Lavs for MP3 Recorder

[Peter Rush]

Hi all - I'm going to ditch my Audio Technica ATR 3350 lavalier mics as I like the quality but they don't seem to last - I've replaced them all over the last two years! Also the cable is way too long and previous attempts to shorten the cable has resulted in a mic that has lasted even a shorter amount of time.

I use Olympus WS311 recorders which I'm pretty sure do give out power from the 3.5mm jack ('plug-in-power') but I'm struggling to find a good quality lav mic to suit - I'll be buying 4 so budget is a consideration. Reading this forum there seems to be a shift away from wireless to stand-alone recorders so I'm interested to see what lavaliers are proving popular.

Cheers

Pete

[Chris Talawe]

we use a countryman b3 on our h1s. great sound quality. some times, we also use the giant squid lavalier and that one does a pretty good job for the price. you can save some money if you wait and go to the NAB show, the vendors all have some really good discounts.

[Peter Rush]

Hi Chris - looks just the business but I'm not sure what the DC output of the WM311 mic connector is - the manual is unclear - the countryman requires 9-48v but I think the 'plug in power' system is only 3-5v.

Did you need to use an impedance converter in order to use it with the H1?

Pete

[Fran Guidry]

You might talk to the guys at Oscar Sound Tech: Home

Fran

[Peter Rush]

They look good fran but that power supply looks pretty big - coupled with my olympus it might make for a big bulge in a jacket pocket.

[Chris Talawe]

Hi Peter, the b3 power requirements are 3-12Vs and unfortunately the h1 doesnt state what it provides but it does have "plug-in power". I did use an Olympus a few years ago with some Radioshack type mic and it works well for what it was. I dont see why the olympus shouldnt work with the b3.

[Peter Riding]

The Sennheiser ME2 lavs that come with the G3 radio kit work fine with the H1. And they don't have a stupidly long cable :- ) I have three of the radio kits so thats three lavs. The one downside is that the connector is straight rather than my preferred L-shape so they stick out the side of the H1 rather further than I would like and are more inclined to detach than L-plugs.

The ME2 has a screw fastener but the H1 does not. You can pick the lavs up on Ebay from time to time but be careful with fakes. The ME4 version has a narrower pickup pattern compared to the oni ME2 so its not normally the better choice in our line.

I also have about 6 giant squid lavs and I had most of them made with L-plugs and short cables; one is white. They also work well with the H1.

Miniature Microphone Specialists Stereo - Mono - Cardioid - Omnidrectional Giant Squid Audio Lab

You don't need a separate power supply with the GS or the ME2, just plugin power on the H1. They both work with the Zoom H4n XLR sockets as well so long as you enable 48v phantom power. Either use an XLR to 3.5mm adapter or use a 3.5mm to XLR (male) cable that is available from e.g. Sennheiser plugged into the Zoom H4's XLR sockets.

Pete

[Peter Rush]

Thanks Peter - comprehensive reply :)

How do the Sennheisers compare to the Giant Squid?

[Peter Riding]

Well as you know the recording conditions at weddings are seldom if ever optimal, with lots of factors outside our control plus rife reverb plus vehicle and aircraft noise in the ambient etc, so I've never bothered making direct comparisons. All I can really say is that they both deliver results more than good enough for wedding work. For the same reason I could never see the point of upgrading from the Sennheiser ME2's that come with the radio kits.

If I had not bought the radio kits I don't think I would have bought higher grade lavs.

The ME2 and clip is better looking than the GS though when visible in photos :- )

An old mate who was a scientist working on nuclear sub design had a saying "a difference is only a difference if it makes a difference". I always try to remember that when I'm tempted to spend money :- )

Pete

[Peter Rush]

Thanks Peter - I might get a Sennheiser for the groom ceremony and Giant Squids for other parts of the day. Sounds like a good option - The Audio Technica lavs sound good but have a stupidly long cable and don't last!

The dilemma is I keep seeing 3-5v is the standard for 'plugin power' but the sennheiser requires 7.5 volts!

[Nigel Barker]

I really like the Sennheiser ME2 on my G3 wireless setups. It's a very full & rich sound.

[Peter Rush]

Originally Posted by Peter Riding

The Sennheiser ME2 lavs that come with the G3 radio kit work fine with the H1. And they don't have a stupidly long cable :- ) I have three of the radio kits so thats three lavs. The one downside is that the connector is straight rather than my preferred L-shape so they stick out the side of the H1 rather further than I would like and are more inclined to detach than L-plugs.

The ME2 has a screw fastener but the H1 does not. You can pick the lavs up on Ebay from time to time but be careful with fakes. The ME4 version has a narrower pickup pattern compared to the oni ME2 so its not normally the better choice in our line.


Pete

Peter how do you find that screw connection - The mic sounds lovely - nice and rich (I've just bought 2) but it doesn't seem to connect as securely as a normal 3.5mm - it almost doesn't go in as far as it should into my olympus audio recorder. I'm tempted to replace the jack but in past experience that will never be as good as the original ie it will fail at some point - and I'm quite good with a soldering iron :/

Pete

[Peter Riding]

I've just tried a bunch of connectors to compare with the Sennheisers. Perhaps marginally not as secure as the L-shaped non-screw ones that are on my various Giant Squid lavs but not insecure either. I've also got two GS lavs with Senn connectors and they are the same as the Senns - not as strong a grip in the socket but fine.

I think the screw type connector securer on the Senn lavs is the best bet for their wireless kit but the L-shaped is best for a lav going into a trouser pocket recorder. If its a Senn lav plus trouser job perhaps give the cable a couple of turns around the top of the recorder body to absorb any accidental pull pressure on the socket.

Pete

[Fran Guidry]

Originally Posted by Peter Rush

They look good fran but that power supply looks pretty big - coupled with my olympus it might make for a big bulge in a jacket pocket.

The adapter is used when connection to P48 phantom. The mics use plug-in power directly.

Fran

[Peter Riding]

Peter how do you find that screw connection - The mic sounds lovely - nice and rich (I've just bought 2) but it doesn't seem to connect as securely as a normal 3.5mm - it almost doesn't go in as far as it should into my olympus audio recorder. I'm tempted to replace the jack but in past experience that will never be as good as the original ie it will fail at some point - and I'm quite good with a soldering iron :/

Update on that. It appears I've been lucky as my ME2's have always worked with my H1's. In practice I don't use that combination all that often - I tend to use Giant Squids with the H1's and ME2's with my Sennheiser G3 kits.

But today while doing extensive testing with 4 x GS's, 3 x ME2's, 4 x H1's, 1 x H4n, and 3 x Senny G3 radio kits I found that I could not rely on the ME2's into the H1's. The H1's would always recognise the ME2's as line in but slight lateral movement could make recording fail. I must have had a charmed video life so far to not have been caught out by that. Two of my 4 GS lavs have Senny connectors and the other two have normal L-shaped plugs. All 4 were completely reliable. But the 3 Senny lavs all disconnected at some point; they appear to be very slightly looser whereas the GS's are a reassuringly tight fit.

Am I glad I found this out on a bench rather than on a job :- )

Pete