We’ve used the Blue Snowflake microphone in our faculty recording kits for a few years now. The mic has performed well, but as we are seeing more faculty recording in distant locations, in very interesting locations, we wanted to find a lav mic solution to cut down on the ambient noise. Simplicity (and affordability) were key so keeping with a wired lav made the most sense.
We had selected the Audio-Technica ATR3350iS which at around $22 is a great deal. That coupled with the $6.00 Sabrent USB External Stereo Sound Adapter made a great solution.
However (there’s always a however), the one drawback with the Audio Technica microphone is the battery. There is no “on” indicator and I (as well as others) always forget to turn it off which of course runs down the battery.
We found a phantom power solution but that was a bit more expense and complicated.
So, we wanted to test a lav mic with no battery to see if that would work. We purchased the Royal Voice Lavalier Lapel Microphone Clip-on Omnidirectional Condenser Mic for $18.99. Unfortunately, no go. The USB adapter did not produce any sound. I tried using an adapter into the Behringer and that didn’t work either. Neither did plugging directly into my Macbook’s headphone port.
What did work well is plugging it directly into my iPhone. So, if you are looking for a battery free, inexpensive solution for your phone or tablet, the Royal Voice mic seems like it might be a good solution. And it even comes with a deluxe leatherette carrying case!
