I’ve been using a $29 Audio-Technica Omni lapel mic since starting my YouTube channel. On one hand, it was $29 on Amazon when I bought it and with some EQ and other plugins, it’s not too bad. On the other hand, it’s dull sounding, no high end, and requires 4 plugins to make it sound decent.
So I went hunting for a better lav mic that I could use for making videos. My budget was around $100. I ended up buying the RODELink LAV lapel mic. It came highly rated. It was $99. And, well…
The Good
I can hear a little more high end in the Rhode compared to the Audio-Technica. It’s a little more crisp sounding. I wanted a better sounding mic, and this is a better sounding mic. But…
The Bad
Well, this thing was specifically designed to be used with the $200 Rhode wireless system. Unlike the Audio-Technica, you can’t just plug it into your mixer with a 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch adaptor. AND it’s a condenser microphone, so it needs power… which it doesn’t come with. I suspected this might be the case when I ordered it, but I have a little power source that will power a condenser, so that was OK for me… but for someone wanting to hook this thing into their iPhone, they’d be screwed. It’s an easy mistake to make, so don’t make it. Unless, like me, you have a condenser power source hanging around and you don’t mind cutting the adaptor off the thing and wiring it up yourself… or spending $200 on a wireless system. Maybe one day I’ll do that. Naw, probably not. I have a super long, super thin cord for it. It’s fine.
And about that superior high end – it’s barely audible without EQ. It sounds almost as dull as the Audio-Technica. Once you jack up the EQ, you find you have more to work with.
The Ugly
But my biggest issue with this mic is the clip. It’s perfect if you wear a tie, like 99% of all YouTubers do NOT DO. But if you want to clip it to your t-shirt color like most of us, it’s unusable. There’s a harsh metal edge that digs into your skin. It’s USELESS. I ended up rigging something different by stealing parts off the Audio-Technica.
Summary
I was prepared to bring my own power to the party and I was prepared to wire the thing up myself. But I expected a bigger difference between the cheapest lav mic Audio-Technica ever made and this one. Yes, I can hear the difference when I boost with EQ, and yes, I will keep using it. But there’s just n0t that much difference between them. On the other hand, it was only $100, and it does sound better (with EQ) so I am happy that I’ll have better sound for the videos I record in August. I’m not going to do an Amazon link for this because I don’t like the product very much. And I think Rhode is a great company. But to me, this mic is disappointing.
