Do yourself a favor and get one of the best digital audio recorders with a lavalier microphone and mic clips if you plan on recording your voice while moving around flexibly.
Not only will you be able to talk to the lavalier mic closely to get better quality audio but you will freely walk around without holding a bulky microphone or the recorder in your hand. And we found some great digital recorders that come with a lavalier mic so you don’t need to purchase one.
How to Choose a Digital Audio Recorder with Lavalier Mic?
Portable
Unless you’re limiting yourself to interviews or broadcasts that allow you to place the recorder on the table without moving it, picking a small-sized recorder is always a good idea. You’ll find carrying a portable digital audio recorder is convenient when you need to freely move your arms and legs without losing the quality of the recordings. You will have a hands-free recording experience thanks to the lavalier mic, and a pocket-sized recorder is excellent for outdoor use and giving a speech that requires body movements.
Simple Recording Buttons
Whether it’s for your own voice or others’ voices you’re looking to buy a recorder with lavalier mic for, one-touch recording conveniently and instantly is a nice feature. A digital recorder with simple physical buttons is easy to operate and you don’t even need to take it out from your pocket. Although some recorders with big display screen may look fancy, they are actually not that easy to maneuver in an emergency situation.
Battery Life & Storage
You can change the batteries whenever the batteries are running low. However, for people who need to record for a long time, changing batteries will pause the recording mode and split your recording files. Most importantly, you need to stop what you’re doing with the lavalier mic for replacing the batteries, which is an awkward problem.
Another thing is that you don’t want your recording to get wiped off or paused because of limited storage. So when buying a recorder with lavalier mic, don’t just focus on the mic which can be replaced by any lavalier mics, make sure it has sufficient built-in storage or great support for external storage.
Best Digital Audio Recorder with Lavalier Mic in 2022
Tascam DR-10L Portable Digital Audio Recorder with Lavalier Mic
Tascam has a professional recorder that perfectly works with lavalier mic and it is not a premium-priced product. This digital voice recorder is up a step or two in terms of both portableness and usability compared to regular digital recorders, featuring an incredibly small and lightweight body that is only 2.2oz.
If you’re in the market for a solid lavalier mic, here is the good news – this TASCAM DR-10L bundle comes with a wired Tascam lavalier mic and Tascam claims that it’s designed for field recording. The mini-recorder has a compact design and has a sliding recording switch, which prevents misoperation such as starting and stopping recording accidentally without losing any convenience and flexibility, you can still start recording easily without taking out the recorder from your pocket. And the digital recorder/lavalier microphone combo is equipped with a 1/8″ connector and compatible with most lavalier mics in the market.
The Tascam DR-10L uses microSD/SDHC cards for storage and it supports SD cards up to 32GB capacities. According to Tascam, you can use the DR-10L to record at least 10 hours with a single AAA battery and the bundle also provides a belt clip that lets you use the recorder comfortably.
Zoom F1-LP Lavalier Body-Pack Recorder
With Zoom’s LMF-1 lavalier mic, this Zoom F1-LP is definitely worth considering for people who are looking for a recorder+lavalier mic bundle. The Zoom F1-LP is a two-channel audio recorder and it supports up to 24-bit/96 kHz audio, and it features an onboard limiter and auto-level control to ensure your audio quality.
Recording audio with the recorder is easy as it has a one-touch recording button. But you don’t need to worry about accidental misoperation since you can set up a “Record Hold” function.
The Zoom F1-LP also directly records to micro SD and SDHC cards up to 32 GB and Zoom says their LMF-1 lavalier mic can significantly reduce interference or noise compared to wireless mics. Besides, to make this recorder a wearable device, Zoom includes a mic clip and a belt clip accessory in the package. Overall, the Zoom F1-LP is a top digital recorder with a lavalier mic – it is small, capable and performs beautifully for recording.
Zoom F2-BT Digital Multitrack Recorder with Lavalier Mic
Well, if you wanna go one step further, take a look at this Zoom F2-BT digital multitrack recorder. The F2-BT can generate 32-bit floating point WAV files and allow you to have ultra-high-dynamic-range recording. But it still remains the mini size as a portable digital recorder.
Despite having a fairly high price, there’s a lot to love about the F2-BT and it’s worth it to invest in such as a high-end digital recorder with premium lavalier mic. This F2-BT recorder has a built-in Bluetooth connection for users who need to connect the recorder with a Bluetooth timecode sync device. Surely, you can start/stop recording remotely and wirelessly with the Zoom F2 Control app.
And the LMF-2 omnidirectional lavalier microphone is a big PLUS for those who want high-quality audio. Just like the above model, it is also paired with a HOLD switch for accidental recording and screw-lock connectors for securing your lav mic. The product might be pricey, but the added Bluetooth technology and high performance are good value for the money.
