Wireless Microphones

[ukpartydj]

I've been looking at getting wireless microphones for a while now currently I use a couple of Shure wired Mic's as I know they are reliable.

I know from previous purchases I got some brilliant suggestions and info on here so thought it would be worth putting the question out again. basically hat Mic should I buy? Not for Karaoke, just speeches and myself.

Cheers

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Budget?

[CRAZY K]

I've been looking at getting wireless microphones for a while now currently I use a couple of Shure wired Mic's as I know they are reliable.

I know from previous purchases I got some brilliant suggestions and info on here so thought it would be worth putting the question out again. basically hat Mic should I buy? Not for Karaoke, just speeches and myself.

Cheers

Shure Radio Mikes are a popular choice although I was sold something cheaper some years ago and have been exceptionally pleased with my JTS Radio Mike. Made in Italy.

For sheer reliability, robustness, lack of feed back( I continualy work in front of the speakers in my job) and cheap to run ( 2 AA batteries ) which last about 20 hours.

I acquired a brand new EV Radio Mike last year but whilst it does have good quality I find the ability to deal with feedback not as good as the JTS.

I have been really impressed with a secondhand KAM Radio miike I bought considering the cost--but less impressed with the on off switch which crackles badly.

If money is no object, probably Sennheiser is a good bet.

Best to try and use the Mike on your set up before buying.

I had a weird situation where a mike sounded fine through two tops---but when the subs were added sounded rubbish :confused:

[leelive]

I use a Sennheiser ew-135 G3 (with 935 head) and find it exceptionally good.
I also use a Sennheiser ew-100 G1 and this has never let me down.

ps. Go to an authorised dealer... there are a lot of fakes on ebay.
I recommend [email protected] - I got his details from the Sennheiser website.. the price and customer service were great. The G3 935 was around £500. (Add about £80 for rack mount kit GA3 and antenna converters AM2)

Lee

[CRAZY K]

I use a Sennheiser ew-135 G3 (with 935 head) and find it exceptionally good.
I also use a Sennheiser ew-100 G1 and this has never let me down.

ps. Go to an authorised dealer... there are a lot of fakes on ebay.
I recommend [email protected] - I got his details from the Sennheiser website.. the price and customer service were great.

Lee

Thats extremely good advice--fakes are sometimes difficult to spot--until you hear them.:eek:

I would buy new anyway--I well remember a post on a site somewhere where a guy bought a Shure SM Radio Mike from one of the cash converters --only for it to go wrong after one gig and incur a costly repair bill---just a thought---

[djwiggy50]

Never been let down by my trantec S4.4h.

Nice affordable Mic, could even make for a good karaoke Mic.

But echoing what's already been said - stick to brands and dealers you know for reliability and confidence.

[addoaddo]

Depends on what you are going to use it for. If it is Karaoke any is good enough as it is likley to get broken, cheaper mics do no last as long but are cheaper to replace. If you need it for good quality singing stick to Shure or Sennheiser as the heads are very good and will give a good sound
Trantec I have found are good for speach and reception is good but not so good for singing.

Make sure that you get a system that uses the new fequencies as they is a lot of old equipment that will not work next year when the frequencies get give to the mobile phone companies for 4G data.

[ianforest]

Maybe try out a Line-6 V35, great mic, has some latency issues at distance though, i.e. 30m+ but if you use it nearby then it's fine. Battery is great and by default it's modelled on an SM58, so it will sound exactly like a wired, uncompressed SM58.

Cost, around £175.00 or so.

[DJ Jules]

Maybe try out a Line-6 V35, great mic, has some latency issues at distance though, i.e. 30m+ but if you use it nearby then it's fine. Battery is great and by default it's modelled on an SM58, so it will sound exactly like a wired, uncompressed SM58.

Cost, around £175.00 or so.

Wouldn't the latency issues be to do with the time it takes for the sound to get from the speakers back to you?

Last time I checked Radio waves travelled pretty quickly? ;)

Back on topic - I'm using a Sennheiser Freeport UHF Vocal mic. It's just over the £110 mark and has never cut out or let me down and has a tested range of well over 100m. I've also used it with vocal artists (no, not karaoke, actual professional singers) and it's worked well and sounds great. The only drawbacks are:

1. It's powered by a PP3 battery which only lasts about 6hrs in operation.
2. It's a clone of other budget UHF mic's so I frequently find I have to change
the channel on it (rotary switch on receiver and Mic) if I'm working in the same area as another entertainer (punch & judy shows, etc).
3. The receiver can't be rack mounted without a tray of some kind.
4. It's pretty sensitive so has a tendency to pick up background noise in the hands of inexperienced operators (wedding speeches and the like) and you have to stay well away from your speakers ;)

Impartial review here (http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar06/articles/live_freeport.htm)

Julian

[Glenski]

I would recommend the Line6 XD-V30 or XD-V35

Digital Wireless rather than UHF or VHF :)

Look them up, i personally use the Line6 XD-V30 :)

Thanks

[Excalibur]

As a rough guide:
Budget- Sennheiser freeport/Trantec, some JTS (as Crazy has said )
Mid Range- Shure PG58
High end-Shure SM58 ( Beta is budget goes that far ) Sennheiser EW135 with 835 or 935 head.

All these are tried and tested. However, as we so often say, it's a personal thing. I don't like Shure SM58 wired at all, yet I'm happy with my wireless one. I love my Shure SM58 Beta, but don't use it much ( mainly cos it's not wired permanently into my box of tricks like the other two. )

For me personally, Sennheiser is the weapon of choice, they suit my voice better. Others will swear by other makes, you must listen/try before you buy. Must.

[CRAZY K]

As a rough guide:
Budget- Sennheiser freeport/Trantec, some JTS (as Crazy has said )
Mid Range- Shure PG58
High end-Shure SM58 ( Beta is budget goes that far ) Sennheiser EW135 with 835 or 935 head.

All these are tried and tested. However, as we so often say, it's a personal thing. I don't like Shure SM58 wired at all, yet I'm happy with my wireless one. I love my Shure SM58 Beta, but don't use it much ( mainly cos it's not wired permanently into my box of tricks like the other two. )

For me personally, Sennheiser is the weapon of choice, they suit my voice better. Others will swear by other makes, you must listen/try before you buy. Must.

I would consider JTS as mid range Peter--they aint cheap no more:daft:

I think around £200 plus inc vat.

[ianforest]

Wouldn't the latency issues be to do with the time it takes for the sound to get from the speakers back to you?

Last time I checked Radio waves travelled pretty quickly? ;)

No, the mic suffers from latency at distance. Nothing to do with where the speakers are.

If I use a UHF mic at the same distance I get no latency. So it's nothing to do with speaker distance.

The Line 6 signal is quite weighty though, it's compander-less design means that LOTS of uncompressed data is travelling through the air. I'm guessing it's 802.11g, certainly not wireless-N.

[DJ Jules]

No, the mic suffers from latency at distance. Nothing to do with where the speakers are.

If I use a UHF mic at the same distance I get no latency. So it's nothing to do with speaker distance.

The Line 6 signal is quite weighty though, it's compander-less design means that LOTS of uncompressed data is travelling through the air. I'm guessing it's 802.11g, certainly not wireless-N.

That suggests that it's dropping data and having to back off and resend. I really hope that they wouldn't use 802.11g for a wireless audio application, it's a ridiculously heavy protocol for such a simple application. Batteries wouldn't last 5mins so I'm sure they're not in fact....

Have to look up the tech specs on them when I get a minute, you've peaked my curiosity now.

[katman]

That suggests that it's dropping data and having to back off and resend. I really hope that they wouldn't use 802.11g for a wireless audio application, it's a ridiculously heavy protocol for such a simple application. Batteries wouldn't last 5mins so I'm sure they're not in fact....

Have to look up the tech specs on them when I get a minute, you've peaked my curiosity now.

Just had a look on their website and it operates in the 2.4Ghz band. It doesnt say its Wifi but its in the same spectrum.

Under trouble shooting there are these possible causes....

"Significant amount of close-by RF signals within the same 2.4GHz range (Wi-Fi, microwave ovens, etc.)"

"Receiver antennas for the XD-V systems are very close to other intentional radiators in the same frequency band such as Wi-Fi wireless access points"

"Receiver’s antennas near any transmitters such as laptop computers with Wi-Fi switched on, In-Ear Monitors, walkie-talkies, etc."

[Shaun]

+1 for the JTS mic. I bought it on the recommendation of Crazy K. Previous to that I'd always used Shure SM58radio mics.

I've no complaints about either.

[Jiggles]

The line6 mics are great for knocking out peoples WiFi. :sj: If there is a router thats cheap and built badly the Line6 systems will just kill it. Although it doest it on most. xD Great fun.

[DJ Jules]

Just had a look on their website and it operates in the 2.4Ghz band. It doesnt say its Wifi but its in the same spectrum.

Most DECT phones and baby monitors operate in that range too (without using any of the 802.11 ethernet protocols) - 2.4Ghz is getting very crowded these days...

Julian

[katman]

Most DECT phones and baby monitors operate in that range too (without using any of the 802.11 ethernet protocols) - 2.4Ghz is getting very crowded these days...

Julian

Dont forget Video Senders. Each channel used for a video sender wipes out 3 wifi channels.

[ukpartydj]

cheers for all the info, liking the look and price of the Trantec S4.4H so far.

I don't really want to spend much over £100. I have a wired Shure PG-58 (£50 new) which is perfect for reliability and the sound / feedback etc is just good enough (which is what I'm aiming for really) and a decent price.

Regarding the buying from a dealer, I purchased a SM-58 off ebay a few years ago (my first Mic) and used it for about a year before I picked up another SM-58 in a club and I instantly realised mine was a fake.
Feedback, less handling noise, switch didn't crackle still to this day have no idea how you would be able to tell without using one as they look identical!

[Pe7e]

Friday was PAT test day for me, and during this chore I unearthed 2 near new wireless mics I'd forgotten I still had. Unfortunatly these are operating on the now defunct frequencies 796 - 807 and 798 - 805, does anyone know if there is compensation still available for the loss of the frequencies or anywhere were the use of these frequencies is still legal, and the mics useable/sellable? or are they now destined for the trash can?

[katman]

does anyone know if there is compensation still available for the loss of the frequencies

Given the way millions of perfectly good working TVs and thousands of early freeview boxes have been sent to landfill by the digital switchover I very much doubt it :(

[Twinspin]

For Radio Mics i use a Sennheiser Evolution Wireless EW135 G2 and i like the sound of that mic what i get from it. They dont do that model new anymore though. Its The G3 now. But would still recommend them.

Shure are another goood brand. The one i had was a good mic. I had a EUT24/58 with the SM58 cordless mic on UHF. I would recommend a SM58 cordless or a BETA 58 also

For me the Sennheiser is better suited to my tone of voice.

Radio Mics with a 9v Battery are more expensive to run unless you use cheap batteries or you know somewhere to get them cheap.

For example.

1x Duracell M3 9V battery usually about £3.00.
4x Duracell M3 AA battery usually about £3.00.

A microphone that runs off 2x AA batteries. You can have 2 sets of batteries as opposed 1 9v battery. Same brand of Battery and same price not that it makes a lot of difference for a matter of pounds.

[CRAZY K]

+1 for the JTS mic. I bought it on the recommendation of Crazy K. Previous to that I'd always used Shure SM58radio mics.

I've no complaints about either.

Nice one Shaun--I didnt know you had one.:D :D :D :D

I have to say mine has the most user friendly on off switch of any Radio Mike I have used.

Considering its being switched on and off between dances its important to me.

Have used a couple of Sennheisers recently---great sound but switching on and off is not as easy.

[Excalibur]

Have used a couple of Sennheisers recently---great sound but switching on and off is not as easy.

True. My Audio Technica is even worse, which is a shame, as I love it otherwise. For those who might want to be switching on and off regularly, it's another thing to bear in mind.

[Jiggles]

True. My Audio Technica is even worse, which is a shame, as I love it otherwise. For those who might want to be switching on and off regularly, it's another thing to bear in mind.

These kinds of mics are ment to be turned off at the mixer end and not the mic end. Its to stop numptys turning them off on stage then FOH sound pannic as to why the mics not working! :D

[Excalibur]

These kinds of mics are ment to be turned off at the mixer end and not the mic end. Its to stop numptys turning them off on stage then FOH sound pannic as to why the mics not working! :D

Oh Callum, I've been there, and got the T shirt. Culprit went on to be a TV star, presenter and musician.

When I put my cabled Senny in a holder, it always catches the switch, and turns it off.

[CRAZY K]

These kinds of mics are ment to be turned off at the mixer end and not the mic end. Its to stop numptys turning them off on stage then FOH sound pannic as to why the mics not working! :D

Eh?

A lot of us use them as sole performers without a Sound Engineer.

[Jiggles]

Eh?

A lot of us use them as sole performers without a Sound Engineer.

Yes I know that but I'm just saying why they were designed how they are. Weren't made for single op use per say.

[CRAZY K]

Yes I know that but I'm just saying why they were designed how they are. Weren't made for single op use per say.

News to me then.

Not heard that before----obviously if you are on TV shows etc then makes sense.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Callum is right. Take the SM58 as an example - most of them used for vocals won't be switched.

[CRAZY K]

Callum is right. Take the SM58 as an example - most of them used for vocals won't be switched.

Corabar Steves was--( I think) when I used it.

[Corabar Steve]

Corabar Steves was--( I think) when I used it.
I don't have a wireless SM58 & my wired ones don't have switches (unless you count the sitched XLR plug on the lead)

[SoundONE]

SM58 is available switched and unswitched I have both.

[CRAZY K]

I don't have a wireless SM58 & my wired ones don't have switches (unless you count the sitched XLR plug on the lead)

We were working in Kettering at Wicksteed Park and my JTS didnt sound its usual self so you kindly handed me a radio Mike.

The date was 25th August 2010 and it rained all day.

Im sure it was a Shure--a fairly new one as I recall.

Strange:confused:

Or was it something else ?

[ukpartydj]

An update on my hunt for wireless microphones -

On Tuesday I was forced to buy a wireless microphone quick as I got a last minute PA hire come in for the same day. Not wanting to splash out on a crap Mic without research I went down to maplins and got these l59aw prosound mics - wireless mics (http://www.maplin.co.uk/twin-vhf-wireless-handheld-radio-mic-system-43669)

They were £70 on offer, and considering the price I am very pleased with the performance.

I gave a Mic to the commentator who was walking around an outdoor arena, the guy walked all over the place and was talking whilst inside a JCB doing stunts during the show!

I had a 50m power cable running alongside the arena so I know that these Mics had no dropouts at all at 50m. They had the occasional glitch when he wondered off to about 80m and alot more dropouts when he was around the 100m mark talking outside the arena.

Whilst he was inside the digger his voice was very clear, didn't hear much of the engine sound from the digger. He stood infront of the speakers about 5m away with no feedback (and the speakers where very loud).

very little handling noise ... must say I'm very impressed for £70.

[CRAZY K]

An update on my hunt for wireless microphones -

On Tuesday I was forced to buy a wireless microphone quick as I got a last minute PA hire come in for the same day. Not wanting to splash out on a crap Mic without research I went down to maplins and got these l59aw prosound mics - wireless mics (http://www.maplin.co.uk/twin-vhf-wireless-handheld-radio-mic-system-43669)

They were £70 on offer, and considering the price I am very pleased with the performance.

I gave a Mic to the commentator who was walking around an outdoor arena, the guy walked all over the place and was talking whilst inside a JCB doing stunts during the show!

I had a 50m power cable running alongside the arena so I know that these Mics had no dropouts at all at 50m. They had the occasional glitch when he wondered off to about 80m and alot more dropouts when he was around the 100m mark talking outside the arena.

Whilst he was inside the digger his voice was very clear, didn't hear much of the engine sound from the digger. He stood infront of the speakers about 5m away with no feedback (and the speakers where very loud).

very little handling noise ... must say I'm very impressed for £70.

VHF ---not UHF:confused:

[DazzyD]

I was thinking the same thing. I certainly wouldn't go back to using VHF mics as they were prone to signal drop outs not to mention picking up local taxi firms!! :eek:

"Could we have the bride and car number 7 are you clear yet?". Ah, I can remember the black looks from the audience now!! ;)

[Excalibur]

I certainly wouldn't go back to using VHF mics as they were prone to signal drop outs not to mention picking up local taxi firms!! :eek:



And the biggest problem was that you couldn't forecast them. I've seen mine fail at very close quarters, and then go on to work faultlessly at fifty metres away, through three stone walls. :confused:

[DazzyD]

And the biggest problem was that you couldn't forecast them. I've seen mine fail at very close quarters, and then go on to work faultlessly at fifty metres away, through three stone walls. :confused:

This seemed to be more of a problem with twin antenna receivers that are supposed to be intelligent and switch to whichever one receives the strongest signal. In my experience, I found that the closer you are to the receiver, the more chance you have of it not deciding which side is the strongest signal and this causes the unit's antenna's to switch back and forth causing momentary drop outs. The further you are away, the more chance of of the unit deciding properly!

Mind you, this happens on my current UHF mic so maybe it's just one of those things!

[ukpartydj]

Sounds interesting! I never would have bought them if it wasn't for the fact I needed to get them in under two hours to make the gig.

Was planning to sell them and get a "proper mic" after. But they've done well so far. I think I'll extend there probationary period a bit longer before I decide if they are keepers.

If picking up other signals is there main problem then maybe I will limit there use to venues which aren't in busy towns.

[Pe7e]

If it's of any help to anyone, I've just got some Shure PG24/PG58 UHF wireless mics and am very impressed with them. The only problem with them is they are prone to handling noise, I might try fitting some soft rubber strips to the body of them and see if it helps, has anyone tried this, or similar, to reduce handling noise?