Countryman B3 - Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone

Our B3 is essential to any well-stocked pro audio toolkit. For starters, the B3 captures the highest-quality audio available in a lavalier mic, with field-selectable HF response caps and extremely low handling noise.

Whether you need a tie-clip lav for an interview, a hair-hidden mic for drama, a water-resistant mic for water sports or hurricane reporting, or simply a small mic to hide in a prop flower vase, you'll never run out of applications for Countryman's B3 lavalier.

And that's exactly why we made the B3 so rugged. Kevlar protects its cable from excessive weight and stretching, and the mic's protective caps are extremely resistant to water, sweat, and makeup.

You'd never expect such a mic to be so affordable, making the B3 one of the highest-value audio investments in your kit!

Supplied with set of two tie clips (black and white), wind screen, three HF response control protective caps, and carrying case.

Applications

• All-purpose, rugged, affordable lavalier that’s easy to hide in clothing, hair or props
• Ideal for theater, news anchors, interviews, lecturers, churches, schools, and general lavalier applications

Performance

• Low distortion at SPL up to 150dB on 48V Phantom Power
• Field-selectable HF response caps
• Kevlar cable and ultra-thin diaphragm combine to set a new standard for low handling noise
• Highest-quality audio available in a lavalier mic
• Excellent rejection of surrounding noise

Style & Comfort

• Available in 6 colors to blend with clothing or skin tones
• Looks great when you want to see it, and hides easily when you don't

Durability

• Highly resistant to moisture and perspiration for use in hair, on the body, or in bad weather
• Protective cap is easily removed for cleaning or replacement when clogged with makeup
• Kevlar-reinforced cable withstands punishment

How do I choose the right color for my skin tone?
Tan is the most popular color choice, because it works perfectly for average Caucasian skin tones, as well as olive complexions. Light beige works well in theatrical applications due to its slightly pink undertone, which is also appropriate for extremely fair skin. Cocoa is the ideal choice for African American skin tones ranging from very light to chocolate, and black is appropriate for extremely dark skin, or for situations where you want the mic to be visible. When in doubt, choose the darker option. That’s because a mic that’s too light can resemble a scar or blemish, while a mic that’s slightly darker than the background tends to blend much better and draws less attention.

Which cap should I use?
The B3 lavalier should always be used with a protective cap in place to keep sweat, makeup and other foreign material out of the microphone. The three omni caps each have a different high frequency response characteristic that controls the amount of “crispness” or “sibilance” (response at 15 kHz).
The omni ships with the +4 dB protective cap fitted to the mic. We have found that this cap’s frequency response meets the needs of the majority of users, providing a slightly increased response in the 15 kHz range. This will boost the perceived amount of “presence” in your sound, while leaving the lower frequencies unchanged. If you experience problems with high-frequency feedback, you should switch to the 0 dB cap.

Which sensitivity should I choose?
Making a microphone more sensitive to catch soft sounds means it will overload sooner for loud sounds. Because sound pressure levels vary between individuals and applications, we provide two sensitivities with two different overload or clipping characteristics.

• The most sensitive (W4, no band) is appropriate for positioning on the chest or lapel and is a good choice for most lavalier uses
• The less sensitive version (W5, red band) is ideal for use as a hair mic in theater