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Try a lapel microphone for voice input

Authors

Lapel microphones are great for voice input:

  1. You can speak softly, even in noisy environments. Think: shared office, working from cafes, or walking in the city.

  2. Even in a silent office, the ergonomics are nice:

  • I've broken the habit of leaning fowards towards my laptop and slightly raising my voice when I do voice input. It's much more comfortable.
  • I like to pace around while thinking. I used to dictate into my phone while doing that. Now the dictation affordance is much easier, and direct into my computer.
  1. Many people who work in shared offices tell me that they'd use voice input much more if they werne't worried about disturbing coworkers. This might fix that for you!

I also use the lapel for voice calls. The audio quality is better than my bluetooth earbuds.

Thank you to Bilal Chughtai for the suggestion.

Lapel microphone

Appendix 1. Which one to buy?

I've used the Hollyland Lark M2S (Amazon) for a few weeks. They're ideal for this use case—small, easy to attach to your shirt, high quality audio.

The kit comes with two lap mics, so you can switch when the battery runs out. You can also plug the receiver into your phone, then give one mic to your partner to record a walking meeting.

They come in several versions: for a MacBook, you want "Type-C RX", which I've linked to.

Cost: ~$100.

Minor reservations:

  • Requires USB receiver: It connects via a USB dongle, rather than Bluetooth. This is standard for lapel mics (enables better quality, lower latency, longer range) and I can't find any promising Bluetooth options. On the plus side: you'll never have to worry about whether it's connected to your laptop or your phone.

  • Battery life: You get 9 hours with noise cancellation disabled—that's great. But with noise cancellation enabled, the lapel battery only lasts 3-5 hours. There's an indicator light and a hardware button to toggle, but I often leave NC enabled, and have to switch mics during the work day.

ChatGPT Deep Research says that, all considered, the Hollyland is the best option. Bilal Chughtai reached the same conclusion.