Seeking recommendations for a wireless mic system with 4 mics
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Jim Feeley
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What's your budget range?
Stationary receiver? Going off the handheld mic bit... Would this be for a theater, church, or as a rig that won't move during use (say, setting up in a club, hotel conference room, or temporary stage in a park)? Or hoping to attach everything to a camera or sound bag that someone wears/carries?
Stationary receiver? Going off the handheld mic bit... Would this be for a theater, church, or as a rig that won't move during use (say, setting up in a club, hotel conference room, or temporary stage in a park)? Or hoping to attach everything to a camera or sound bag that someone wears/carries?
Yes, stationary receiver. This would be used for panel discussions in a conference room setting and sometimes in an outdoors setting. Concerning budget, up to $2000 or so.
Jim Feeley
Veteran
Not sure what to suggest in that range, because I don't know. Perhaps a used Shure or Sennheiser system? I've worked on installed systems built around stuff from both those brands... Seemed to work fine for spoken word and music.
I'm not tracking Shure closely these days (other than their rather impressive Axient bag stuff), but looks like you could get four channels from their SLX line for $3000.
https://www.markertek.com/product/s...vocal-handheld-wireless-mic-system-470-514mhz
https://www.shure.com/en-US/products/wireless-systems
Hopefully someone else here can make more informed suggestions for a four-channel system around $2000.
I'm not tracking Shure closely these days (other than their rather impressive Axient bag stuff), but looks like you could get four channels from their SLX line for $3000.
https://www.markertek.com/product/s...vocal-handheld-wireless-mic-system-470-514mhz
https://www.shure.com/en-US/products/wireless-systems
Hopefully someone else here can make more informed suggestions for a four-channel system around $2000.
Jim Feeley
Veteran
To be clear (but hopefully not to appear to be bragging), I do know a fair amount about those types of systems. Just not at the $2000 for four channel range. But I totally respect budget issues.
Things to consider: wireless spectrum is getting scarce and crowded. If you find a good used system, make sure that in addition to being in good shape, the frequencies it works with are still legal and still work well where you live.
Do you know anyone who's recently installed/upgraded wireless at a club, church, theater, or conference space near you?
Things to consider: wireless spectrum is getting scarce and crowded. If you find a good used system, make sure that in addition to being in good shape, the frequencies it works with are still legal and still work well where you live.
Do you know anyone who's recently installed/upgraded wireless at a club, church, theater, or conference space near you?
I occasionally shoot panel presentations and maybe once a year I would get asked to provide mic setup for the panel, that' why I do not want to spend too much. One option would be to rent but I might end up going with the Sennheiser XSW 1-835. It's a dual channel system for about $650, I can get two of them for $1300.
Jim Feeley
Veteran
This system, right?
https://en-us.sennheiser.com/xsw-1-8...xsw-1-835-dual
That could work. Looks like the transmitters are 10mw, so if you could place the receiver close(ish) to the panel and then run a cable snake back to your mixer/switcher/camera/etc, that might be good. (Note that I might have been skimming the site too quickly, so double check that output).
For cable snakes, Audiopile has good reasonably priced stage-box and fantail snakes. https://audiopile-net.3dcartstores.com Or you could look into something like the Radial Engineering Catapult (or competing) systems; four channels of audio over Ethernet cable. https://www.radialeng.com/product/catapult Yes, that's more money to spend but could be helpful.
Also, do ask around about what wireless blocks/channels/frequencies are not totally crowded in your area. That's probably the most important thing. And if you can afford one extra handheld transmitter, buy it for when someone drops and steps on one of your main four transmitters.
Just one guy's opinion...
https://en-us.sennheiser.com/xsw-1-8...xsw-1-835-dual
That could work. Looks like the transmitters are 10mw, so if you could place the receiver close(ish) to the panel and then run a cable snake back to your mixer/switcher/camera/etc, that might be good. (Note that I might have been skimming the site too quickly, so double check that output).
For cable snakes, Audiopile has good reasonably priced stage-box and fantail snakes. https://audiopile-net.3dcartstores.com Or you could look into something like the Radial Engineering Catapult (or competing) systems; four channels of audio over Ethernet cable. https://www.radialeng.com/product/catapult Yes, that's more money to spend but could be helpful.
Also, do ask around about what wireless blocks/channels/frequencies are not totally crowded in your area. That's probably the most important thing. And if you can afford one extra handheld transmitter, buy it for when someone drops and steps on one of your main four transmitters.
Just one guy's opinion...
10mW isn’t actually that big of a concern for exposed transmitters. Comtek M-216 transmitters are 10mW. I used one of those systems for years in my bag and never had range issues on set, as the transmitter was clipped to the outside of my bag and the receivers were all exposed on people’s belts.
Those Sennheiser systems are okay, but are very limited in channel availability. The budget line of $2000 is a bit limiting, but if it can be bumped just a bit, four of the G4 ew100 rackmount systems would be a great option (though, as has been said, check your area for the most RF availability, and purchase for the appropriate band/block).
If this is more for live sound reinforcement, you might also look at the Audio Technica System 10. It’s 2.4GHz (WiFi), but the latency isn’t terrible and they sound fine. I’ve installed them in church systems before. A 2-channel system (ATW-1322) runs about $900. Also 10mW transmitters, but they have decent range.
Jim Feeley
Veteran
IME, inexperienced (and some experienced) panelists and presenters hold mics from the bottom and cover up the antenna. Add on the various (and kinda unpredictable) RFI, metal, and other challenges of various ad-hoc panel locations, and the distance from TX to the audio mixer, and I'm all for minimizing the distance between the TX and the RX, esp when running 10mW...
paulears
Veteran
I've got lots of Sennheiser in my hire stock and used for the first time this Christmas Shures - I'd happily use either of these - and in the UK, they're really popular. I have to say that at the moment, one big project I'm aware of has been scuppered because the Shures are unavailable - it's a big system I'm talking about and the client is going Sennheiser because they have stock and Shure don't. The idea was to duplicate another system so swaps would be easy, but time is critical.
Your budget will do four basic systems from Shure or Sennheiser, but not cover things like distribution amps so you can use one antenna set. It just means loads of antennas and wall-wart power supplies till you get the budget to upgrade.
The more expensive Shures and Sennheiser also enable monitoring - so you can see all your receivers on a laptop and monitor batteries and signal strengths for RF and AF. The cheaper systems are just individual and stand alone.
For the basic price you get 58/835 style dynamic heads which are actually perfectly usable.
My end advice is simple - the best and most expensive radio mic system is nearly as good as a $20 XLR cable. Unless you really must go RF, a few long cables are so much more reliable, cheap to run and trouble free. So many radio mic users really don't need cable free mics with a bit of planning. Batteries, interference, breakages, user fiddling - all don't really exist on a cable mic do they!
Your budget will do four basic systems from Shure or Sennheiser, but not cover things like distribution amps so you can use one antenna set. It just means loads of antennas and wall-wart power supplies till you get the budget to upgrade.
The more expensive Shures and Sennheiser also enable monitoring - so you can see all your receivers on a laptop and monitor batteries and signal strengths for RF and AF. The cheaper systems are just individual and stand alone.
For the basic price you get 58/835 style dynamic heads which are actually perfectly usable.
My end advice is simple - the best and most expensive radio mic system is nearly as good as a $20 XLR cable. Unless you really must go RF, a few long cables are so much more reliable, cheap to run and trouble free. So many radio mic users really don't need cable free mics with a bit of planning. Batteries, interference, breakages, user fiddling - all don't really exist on a cable mic do they!
In my last shoot I used 4 G3's, it was cumbersome and had to worry about batteries on both ends but did get the job done!
I ran into this problem with the G3's mic adaptors, some would grab the unit at the bottom and cover the transmitter, I ended up with occasional interference noise.
Sometime the cable option is just not feasible but do agree that would be the best solution.
What about two units of the Sennheiser XWS 1 Dual 825 or 835, my usage is usually within 100 feet. Should I be concerned that the antenna's are internal?
What about two units of the Sennheiser XWS 1 Dual 825 or 835, my usage is usually within 100 feet. Should I be concerned that the antenna's are internal?
How about the Shure BLX288?