Lav micing tips and tricks

Micing talent with a lavalier mic can be tricky and frustrating at times. The may where noisy clothing or accessories, Maybe they aren't wearing much of anything at all. What then? I am going to cover a few ways to work with these situations.

Getting it right the first time.

How to eliminate the scratchy mic sound and get clean and clear audio?

• Tip 1 The key is to either isolate the mic from any problem areas or make the mic "one" with the fabric or person. Either way you are preventing the mic from rubbing and creating unwanted noise.

• Tip 2 Using small mic capsules like the DPA 6060 can be a big help when micing a women in a bikini. There just aren't many places to hide the mic. I always carry clear medical tape to help secure the cable along thin pieces of fabric if possible. The tape is great because most people don't have an allergy to the adhesive.

• Tip 3 This time the talent is wearing a noisy neckless with multiple chains and bling that clank with every little movement. There is a tape that every mixer has in their kit and that would be "Joes Sticky Stuff". It is an amazing two sided sticky tape, a lot like snot tape. The more pressure you put on it the better it sticks and doesn't leave and residue. What I do is take a small piece and secure all the lose jewelry without making it look unnatural. The jewelry can move freely but has stopped clanking into itself making obnoxious sounds incredibly close to the mic source.

The basic idea is to eliminate or control the issues. To be mindful of the situation and anticipate what could be a problem before the camera begins to role.