Hello Chris,
Lavs don't HAVE to be visible. The countryman B6 can hide in plain sight and secures pretty easily. It also sounds pretty darn good.
I agree with you that boom mics usually sound better than lavs, but there are times when you can't get close enough with a boom mic to realize that difference.
If you like the Azden shotgun, you really like Audio Technica shotguns and you'll really, really like the Schoeps CMIT shotgun. There's a major difference there.
Also, for someone else reading this, a shotgun mic is not the only mic you want on the end of a boom. For interiors and any live, slappy environment, you want a hyper or supercardioid like an AT 4053b, Senneheiser MKH 50 or Schoeps cmc641,
Regards,
Ty Ford
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