I need a new wireless mic set up

B

BrettR.

Active member
a few years back I bought a wireless kit off of a friend, and it has since run it's course. I even got it repaired once, but it's screwed up again and old... so it's time to be put out to pasture.

I bought it without any research, just because I knew it worked and was a decent price. Now, I have no idea what I'm looking for, since I never learned about them the first go-round. I shoot with a HPX-170 mostly, so XLR it is... but if there is a way to get a kit that can also work on Canon DSLRs, that would be much preferred! Also if it could pick up multiple lav mic at once, that would be excellent as well, unless it starts to push the price into the $1,000s. I'm trying to keep it 3 digitals if possible. I see plenty of threads about lav mics, but not much about the transmitters and receivers you have to have to make them work.

Any help is appreciated.
 
And FYI you don't need a wireless system to use a lav mic, you can use them wired.
 
Picking up multiple lavs is not going to be in the cards without spending the $$$. The reason is that while one transmitter can broadcast to multiple receivers it doesn't work the other way around. Each lav in use needs to be on its own channel. That means you need a separate transmitter and receiver pair for each mic. So-called 'multi-channel' receivers do exist but what they do is stuff two independent receivers into the same box,.
 
I've heard a cheap option is to buy a wired, battery power lav like the Audio-Technica ATR-3350, and just run it into a zoom recorder that you slip in the actor's pocket. I'm looking at going this route myself. Obviously, with multiple actors it would get a bit more complicated.
 
16mman said:
I've heard a cheap option is to buy a wired, battery power lav like the Audio-Technica ATR-3350, and just run it into a zoom recorder that you slip in the actor's pocket. I'm looking at going this route myself. Obviously, with multiple actors it would get a bit more complicated.
Click to expand...

This has been discussed ad nauseum in various threads. If you trust your audio to a cheap lav like the ATR-3350, that's up to you. It's cheap audio. Doesn't cost much, either. Also, the recorder-in-the-pocket solution offers no production monitoring: no way to know that the audio was recorded clearly, no way to know that the levels were good, no way to know that the actor didn't accidentally hit a button and stop recording mid-take or bend the wrong way and pull the mic out of the recorder. The only way to know is to listen back after the take, which adds time to production and is still after the fact. Too much risk for failure.
 
Steve House said:
Picking up multiple lavs is not going to be in the cards without spending the $$$. The reason is that while one transmitter can broadcast to multiple receivers it doesn't work the other way around. Each lav in use needs to be on its own channel. That means you need a separate transmitter and receiver pair for each mic. So-called 'multi-channel' receivers do exist but what they do is stuff two independent receivers into the same box,.
Click to expand...

Thanks!

16mman said:
I've heard a cheap option is to buy a wired, battery power lav like the Audio-Technica ATR-3350, and just run it into a zoom recorder that you slip in the actor's pocket. I'm looking at going this route myself. Obviously, with multiple actors it would get a bit more complicated.
Click to expand...

Alex H. said:
This has been discussed ad nauseum in various threads. If you trust your audio to a cheap lav like the ATR-3350, that's up to you. It's cheap audio. Doesn't cost much, either. Also, the recorder-in-the-pocket solution offers no production monitoring: no way to know that the audio was recorded clearly, no way to know that the levels were good, no way to know that the actor didn't accidentally hit a button and stop recording mid-take or bend the wrong way and pull the mic out of the recorder. The only way to know is to listen back after the take, which adds time to production and is still after the fact. Too much risk for failure.
Click to expand...

For the reasons Alex mentions, I can't go that route.


Does anyone know about the possibility of using the same set up for an XLR'd camera and a Canon DSLR? Is there a way to do this?
 
BrettR. said:
What would you recommend when it comes to a good wired lav?
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Depends on what you mean by 'good' and what your budget might be. There are excellent hard-wired lavs available from the usual suspects - Sennheiser, Countryman, Tram, Sanken, Sony ... etc. Audio-Technica is kind of schizoid ... they sell some cheaper consumer toys like the aforementioned ATR-3350 and then they also have some good professional-grade (at professional price points) lavs on offer as well. A lav capsule such as you might purchase for a wireless setup can also be used hardwired by adding an appropriate XLR adapter / power supply.
 
Alex H. said:
This has been discussed ad nauseum in various threads. If you trust your audio to a cheap lav like the ATR-3350, that's up to you. It's cheap audio. Doesn't cost much, either. Also, the recorder-in-the-pocket solution offers no production monitoring: no way to know that the audio was recorded clearly, no way to know that the levels were good, no way to know that the actor didn't accidentally hit a button and stop recording mid-take or bend the wrong way and pull the mic out of the recorder. The only way to know is to listen back after the take, which adds time to production and is still after the fact. Too much risk for failure.
Click to expand...

I apologize. I'm a tad late to the party. It is an option if you're don't have the funds for a wireless system or expensive lav mics. One of these days I'll have the resources to buy a better system.
 
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