Need a wired Lav - $200 budget
 

I have a A1U and I am looking at add a Wired Lav mic.
I have a budget of $200 for this first one.

The A1U has both 3.5 and XLR
It will be mostly for low (very low) budget online commercials, interviews and instructional videos mostly shot indoors.

At that price point there are three well-known XLR-output mics that I can recommend.

Countryman EMW
AT899
Countryman B3 (The even smaller B6 is more expensive)

There are other models that are less expensive but the capsules are generally larger.

I would stick with an omni pattern for this first one.

Each of these mics comes in a wide variety of connector types, so check carefully that you're ordering the correct version, wired for full-sized XLR connector and the correct color (generally black for this type of work).

Others will probably chime in with their choices since there are many brands out there.

Don't forget to budget for several quality XLR cables such as those made with Canare StarQuad cable and Neutrik XLR connectors. If used outdoors you can also get extra wind protection such as a tiny furry cover.

Speaking of larger capsules, the AT803b sounds good, but is much larger than the AT899. In fact, I prefer the AT803b's fuller sound. Due to physics, it's easier to make a large capsule sound good than it is for a small capsule.

The AT803b is easy to order - it comes with an XLR output module. The AT899 has many more options. Make sure to order the one with the XLR power module. In general, it will be the most expensive option.

The day you get a larger budget, look at the Sanken COS-11D. They're tiny and simply sound great. According to the US Sanken dealer, many national TV news personalities own their own, so that no matter what mics the sound guy brings, they can maintain their image and deliver their signature sound.

The only wired lavaliere that I tested in my article that had a list price under $200.00 was the PSC Millimic. Some of the other other low-cost mics that list for around $250.00 probably street for under $200.00. The Countryman B6 and AT899 that Jay mentioned are excellent but probably street for well over $200.00.

Audio In Close Up - Which Lavalier Should I Use?"

Dan

Oops, I meant to type B3, not the extremely small and more expensive B6. (Now corrected in my first post.)

B&H has the XLR connector B3 for $204. The XLR connector AT899 is $200.
The XLR EMW is $180.
The AT803b is $160.

Thanks for all the responses...

I'm leaning heavily to the AT899, I have listened to Dan's samples and for $200 bucks this seems to be a rocken' mic.

My concern is the power module going to be too much weight for the side of the XLR box on the A1U?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/266176-REG/Audio_Technica_AT899_AT899_Condenser_Lavalier.html
It looks kind of big and heavy in the photo?

Just put an XLR cable between the camera and the AT899 power module.

I'm slightly unclear... does the AT8537 power module have an internal battery inside it? I have checked and cannot find a clear indication on that.

Does this AT899 need the camera to supply 48V phantom power?

thanks in advance.

According to A/T it runs on either battery or 48v phantom.

http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/re...at899_ss_e.pdf

Just to clarify, the power module for the 899, converts the microphone's cable to XLR so you only need to connect and extra XLR cable if you want additional length or you want to use it as a strain relief.

If you can afford the countryman, I'd go with that. I've recently starting using the B6s, and I'm extremely happy with them. The B3s are a little larger, and I've never used them, but I would imagine they have a similar sound to the B6s.

That said, I've never used the AT899, so I can't compare.

I have both the B6 and the AT899 and they are different but both sound good. The B6 is noisier and more prone to cable noise. More so than the AT899 which isn't great. I would go with the 899 if you don't have to hide the mic and the B6 if you do.
The AT899 also comes with a very nice accessory kit. The B6 comes with a couple of cheap plastic clips but it does come with 3 moisture resistant caps that let you tailor the frequency a little.

Hey Jay, looking into lavs, getting better at searching DVinfo. Wired lavs seem to be universally prefered. Your post below was helpful - will research those :)

thanks