The classification of microphones is complicated. They are distinguished by the type of conversion to dynamic and capacitor. Condenser microphones are wide or narrow membrane. They are also classified by direction and scope (orientation). On this basis, manual, lapel, desktop, remote, "guns" and many other highly specialized types are distinguished. A hand-held microphone is the most familiar one, which is directly associated with the word “microphone”. They are widely used on television, in recording studios, etc.
The lapel microphone is mainly used on television. With its help, they interview the guests of the studio, conduct the transfer. It can be seen in theatrical productions, on television and in presentations. Often in various sports (and not only) shows, lapel microphones are used - running with a microphone in your hands, performing various tasks is often impossible, the head mics are not always securely fixed, then the lapels come to the rescue. They provide a fairly high quality voice and deliver a minimum of inconvenience. Characteristic features: small head and clothespin mount. A specific mounting method provides freedom of movement, but also has certain technical requirements.
The microphone attached to the clothes cannot be positioned so that the axis of greatest sensitivity is directed to the speaker's mouth (the principle of operation of
directional microphones). Therefore, lavalier microphones are omnidirectional and “capture” all extraneous sounds. Manufacturers to cut in extraneous noise integrate
low-pass filters, which partially corrects the situation. The lapel microphone may be condenser or electret. Both of these types provide high-quality speech transmission.
One of the main tasks of such devices is the screening of extraneous noise. Due to the fact that the lapel microphone is attached to the clothes, it picks up the sounds that friction of the clothes creates. Another issue: natural chest resonance. This significantly reduces speech intelligibility, and the sound engineer has to deal with this on the equalizer.
A high-quality lapel microphone can transmit speech well, but you won’t be able to record a song or the sound of an instrument using it at an adequate level - the characteristics are not the same. His main task is to transmit the voice with which he copes, and the main advantage is the small size. The smallest device weighs only one gram. It is almost impossible to notice on clothes from a distance of several meters. Such a microphone should be as inconspicuous as possible, therefore it has mainly dim colors. The most common are black, flesh and gray.
According to the method of signal transmission, the lapel microphone may be wired or radio transmitting. Wired microphones are used if there is no need for movement. To ensure mobility, use buttonholes with a radio transmitter. The transmitter has the appearance of a small box and is usually mounted on the back, at the level of the belt.