Best Lavalier Microphone Kits (on a budget)
Looking for a lavalier mic can be pretty daunting, if you’re not an experienced sound recording professional. The range of prices for these mics goes from less than $5 all the way up over $1000 and more.
Of course, the old saying stands: you get what you pay for. If you’re getting paid $500 a day a sound recordist and you show up with a $5 mic, you might not be invited back. But if you’re just starting up a YouTube vlog, then a $5 mic might be all you need, for now.
There’s also a price jump if you want a wireless lavalier mic. A wired lav mic is just a small condenser mic, cable, plug and clip. A wireless lav mic, however, needs some extra electronics – namely a transmitter and a receiver. So those things are going to add extra cost to the mic.
Now, one thing you need to consider with wireless microphones is extra interference. This is when your mic, cable or some other part of the system between voice and recorder picks up unwanted sounds. I’m not talking about the background noise in the room or location you’re filming, but interference in the signal itself.
If you’ve ever had to use walkie-talkies you might have experienced this. eg: when you find yourself hearing a conversation between some other walkie talkie users interrupting the conversation you’re trying to have. unsurprisingly, the more expensive wireless lav transmitter and receiver set ups are generally better at dealing with interference.
Buying a lavalier microphone
If you’re buying a wired lavalier microphone, your job is a bit simpler than if you’re buying a wireless set up. If you just want the mic, then you just have to choose the best one for your budget. If you want wireless, then then you have a few more choices to make, because the mic, transmitter and receiver can be bought separately. So then you have not one but 3 pieces of equipment to research.
To save time, you can buy an all-in-one kit, like the RØDELink Filmmaker Kit below. or take a recommended package. We’ll see what we can find out.
We’re about to shoot a short film on smartphones (we’re using 2 x Samsung S9s). For audio, I already have a small kit which I’ve used for years: the industry workhorse Sennheiser MKH 416 which is a shotgun mic normally mounted on a boom pole. I’m recording onto a Zoom H4n Pro. I have also added the RØDE VideoMic Me as a kind of back-up/extra options mic.
This article will look solely at wireless kits:
1. Movo WMIC70
Movo WMIC70 UHF Wireless Lavalier Microphone System with 1 Bodypack Transmitter, 1 Portable Receiver, 1 Lav Mic, Shoe Mount for DSLR Cameras. The kit operates over UHF frequencies of 584 MHz-607.4 MHz. It has 2 groups of 48 selectable channels (96 unique frequencies) and can operate and connect at over 330 feet (about 100 meters).
It’s budget and so don’t expect the best audio quality. But it’s actually not too bad.
2. Sony ECM-AW4 Wireless Microphone
The ECM-AW4 Bluetooth Wireless Microphone System from Sony is something of an oddity but an interesting one, nonetheless.
The microphone is also the transmitter, which sends the audio information via Bluetooth to the receiver. So you have everything you need in those 2 small “pods”. It has mixed reviews – some people love it, some people don’t get on with it.
To get the most out of it, you can connect a regular lavalier microphone into the transmitter/mic to use instead of the inbuilt mic. Then the mic/transmitter acts like a regular lav transmitter.
It plugs into virtually any kind of video camera, DSLR, or recording device that features a 3.5mm mini-jack microphone input. the range is about 50 meters (150 feet). The kit also comes with a Velcro strap so you can fix the transmitter to an arm or leg.
3. Comica CVM-WM200(A) Wireless Dual Lavalier Mic System
With this kit you get 2 lavalier mics + 2 transmitters + 1 receiver (hence the “dual”). So this means you can have 2 mics running at the same time, clipped to 2 different actors or speakers. The receiver has 2 outputs to you can separate the audio when connecting to your recording device.
There’s an adjustable RF signal strength or auto-scanning for quick channel selection to A/B group. The working distance is up to 120 meters. The whole thing comes in a sturdy carry case.
The more expensive WM300(A) model has built-in rechargeable lithium batteries, with work time of up to 10 hours and a MICRO USB interface.
As noted by some, the audio quality of these mics is not the best. To my ears, the sound is a bit mid-range and lacks full warmth. But if you need 2 mics at a budget, this could be a good purchase.
4. RØDELink Filmmaker Kit
RØDE have become established as the low-to-no budget filmmaker’s most trusted microphone manufacturers. With this setup you get one mic, transmitter and receiver kit.
The range is up to 100 meters. It has 128-bit encryption.
This mic has been out for a few years and it seems that initially there were issues with interference and the general audio quality of the mic. However, it appears that they have since fixed that and the new ones ship with better mics. So, if you’re thinking of buying one of these 2nd hand, that’s something to bear in mind. Word on the street is to avoid the 2015-16 version.
The mic test below is pretty extensive, including exterior and interior tests. Plus the video only has 327 views so it’s needs your love.
When you are checking mic tests, think about where you are actually going to be using it. You might think recording audio outside is the bigger challenge, because of more background noise. In fact, it’s usually the opposite. Why? Because interiors create horrible reflections from the walls which can give your audio a nasty tinny quality.
This is exactly what you will find in this video below. The exterior audio is a bit richer and warmer than the interior audio, which sounds a little “boxy” (so it sounds like the audio is recorded inside a box). Having said that, the for the price of the kit it’s not a bad sound at all.
5. Audio-Technica System 10 ATW-1701/L
With its compact and portable design, the System 10 Digital Wireless Camera System is ideal for video production, reporting and all intermediate mobile applications, the receiver offers several mounting options to suit a wide variety of cameras and recording devices. The channel selection, instant timing and configuration to camera models make it easy to use. The digital wireless operating at 24-bit/48 kHz brings good sound quality and reliable performance in the band 2.4 Ghz (away from interference of DTV or 4G).
The System 10 constantly “monitors” frequencies and changes them if necessary. That way there are always a good 2 frequencies in the system, and the user does not need to manipulate anything. Up to 8 systems can be used simultaneously without any frequency coordination problems or group selection.
Check out a good mic test (from 2014).
6. Sony UWP-D11
The Sony UWP-D11 is comparable to the Sennheiser in price, but does it match the quality?
“You’ll find more fanboys of the Sennheiser than you will of the Sony system.” Video Gizmology
The UWP-D11 wireless communications system consists of a lavalier microphone, the UTX-B03 transmitter, the URX-P03 Diversity receiver, a number of cables and some mounts. The lavalier is a very high quality unit and is supplied with a windscreen and mounting clip. Sony specifies the frequency response as 40Hz to 18kHz.
The mic comes with a good length cable, to give you room to manoeuvre, so to speak, when fixing the mic to the talent’s body and clothes. The microphone plug has a knurled locking ring to screw it down onto the transmitter to prevent accidental disconnection.
Power is supplied by 2 AA batteries. There’s also a USB port that you can connect to a USB power supply to recharge NiMH batteries or to operate the unit. This is a diversity system, which means you can set the channel and the core frequency, and the system will automatically hop to deliver the best output.
With the UWP-D system is a hybrid system. he audio is taken from the mic and processed digitally in the transmitter before transmitting the signal as an analogue signal to the receiver. The receiver then processes the signal digitally and sends it to the recorder. This helps to reduce noise and hiss.
7. Sennheiser EW 112 P G4 Wireless Camera Lavalier Set
These Sennheiser EW 112 P G-series mics have been popular for about a decade or so. In 2010, when they updated the mics from the G2 to the G3, the mics arrived in time to benefit from the new DSLR movie making craze. Usually, with a name like Sennheiser you can’t go wrong with audio quality. They’re also robust enough to last you a few years.
So, last year Sennheiser updated from the G3 to the G4 and improved on the audio quality a little.
They have a range of up to 100 meters (330 feet) and a battery life of about 8 hours.
They are certainly not the cheapest, but they sit at the top end of the mid price range. What you are paying for is reliability and audio quality. These are are probably less likely to let you down than the cheaper options.
The evolution wireless G4 series comes in four different lines: 100, 300, 500, and IEM. This covers live sound, business/education, and broadcast/film. Like the G3 series, kit options are offered that include body-pack transmitters and receivers, lavs, plug-ons, handheld mics, and rack-mounted receivers.
“Specially developed for mobile journalism, the 100 series is the industry standard and is used whenever everything has to be quickly and reliably captured in one take. Thanks to its high bandwidth, the completely new 500 series provides reliable transmission for large film shoots.” Sennheiser.
Which one is the best?
This depends on your budget and your quality requirements. However, if you are looking for an professional industry standard workhorse of a wireless lavalier microphone, and you can afford $600 for a mic, then the Sennheiser EW 112 P G4 is the winner.
If you are working on a smaller budget and/or lesser quality requirements then one of the cheaper options will work for you. If you are vlogging or doing interviews for a YouTube channel, then you really don’t need top level quality (but if you can afford it then why not?).
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