]

Perhaps consider this issue also: Much of speech audio quality has to do with the talent's surroundings. In larger or open-air environs, the lavalier is a great choice -- not just for freedom of movement, but because there isn't much of that hollow room effect. This is why lavs work very well on TV talk shows, where the talent is on a large, open stage, not in a spare bedroom. In high ambient sound levels, a closely held hand mic still works well -- like man-on-the-street interviews. BTW, that Earthworks mic sounds terrific on your voice. Every time I hear them used, they sound great. Regrettably, they are pretty pricey. But I think they sound much better than the mic-under-a-pillow sound of the Shure SM7B. 🤫

[@tombuck]

That's true- I should've done an outdoor test for this video! And yes, the Earthworks is absolutely awesome! I've been wanting to do a dedicated review on it for like a year, but I keep putting it off for no reason 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@michealpbeast2583]

I have different types of mic. And sadly, I only used one so far out of two years. But at the same time. I only done IG interviews/conversations. So I use the studio mic with the arm on the desk. I wanna move onward and upward to more. But equipment is crazy expensive. My biggest problem is space. I have no room to expand or create my craft.

[@tombuck]

Space is definitely the enemy when it comes to anything audio/video related 😁 For what it's worth, finding solutions in small spaces can be a REALLY good creative exercise. You might be surprised at some of the cool stuff you can come up with!

[@PaulSyng]

Come for the tech but stay for the dad jokes! 😂😉❤️

[@NoorSkullz]

5:09 If your phone has a headphone jack you can run it through that and I've done it loads of times and it works well.

[@steaming_mangos]

Do you have any true budget wireless transmitter recs? Your budget options were around $200, I'm referring to under $100, ideally under $50. I completely understand the need to spend money when it comes to audio, but if I just want to be understood and sound "fine" (maybe not *good*), I feel like there must be some decent options?

[@tombuck]

Honestly, no. Even the $200 systems have quite a few weak points, so I think anything less than that is just going to cause you frustration (in my experience, truly reliable wireless systems start at around the $700 range like the Sennheiser G4, which I haven't owned personally but have use many times through work). You could always browse Amazon and read reviews to see if you can find a hidden gem, but I don't know of any that I would give a solid recommendation to off the top of my head. So depending on how you want to use it, getting a lav with a looooooong cable and running that into your camera/recorder might be the best way to go.

[@Tudor_Mateescu]

I'm a fan of studio mics too. The Earthworks Icon Pro microphone sounds great 👍

[@tombuck]

I love it. I was pretty late to discovering Earthworks, but they're absolutely fantastic.

[@MichealColhoun]

The puns! Great video as always Tom!

[@tombuck]

Thank you as always 🙏

[@notme188]

Great video as always Tom. Does that VESA arm work for the orginal Rodecaster too? If so how does it work?

[@tombuck]

Unfortunately no, since it doesn't have the mount built in. But I've known people who have used a laptop arm with great results 👍

[@kamranheydari987]

Love your humor 😂

[@jantube358]

Great comparison. Love the sound of the Sennheiser MKH50! I just wanted to get it and then I was really surprised how expensive that is! 😯 The others don't convince me that much. Maybe that Rode Lavalier II can be a good budget solution without the wireless stuff.

[@heyjaywilson]

I did that trend of holding my mic in my last vlog... I just didn't want to clip it at the time xD

[@tombuck]

Anything that helps get better audio is a win in my book 😁

[@137dylan]

The Lavalier sounds good...and then you hear the studio one, which is sooo much better. Is there any particular reason you wear your watch on your right wrist?

[@tombuck]

I'm a lefty 😬

[@EmDzei]

Good points! I liked them. On my ears I liked most on your boom mic, second lavalier and surprise the studio microphone audio was worst.

[@AndrewMcSpadden]

How can I set my mic up on a boom from a distance without killing quality? Do you have a video on that?

[@tombuck]

I don't have a specific video on that because there are so many variable with mics/equipment, but my video on the Sennheiser MKH50 vs 416 might gives some examples/ideas of how I've learned to do things. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqfIk4yYhMmeqbM

[@GustavoScaloniVendramini]

@Tom Buck nice!! Tom do you think that lavalier mics could work well if I need to have calls in the same room with another person doing another call, the external voice would be recorded too?

[@orvet]

Great video. Top jokes. A bunch of new insights gained. ☀️

[@tombuck]

That's quite the win in my book!

[@friedenstv]

What other gear do you use? As I understand THE MICROPGONE IS JUST ONE PART OF THE SYSTEM: BASE noise if you connect directly to the computer without mixer or other devices would be interesting to know

[@ItsRyukin]

So, The one thing that I’ve been having trouble with these lavalier is a very long cable. Sometimes when I try to keep it in a pocket, It’s just becomes a mess, entangled and it’s very annoying. (Especially when I don’t even use with a wireless mic) and I still have to keep my best to organize these. But I do have one and I’ve reviewed it 1 or 2 months ago. The only good thing about these is they’re cheaper than an expensive external mics like Røde, 7RYMS and etc. But I only trust my wireless mic with a lavalier mic though, The sounds is like nothing compared to when *NOT* using the wireless mic setup. (Except for a bit of a *bass* in the audio, But the audio stills sounds clear)

[@tombuck]

Oh yeah, the long cables are always a struggle. It seems like no matter what, they magically end up getting tangled in an instant 😁

[@theworkingmanpodcast]

Hey Tom! Can you review the Tascam US-42 MiniStudio? Wondering how it fairs out against the Zoom Podtrak🤷🏾‍♂️

[@tombuck]

I haven't heard of the US-42 until now, but it seems kind of nifty. Definitely a potential alternative to the P4. Might need to check it out!

[@fearhand]

This guy is the GOAT, thanks Tom

[@TechSmashUSA]

Very nicely explained. You are a great tutor For KZbin Community 🙌

[@tombuck]

Thank you! This comment really makes my day 🙏

[@gaips]

Try the DJI Mic or PicoGear PicoMic (dream form factor size).

[@tombuck]

I've heard great things about the DJI mic, but am not familiar with the PicoMic.

[@gaips]

@@tombuck look into the PicoGear PicoMic. It is the ideal size and form factor. Tiny and barely visible + 20 hour battery per use. I hope Røde takes notes on the PicoGear PicoMic and DJI Mics.

[@LucaDePazzi]

Honestly never liked lav mics but you have the power to make them cool for me… you are expensive for me Tom! Great video 😁

[@tombuck]

haha, they're great to have as an option, but definitely not my personal first choice.

[@LucaDePazzi]

@@tombuck i’m the same yeah. I will give them a try for some outdoor recordings. Here in Scotland is superwindy so it may help a bit removing some wind noise 💪🏻

[@jayel27]

Ah the trend of holding a random mic as if it was unplanned and not considered. Let’s hope it does soon. Great video 👌🏽

[@magopoker]

Awesome review!

[@tombuck]

Thank you! 🙌

[@CriticalMassMedia_Video]

Great video. Terrible jokes, but I smiled anyway. Have just had an issue using a lavalier, but having watched this now realise that we set up incorrectly and next time going to use a boom as well and see which gets the best sound. Which was not quite the advice you offered but is what I took from this.

[@tombuck]

As long as you took something positive away, I'm happy 👍

[@princenamor1939]

Tom, I have a camera without a mic input. I want to wear a headpiece mic (no headphones just the mic stationed near my mouth like singers/preachers use) while I sit at a desk across from my camera but allowing me to get up and move around off camera if I need to. I plan to synch up the audio with my video after I've recorded. So basically I need a headpiece mic wrapped around my ears plugged into a recorder of some sort attached to my hip that I can later plug into my iMac mini to synch the audio with the video. Where would I purchase this headpiece mic and recorder? Oh...and I have a flip phone so recording to a smart phone is not possible...lol Can you help lead me 'cause I can't seem to find what I need. Thanks!

[@tombuck]

I 100% recommend the Zoom F2 as your recorder. I posted a video about lav mics last week where I talk about it. It’s amazing! As for the headset itself, I’m not too sure. I know Samson makes one thats pretty affordable, but that’s about the limit of my knowledge.

[@princenamor1939]

@@tombuck Great- thanks for your help!

[@Nordbiene]

Great video, than You. Best regards from Germany, Kai the bee filmer :)

[@tombuck]

Thank you so much Kai! I couldn't bee more appreciative of the kind words!

[@Nordbiene]

@@tombuck 🤣😉👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@screensanctum]

another banger of a video.