Rode SmartLav+ Lavalier Microphone Review
In this video we will be getting a review of the very popular Rode SmartLav+ lavalier microphone.
We will first of all see how to use this microphone, and then we will be doing a small comparison with the built-in mic of the DSLR. The Rode SmartLav plus is a fantastic microphone which is very versatile as it can work with external recorders and any type of smartphones (Android and iOS). Here is the video:
This video is from out Vlogging for Beginners Course, which has 2 hours of video content. You can access the full course via Udemy, using the link below:
Video Summary
This video emphasizes that high-quality audio is more critical than video quality for creators, highlighting the Rode SmartLav+ as a budget-friendly solution for beginners.
Key Insights and Comparisons
- The Common Mistake: Beginner vloggers often rely on their camera’s built-in microphone, which captures excessive noise, reverb, and overall “terrible” audio [00:25].
- The Solution: Using an external microphone, specifically a lavalier mic like the Rode SmartLav+, is presented as the essential fix for professional-sounding content [00:41].
- Flexible Recording Setup: The microphone can be connected to a dedicated device like the Zoom H1n recorder [00:49] or simply plugged into a smartphone to record audio separately for later syncing in editing [01:00].
- Audio Quality Comparison: The video provides a direct audio comparison, demonstrating how internal microphones fail to deliver clear speech compared to the external setup [01:30].
- Viewer Psychology: A key “golden point” mentioned is that while viewers may tolerate mediocre video, they will often stop watching immediately if the audio is poor or painful to listen to [02:06].
- Top Priority: The instructor concludes that if a creator were to take only one piece of advice from the course, it should be to invest in an external microphone [02:11].
