IK Multimedia iRig Mic Lav Makes Mobile Recording Easy and Clear

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In just a few weeks Judie, Greg, and I will be headed to Las Vegas for CES 2016. Last year Judie and I did more video interviews than ever before, and we’re going to do even more this coming year. The IK Multimedia Lav mic is going to be a huge part of our interview process for a few reasons.

iRig Lav Mic

You’re a visionary videographer, an intrepid journalist, a dedicated podcaster. And when you’re out in the field, you want to be able to record high-quality audio for your projects with the hands-free convenience of a lavalier microphone, and you want to do it without breaking the bank. That’s where iRig Mic Lav comes in, it’s an ultra-affordable and compact professional-quality mobile lavalier microphone for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android.

It’s feature packed and quite affordable. Here’s what it offers and why will be using it.

Lav mics for the iPhone are nothing you new. We’ve tried them in the past but for a number of reasons they didn’t work. First of all, the audio quality of the recording was never up to par. Second of all, because these lapel mics were singular devices they only captured one person speaking. That’s fine if you are simply recording yourself or someone else but if you want to do an interview it clearly doesn’t work. This lapel mic is different. First off, the audio it captures is excellent. In fact, the last few videos I’ve done for our YouTube channel has been done using the lapel mic and I think the audio sounds better than ever. Finally, because the IK Multimedia Lav has a second port you can plug a secondary lav mic into it rather than headphones and record both sides of the interview.

iRig Lav

iRig Mic Lav is chainable. That means it can double your recording power by letting you easily chain up to two iRig Mic Lav’s to the same device. Each iRig Mic Lav captures high-quality audio thanks to its omni-directioinal condenser capsule and foam pop shield. And recording convenience is taken to the next level thanks to its on-board headphone monitoring output, secure mounting clip, generous cable length and durable roadworthy design. And best of all, you can have all these premium features at a price as small as the device itself.

iRig Lav

It’s pretty nifty and incredibly easy to use. The review sample I was sent only came with one microphone but the company does sell a package that includes two different level there makes.

iRig Lav Mic

I’ll either be purchasing a second live Mike work will simply use one of the other microphones I have that uses a fee paid 5 mm headphone jack. Either way I’ve got a great way to plug two microphones into one iPhone 3.5 mm jack at the same time and record dual conversations.

iRig Lav

The iRig Mic Lav has an omnidirectional condenser capsule that lets you capture a 30Hz – 16kHz frequency range of “crystal-clear audio from all directions.” It ships with a foam pop filter that helps to eliminate vocal plosives, wind noises and other extraneous sounds. It also ships with a mounting clip that gets a good grip on pretty much anything be it a t-shirt, a lapel or… whatever.

iRig Mic Lav’s chainable feature is unique. On the one hand you can use the secondary 3.5mm port to monitor the audio being recorded. Simply plug in a pair of headphones and make sure the toggle on the unit is switched to headphones and you’ll hear what you record.

Capturing great audio in the field requires more than just superior microphone technology. To get the best sound, you have to be able to monitor your source as its being recorded. Not all lavalier microphones come with on-board monitoring, but iRig Mic Lav does. In fact, among major brands, it’s the first mobile lavalier microphone to offer this feature.

The port has a secondary function however. You can plug a second iRig Lav into it instead of headphones, flip the toggle over to microphone and you’ll be able to record two sides of a conversation at once.

Chainable power: There’s a saying that goes something like, “two heads are better than one.” The same can be said for microphones — when you’re out in the field, sometimes you need to record more than one person.

IK Multimedia even sells a 2 Pack of the iRig Lav so you can get this awesome functionality for a lower price than you would were you to purchase two units. But the iRig Lav has one more trick up its sleeves… Or clipped to you lapel as it were.

iRig Lav

If you use two of the units you will have two extra 3.5mm ports. The first can be used for the second microphone. The one that remains free can then be used with a pair of headphones so you can also monitor the two recording streams as they are captured.

Presenting with Power: Pair iRig Mic Lav with VocaLive or EZ Voice and an iLoud portable speaker, and you’ll have the perfect “hands-free” portable PA system that you can easily fit in a briefcase or backpack for trade shows, small group gatherings and other mobile presentations.

Features:

  • Professional mobile lavalier microphone for all devices
  • High-quality omnidirectional condenser capsule
  • Includes foam pop shield and durable mounting clip
  • 1/8″ TRRS jack connects to iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Android
  • Combo 1/8″ TRRS port can be used for headphone monitoring/line out to powered speaker
  • Combo 1/8″ TRRS port can be used for chaining up to two iRig Mic Lavs to the same device
  • Compatible with any audio app that accepts audio from headset input
  • Comes with a suite of powerful recording apps
  • 150cm/66” cable
  • Also available as 2 Pack – iRig Mic Lav 2 Pack

iRig Lav Mic

It even comes with a nice carrying case.

Check it out here on the iK Multimedia website.

Buy the single pack here for $49.99. [Affiliate link]

Buy the double pack here for $79.99. [Affiliate link]

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample iRig Mic Lav

What I Like: Captures great audio; Allows for monitoring of the audio feed; Allows you to daisy chain two Lavs and capture both sides of a conversation AND monitor the audio

What Needs Improvement: Nothing. I am loving the ease and quality of the recording it offers

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.