A lavalier, or clip-on, microphone sounds good when three things are right: it sits in a sensible spot on the chest, nothing rubs against it, and the level is set with room to spare. Start with the capsule on the upper chest, roughly 15 to 20 cm below the mouth, keep fabric and jewellery off it, use a wind cover outdoors, aim for peaks around -12 to -6 dB on the meter, and listen on headphones while you record a short test.
Placement and distance
DJI suggests positioning a lavalier about 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches) below the speaker's mouth, usually on the upper chest, and keeping that distance steady: too far away reduces clarity, too close can distort. RØDE recommends placing the capsule over the sternum as a balance between closeness and natural sound, and notes that moving the microphone closer to or further from the mouth has a dramatic effect on tone.
- Clip it on the upper chest. Too low and the voice sounds distant and less clear; too close to the mouth and, as DJI warns, the sound can turn harsh or distort.
- If it sits on the sternum, RØDE suggests mounting the microphone upside down in its clip to reduce distortion from hard P, T and B sounds.
- Keep it near the middle of the chest. DPA warns that a lavalier can cause large level changes when the speaker turns their head while talking, and points to a head-worn microphone where that is a real problem. Record a short test with the speaker's real head movements and listen for level drops.
- Do not bury it under thick layers. DJI says hiding a lavalier under thick clothing muffles the sound.
Stop clothing noise
Rustle from fabric touching the capsule or cable is the most common lavalier problem, and it is very hard to remove afterwards.
- Keep the capsule clear of fabric, jewellery and hair, as DJI advises, and use foam or fabric tape made for lavaliers.
- Make a broadcast loop. RØDE recommends threading the cable back through the clip and running the excess behind the fabric, so only the microphone, the clip and a small loop show from the front.
- Add a strain relief loop a little below the clip and tape it down, so movement does not tug on the capsule.
- On T-shirts and dresses with no edge to clip onto, use a vampire clip, or tape the capsule inside the clothing with camera or gaffer tape; RØDE also suggests a soft rubber mount to absorb noise and vibration.