Lavalier Microphones for Use with the Voice App
External microphones are versatile and in many cases better suited for general-purpose
use than the smartphones' or tablets' internal devices. Dynamic "Lavalier" microphones
offer a frequency response of 50 Hz 18 kHz, are small in size, fit neatly near the
neck of a speaker, and clip freely to almost any piece of clothing. Thus, lavalier
microphones provide a hassle-free technique of recording an audio source at high quality.
Selecting the Optimal Microphone
Audio signals are recorded with a sampling rate of 48 KHz and at a 16-bit resolution (stereo).
The resulting quality depends on the audio equipment in use. In particular, the smartphones'
and tablets' internal microphones are some-times insufficient so that dynamic "Lavalier"
microphones can be a much better choice as such devices are less sensitive to background noise
and pick up sounds more purely.
The Sony ECMCS3 is a budget-friendly, omnidirectional electret condenser microphone with a
frequency response of 50 Hz 18 kHz (stereo). A TRRS microphone adapter is required to connect
the 3.5 mm stereo jack plug to the smartphones' combo audio port.
The Audio-Technica ATR-3350iS is a high-quality omnidirectional condenser microphone that
comes with a foam windscreen, a LR44 battery, and a TRRS microphone adapter. It features a frequency
response of 50 Hz 18 kHz.
The Rode SmartLav+ is one of the best Lavalier microphones on the market (condenser capsule).
It comes with a foam windscreen and features a frequency response of 60 Hz 18 kHz. It plugs
directly into your smartphone's combo audio port.
