Quick and Dirty Lav Mic from iPhone Headset

Computers & Mobile Photography & Video Technology
Quick and Dirty Lav Mic from iPhone Headset

In a pinch, you can clip the earbuds off an iPhone headset to get a quick and dirty lav mic. Add a safety pin with a little hot glue and camouflage it with a smattering of sharpie and you’re good to go. If you’re curious about the quality of the audio produced with such a setup, check out the above video from maker Levi Allen, where he runs through a build while capturing the audio with his iPhone. It won’t win any awards, however it’ll get the job done. I’d still hunt for a local camera shop to get a proper lav before I’d cannibalized a working headset, but I’ve found that there’s usually a crappy pair in a junk drawer somewhere with a shorted-out left earbud for projects like this. [via cheesycam]

10 thoughts on “Quick and Dirty Lav Mic from iPhone Headset

  1. charles webb says:

    first glance at title: lavatory mic?!

    1. Anonymous says:

      My thoughts exactly.  Who would mic the bathroom?  Certainly justifies the “Dirty” part of the title.

    2. Ⓢⓔⓐⓝ ⓂⓒⒷⓔⓣⓗ says:

      I had to look it up: Lavalier Microphone. The kind that goes on a person’s lapel when talking on TV.

  2. Joshua Stark says:

    Actually the “Lavalier” in lavalier mic refers to the way they were hung on a person’s neck when they were first used in the 60s.  What you see here is more correctly called a lapel mic. 

    I would keep the hot glue safety pin idea but use an alligator clip and tuck the buds and excess cable somewhere in the “talent’s” clothes.  That way it can still be used as a headset and upon further thought, the other earbud could be wired into a talkback circuit.

  3. JW says:

    I want to try this. What app do you think he used to capture the audio, just the standard voice memo’s app?

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I make cool stuff and write about other people making cool stuff on makezine.com. If you have something you think I should see, send me a tip.

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