Cabled/Radio mics for DJs, Guest use and Karaoke. Thoughts and recommendations.

[Excalibur]

Catchy title, eh?

If it's mic related, tell us about your good, bad and indifferent experiences, and what you would or wouldn't buy for each task. Budget and top drawer, all are welcome here. I'll be back later to add a bit.

[soundscapes]

For karaoke purposes I've always favoured sennheiser e835' s. Absolutely indestructible, pretty good sound and not badly priced. I'm not a fan of using wireless mics for karaoke purposes as people are generally hammered by the time they have had enough Dutch courage to sing and have a tendency to either wander off or throw them around

[Nakatomi]

There really isn't anything current I can recommend, but I'll be watching this thread with interest. The last wired mic I bought was my Beyerdynamic M300. That was in 1993 & it's still going strong.

I've had 3 radio mics in my time - all of them Trantec S1000 based VHF ones. 2 of those are still with me - a headset (AT73a I think) with beltpack transmitter and an S1000 handheld with Audio Technica head (both Tx on the same frequency so either work with the one receiver I have). What happened to the other mic? Ahh. Well. A drunk DJ smashed it off a bar top. Not a pretty sight & I got a bit angry about that.

My handheld wired mic sounded better to me than an SM58 at the time (though since hearing a 58 properly on my own PA I'm looking to buy one). The S1000 mic is the one I always prefer because it sounds absolutely LUSH. When I go into 'announcement mode' and rest that thing on my chin... oh boy... it sounds so rich, full & crisp. Not much use for guest mic users though, who even when coached don't seem to 'get' that a handheld mic needs to be within 12 inches of their mouth to work properly. In those circumstances I doubt many mics would fit the bill. I blame all the TV shows where people are already miked up & they're given a dummy one to hold.

My headset hasn't been used for many a year but I remember it being a git to reproduce my voice without a vast amount of breath noise (and for that matter, where is all the lovely bass?).

I'm still thinking about a new mic to replace the ancient Trantec.. I'm veering towards Sennheiser XSW35/XSW65 but there seems to be a dearth of local places I can try one out. I'd be wary of anything on channel 70 & the 2.4Ghz digital mics so I think channel 38 is where I'm going. What's the deal with condenser mics for handheld use anyway - are they robust enough for life on the road? I voiced a bunch of radio jingles a long time ago with an AKG c1000 condenser & I thought it sounded rather splendid.

The AKG WMS mics are way too cheap for me to even consider - then there's the small matter of what I've read here about handling noise & general use. KAM... just isn't a brand I trust. I've never had any bad experiences with them but then I've never used any of their kit to my knowledge.

[CRAZY K]

My headset hasn't been used for many a year but I remember it being a git to reproduce my voice without a vast amount of breath noise (and for that matter, where is all the lovely bass?).

KAM... just isn't a brand I trust. I've never had any bad experiences with them but then I've never used any of their kit to my knowledge.

Agree about headsets, unless you are prepared to pay a lot of silly money I cant get the quality and bass I want or get from hand held. I have given up.

Its ok if you are on television but those mikes cost a fortune.

KAM are surprisingly good for the money in my experience as a middle of the road mike, I have got a problem with the on off switch crackling although some mixers allow switching on and off on the console.

I have used JTS Radio Mikes for over 10 years now for vocals and found them to be totally reliable and decent quality sound--no hum or hiss. Only let down was when on the newer model when the battery worked loose in the holder, probably from being overworked by me

For speeches near the PA I give them a hand held mike for damage limitation.

Agree the problem is despite telling people to speak VERY close to the mike they get nervous and it ends up around the waist--then some jerk says--they cant hear it through your PA. No jerk--its the person using it incorrectly.

As I dont really do Weddings now I dont spend time praying that no one will drop my £350 radio mike during a speech, actually its a difficult one because trying to claim the money back when its probably not even the customer doing the damage but one of their drunk friends may not be easy--I havent had to try luckily.

[Excalibur]

Agree about headsets, unless you are prepared to pay a lot of silly money I cant get the quality and bass I want or get from hand held. I have given up.

I tried a few headworn ones, including one which ( allegedly ) wasn't budget. I wasn't happy.
I bit the bullet and got a Shure PG58 headworn. £200, but it's a whole different class.

As I dont really do Weddings now I dont spend time praying that no one will drop my £350 radio mike during a speech, actually its a difficult one because trying to claim the money back when its probably not even the customer doing the damage but one of their drunk friends may not be easy--I havent had to try luckily.

Indeed. While I'm happy to give my high grade ones to fellow entertainers and responsible hosts, I'm hoping that the chord system turns out to be suitable for the average or karaoke singer. I can replace handheld units on these for less than £50. A lot less painful than a Beta 58!

[Nakatomi]

Agree about headsets, unless you are prepared to pay a lot of silly money I cant get the quality and bass I want or get from hand held. I have given up.

Its ok if you are on television but those mikes cost a fortune.

Heh. My ATM73a headworn condenser costs about £180 on its own (I bought the whole system for under £100 from JG Windows in Newcastle a very long time ago) so it should be a lot better than it is by rights. Meh

[CRAZY K]

I'm hoping that the chord system turns out to be suitable for the average or karaoke singer. I can replace handheld units on these for less than £50. A lot less painful than a Beta 58!

Point taken, as I rarely hand out the mike these days I havent bothered with a cheapo replacement and as no real Wedding work or Karaoke no need to hand round the room-- so get speeches made from the console area with hand held mike with lead.