They are so small, yet often sound the same as any other much bigger and specialised mics. In fact, certain TV shows rely only on lapel mics and it always sounds professional quality.
They are so small, yet often sound the same as any other much bigger and specialised mics. In fact, certain TV shows rely only on lapel mics and it always sounds professional quality.
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Well typically these mics you see tv shows use are very expensive, which means better quality parts so that’s one reason, as well as the position of the mic, typically these are strapped right onto a collar of a shirt allowing for better sound pick up. Though one of the other main reasons is Lav mics also typically have a lot less range which is good for talking so there is not a lot of room for these mics to make mistakes!
It also may not seem like it but boom mics are only good in some scenarios, same with desk mics, and Lav mics. Lav mics are more likely to have interference with clothes, due to where they are clipped, boom mics can be easily seen if not done correctly, and desk mics really only work for podcasts.
A big part of good audio quality is the software used to record it and the environment you are in. If you use a 2000$ mic out in a windy park with kids playing in the background, recorded through the basic audio recording software on your phone or pc, you’ll get a worse sound than a 50$ microphone recorded in a professional studio with professional audio software and mixing.
Different microphones are also made to do different things. A lapel mic is for picking up a single voice from a single source, whereas a book mic is for several sources over a wider area. And just to be clear here, a good lapel mic is not a cheap object. They can easily be hundreds of dollars just for the mic alone.
Lapel mics are almost always quite visible and obvious, but don’t get too in the way. They also allow the user to walk around, because they often use a box for sending data to the recording equipment. A standing mic is obviously stationary, and really only works well if the speaker is within a certain range. A boom mic is also somewhat mobile, but requires a sound operator to move around with it.
So in short: lapel mics are for one specific job, and big boom mics are more multi-purpose. Standing mics are for standing still, where larger setups are fine and not in the way.
It’s really all about range, both dynamic frequency range and physical range of audio. Lapel mics catch only a small area of sound and are targeted with an EQ specific to the human voice.
Every type of microphone is targeted at a different frequency range and physical area of sound to be captured. Some are more broad, capturing a room tone and broad areas. Desk mics are good for voices directly in front of them.
Some mics are built for specific instruments with specific EQs and emphasized dynamic ranges.
They’re built for different things, and a final audio mix will use a mix of all recorded tracks involved.
They don’t sound the same – lav’s tend to be a lot harsher sounding, plus often have to be hidden under layers of clothing which makes it harder to get a good recording. Ask anyone in post what they’d prefer and you’d get them asking for booms 9/10.
HOWEVER, most professional sound / dialogue mixers are very good at treating the audio to minimise the differences, plus a full mix will usually have a lot of ambiance’s and foley to blend everything together. Plus you can blend the booms and the lav’s together with tools like Auto Align so you get the rich room presence of a boom but the clarity of a close lapel mic as well.
The lapel mics in question are often a Sanken 11-D, which cost around $400 each. Add on several hundred more (at least) for a body pack to transmit the signal, and you’ve got the bare minimum. Well, that plus a receiver for a few grand.
Now get professionals to wire the actors’ mics up. And more professionals to keep them all balanced correctly live, and you’re good.
Don’t ask me dude. I don’t know why I waste money on condenser mics when a clip on lapel mic for 2 dollars sounds the same albeit with the caveat of having to have it close to my face.
Heylo, Location Sound Mixer for film/entertainment here.
In reality each kind of microphone sounds different, some more similar or closer than others. When recording and going back and forth its easy to tell the difference in how it sounds because of a multitude of variables such as how far or close the mic is from the subject, how much wind protection is on, how many layers the mic had to travel, if the room has a lot of reverb or not (for ex. a bathroom vs a bedroom)
At the end of the day, what you’re seeing on screen is really the work of post sound. They do amazing work with making dialogue sound consistent, clear, and less jarring from the differences.
Lav mics are primarily treated as a backup option with boom as a preferred option. Granted there are situations a boom won’t work like an extremely wide and far shot. It also helps that the lav mics used on screen are more often than not using industry standard microphones that keeps things consistent + experience knowing how to mic up talent free from clothing rustle and wind (although there are just some outfits or situations that it simply won’t work)
Lapels pick up ambient noise better due to their proximity to the speaker, which can add depth and realism to recordings. Producers use this to their advantage when recording interviews or live performances.
Lavalier mics have a particular niche, which is to record persons who are also simultaneously appearing on video, as the lav is visually unobtrusive. It is also one of the two microphone types well suited to guests with no background in broadcasting or proper microphone technique (the other being a broadcast headset with an integral boom mic), as the speaking distance from the mic and alignment of the mic to the speaking direction are controlled regardless of which way the speaker turns their head etc. Headsets have better ambient noise rejection, which is why they are used in sportscasting, but have the visual hit as a tradeoff. Both lavs and headsets accommodate a speaker walking around without having to have a boom operator to keep a mic trained on them. Absent these considerations though, proper studio mics with suspensions used by knowledgable users with good microphone technique will always sound better than a lavalier. If they sound the same to you, that is probably the result of clever signal processing and compression.