New Senn G2 vs. Used 195

B

Bob Gruen

Well-known member
Which would be the better buy? There are new G2s available at $439 with 'throw away' lavs or used 195 systems which seem plentiful and go for around $700. The 195 systems seem to be more rugged, but the G2s might actually have more functionality.

Which sounds the best? Which has the best range? I will probably buy 2 systems for my HVX, which only has 2 inputs. Would it make sense to buy an extra transmitter for the boom mic, or would a long cable be the best approach for quality? Are the 195D receivers noticeably better than the normal 195s? They are a bit more rare, so I imaging that they would be a bit more expensive on the used market.

My first project will be filming a feature length comedy on location in a very RF noisy area. It is a hobby shop near a truck stop. I know that CB radios are an issue in the area, do I need anything special to protect myself there? We will also be using RC transmitters and receivers that operate on 27MHz and 75MHz, but they are very low powered next to the CB radios.

I may also be renting my equipment out to do local commercials (car lots and lawyers, ugh!) to help defer some of my equipment costs.

Bob
 
the 195 and 190 systems are very good, i feel. but probably not much use in very crowded RF zones - remember these systems arent tunable so they are either usable or they arent. they DO sound better than G2's, and the build quality is very good (though the G2 is actually also very well built).

The G2 doesnt sound as good, but it does have more functionality. so you basically summed it up for yourself - what is your priority?

On this feature length comedy near a truck stop, I think you need to really reconsider whether you really have to shoot there. Have you thought about, say, hiring a professional? Or is your project not really professional?
 
The project is going to be as professional as I can make it on the budget I am on (the accurate answer for any independent film). It will be a 100 minute HD 24P using a RRMicro35. The hobby shop in question is a very unique location that enables the storyline. Doing it somewhere else is not an option.

I will hire an experianced sound man for the primary production, but there are several reasons that I will want my own lightweight sound equipment. As people in this forum say over and over, image is only half of the product.

Due to story / script / logistics I am planning a much smaller secondary production that will not have the large primary production staff. I will want to be able to do sound for that. Also, if I want to be able to properly do commercial work then I will need the items listed.

Bob
 
i was not skipping on THE NEW AUDIO TECHNICA dual reciever as it is dyvercity , dont really know how it sounds but may guess it not sounds wors then g-2 .
the main reason is hits you get in places whicj has mass reflection from metal objects as it happence me this week
i used my rig as primery and g-2 as ifb from car to car for the director , the plan was to use the same tx as aditional wierless ( cheap production:-)) on shotes that i need more then 3 , so we sgoot inside vinary with allot of metal objects , i got hits on the g-2 from 3 meters range ( no rf problems in the air)
so it took me 2 minutes to convince the production swithc to another dyvercity and get another 411 and have 0 problems for 6 hours we were inside .
g-2 is cheap and that is only good thing about .
if you live in rf hell the g-2 has some benefits as ihas 30mh range .
if you dont have rf problems the used 195 divercity or audio2000( 2 fq) non divercity even they are 10 years old desighn sounds and have much more in range .
 
If you're in a heavy RF environment, then I don't think you have a choice. You go with the G2's or some other tunable wireless setup. It comes down to having decent wireless audio vs. no wireless audio. The 195's (especially the 195D's) are very good, certainly better than the G2's. But, only if the fixed frequency they're tuned to is available. Otherwise, no wireless.

Go with the G2's for now - they hold their resale value pretty well. Then, when your business merits it (and the G2's are paid for) go with a used 2xx series Lectro or the 401's. Tunable really is critical in this RF heavy world.

Phil
 
Bob Gruen said:
I will hire an experianced sound man for the primary production, but there are several reasons that I will want my own lightweight sound equipment.
Bob
Click to expand...

The only problem with this is that most "experienced" sound people will probably have their own equipment and not be too keen on using inferior gear. If you hire a person with a good ENG kit, it will probably consist of a couple of high-end lectrosonics systems with selectable frequencies, a couple of different shotgun mics and a 3 or 4 channel mixer with the necessary cables to go straight to the camera.
 
hmm. if you want to "properly do commercial work", then this sound package you are thinking of buying is not going to contribute the other 50% you're saying sound is.

anyway, back to the topic - the guys are right, G2 is probably your safest bet. The 190's are really cool, but generally speaking they are mostly used as backup or extra units now days thanks to RF problems. Non-tunable is pretty much too high a risk for your only wireless!
 
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