Filmmakers of all skill levels know that using a high-quality microphone is essential. The sound quality of your video can make or break its success. If people can’t understand the people speaking, they will likely become frustrated or bored and stop watching. Using a microphone that produces bad sound quality also makes you look unprofessional as a videographer and makes it more difficult to convince people to take your projects seriously. Understanding different types of microphones and when to use them will vastly improve your skills and your final video projects. Today, we’re here to teach you how to use lavalier microphones in your filmmaking process.
What Is a Lavalier Microphone?
A lavalier microphone, also called a lav mic, is one of the most commonly used mics in any kind of video-making industry. There are both pros and cons to using this device, and it’s important to understand how it works so you can determine which scenario requires a lavalier mic and which calls for a different type. The lavalier microphone is a very small device that can be clipped to an actor’s shirt, allowing him or her to walk around the scene while still capturing the audio. It is often clipped to the speaker’s collar or shirt to keep the mic near their mouth and easily pick up sound.
The Advantages to Using a Lavalier Microphone
Better Sound Quality
Because the lavalier microphone can be placed close to the speaker without the use of a boom pole, the sound quality can be much better. The microphone is placed directly on the person in the scene and allows them to move around without needing a boom operator to follow them through the scene. Although the sound quality of the speaker’s words will be better, lavalier microphones are usually omnidirectional, meaning that they pick up sounds in every direction–not just the direction they are pointing. Unfortunately, due to this design, lavalier mics can pick up unwanted background noise. This is something you should definitely keep in mind if you’re filming in a noisy area.