Before I started making videos and working from home, I didn’t want to “wing it” and just buy the cheapest products out there to start my new business. Sure, if this was a hobby then maybe I would consider it. But I want, no, need to make a living working from home so I did my research on how to set up a recording studio and what the better products were to get started. I did of course have a budget and I was looking to stay under $200.

In this review, we are going to look at the Rode smartLav+ lavalier (wearable) microphone. This is the first wearable microphone I have purchased so I can’t compare it to other brands. But I will purchase others in the future and update this post to reflect those comparisons, so keep checking back. I’ll tell you what I like and dislike, and if I feel it’s a good fit for making YouTube videos or streaming on Twitch and the like. So, let’s get started.

The fact that I haven’t purchased another lavalier microphone yet should tell you something about the quality. I don’t feel the need nor necessity to replace this because it is doing a fine job for the reason I needed one. The very first time I stepped away from my desk to record a video outside, I felt it was a success…until I started editing the video. The video was great but the audio was terrible. Now, I could have maaaaybe gotten away with using the mic on my smartphone indoors but outside, no way. The only way for you to understand how bad it was, take your phone outside and set it on a table, walk about 4 to 6 feet away and start talking. No wind outside? Tell that to your phone. My video sounded like a hurricane was hitting but there was only a light breeze.

After receiving my new mic, I tested it indoors first and then took it outdoors for the real test. The picture above is of me making a video about mower maintenance. You will notice that I am using two phones to make the video. The one on the tripod for the video, and the one on me recording the audio. Now before you start laughing at me hysterically and yelling at your screen “Your doing it wrong!”, I know this isn’t the “proper” way. But remember, I was working on a riding mower which had me moving all over the place so I couldn’t hold the phone in one hand and work with the other. Plus I needed to have a full shot throughout a lot of the recording. A wireless system would have been better but I was satisfied with the end result.

The only real problem with recording using two devices like the set-up shown above is when it comes to editing. I personally had no problem because I am experienced with audio/video editing but if you are not, it can be very time consuming until you get used to it because you have to match-up the audio with the video. If you don’t have a subject talking in the video, then it’s not too much of a problem at all. But if you do, you need to match up the audio with the lips of the person talking otherwise it looks unprofessional or worse…unwatchable.

Normally with a lavalier microphone you would plug it into your phone or camera which is sitting on a tripod or mounted on a selfie stick. You would sit or walk in front of the camera up to 2 or 4 feet (1.2 meters) away and do your thing. Notice I said you plug it into your phone. Most of today’s phones no longer have the headphone/microphone jack so make sure yours does or you will be sending this back. If you’re using a camera however, you won’t have this issue because to my knowledge most cameras have a jack but you will need a TRRS to TRS adapter for about $15.

PROS AND CONS

Now let’s look at the Pros and Cons of the Rode smartLav+ microphone. I’ve used this regularly for 3 full months so I feel confident in making an honest and accurate review.

AUDIO QUALITY – PRO

Obviously, this is the most important aspect of a microphone. I am very pleased with the results although it doesn’t match the quality of a desktop mic in my opinion. But then again, if you have a desktop mic you wouldn’t be using this in its place.

The Rode smartLav+ records rich, crisp, well-defined audio and captures sound from all directions with the omnidirectional condenser mic. And the foam pop filter pretty much eliminates those pesky plosives. I even held the mic only inches from my mouth and spoke a sentence with a lot of p’s and s’s and the filter did its job perfectly.

CRAFTSMANSHIP – PRO

The cable is a 4-foot (1.2m) Kevlar-reinforced shielded cable. This material is nice because it keeps the cable from fraying, pulling, tangling, or stretching.

The clip is very strong and has a tight grip so you don’t have to worry about it slipping while wearing it. Plus, the clip has a built-in cable management so you have a neat appearance and reduces the drag or pull on the mic while moving.

CONVENIENCE – PRO

The included Travel Pouch protects your mic while you’re on the go. It’s made of a high-quality vinyl and has draw strings to keep your investment safe inside the pouch.

SOFTWARE – CON

This is the only Con that I found using the Rode smartLav+ microphone. It seems Rode caters to the Apple crowd and forgot about those of us who prefer Android devices. If you own an Apple device, you can install their Rode Rec app which gives you the capability to control recording settings such as sampling rate, audio format, gain, compression, and so forth. They no longer offer an app for Android devices. However, you can use a free desktop software named Audacity for free to edit your audio if need be. Or edit the audio together with the video using Adobe Premiere Pro or the more affordable HitFilm. You can download a free version of HitFilm but eventually you may want to upgrade to a paid version.

CABLE LENGTH – CON?

This may or may not be a con because it depends on the person using it and what project they are working on. When I first started using the mic, I felt the cable was a good length and had no issues. If you are using it in a setting that doesn’t require you to move away from your current position, this is a perfect length and you will have no problems. In other words, if you are using it for a podcast or you are a vlogger using a selfie stick, this length is fine.

If however, you need to move around and your distance from the camera changes, you may want to consider purchasing an extension cable. But this present a problem because you will be tugging on the mic. At this point, I would consider a wireless mic.

PRICE – PRO

I purchased my Rode smartLav+ from Amazon for only $79. I received it in only 2 days using Amazon Prime and the shipping was free. This is a great price for the high quality of the mic.

CONCLUSION

I feel the Rode smartLav+ is a great investment at a great price. The audio quality is very clear and the Pop Filter does its job near perfectly. The cable eliminates knotting and breakage due to its Kevlar-reinforced construction. The clip is very strong so you don’t have to worry about the mic slipping while recording. The travel pouch protects your investment. The only thing that I would recommend to Rode is to bring back the apps for Android users.