{"id":3034,"date":"2021-06-09T09:25:35","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T09:25:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new-blog.artlist.io\/?p=3034"},"modified":"2025-09-07T09:04:48","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T09:04:48","slug":"lavalier-mic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new-blog.artlist.io\/blog\/lavalier-mic\/","title":{"rendered":"Get to Know the Lavalier Mic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Lavalier Microphone. It\u2019s the mic that, if used well, will never be seen in movies and only occasionally in television and internet videos, yet it\u2019s one of the most used mics in film, video and live productions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lavalier goes by many other names, including Lav Mic, Lapel Mic, Body Mic, Collar Mic, neck mic and several others. It has neither the iconic look of vintage ribbon or tube condenser mics of the 1950s and 1960s nor the technological range of modern microphones. Yet, despite its modesty, the Lavalier mic is one of the great workhorses at the filmmaker, videographer or YouTuber\u2019s disposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is because the lav mic records excellent, crisp sound at close distance to a film or video subject while remaining unobtrusive. Indeed, sometimes they can be hidden so well they are effectively invisible. These qualities are what make the lavalier mic an attractive recording tool for creating great-sounding videos<\/a> and starting a podcast<\/a>, and it can also become an essential part of your travel vlogging equipment<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below, we will briefly explore what exactly the lavalier microphone is and how it works. We will also talk about when to use a lav mic and the best ones on the market for all budgets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a lavalier microphone?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"500\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

image by Marco Verch (CC BY 2.0<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lavalier mic is a tiny microphone attached to a person\u2019s lapel, collar or some other clothing article close to their mouth. It was engineered for use in theater, television and public speaking engagements, where the voice needed to be amplified without a microphone on a stand or in hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally, the lavalier mic was designed with a wire that connected to audio recording gear, which could be hidden by clothing. While this type of lapel mic is still in use, there are wireless<\/em> lav mics that use a radio frequency transmitter (attached to the person) that sends audio to the camera or other recording equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to attach and position a lavalier<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"AKG<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

image by Zvsmedia (CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea with a lavalier mic is to be close to the actor, announcer or interview subject\u2019s mouth. The ideal is to attach it around 15 cm from the mouth. To capture the best sound quality, you\u2019ll need to experiment a bit with positioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we\u2019ve already noted, a clip-on microphone should be attached to a lapel or collar through a buttonhole, or even on other articles of clothing like a scarf (if it\u2019s cold!). That said, one can be creative in attaching a lav mic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, a lavalier can be fixed on an actor\u2019s body. Film productions typically use a type of adhesive to attach the lavalier microphone to the actor\u2019s skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro tips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n