RØDE Lavalier II Announced – Low Profile Clip-On Microphone

Audio Gear News

by Olaf von VossNovember 24^th, 2021

Audio specialist RØDE has just announced the latest addition to their lineup: The RØDE Lavalier II sports a new low profile design and it comes with all the accesories you’d expect from a pro-grade lavalier mic.

The new RØDE Lavalier II has a few clever design tricks up its sleeve although I must say that the low-profile design of this new microphone reminds me a bit of the classic TRAM TR50 lavalier microphone that was (and perhaps still is) the industry standard for many years.

The original RØDE Lavalier GO was quite bulky, so it’s nice to see the engineers at RØDE keep innovating and now offer a microphone with a much smaller footprint.

RØDE Lavalier II

While using a compact system like the RØDE Wireless GO II for capturing audio is totally fine, sometimes attaching the GO mic/transmitter directly to your talent seems a bit bulky. So if you want to upgrade your setup and include a proper lavalier mic instead of the built-in one, the RØDE Lavalier II might be worth a closer look.

It comes with a standard 3.5mm TRS locking connector so it’s not limited to RØDE gear, it will work with most audio transmitters (or phones using a TRS to TRRS / USB-C or Lightning to 3.5mm adapter). The classic omnidirectional polar pattern makes it a perfect fit for capturing your talent’s voice and the accessoriy kit includes a mounting clip, a pop filter, a mini windshield and even colored ID rings if you use multiple mics.

• Low-profile design and compact mounting clip
• Broadcast-grade sound quality with flat frequency response and omnidirectional polar pattern
• 3.5mm TRS locking connector
• Accessory kit – includes a pop filter, mini furry windshield, mounting clip, colored ID rings and zip case

Acoustic Principle: Permanently Polarized
Active Electronics: JFET Impedance Converter
Polar Pattern: Omni-directional
Capsule: 6mm
Frequency Range: 20Hz – 20KHz
Output Impedance: 2K2Ω
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 67 dB
Equivalent Noise Level (A-Weighted): 27dBA Typical
Maximum SPL: 106 dB SPL RMS (Plug-In Power, 1% THD) / 120 dB SPL RMS (Plug-In Power, 10% THD)
Maximum Output Level: 50mV (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1KΩ load)
Sensitivity: -38 dB re 1 Volt/Pascal (12.59 mV @ 94 dB SPL) +/- 3 dB @ 1kHz
Dynamic Range: 79 dB Typical
Power Requirements: 1.8v to 5v Plugin Power

Weight: 9g
Cable Length: 1200mm

What I find a bit odd is the fact that RØDE keeps printing its brand name on the clips of their products. The Wireless GO (I and II) had the logo on the clip and this new Lav Mic also carries a white brand logo on the clip. I think that’s a bit much, especially since the company claims the new microphone is “incredibly discreet and easy to conceal.” A plain, black-painted clip would have been much better, in my opinion.

What I think is pretty clever is that the new Lavalier II comes with a flat cable, which should make threading it into clothing easy. How this new Lav microphone actually sounds remains to be seen, but since RØDE usually delivers solid quality products, I’m confident that this microphone will sound very decent for the money.

The RØDE Lavalier II sells for $99.00.

Link: RØDE

What do you think? Would you use such a lavalier microphone or is the built-in mic of the Wireless GO II just fine for you? Share your thoughts in the comments below!