RodeLink vs Sony UWP-D11 (wireless lav audio systems)

Elmer_Lang

Elmer_Lang

Well-known member
Hi

Anybody used both or got opinions or helpful info in choosing between these? I went to B&H hoping for positive word on the RodeLink. Was on a shoot where I used it. Sounded pretty good.

Then the B&H guy tells me about how superior the channel-finding apparatus on the Sony and sennheiser g3 is, tho he really recommends the Sony. 2 antenna, metal construction, and hey, why not, get a good specialty lav that's pre-made to link into the wireless system. It might all be true but it did feel a bit like a bait-and-switch.

To get the Sony and specialty lav will basically double the price from RodeLink.

Tho hoping it lasts years maybe I should be willing to pay that extra.

best
elmer
 
I have used a rode filmmaker kit for the last year and a g3, and both work well. I believe Sony UWP packs require special mics(which sony will sell you at a premium), so i would stay away rom those since the lavs are what get broken the most. The g3 is slightly more reliable in terms of frequency, but the rode is more solid in terms of construction. But stay away from the sony if you want to keep your costs low.
 
Thank you very much, happy to hear that because I had a good impression of the RodeLink.

The salesperson emphasized that the RodeLink had a much higher probabillity of dropout or noise because of less channels.

I wonder if it's really that big a difference?

Thanks again!
 
If you really want to step it up then I recommend the Lectrosonics L series. If that breaks your budget the Sennheiser G3 or Rodelink are pretty good, depending on what your needs are. The sennheiser G3 are actually have metal housings. The Rodelink does not. I'm waiting on some technical info from Rode in terms of the actual power output of the transmitter. They say it gets around 100 meters range, but that's line of sight. That doesn't tell me how powerful the transmitter is compared to the L series or G3.

If you are located in NYC see if you can rent these systems and do a side by side comparison of all of them.
 
Yes, both the Sony and the Sennheiser have more channels, BUT... it's a different design. The Rode (and other WiFi based systems), select and change channels w/o user input.. which is better for wireless 'challenged' user. IMO, the G2/3 channel scanner ain't worth sh_t except with multiple close by systems, it's not sensitive enough to detect TV and other extraneous RF. I've never used the Sony, I suspect it has some the same issues, and I've read it's noisier then a G3.
I don't think the salesperson you talked with knows much about wireless mic systems.
 
Thanks, guys, your input is much appreciated!

Something I forgot to ask before: How do I make this work for multiple actors?

Say there's 2 or 3 of us. Would we each have a transmitter that goes to one receiver, and I would think recorded to separate channels? Or must there be multiple receivers?

Is it easy to buy additional transmitters?

Thanks again!

elmer
 
I own both the Sennheiser G3 and the RodeLink systems. I'm planning on selling my G3. The RodeLink is great, dead simple to use, and futureproof in a way that the G3 (and any other UHF transmitter) can't be because the government is auctioning off UHF frequencies more and more.

How do I make this work for multiple actors?

Say there's 2 or 3 of us. Would we each have a transmitter that goes to one receiver, and I would think recorded to separate channels? Or must there be multiple receivers?

Is it easy to buy additional transmitters?
Click to expand...

Each transmitter requires its own receiver. If you're putting lav mics on 3 actors, you need 3 transmitters and 3 receivers.
 
I have the 3x Sony UWP-D16 systems.... Love them
I have changed to Rode mics a long time ago then just changed the 'Micon' plug adaptor to suit the Sonys @ $15 each, simple.

The thing I don't like about the Sony is the battery sleds that the batteries have to be loaded into, just a bit fiddly...... but on the flip side the sled idea is great for very quick battery swap over from another unit.

The Sony scan is better than Sennheiser (haven't tried Rode yet)
 
If you are doing this for scripted work, where the transmitter has to be hidden, you need to take this into consideration. You need to be able to hide a transmitter, and the larger it is, the harder it is to hide.

The Lectro system has a small, rugged transmitter, AND if you have it buried underneath wardrobe, and you need to change a setting, like going from 50mW to 100mW or the frequency or the gain, you can adjust those settings via an app. Once you have the settings you want on the app, you hold your smart phone (android or iOS) up to the lav, and it'll emit what Lectro calls a "dweedle tone". That tone tells the transmitter what settings to change and it changes them. This way you don't need to dig out a transmitter you spent precious time hiding.
 
As far as the UHF systems, I put a Sony UWP-D against a Sennheiser G3 and did not like the Sony at all. It's a shame, really, becuase the physical design on the Sony is better with two true antennae. The G3 is diversity (not true diversity, but diversity), but the output cable acts as the second antenna.

The Sony was not as stable in clear, line-of-sight transmission. It also has a self-noise that I find unacceptable.
 
Jaime, who posrted last page, lives in New York, has been using his Rødes in Manhattan, generally the worst RF environment in the world, with great success. I used my Rødes last month at Moscone Center in San Francisco at a trade show with a TON of 2.4 Ghz and UHF chatter all around me and the Rødes never even once stumbled, the sound was immaculate. Another DVXer, can't recall who, has dropped the Røde on concrete and reported that it handles the fall and shock better than his G3 had in the last. Really the only drawback of the Røde is the transmitter size, it's larger than the G3 or the Sony. But it's smooth with no external antenna, which is also nice for miking talent and hiding it. Also, as a non professional, you will find the plug and play of the Røde to be leagues simpler than messing about with UHF scanning and frequency concerns. FWIW, I am selling all of my UHF wireless systems, I am extremely satisfied with the two Rødes I bought. In case I ever have 2.4GHz interference issues on a shoot, I have bought a Tascam DR-10L remote recorder as a backup but so far, no issues with the Røde at all.
 
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"Is it easy to buy additional transmitters?
- As Jaime stated, "Each transmitter requires its own receiver. If you're putting lav mics on 3 actors, you need 3 transmitters and 3 receivers.". According to Rode, you can have "up to 8 systems simultaneously". None of the systems allow multiple transmitters and a single receiver. On the G2/3 and most other VHF and UHF systems, you can have ONE transmitter and multiple receivers (for instance, an audio hop in a multiple cameras shoot or an IFB set.

- The one thing I like about the Sony is, the plug-on transmitter has a 48V Phantom Power option (a wireless boom for instance)... but if it's noisy, that's a deal-breaker. A Phantom Power plug-on Tx for a G2/3 is an additional $700.

- "I bet he knows what brand gives him a bonus for selling."
- I hear ya Tom, that's a distinct possibility.
 
Rick R said:
- The one thing I like about the Sony is, the plug-on transmitter has a 48V Phantom Power option (a wireless boom for instance)... but if it's noisy, that's a deal-breaker. A Phantom Power plug-on Tx for a G2/3 is an additional $700.
Click to expand...

The other thing I found in side-by-side comparisons, G3 vs. UWP-D, is that the Sony plug-on is essentially useless with dynamic mics. It's relatively okay with condensers and phantom, though still lower than I'd like which leads to an audible noise floor. That just makes it a wasted investment to me.

The G3 system offers two plug-ons: a less expensive version with no phantom, or the phantom version. Both are strong and solid with dynamic mics.
 
I am not entirely sure you guys are talking about the same sony system I'm thinking of (sounds like you are, would need to see pics to be sure), but if so, I am super unimpressed. Client bought two last year, and using them in the ginormous office headquarters of a major energy client, results were inconsistent...one room/area, would be perfect, elsewhere, useless (major interference) and yes, that's after a scan.
 
I should have clarified that Alex. The Sennheiser 100 series SKP plug-on transmitter is lower priced but does not have Phantom Power. The SKP 300 Tx (discontinued I think) and the 2000 series are higher priced and have the Phantom Power option.
 
Rick R said:
I should have clarified that Alex. The Sennheiser 100 series SKP plug-on transmitter is lower priced but does not have Phantom Power. The SKP 300 Tx (discontinued I think) and the 2000 series are higher priced and have the Phantom Power option.
Click to expand...

It was the SKP300 that I tested alongside the UWP-D. I have one with my G-band kit, and it's incredibly useful.
 
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