Getting the Best Sound from Your Lavalier Microphone

Getting the right microphone is only the first step in recording great dialogue for your videos and film. The bigger piece of the puzzle is learning the skills to capture great sound. In this episode we take a look at some of the techniques for optimizing the sound you capture with a lavaliere microphone.

This episode produced with the following gear:
- Nikon D600
- Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D Lens
- Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D Lens
- HMNSound Lavalier Microphone

Music by Curtis Judd

[CZsWorld]

Do you have an episode on mic placement? I'd like to hear your opinion on a lot of things.

Tape vs clip?
Tape to the clothes, or tape to the body?
Male vs female ideal mic position?
Best way to run the wire down into their pockets?
Add gain in the transmitter or the receiver?
Best placement for multiple layers of clothing, (ie: suit and tie)?

[michaelpoczynek]

Thanks, Curtis from 2013. You are my number one source for audio and I greatly appreciate you making this video. Have a great day!

[Seanonyoutube]

Every time I open youtube I see another great Curtis Judd video suggestion with excellent advice...you’ve really filled the internet with wisdom over the years. I have like 20 videos of yours on my “watch later” just trying to keep up and make sure I don’t miss any of them haha

[InsipidMedia]

Curtis, you are well and truly the absolute king! You never leave me with any questions. Thanks so much for all these incredibly thorough lessons. It's pure inspiration and highly appreciated. You've taught me things far beyond anything I learnt in my formal/academic filmmaking education. Keep it up, you're a powerhouse!

[curtisjudd]

Hi Eric, My preference would be to use two field recorders (e.g., Zoom H1) each with a lav mic. And then sync all of it back together in post. That sounds daunting but with Final Cut Pro X or Premiere, it is pretty simple and quick. I generally stay away from using the camera to capture anything more than reference audio. If that isn't an option, you could invest into a different wireless system with multi TX and one RX. Shure and Sennheiser both have systems like this.

[MatthiasBehrends]

Finally someone who knows what he is talking about. Thanks for sharing your experience with all of us!

[curtisjudd]

Hi Kirwin, yes, I believe that the Zoom H6, like the H4n, has a 3.5mm input that provides plugin power (1.5 - 10 volts). The only think you'll want to avoid is adapting the Giant Squid from 3.5mm to 1/4 inch and plug it into the xlr inputs with 48v phanton power.

[IIIlIIIllIl]

I have watched over 50% of your videos and I plan on watching the rest of them too.  THANK YOU for taking the time to make them and putting them on Youtube for other people to learn from.  If you're ever in Houston, TX I'm buying you a beer!

[djnaydee]

Thanks for the tips Curtis. I did just recently purchase the Sennheiser lav kit and will keep these in mind

[curtisjudd]

They're a great option as well in terms of sound. They're a little more imposing in terms of appearance but they do an awesome job because they're so close to the mouth.

[curtisjudd]

Thanks DJ! Good luck with the Sennheiser kit--I've heard great things about them.

[usernamehandle]

I can’t believe that you make your own music Curtis! It’s pretty catchy and pleasing!

[tombuck]

Yes, this video is 6 years old, but I still got exactly the info I needed 👍

[curtisjudd]

The main thing is to be sure to turn OFF the iOS Processing setting in the RODERec app. Your mics will sound at least 50% better that way.

[curtisjudd]

Sure, but first I'll need to get a white backdrop! :) I think lighting instruments and audio gear are the most important things. If you have great lighting, almost any HD camera is good enough. And no camera has a good enough mic (because it is too far from your relent).

[mariocomeq]

Always good information with Curtis Judd. Best regards and congratulations.

[curtisjudd]

Hi Scott, great video, definitely helpful. I especially liked your BTS episode on interview lighting for the pastor. Great look.

[IKanFlyDrones]

Hi, Great Video Thank you! I wanted to ask you if you have any recommended settings inside of OBS to make yourself sound professional. I stream and video chat using OBS and want to get the best sound from my mic. I have the PowerdeWise Lav mic. Thank you.

[AshrafEzzat]

I use Audio-Technica ATR-35S Lavalier Microphone and record the voice on Zoom H4n. Since my AudioTechnica has a 3.5 mm plug I attach it to the Zoom H4n with a Mono ¼ inch adaptor. Only the voice I get is not as strong as the one when attached directly to the Zoom H1/H4n (without using adaptors). Now will a 3.5 mm to XLR adaptor give me a better gain on Zoom H4n for I have an interview coming up and I’ll be needing to record my voice and the guest’s simultaneously on the Zoom H4n using the Stereo or 4 channels mode. This is so important for my next documentary. Greetings from Egypt.

[ScottysDetailing]

What about microphones that connect over your ear and have a boom to your mouth. Like what modvational speaker Anthony Robbins wares.