Lavalier Microphones

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 sometimes 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.

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.

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.

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 into the smartphone's combo audio port.