Intro
The Rode SmartLav+ is a handy audio solution, perfect for content creators and anyone looking to step up their audio game without breaking the bank. In this review, we’ll dive into the pros and cons of this microphone and see if it’s worth your hard-earned money.
Pros of Rode SmartLav+
- Crystal Clear Sound: The SmartLav+ delivers outstanding audio quality, capturing your voice with precision and clarity.
- Simple Setup: You won’t need a degree in audio engineering to get started. Just plug it into your smartphone or recording device, and you’re good to go.
- Versatility: This microphone is not picky about where you use it. Whether you’re recording podcasts, vlogs, interviews, or even music, the SmartLav+ handles it all.
- Compact and Portable: Its small size and included carry pouch make it a breeze to take on the go, ensuring you never miss an opportunity to capture high-quality audio.
- Affordable: Compared to other high-end microphones, the SmartLav+ won’t break the bank. It offers exceptional value for its price.
Cons of Rode SmartLav+
- Cable Length: The cable may be a bit short for some users, limiting your mobility during recordings. Consider using an extension cable if needed.
- Background Noise: While it excels at capturing your voice, it may pick up some background noise in less controlled environments. Ensure you record in a quiet space for the best results.
- Compatibility: It’s primarily for mobile devices and cameras, so you might need additional adapters to connect it to other equipment.
- No Gain Control: Unlike some pricier alternatives, the SmartLav+ lacks adjustable gain settings, which can be a drawback if you need more control over your audio input.
Conclusion
In the world of budget-friendly microphones, the Rode SmartLav+ is a shining star. It offers remarkable sound quality, straightforward setup, and versatile applications. While it has a few limitations, like cable length and background noise sensitivity, these drawbacks are outweighed by its affordability and convenience. If you’re an aspiring content creator or need a reliable mobile microphone, the Rode SmartLav+ is a smart choice.
Bob Flisser –
I bought this mic to record my voice on my MacBook Pro, which is made for a TRRS plug. The sound quality is great and the mic does noise canceling. It’s small, so there is no adjustment for the NC amount. It’s a simple device: a thin cable with a mic on one end and plug on the other end. Only issue is the Mac regards it as a full headset, not just a mic. So I need to disconnect the mic to hear any sound. When it’s plugged in, system settings will not let me choose any other device for sound output. That means this mic is not for video conferencing.
Stanislav Ivasyuk –
One on my hobbies is singing, I have a good bass-baritone and a well professionally trained voice. I also have very good musical ears sufficient to distinguish a difference between Shure SM58 and Shure86 as well as other mics. This small lapel Rode is an amazing mic for its size and price delivering great quality. Don’t speak directly to it, give 4-5 inch distance between your mouth and the mic and it will transmit the beauty of your voice the best possible way. This is not the first RODE mic in my collection (in additioon to two Shure SM86), I also have a small cannon mic purchased around 5 years ago, and I am very much happy with that one as well. Good things do cost money, and with Rode you get what you pay for.
59 Fender Bassman –
I just purchased these for recording audio for live event video production. I record audio separate from my video and sync in post.Pros:The sound quality of the lav+ is great. The microphone is very responsive to the human voice frequency and overtones. Great dynamic range. This works perfect with the iphone 5s and android tablets and iPod touch. Great for dictation or a cheaper interview type audio recording situation.Seamless upload. After you record your audio you can send it to dropbox or sound cloud easily inside the Rode Rec App.Custom Audio settings. The Rode Rec App offers the user a plethora of settings to record quality audio for any application. You can set sampling rate (from11k up to 96k 24 bit), audio format (Mp3, Wav, WMA, ACC, etc), compression, limiting, gain, etc. The app really lets you dial it in.The App. The Rode Rec App is great. You can start recording on your smart device and turn off the screen so your subject doesn’t accidentally hit “stop”.Recommendations: For live event videogrpahy, I recommend using the smartlav+ with a iPod touch, or similar device, I do not recommend using a smart phone because if the phone is not switch to “airplane” mode or do not disturb, a incoming call will casue the app to pause the recording.Cons:iPod nano: you can not use the Rode app on a iPod nano. This would have been a great solution for recording multiple subjects at live events, but this is a apple issue that Rode should consider approaching apple about as it would benefit both.No extra windscreens: The smartlav+ only comes with one windscreen and I can’t find extras anywhere online. So if you, or the person you place this mic on looses the windscreen, it’s gone for good. So, I am disappointment rode doesn’t offer windscreens separately.Smart devices only: The trrs connector. Because the connection is trrs as opposed to standard trs, the smartlav+ only works on smart devices. A majority of my business is weddings and I don’t want to place my iphone on a groom, officiant, or bride to record audio. If they break it or loose it, its on me and I don’t want to hand my clients a expensive device with all my contacts and other private information on it. I also can’t trust their device because, they may turn it off, hit stop recording and not start again, or they could not switch to airplane mode and get a text, email, or phone call in the middle of the event and create a dead spot in the audio. Being strictly a smart device mic seems to have more draw backs than positives.Works with “dumb” devices, but you need a adapter. Rode does make a adapter, the rode SC3, but it’s $15 per adapter and the plug is a 90 degree elbow which may be “ok” for the zoom h1, but it’s not ideal for other digital recorders with top mounted inputs where a elbow plug is more likely snag something and disconnect or cause interference.I like this product, but it’s hard to find a field recorder it is compatible with aside from smart devices. I am disappointed it doesn’t play well with others.Conclusion: The sound quality is great. Rode constructed a great lavalier microphone. I wish it was easier to use with standard audio recorders. But, it performs exactly as Rode advertises. It is a great product. I wonder why Rode doesn’t offer a alternative field recorder that would be a little easier for live event videographers on a budget, because I still worry someone will want to steal my smart device. If Rode did make a feild record strictly for the smartLav+, they would literally have the entire market to themselves.I do recommend this product because honestly there is nothing else out their in this price range and quality to compare it to.But, I also recommend using it with a iPod touch or similar device.
Tech Heat –
The Rode SmartLav+ is a wearable microphone also known as a Lavalier mic it is a Broadcast Quality Professional Grade Lavalier Mic or at least that’s what it”s called, it comes with a TRRS jack which is compatible with most smartphones and the reason behind that is because the smartlav+ is mainly made for usage which motivated RODE to make an app for all the iOS users out there to benefit the most from its feautures, however if you are planning on pluging it to your DSLR or your camera don’t get your hopes too high since your camera needs a TRS jack while the SmartLav+ offers a TRRS one ! but on the other hand RODE did find a way around it by making the RODE SC3 Adapter a TRRS to TRS adapter so you can plug this directly to your camera that will cost you 15$ !+ Now lets talk about the mic itself ! It comes in a omnidirectional condeser mic capsule and inside of it is the discrete 4.5mm miniature microphone, the cable is a 116cm Kevlar reinforced cable so don’t worry about the microphone stretching or snaping in normal usage but I would recommand the Rode SC1 TRRS Extansion cable for an extra 580cm !+The package also includes a foam windshield which feels pretty premium and will help you avoid all the t,b and p harsh sounds and will reduce the breathing noise it also comes together with a durable mounting clip so you can attach to your shirt ! Or anything you want and a cool locking letherate bag to take it with you if you are on the GO+ Now I’ll talk about some problems, first of all and the most annoying thing, is that whenever I plug it to my PC or even DSLR, the Clip keeps tazing me whenever it contacts my skin, which makes it harder on me ta concetrate on the content I am creating, 2nd things, is the cable, I beleive that it is tooo short for a lavalier mic, but what I did, is plug the smartLav+ to my smartphone and then put it back into my pocket ( which doesn’t taze me lol) and then recor on both the msartphone and DSLR, and then later on I sync it in Premiere Pro, which makes it a lot easier and efficientto work with but those are not some serioues problems, and most of them can be fixed by using some commen senseSo overall the microphone does an amazing job for it’s 79$ pricetag, and if I had to choose between this or even the seneheiser ME-2 which costs 70$ more I would easily pick this all day long so if you are considering buying both the SC3 and the SC1 Adapter then this whole setup will cost you around 120$ which is a nobrainer for the quality you are getting from this kit 😊
Losvaize –
Cuidado que no vale para cámaraPara mi sorpresa pude comprobar que este micro no funciona ni en micrófonos inalámbricos ni en cámaras de fotos ni en nada que no sea un móvil. Es por el tipo de jack que tiene. Pregunté al servicio técnico de rode y me lo explicaron. También me remitieron a un producto que tienen, el sc3, que es un cable para convertir este tipo de terminación TSSR en la normal, que es TSR.Así que me tocó comprarme el cable de marras en adición.Respecto al micro en sí, no es lo más espectacular que haya visto nunca. No es como cuando compré en NTG2 que no me podía creer lo bien que sonaba aquello.Este no tiene demasiada diferencia con el micro de un móvil o uno de gama baja nuevo.
FoxArio –
Bonne qualitéUtilisé sur une gopro pour du motovloging, la qualité est très bonne.
Valdir Ferreira dos Reis –
Microfone Excelente!!Qualidade do áudio limpo, sem chiado com excelente captação. Tudo o que esperava de um microfone Rode de lapela. Super recomendo!
Jean Bal –
Bon micro-cravate filaire avec un excellent rapport qualité/prixJ’avais acheté il y a quelques années la première version du “SmartLav” de Rode afin de pouvoir enregistrer des interviews à l’aide de mon iPhone.Le micro fonctionnait très bien, mais il était affligé d’un rapport signal/bruit tout juste moyen.Rode s’étant aperçu de ce défaut, le nouveau “SmartLav Plus” présente un niveau de bruit de fond beaucoup plus bas qui le rend désormais utilisable dans un contexte professionnel. D’autant que le SL+ bénéficie également d’une très bonne sensibilité et d’un équilibre tonal remarquable. Des tests sonores disponibles sur le Net vous permettront de constater qu’il est tout à fait comparable, au niveau qualité d’enregistrement, à des modèles réputés, notablement plus chers.Ce micro est omnidirectionnel, ce qui le rend adapté à la captation de la parole d’une personne sans que celle-ci soit obligée d’adopter une attitude statique pendant un entretien. L’ennui, avec les micro “omni”, c’est qu’il sont malheureusement sensibles aux bruits ambiants. C’est pourquoi il est fortement conseillé d’employer le SL+ dans un environnement relativement calme.D’après mes propres expériences, ce petit micro enregistre très correctement les graves, mais sans pour autant les accentuer, ce qui est primordial pour un dispositif positionné une vingtaine de centimètres en-dessous de la bouche d’une personne qui parle. Le son est clair et équilibré, contrairement à pas mal de micros (même haut de gamme) qui ont tendance à accentuer les hauts médiums et les aigus pour donner plus de relief à la voix.Et, attention, n’allez pas croire qu’un micro “cardioïde” (dont la “zone d’enregistrement” est plus limitée) serait forcément meilleur. Le cardioïde étant – par essence – plus directionnel, si la personne qui s’exprime tourne la tête vous aurez immanquablement droit à de désagréables variations du volume d’enregistrement…Tout cela pour tordre le cou à ce mythe répandu chez les néophytes qui voudraient que les micros omni soient forcément de moins bonne qualité. Sennheiser produit des micro-cravates hauts de gamme qui sont omnidirectionnels, et ce sont les plus utilisés pour les productions télévisées et cinéma.Le SmartLav+ se prête naturellement à deux types d’utilisations:1) Conçu à la base pour être connecté à un téléphone portable possédant une application d’enregistrement (comme l’excellente “Rode Rec” disponible sur iPhone à 4,99 euros), il peut faire office de “micro HF du pauvre”. Vous fixez le micro sur l’interviewé, vous glissez votre téléphone dans une de ses poches intérieures, et vogue la galère! L’ennui, c’est que ce genre de dispositif ne permet pas de faire du monitoring à l’enregistrement. Et vous risquez d’avoir des mauvaises surprises à l’écoute: frottements contre les vêtements, coupures de son, saturations, etc.2) Pour utiliser le SmartLav+ avec un enregistreur indépendant (je l’emploie avec un Zoom H5), vous aurez besoin d’un adaptateur (
J M. –
Professional kitI use this with a iPhone. Needs an adapter and suitable App, then works perfectly with excellent fidelity. Track can easily be imported into a video editor so you can do on-the-move audio without a sound man following you around with a boom microphone.