Stop holding your lav mic! (There's a better way!) 

Grapefruit! 😂

THANK YOU! Having spent nearly five decades in production hiding mikes and booming to completely avoid lavs altogether, the handheld lav and gigantic SM7s drive me nuts.

Thank you Harv, you are the light in the darkness when it comes to kindly asking people to pay more attention to picture and sound and look a little less embarrassing. Unfortunately, there is a lot of work to be done here.

My wife hears me bitching about people hand holding lav mics, so this was a nice calm and pleasant non ranting that I needed to watch. Thank you! 🙏🏼

its part of the bigger trend that's been going on over a decade now starting with youtube actually, where people with no formal training can easily access "professional" equipment and reach mass audiences, disseminating bad practices and normalizing them, kinda like how jump cuts during talking head videos were a no-no, but now it's basically brute forced itself into being a standard practice

Hey Harv, thank you so much for putting a video out about this „trend“. Yesterday I talked with my girlfriend exactly about this and she didn’t understand why it’s pissing me off 😂 I showed her your video and had to laugh! Keep up with your great content!

I like how some people handholds the mic on social media videos; looks cool. By the way, you got great content in your channel and flawless production. I´m subscribing!

I'm sorry, but I've had enough. I've binged through 10 of your videos today and I'm sold and have subscribed - also, channel name is awesome, three thumbs up :)

Someone HAD TO SAY SOMETHING!! Drives me nuts the breathy-ness

I've only watched 1 minute of this video so far and I've clicked on the like button. Why? Because it is short! Thanks, for not wasting my time with a 20-minute video!

Finally! Someone that addresses one of the most annoying thing some creators do. I’ve been meaning to make a video on it as well. I probably still will. Great job!

lol totally get this, even though I have done this myself ... but since buying the Senhheiser MKE600 I mostly just use that as its incredible. Initially was confused that I wasn't subbed but then relaised that was from another account, subbed with this one!

Finally someone makes a video about this! I´m so relieved. It helped my pressure valve as well. But "Trendsetters" and big lav mic holding youtubers: Please, please don´t do this anymore. You have a responsibility towards mankind! You´re better than this! And it´s my birthday.

I started doing this when shooting outside - I used to do all my A-roll in my sound treated studio with concealed overhead mic so wanted to try and get as close to that sound as possible when outside.

I have been trying to write a script (in Brazilian Portuguese) about these subjects that you have addressed. When I started in audiovisual, more than 10 years ago, clients always wanted to hide the microphone, they didn't want to seem like they were "forcing it", looking like a news journalist. But I realize that this situation with lapel microphones started much earlier, with teenagers having their cell phone microphone (wired) hanging or practically inside their mouths. In a way it "improved" the audio, due to the proximity of the microphone, but it usually caused pikiing. I think there is a third factor that influences it, which is the issue of authority. Many presenters in my country (and I believe it is something universal) became famous for the use of the visible microphone (here is Silvio Santos) in the USA probably David Letterman, in a way these people had the power of speech, like a phallus, contributing to the their view of authority. Sorry if I philosophize too much, this subject has been bothering me for a long time.

😂😂😂😂 I love that grapfruit your bouncing with. It is distracting though. But also in my defense I like jugglers and their videos. I was waiting for you to start throwing it.

It's as if some of these creators are looking for the easiest way to ensure plosives. Anyways, great video Harv! You touched on many good points and I agree with you.

Could not agree more!

It's one thing to see the lav mic in an interview or RU-vid talking head video, but yes, to holdit that closely has beendriving me bananas! Thank you.

As a location sound recordist, I find it kind of cute. There are only a few creators I watch that do it and it's always like, WOAH what to we have here?! BTW, I think that you should nickname the like button, "grapefruit."

Omg yasssss this drives me bonkers…. And I see video gear RU-vidrs doing this too!

Man, I agree so much! I love watching Brady Bessette's lighting breakdown videos for his setups, but it ALWAYS annoys me when he's holding his mics. Up till the point where I believe they might be sponsored or looking for sponsorship by these brands. Haha that grapefruit! PLEASE, from now on always do that haha.

Someone said it! Finally!

In another video you recommended the wireless LAV system from Comica - the Boom Pro. I'm debating between thst and the Lark M2 - I quite like the size of the M2, but there's no onboard backup which seems iffy. Any advice?

They do it to be interactive and edgy and use what they have. 😅 It's an awesome way to utilize small mics etc. :) Amateur looking is a thing! :D It creates relatability. I hate it personally though. 😂

For the algorithm: I absolutely agree. I understand that most of these don't want or can't use a lavalieres mic, but they are all holding mics with a clip. Just clip it somewhere instead of holding it 😭

THANK YOU! Even amateurs know how to use a lav mic.

I'm sure you saw it but Tom Nicholas did a really interesting video into this, which opened my eyes to how its more of a signal to people watching they're not a big corporation backed channel but an amateur, and less a "mistake" on how to properly use a lav. I do think it looks silly though.

I presume they do it for a few reasons. Some as you say probably saw a TikTok video saying how holding the mic closer = better sound. Others probably use it as a comfort blanket while shooting. I think most find it easier to talk to camera when holding something. Finally it’s also probably a fashion thing. They don’t want to mic to ruin their outfit, a lot are wearing clothes it would be hard to clip a mic on in the right spot.

I can agree with this. I’ve notice my hollyland lav mics when paired to my GoPro have very very low volume even when on my collar. I’m not sure how to increase it, other than increasing the volume post processing, but that also increases the mic noise.

Could you do a little video with a few different lav mics and discussing where the best place to place them is? I've seen some people put them under their clothes and some over. Off to the side, or right in the middle. Built in mic or a little clip on plugged in to the transmitter? etc.. I recently got the dji mic2 with the osmo pocket 3 and it's my first ever lav mic. It would be great to get an expert opinion! Great video! thanks!

Ahahahaha :D I feel the pain, Harv! 😅

I agree completely Harv but I find a Rode or DJI transmitter, to name just two hanging from a shirt or jacket (with a wind jammer) just as bad. The really odd thing about it they are used this way often by people who are trying to inform us how to shoot "cinematic video" or telling us if we don't have bokeh the shot is no good. Unfortunately that is RU-vid which breeds these people is really led by manufacturers and tech people neither of which are programme makers and never will be. My rant over.

I hold my lav mic all the time AND I have held my condenser microphone as well. 😂 I actually got plosives because I didn't use a dead cat and had to apologize for it.. The reason I hold my lav mic at times is because I actually like holding it. Us "older" folks are used to doing things a certain way however, this NEW generation is throwing out ALL the techniques we hold as SUPER VALUABLE and inventing their own way of doing things. There are sooo many creators who have bad lighting, bad camera angles, know NOTHING about EQ, Gating, Side compression, the hass effect, the fletcher munson curve and the list goes on and on. To be honest.. almost NONE of this matters on RU-vid! The people who care LESS about this stuff seems to be doing the best on RU-vid. I have stopped being SO technical about things and I am leaning into just being creative instead. I get your point and I understand that it's not for everyone however, times are changing.. FAST! 💨 Great video! 👍🏾

i just want a grapefruit now lol i must admit i hold my wireless mic while vlogging but didn't realise how annoying it is so i will stop doing that.... great vid..

I concur ❤

I'm a beginner. I use an iphone12pm and upgraded the audio with a wired lav Purplepanda and the a wireless Fulaim X5. I've done tons of testing with them both. The PP is more forgiving and sounds fine on my T shirt. The X5 definitely sounds better held 6" in front of my mouth WITH the deadcat on. While I find the position naff, it's second best position is UNDER my T shirt with the deadcat again. I don't like the ambient room sound that comes through with shotgun mics like your deity duo. It's not close enough to your mouth.

This is true! Its a pain in the eyes watching people holding wireless mic.

I do not mind seeing lav mics handheld. Of course it depends on the content. I use all sorts of mics and placements, but handheld mics are perfectly legitimate. The Rode Interview Go kit is actually actually just a handle with a foamy and a Rode wireless bodypack mic hiding inside.

I actually mentioned this about videos my GF watch (mostly craft and creativity channels) a few weeks back. Both that it's distracting, but also that it actually works WORSE than using lav's the way they were designed to be used. People even find silly objects (sticks, knitting needles, paint stirring sticks, soup spoons etc) to clip the lav to, which makes distance modulation when moving around even worse :/ She said she found it silly/distracting too, but "everyone trending" is doing it.

I think your onto something here , microphone manufacturers start making mics that look like food ! like a half eaten sandwich or Mars bar for example , genius sir !

I really don't get this trend 😅 The mics come with clips or magnets, and unless you're naked, why wouldn't you just clip it to your clothes? I'm also confused by everyone defaulting to wireless mics indoors, when that's by far the least reliable and faffy way of doing your audio. I guess it makes a bit more sense for active content, but I'm seeing a confusing amount of people sat at desks holding lav mics.

Also holding a mic grabs your attention. Like you said instead of knocking why you don’t like it see why it actually works

Ever since I started seeing people hold their lav mic, I was okay with it UNLESS they were popping, and in some cases a lot. -- Funny though, because all these years our emphasis was on keeping attention away from them, or hiding them from view. This group, brings them out front and center! lol

I can actually handle holding the dji mic or rode mic (no deadcat lol), but cant handle holding a lav or holding the podmic/sm7b. Its just a "look" that some people go for, and have been since holding their apple wired headphones mic up to their mouth for some reason.

not sure which is more trend by gen z: holding lav mic or hunting for early 2000s point and shoots for nostaligic reasons.

I agree there are many videos like that, but one of the creators, YCImaging in particular, is holdingba little DJI or similar while he's explaining his various shots as an inspiration to the viewers. That is a totally and 100% legit way to hold the mic, syas I 😅😊

Oof I do it sometimes and I feel so attacked lol 😂 but I get it. But I do have the decency to not use the dead cat 🐈 bad thing is I have an awesome boom mic and podcast mics… bottom line, I’m lazy sometimes.

This can be part of a bigger discussion but I think the main theme is trend. Because of how RU-vidrs need to grab attention, following the trend and the algorithm is the way to go and this silly lav mic holding is just part of it. For me other trends I don't understand is having a unrealistic background set in your home, such as different coloured lights that aren't practical other than for grabbing attention in videos. If that is your studio and how you perform your workflow (outside of RU-vid), I'd be fine with that. Then comes exposure... influenced by Hollywood of underexposing drive me bonkers and extreme teal/sepia colour grading to chase that "high production value" perception. I far prefer the exposures of the 90s and 2000s rather than the pitch black frames we get these days, I get that there is artistic value to colour grading but being able to see the frame should be one of the 1st principles isn't it? For example The Dark Knight trilogy are dark movies yet it's exposure is set where the subject(s) are separated from the background. Compare that to The Batman where there is no contrast in the image, the subject and the background all blend together, yet it is critically acclaimed for it's cinematography. I recently watched a video on using multiple lights/reflectors coerce light in a certain way which resulted in a fully lit up background but then crushed the blacks so far down that not only was the background not viewable anymore but the shadows were just unrealistic. It made me question why such lights/reflectors were used in the first place, considering their added weight, space and cost. Again this is all about trends and sometimes there's no valid reason, it's all subjective and nothing against anyone who may follow them, I just don't prefer them. Just remember to take the time to think about it and make sure it's something that represents you and your creativity instead of instantly incorporating it. Rant over lol

That’s a beautiful tele.

Please let me know how I can get this microphone

It's a trend to hold the lav or a small microphone... all they are doing is following the trend....

One of my biggest pet peeves currently is

Yeah, good call @HarvVideoAudioStuff I hear ya.... I guess it makes people feel "cool" and as you say it's absolutely a trend right now. I'm not too fussed by it... at least we don't get bad phone audio...although it's not actually that bad these days. I'm more "annoyed" by the podcasters I edit for... Everyone...Please stop using zoom to record your Video Podcasts!!!! use your phone in landscape and give me something good to work with!! aargh! OK... Rant over :D Thanks Harv!

I like the grapefruit

The only thing worst than creators holding the lav, are audio producers and engineers with crappy audio on their videos!

Yeah it's a weird trend.

Why cant they do what they want? Have you tried to workout with a mic wired to you? It would appear that you have never worked out in your life, so not sure how you can give advice in regards to something you have never done. I 100% guarantee that it is in no way having an impact on their viewership. Let people do what they want, stop trying to control RU-vid because you disagree with how they are doing it. Not once have I ever thought "man that mic is distracting" while watching content that interests me. This is not Hollywood.

I’m not even an audio guy and it bugs the living crap out of me. 😂

Agree, it is annoying.

Noel Phillips (flight reviewer) is the worst for this!

I've hated this trend as well and consequently looked up why people appear to be going backwards. One youtuber explained that it's a movement to intentionally make their content seems less professional, less corporate, and less associated with youtuber/influencer culture. I don't care about any of that. It's just a angsty fad.

I HATE them holding it. It has a goddamn clip on it!

Trends are not new, but they ARE getting dumber. The young people in charge of social media for my company specifically said they wanted to hold the lav mic in the video *because* it's trendy.

if they're going to have terrible microphone technique anyway, wouldn't you rather they did it with a dead-cat on?

They hold their microphones to show off that they are using an expensive microphone. They are, indeed, INFLUENCERS. They get paid to con people into buying stuff. Holding the microphone, and the trend itself, is designed to sell microphones. You pointing out the problems with change their minds, as long as they are still getting money for constant product placement.

This post came at the perfect time. I was just watching Lizzy Sealy’s recent video and she’s holding her wireless mic on the end of a fork! Not sure if it’s some kind of joke as she’s a hugely successful RU-vidr whose content I enjoy ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-O96AVWwiUbs.htmlsi=kmOP4QZCA0gow5cK

Man do what you want your aesthetic is what separates you from the rest. So if you have to hold hide etc do it who cares

I agree and find it silly - but as long as people can understand what is being said 95% of the audience will not care.

Yeah, drive s me nuts. One dumbass RU-vidr did it and all the sheep followed.

It's a trend. Similar to people preaching while doing their morning makeup. Cringe.

It is infuriating 😡

Thank you for the opportunity to rant. What you are referring to as a lav mic in not a lav mic in the true sense. The device you are referring to is a transmitter that happens to have a microphone built into it. Thus allowing the user of the device to use it as they see fit. In fact the manufacturers of these devices suggest that these devices can be used as a hand held device. Admittedly they do suggest that the transmitter/mic be placed on a handle of some kind. You may be knowledgeable about audio for music but here you are dealing with audio for videos and that is the Wild West. So buckle up because the lid has been taken off Pandora's Box. Anything and everything goes.

This is done on purpose. I think your video misses the point entirely. They WANT to hold the lav and look like they do.