RØDE Lavalier GO and smartLav+ are excellent, wearable microphones but there is always room for improvements.
There are times where there is no way to hide a wearable microphone such as when the actor/actress wears a thin piece of clothing, among other things. So when you are looking for a discreet and easier-to-conceal-wearable-microphone, the new RØDE Lavalier II should be your pick.
Thanks to a revolutionary low-profile design combined with an ultra-compact mounting clip, the new RØDE Lavalier II can be sit flush against clothing and easily be concealed than most wearable microphones out there. There are also cable management slots on the mounting clip so you can tuck the cable away nicely behind the shirt or dress.
The unit is flat and can prevent it from protruding out of the actor’s clothes – which is something you don’t really want when you are trying to hide the microphone away from your video production.
Despite of its compact design, Lavalier II still has that broadcast-grade sound quality and omnidirectional polar pattern that is quite forgiving in placement so it can pick up the actor’s voice easily. While this means that it can pick up other noise around you especially when you are recording outdoor, there are accessories like a pop-filter and mini furry windshield included in the packaging to help you out.
These should keep things neat and make sure you get a good, clean audio from the actor in different kinds of situations.
RØDE Lavalier II can be plugged to a wide range of audio devices and also works with RØDE AI-Micro and Wireles GO II (still reviewing this one). The cable length is 1.2m and it’s a good length to plug to an audio recording device you may have.
When using it with the AI-Micro, you need to take the TRS locking connector out first (my photo above still has the locking connector ring and recording didn’t work because the jack couldn’t reach the 3.5mm deep enough). The locking connector is used to lock the Lavalier II in place so it doesn’t fall out when using/recording with a wireless system such as the RØDELink Filmmaker Kit or any other wireless systems with a locking thread.
Here is an audio recording test I did using the Lavalier II plugged into the AI-Micro:
And when you are all done with that, you can put everything into the included zip case – ready to be carried anywhere you go so you can keep making audio contents.
RØDE Lavalier II Specifications
- Acoustic Principle: Permanently Polarized
- Active Electronics: JFET Impedance Converter
- Polar Pattern: Omni-directional
- Capsule: 6mm
- Frequency Range: 20Hz – 20KHz
- Output Impedance: 2K2?
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 67 dB
- Equivalent Noise Level (A-Weighted): 27dBA Typical
- Maximum SPL: 106 dB SPL RMS (Plug-In Power, 1% THD), 120 dB SPL RMS (Plug-In Power, 10% THD)
- Maximum Output Level: 50mV (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1K? load)
- Sensitivity: -38 dB re 1 Volt/Pascal (12.59 mV @ 94 dB SPL) +/- 3 dB @ 1kHz
- Dynamic Range: 79 dB Typical
- Power Requirements: 1.8v to 5v Plugin Power
RØDE Lavalier II is available now for AU$139 at retailers around Australia. Make sure to check the RØDE Lavalier II product page to find out more about the microphone and the retailers.
Disclosure: RØDE Lavalier II review sample was supplied for reviewing
