Rode Lavalier II Review / Test (vs. ME-2, TLM48)

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Video & HQ Audio: podcastage.com/rev/lavii
Today I reveiew the Rode Lavalier II which is Rode's more recent Lav release. It offers a good build quality and a ton of great accessories. The noise is 27dBa but for a Lav, that's not the worst. The sound when used on the collar or on your chest can be kind of muddy and low detail compared to the competition, but if you get the mic away from your body so the front of the mic faces your mouth you can get a bit more top end into your recording.
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RECORDING SETTINGS:
Input: Canon 90d
Computer Level: ~30%
Boosted in Post: +5dB
SPECS:
Polar Pattern: Omnidirectional
Freq Response : 20Hz - 20kHz
Sensitivity -38dB
Noise: 27dBA
Max SPL: 106dB (1%), 120dB (10% THD)
Power Required: Plug-in Power
00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer
00:21 - What’s in the Box
00:39 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
01:07 - Specifications
01:15 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
01:36 - Plosive Test
01:53 - Lav Mic Position Tests
03:08 - Background Noise Test
03:21 - Untreated Room Test
03:39 - Windscreen Test
04:19 - Camera Internal Mic Comparison
05:01 - Different Room Tests
05:54 - High Pass Filter Tests
04:41 - Camera Mic Input Demo
06:56 - Smart Phone Demo
07:19 - Laptop Input Demo
07:41 - USB Soundcard Demo
08:01 - Lav Mic Audio Interface Demo
08:20 - Portable Record Demo
08:36 - XLR Interface Demo
09:21 - Shure MVL Comparison
09:41 - Rode Lavalier Go Comparison
10:08 - Sennheiser ME2 Comparison
10:32 - Countryman B6 Comparison
11:02 - Sanken Cos 11D Comparison
11:30 - Shure TL48 Comparison
12:02 - Neumann U87 Comparison
12:34 - Pros & Cons
14:15 - Overall Thoughts
15:31 - Recommendation
#Lav #Lavalier #MicReview
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Company Relationship Disclosure: podcastage.com/disclosure
Personal: www.bandrewscott.com
My RU-vid Setup: podcastage.com/studio
My Favorite XLR Mics: podcastage.com/rev/favxlr
My Favorite USB Mics: podcastage.com/rev/favusb

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Опубликовано:

1 авг 2024

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Комментарии : 99

@thebreakfastmenu 23 дня назад

You went outside! You're not being held hostage in your studio! This is great news!

@OlexanderZnaharenkoUA 22 дня назад

Sometimes it happens. Maybe. 😊

@artysanmobile 23 дня назад

For those unfamiliar, this mid-forward, nasal tone is exactly the sound of a lavalier mic. Every engineer who regularly uses lavs has a habitual EQ setting with some fairly radical settings. All digital consoles will have a channel program from the last user. Once familiar, it is not difficult to get what you want, assuming feedback permits. The Rode under test is in fact quite flat, so it will be easy to equalize. Don’t be afraid to twist those knobs!

@ahriik 16 дней назад

For a $100 lav with a genuinely sturdy cable (not really repairable unfortunately, but again, $100) and decent sound out of the box, I think definitely recommendable. My only real gripe is the relatively narrow dynamic range. It's certainly very workable in a lot of common recording situations, but there absolutely some circumstances that it would struggle with. Also kinda limits how much you can bend it in post. Just good to keep in mind with this thing. Also kind of a surprising issue I experienced with it that I've also seen a few other people mention online is that on the rear of the mic head, there is this little black plug/cover thing that protects the capsule inside the overall shell. For whatever reason, it doesn't seem to be well-secured and can inadvertently be pulled out if you're using some sort of adhesive (for hidden placement situations) a bit too easily. They're small, easily lost, and Rode doesn't stock it as spare part. You have to send it in and they just send you a new one. So for anyone who's purchased this mic, make sure to keep a record of your receipt/invoice and register it on their warranty sit right away. Makes the RMA process way smoother.

@artysanmobile 15 дней назад

@@ahriik Lavs don’t need dynamic range like music recording mics. By definition, a lavalier mic is very close to a loud source and likely has a very high overload level. Do you hear noise with it in use?

@patrickchase5614 4 дня назад

The Rode actually has slightly lower EIN than the ME2 (27 vs 30 dB) so there is definitely some room to push the highs.

@patrickchase5614 4 дня назад

@@ahriik The Rode actually has a pretty good noise floor for a lav at 27 db A-weighted. The only lavs I own that are significantly better are a pair of DPA 4060s down at 23 dB(A), but those are $500 pro lavs. Its weakness is on the high end, where it reaches 1% THD at 106 dB RMS, vs 127 for the Sanken COS-11D and 126 dB for the DPA. Even at 10% THD the Lav II only gets to 120 dB. The ME2 has a max SPL of 127 dB at unspecified THD. So I think the Rode is perfectly good for typical speaking applications where the noise floor is what matters (OSHA would like a word with you if you expose your talent to SPLs that the Lav II can't handle), but I would think twice about using it for a Broadway production or as a hidden mic for a crash sequence.

@Cosmitzian 23 дня назад

The only youtuber i sub to and watch every video 3 years after i bought my last microphone just because i respect the hell out of dedication and the extreme information density and usefulness. I may not pay 10$ to wikipedia every year but at least i click and play everyone of these videos. LE: The ME2 sounded so much brighter though to be fair. For 130$ i might swing that way compared to any of the compared lavs.

@Podcastage 22 дня назад

Thanks so much for watching, I really appreciate it big time.

@patrickchase5614 4 дня назад

As another user said, the Rode is a decent enough starting point for EQ. Brightness is easily adjusted in post if the raw material is there. The Rode actually has slightly lower self-noise than the ME2, so there's some margin to boost the treble. Some makers like Countryman offer swappable caps to "brighten" the top end, but IMO those aren't as important even for live events in this era of digital everything. My tastes personally run to Sankens and DPAs, but I think that the Rode is perfectly cromulent and a really good deal. That Kevlar-reinforced cable is a big plus.

@HeribertMuermann 23 дня назад

I hate it. But mostly I love the sound of the very expensive microphones more, even in blind tests. This chanel has helped me a lot to hear details and differences I did even not know about some monthes ago. A 68 year young beginner, lucky to make new experiences and develop new skills. Thank you, love and greatings from a German living in Istanbul. Correction: I was to fast with my comment. Your conclusion in the end shows a good way to get got sound from this more affordable microfon. And of course I know - from you and now from experience - some sound treatment makes a great impact, too.

@userunnamed5204 23 дня назад

Wow, Rode's Lavalier Go is still insanely good! Thanks for review.

@static-san 20 дней назад

I bought my Lav Go some months ago and then barely used it because a few days later I found a Wireless Go second-hand for quite a bit less than new. Used the Wireless Go a lot more but I had placement issues the other day, so I found the Lav Go for a call today, plugging it into the Wireless Go for the best of both worlds. Oh it was magnificent. What a great team! Even got a comment! Very hard to go wrong with Røde!

@alphamarshan 23 дня назад

Lookin' good, man!

@pianofortestudios2406 23 дня назад

I literally only watched this in the hopes that Neumann had made a "TLM48" lavalier, but I stayed for the great review. Excellent as always, sir! And, yes, I swallowed hard at the self noise figure. I've recently integrated quite a few DPA 4488 head worn microphones. The noise rejection is stellar. The only problem I've had is all the bearded men I've put them on causing me to bend the booms extensively to avoid whiskers making small popping sounds. It's a hard trade-off compared to the omnis but the isolation is fantastic.

@steventhebroker 21 день назад

Very Very Thorough 👌. Great Vid

@BadChizzle 23 дня назад

It came across very well through my iPad. Which is a pretty good way to check day to day, from my end. Thanks.

@RonCoy 23 дня назад

This is cool. I also bought the Wireless Pro system but I lost one of my Lavs. I was considering buying something else so this review is helpful

@nobodyhaslogin 23 дня назад

Thank you for the review, Bandrew. I agree that it has less details than I am used to in the lav mic. Good thing that I'm not the only one who's crazy like that.

@Podcastage 23 дня назад

No sir not crazy because of that.

@nobodyhaslogin 23 дня назад

@@Podcastage please don't specify what gives me out as a crazy duck. 😆

@artysanmobile 23 дня назад

@@nobodyhaslogin I can’t think of a single lav that sounds right the moment you gain it up. I’m happiest if I have 6 bands of EQ to correct a lav but can usually get by with 4 if I have to. One cutting bell around the nose freq of 800-ish; one steepest possible HP cut around 175 and a broad boost around the same frequency to warm it up; one broad presence boost. One more band would be a cut in the lower half of the presence band. It’s a ridiculous amount of work but a lav can be a miracle worker so it’s worth it.

@eddiespeakers 23 дня назад

Excelente review 🙌 ¿Para cuándo los DJI Mic 2? 😎

@keplers_dog 23 дня назад

After some consideration, I still prefer the Sennheiser ME2 for this occasion. Thanks for the review, Andrew!

@g3cd 23 дня назад

This is awesome! Can you test some other lavs like the Sennheiser MKE 40EW or the DPA 4080, both cardioid? I'd be very curious how they behave in comparison to that omni-directional Rode ...

@AmerABUZAID 23 дня назад

As usual you are the best in this field.. take care

@techmed-rainer 23 дня назад

Danke! Hi Bandrew, this was an eye-opening comparison. The Rode Lavalier is mostly well reviewed on RU-vid. But it's can't keep up with something like the Sennheiser ME2.

@DesoloZantas 23 дня назад

🎉

@Podcastage 22 дня назад

Thank you so much Rainer. I agree I’d go Sennheiser over this for my personally taste and use case. The difference is the sound and the accessories. The sennheiser is $30 more and comes with nothing but a plastic bag. No wind protection no storage case. So for those who just want everything they need the rode would still probably be the best pick if they’re comfortable EQing or if they can get a really good placement.

@steverok67 23 дня назад

Nice one. I believe I heard the late-great Steve Albini say that he used this type of mic, primarily due to space considerations, as a batter-side kick mic, in conjunction with something called a "ducker" to eliminate splat from the snare whenever the bass drum was hit. I can write my own algorithms for this kind of stuff, so, this may be something worth looking into on my end.

@jimpurcell 21 день назад

Thanks!!!

@Kembole 21 день назад

Great review! The Shure MVL and TL48 surprisingly sounded worse of all of the mics.

@hanisa50 23 дня назад

Why don't you review DPA mics?

@feelfreetodeviate 21 день назад

Nice shirt. I bought one of these when they first came out because I needed a second lav mic while traveling and I accidentally cut the cable while removing that dumb strangulation warning tag. The tag is made out of tyvek, or something that is very difficult to tear. Out of desperation (and feeling very stupid) I requested a warranty repair AND THEY SENT ME A NEW ONE!!! I was shocked and pleased because it was totally my fault. Anyway, the mic is fine. I clipped it to my glasses once. It sounded decent, but looked a bit like a google glass prototype.

@sublimacyjny 21 день назад

hey can you compare the microphone from Logitech ASTRO A50 X headset to stand alone microphones? A lot of people say that the a50x microphone is very very good

@MarkFonts 23 дня назад

how often do you test lav mics taped to the chest under a shirt? i thought that was common for filming or am i insane?

@Podcastage 23 дня назад

I have never tested that. I think that is common for film. I’m not aware of RU-vidrs/podcasters who do that though. I’ve only seen the mic clipped to clothing.

@MarkFonts 23 дня назад

@@Podcastage yeah, my brain went into film/tv/stage presenter mode instead of youtube/podcast when i saw you were testing this

@MarkFonts 23 дня назад

Countryman makes some excellent ear-mounted mics that a lot of yoga/acrobat youtubers opt for! when they don’t have a windscreen they are very low profile

@petercofrancesco9812 19 дней назад

Sounds like they've boosted the low end on the mic making it more muddy. It was much better after the high pass eq you did.

@redzer0440 15 дней назад

I only have 100 dollars, what microphone do you recommend?

@Matthew_Raymond 16 дней назад

I’d love to hear a comparison to the Rode Lavalier. (The one with the MiCon connector. I like to call it the “Rode Lavalier One” for obvious reasons.)

@Richard_Broom_Photography 20 дней назад

PS. Loving the Cathedral audio effect. I can use that for sure!

@hayvanhucresi 23 дня назад

i like the sad w keys

@Podcastage 23 дня назад

SADW is forever.

@TSGEnt 23 дня назад

Thanks for the review. Missed the music tho' (sad face)

@Richard_Broom_Photography 20 дней назад

Goodness...you do have legs!!! Great video. Many thanks.

@ea6427 16 дней назад

Could you please do a review of Sennheiser xs lav mobile?

@artmaltman 23 дня назад

Rode Lav 2 had the best sound to my ears during your tests. I preferred its level of detail, finding it the most natural, but the low end would benefit from a high pass filter. Note: I'm listening via RU-vid on a MacBook Pro M3 Max, with Audioengine A5+ speakers and an old but very decent DAC. It was funny to hear how bad the in-camera microphone sounded, to the point of why does Canon even offer it? Also, I've been testing full size dynamic microphones at my desk, (settling on the Maono PD400X thank you for the reviews!!!), and so the lavalier microphones ALL took me a few minutes to adjust. Funny how quickly our ears learn to discern the quality of different microphones.

@arhon888 17 дней назад

My choice would be the Sennheiser ME2, as it had good detail and good all-round sound. I agree, the Rode Lav II has noticeably lower detail on the top end. Also, the flat design was a mistake for the reasons discussed, plus, if placed the wrong way around it would result in unusable audio. Just another possibility for user error that did not exist before.

@OlexanderZnaharenkoUA 22 дня назад

This mic sounds better then other. Position on shirt was better than you spoke like "tiktok" position. 😊

@adproject8 23 дня назад

When that review of Warm Audio WA-CX12???? 😢😢😢 I need it to compare it with the WA-251. Please, let me know if you woould do it soon 🙏🥹🙏

@timrober75 23 дня назад

Boutside Bandrew!! Yay :)

@Podcastage 22 дня назад

Catch me outside, or whatever. I guess I was caught outside.

@artysanmobile 23 дня назад

The Tik Tok position!! 🤣😅😁 That’s a good one.

@malexponce 22 дня назад

I don't about y'all but personally I didn't learn what I came here to learn. How does it sound 1 foot away? 2 feet away? and 4 feet away from my mouth?

@2121cv 18 дней назад

Thank you for this comparison. While I prefer the 82i20 audio interface, I find the macbook pro input and AI micro interface decent ! Otherwise, I prefer the sound of the Countryman B6, then the Shure TL48 and, for other reasons, the Sennheiser ME2 and Sanken Cos11 (something like this : a sound that can be understood in any way, even quickly and whatever the final loudspeaker).

@Lyvvie 23 дня назад

I appreciate all the work you put into doing the reviews you make. This one, I said "I hate it," after 15 seconds. I then continued to hate it. It sounded like you were speaking in a box, or through radio. The mufflers made very little change (You did not test it outside with the mufflers to check wind rejection). But you're absolutely right that it's unfair to compare it to the usual studio mics. I will stop being a hater and concede it did well at its intended use. Did you try it from your cap? Why not thread the mic behind your neck and angle from your hat?

@Podcastage 23 дня назад

Yeah. I've found every lav mic to sound bad in comparison to any SDC, LDC, or Dynamic. I'm just enjoying exploring Lavs and trying to find out the way to get the best sound out of them and see how they work out. I did try it from my cap, I just didn't route the cable because I was being a bit lazy.

@KING_DRANZER 23 дня назад

@@Podcastage Please can you test Shure SM11 Next. There is hardly any proper coverage for it. Please if possible can you test it. And compare it to not only Lav mics but also other Dynamic Mics in that budget range. Because for one who plans to used it with Headphones while moving around while Gaming it be really good instead of staying in one place not moving head around as Mic is fixed to boom arm.

@45KevinR 22 дня назад

Outside!? That's a very scary place. Has anyone ever seen Bandrew outside...? 🤷‍♂️🤣🧙‍♂️

21 день назад

Thank you for another great review - However, to include the 'tiktok-position' but not concealed (under-shirt)? But thus it probably would have sounded more like under-armpit! Weird microphones for us old-timers but probably a heaven send for the aforementioned tiktokers, where this surely will look better than hand holding and covering your face with a proper sized condenser. But then again, all the mirror selfies of people's phones, instead of their faces, maybe the next super trendy iteration will be face-covering mics!? 🤣

@JohnSmith1314 22 дня назад

new camera or lense? A lot sharper.

@Podcastage 22 дня назад

No sir. Still the same camera and lens I’ve been using for years. It’s the canon 90d. I just started uploading in 4k a year and a half ago.

@JohnSmith1314 22 дня назад

@@Podcastage must have been the 4am magic filter, you handsome devil.

@DapperDanLovesYou 23 дня назад

"This is not a proper use for a lav mic" he says, sounding clearer than everything else. Maybe... it should be? 👀 It's like a Micro Samson Go, which is already a micro Condenser!

@randomsphagetti3404 23 дня назад

When will Brandon Sanderson use the happy W keys.

@sharkasaurus220 23 дня назад

I guess it's the reverb that changes between your shots, but sometimes it sounds fine and sometimes it's horrid. 6:00 or 8:22 - sounds like we're hearing you through a cardboard tube 4:34 or 9:02 - sounds great!

@Podcastage 23 дня назад

This illustrates how incredibly important environment is when using a lav because it has a tremendous impact on the recording.

@est189 23 дня назад

Here for the box throw….

@TexpatOTG 23 дня назад

This one won't work with my Tascam DR10x. I have been using the Boya BY M1 for 5 years. Sound is ok and itworks with phone, camera and my Tascam. Only drawback is cable is too long. Price is cheap is about 15usd here in Philippines.

@bluetech2809 22 дня назад

I personally liked the Sennheiser ME2 the most

@leepattinson3803 16 дней назад

Hey Podcastage. Lav II without hi-pass definitely does not play nice with your voice. This has me thinking that perhaps you should introduce an additional vocal source into your testing? After all The source is an essential component in the audio chain. Every voice is different I know but by perhaps adding a contrasting vocal it might help give a broader picture of a mic's input handling capabilities. Pray this makes sense to someone...

@diuran1919 23 дня назад

center of the chest is the best position

@ElectricDreams10 16 дней назад

Hey Podcastage. Lav II does not play nice with your voice. This has me thinking that perhaps you should introduce an additional vocal source into your testing? After all The source is an essential component in the audio chain. Every voice is different I know but by perhaps adding a contrasting vocal it might help give a broader picture of the products' input-signal handling capabilities. Pray this makes sense to someone...

@aseomg 23 дня назад

This lav sounds decent everywhere but your desk. Something about the way you have that area configured, which doesn't work for mics like this. Bandrew needs to redo all his mic reviews.

@jorgenudvang3507 20 дней назад

I've had this mic for a couple of years, and find it too bass heavy for most male speakers. I often use it with females though.

@kennethbailey7105 23 дня назад

Day (lost count) of asking Bandrew to review the *sE Electronics T1/T2 mic*

@ThatLazyyGuy 23 дня назад

I know it's probably better for the algorithm but I do have to say I miss your outros. Where's my boops

@Podcastage 23 дня назад

I boop for the outro on the podcast if you need a boop.

@ThatLazyyGuy 23 дня назад

@@Podcastage thank you for this life-changing knowledge

@CosmoBubblegum. 23 дня назад

in a few years his room will basically be a cave of audio gear

@Podcastage 22 дня назад

It’s already there! Haha. The gear has taken over the rest of my home too. It’s a problem.

@rafapucpr 23 дня назад

I found the sound of the Lavalier II to be very muffled, for me all the other mics were better than it.

@kumarsajal8400 20 дней назад

Ok. But $1 lav mic does the job equally good. No?

@jackofbl4des 23 дня назад

bro you went from 30 to 60 since i watch your videos 😅

@Podcastage 23 дня назад

Wait…you think I look 60? Haha. Have you ever seen a 60 year old?

@meistudiony 22 дня назад

DOOBALEEDONE - you dont HAVE to do anything you dont want to. Silly tik tokers and their hand holding lav mics... Very boxy sounding mic, but to be expected, its an omni lav mic. Definitely needs a ton of post processing. The design almost makes it seem like its meant to pickup someone sitting across from you rather than JUST you. If you had two people sitting across from each other, i think it would probably work lol.

@WORTHITORNOT 23 дня назад

At 7:42 I had to get my glasses as I thought my eyesight went wonky😂

@germansausage499 23 дня назад

@angelabdonnavarreteblanco 22 дня назад

hello Neumann! ja ja ja

@RomaFedorov 19 дней назад

This lavalier microphone has the worst build quality I've ever experienced. After only two weeks of light use, I managed to break the clip that attaches it to your shirt, and RODE wants $20 for a replacement. Additionally, it's very hard to mount the wind muff on it. All in all, it’s a good-sounding mic, but the design is really cheap in my opinion.

@michaelj.4187 23 дня назад

small box, try not to fracture a vertebrae...

@KING_DRANZER 23 дня назад

Please can you test Shure SM11 Next. There is hardly any proper coverage for it. Being XLR Microphone it be be good to drive using something like Vocaster One for gaming setup. Please if possible can you test it. And compare it to not only Lav mics but also other Dynamic Mics in that budget range. Because for one who plans to used it with Headphones while moving around while Gaming it be really good instead of staying in one place not moving head around as Mic is fixed to boom arm.