The Rode smartLav+ is an omnidirectional lapel mic designed specifically for smartphones. It might not be the very latest and greatest, but it certainly offers great quality for the price.
I wanted a lapel microphone for my smartphone, as I record a lot of video with it these days. But I also didn’t want to spend a huge amount of money on a high-end mic. I was more interested in something fast, easy for setup and usability, while still getting substantially better sound quality than with the built-in mic.
With the smartLav+, you plug it in and go — there’s no apps or anything else to fuss with. It’s best used for single person usage and that is pretty much all I wanted.
Uses
Being an omnidirectional mic means it should less susceptible to ambient noise and being moved or knocked, as long as you have it fairly close to your mouth. It is a lapel mic, so attaching to a collar with the supplied clip is a good place to start.
Rode is a big name in the microphone market and this mic really is quite good, considering it is at the budget end of the price range. It is simple to use and offer crisp audio with minimal noise.
Limitations
I really don’t think you could use this as a two-person or interview mic, but it was never designed for that. The other issue is that it has a rather short cord. It’s great if you have your smartphone on you, but not great if you have your smartphone on a tripod at a distance — which is why I wanted it in the first place.
There is an optional 20-foot extension cord, which I purchased after reading reviews. It plugs directly into the 3.5mm headphone jack on virtually any smartphone.
Just after I purchased this product I switched from the Samsung S9 to the new S20, which does NOT have a 3.5mm jack. However, Samsung offers an adapter that allows you to plug the mic into the USB charge port.
All in all, the Rode smartLav+ is a great mic for the price. It’s small, lightweight and offers good sound … what more could you ask for?
For the latest pricing on the Rode smartLav+, visit B&H Photo.