when to use lavalier as an essential part of a project?

[Brawl]

I'm really undecided. I work as sound designer for indipendent cinema and documentary projects. I'm some kind of student to be clear. I did already a movie, and various short movies, now I'm shooting a documentary (usually at budget 0). I use basically a shotgun mic with a boom pole when I take audio and I never had a budget to buy more expansive gear. But now I could probably buy a pair of wireless lavalier mics that I saw on amazon and some tech forum.


I wish to simply ask you if you used those kind of wireless mic equipment in your works or if you have seen someone using it, if you can tell me about those lavaliers if they played an important role in some project where you worked in. To get inspired.

thanks a lot!

[ansius]

well, IMHO

you use lavalier when (when using sound on tape / sync):

• you can't control framing
• you are one man team
• you have a wide shot you have no place to hide boom
• indoors in reverberant space, where close placed omni gives you the better result

as for what to buy, things to note:

• legal (free) frequencies
• power requirements
• get the best lavalier you can get (Countryman, Sennheiser, DPA, Rode)
• get the best radio system you can afford (Sennhaiser, Sony, Rode)

to conclude- you need both boom and lavalier, and a radio system, there are ENG type kits, that have one receiver, one belt-pack transmitter, one block transmitter, or get two kits from rode one newshoter and other filmmaker. Rode is one of the best band for the buck, built well sounds good. And 2.4GHz legal anywhere, not like 400 to 860MHz, you have to now your why around.

[Brawl]

thank you very much for your post. very informative I wish to try those wireless system by myself to gain a little bit more of awareness before to buy it but it's hard in my little town to find people who use them for cinema.
I saw the Saramonic UwMic9 over amazon do you know if this system is good enough please?