Best cheap lav?
 

I need to pick up eight lavaliere mics for roundtable interviews and so on. Since I need so many of them I need to find something on the cheap end of the spectrum, preferably under $50. The lavs need to be XLR terminated and phantom powered. Any suggestions?

There are no lavaliere mics on the market for that price range with XLR connections. The cheapest begin at around U.S. $200.00 list. I would advise renting, $50.00 mics sound like crap regardless of the connection.

Dan

How about placing mics on the table instead?

In a bind, I actually bought a $25 lav (non-XLR) at Radio Shack and was pretty amazed at the quality. Test it out for yourself and see.

I think if there is one type of mic that is more forgiving than all others, it's a lav. Try Giantsquid.com too. They are known to be pretty good.

Yeah, I've already tried placing mics on the table and it worked okay. I do like Giant Squid, but I don't believe he makes XLR terminated lavs. I need a balanced connection and I'm not going to deal with adapters. I am considering more SM11s.

Shure | SM11-CN - Lavalier Microphone | SM11-CN | B&H Photo Video

I already have three of them, so it's fewer left to buy, but they are obnoxiously big and don't quite have as much output as I would like. I have to max out the gain to get a decent level.

The SM11 is a dynamic, and naturally has lower output. Probably handles higher SPLs though. May be great for a 'screamer' or working on a firearms show.

I wonder if they used that lav on Billy Mays?

Dan

Hey Rick, I'm not faulting the SM11. It does pretty much what it's supposed to. I dangled them in front of some guitar amplifiers over the weekend and they sounded great. I was just hoping to finding something that was a little hotter, a little smaller, and maintained a balanced connection. The only reason I'm asking a "cheap mic" question is that I need so many of the things.

How about a good PZM mic? A good quality PZM placed in the center of the 'round table' picks up the sound very well.

Nope. A PZM is not gonna cut it.

R. S Lav. Mike
 

I have used a pair of them for 6 years, they really are good mikes. I believe they are made by A. T. for Radio Shack. I have been in pro audio (broadcast & recording studios) for 45 yrs.

In 2000-2003 R.S. had these lavs in a stereo pair for $30-; I recorded a symphony orchestra on my Akai mini disc everyone who has heard it thought it was a commercial recording.

With using R.S. products you have to know how to separate the truly good products from the rest of their line. I used to own Telefunken/Neuman U47's & Sony C37's when I had my on location recording service during the 60's, so I can easily tell if a mike is decent or not.

No sense spending money you don't need to.

When you say R.S., do you mean RadioShack? Is there a model number?

The Radio Shack mic is also known as the Audio-Technica ATR-35S. It is a cheap and dirty fix for having no microphone. I would not produce anything with it unless I had no choice. It is noisy and quite coloured sounding. It does not have balanced output.

Radio Shack Mic
 

I've use one of these for over a year. I have taped a person talking everywhere from the edge of a mountain rim with high winds to a quiet studio environment. It's been dropped in the dirt, stepped on, wadded up and thrown in a bag - I mean abused! Not intentionally, but stuff happens.

This IS the Radio Shack Mic: Hands-Free Tie-Clip Omnidirectional Electret - RadioShack.com

Check out the reviews and specs. I know a whole lot of people using this from hobbyist to pros. For a cheap mic that can reasonably get the job done - it's tough to beat it.

Now, if you have hundreds to spend...sure spend more if you have to.

Well if this is the mic being discussed it is different than the one I know of, so my comments are obviously off track.

Sorry for the confusion.