Wireless for Weddings

E

Exact

Veteran
Up to now I've done weddings with the built in mic on the camcorders, and a little bit of processing here and there have got away with it.

I've got a wedding next month that the built in mic is just not going to cut it. I am going to be placed to far away from the couple and will need to zoom in, so I need to bite the bullet and get a wireless setup.

I've looked around and there seems to be several recommendations to go with the Sennheiser G2 / G3 systems, amongst others. The budget is not unlimited so I need to go careful, having just invested in 3 new HD cameras etc in the last couple of months.

So, given the G2 at £285 and the G3 at £540, what does the G3 really buy me? For the price of the G3 I can buy a G2 AND a backup G2 (I like to have a backup of everything!).

What are the recommendations for the Lavaliere mics? As is often the case on the internet, I've read the mic that comes with them is not particularly good, while others say they are OK. So which is it?

What other systems should I be looking at and does any one recommend a UK supplier ?

These are the ones I am looking at:

G2 : http://www.videogear.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=18
G3 : http://www.videogear.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=114

While I will attempt to get a link to the churches audio board I can't guarantee it, and by the time I find out if it's a yes or no it will be too late.

Please help a newby for wireless mics :)
 
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For weddings... go cheap...but try still to be in quality... don't buy something in the store at the corner for 2 dollar :-p

And for weddings... people who will watch it are only intrested in "whooooow, it's little Mary on or TV screen"... specialy people above 70 will be very surprised the see themselfs on a big screen.

So just try to put a lavalier somewhere in the environment of the "yes I do" position.

Don't forget you've only 2 inputs....so you only can have 2 seperated sound sources...
2 is NOT equal to 3....
 
Thanks.

dre83 - Not quite sure what you mean by 2 is NOT equal to 3. I have three cameras (typically) so potentially can have 2 inputs per camera and mix the audio in post. Is that the '2' you were thinking of? If so I understand. If not then please elaborate :)
 
why do you guys say because its a wedding to go "cheap"?

Are you not being hired to do a job to the best of your abilities?
I don't do weddings, but I do know there is some serious $$ to be made.
The bride/groom are paying you decent money to give them a good product.

Personally, I think this is a situation where "cheap" is going to get you into trouble.
This is a 1 take scenario where you cant interupt the service because you're having "mic" issues.

Im sure the G2 units would be fine, but wanted to make comment to the fact
that "cheap is acceptable".

Also, cheap=junk
inexpensive= a deal.

Big difference in words in my opinion.

Good luck with your project.
 
Wedding videos have higher expectations these days, at least here in the States. So never think that "cheap is okay" because it's "just a wedding." And the viewers aren't just interested in "little Mary on the TV screen."

This is a memory for the bride and groom. And the new trend is much more cinematic than the old-school point-and-shoot-and-zoom wedding videos of the last couple decades.

That said, you will be fine with either the G2 or G3, though the G2 is discontinued, so what you'll be buying is closeout. Both are fine systems. What the G3 really adds is a type of diversity reception by using the audio output cable as a second antenna. That will cut down on dropouts, though the G2 is still impressively stable.

The stock Sennheiser lav isn't the best, but it certainly isn't the worst. You will get usable results with it if you want to at least invest in the systems now and upgrade the lavs later. For a better lav, look at the Sanken COS11, or the Countrymand B3 or B6 or even EMW.

I think that what dre83 means about 3 vs. 2 is that you have limited coverage with only 2 inputs on your camera. But you have three cameras, so you actually have 6 record tracks during the ceremony. I'd put a lav on the officiant, a lav on the groom, and then try to get a feed from the exisitng sound system if at all possible. Also, make sure to have a room mic feeding one channel of your cover cam in the back.

When it comes to cheap wireless, by the way... Azden, Samson, and Gemini are the cheap systems that won't do you much good. And Sennheiser G2/G3, Audio Technica 1800, and Sony UWP-V1 are the only affordable, quality systems that you will find that are worth the investment.
 
Rippie is very right saying that cheap is not enough.

But for me,cheap... 1000 dollar is categorated as "cheap" for me... I think what Rippie categorated as "cheap" is for me "very cheap". And the "inexpencive" is "cheap" for me. (Who can still follow ? :-p)

And with 3 camera's you've indeed 6 channels.

Don't try to put a lavalier on the bright.... it's going to be to noisy (clothes). Rather try to put a lavalier somewhere where they're standing, or on top of a chair..or someting. I don't know the marriage situation..... Or rent 2 dynamic omni microphones which you just put in front, of the broom...and make a small "PA system", with 1 mice panded left and the other right, and then left and right to 2 channels on a camera.

But all depens on the situation...
 
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Rippie said:
why do you guys say because its a wedding to go "cheap"?

Are you not being hired to do a job to the best of your abilities?
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Absolutely! That's why I am here and asking the questions :)

It's not going to be a Hollywood blockbuster, but to the couple it's a very important day that they hope never to repeat. So, it has to be right.

I thought about renting, and I may still rent, but I'd like to make this a standard feature going forward so it makes sense to invest the rental money in a purchase if possible. It's something I've put off doing for too long already.

OTOH, resources are not what they could be and I need to make decisions based not only on the budget for one system, but also for one (or more) backup systems that in my experience you always need most when you don't have them.

Given all the replies, I'm still not sure what the G3 buys me that I don't realistically get with G2. Is it simply frequency response? S/N ratios? Radio reliability? Interference rejection? Limitations on how many systems you can run (I don't expect to ever need more than 2).

Adding shotgun mics is going to be just a tough as getting the camera where I really want it so I really don't think it's going to be an option. Too many choir stalls in the way on this one :(

There is no where to place a fixed mic on a chair nearby without it being behind them (which actually means it would be on the front pew at least 10 feet behind them) because the couple are stood at the front of the church. It's a big church too - so echo and ambient noise is a major concern.

The closest I can get a non wireless mic in front of them is going to be about 15-20 feet away. Ugly.

I was hoping to place the mic on the groom and capture the vows from the one mic. I've seen others do it and it worked out 'ok' - given they didn't seem to do any processing of the audio, such as matching volumes etc. I know that background noise becomes an issue when you boost volume, but I will have to deal with it, probably in Soundtrack Pro, and it can't be any worse than trying to capture on a mic 10 feet behind or 20 feet in front - can it?
 
You could hide a mic or two in the flowers or along the rail and if the minister/priest is wearing a lav that should pick up the bridal couple.
 
The stock mic with G2's is not amazing but it is a million times better the on camera mic, on any camera, for a wedding.

I have found the if the officiant is going to be close to the "I do's" you should mic them and not the groom. The Bride and Groom can chit chat and that can add much time to the edit, especially if it is off color. Also the officiant does most of the talking anyway.
 
unclebob6958 said:
You could hide a mic or two in the flowers or along the rail and if the minister/priest is wearing a lav that should pick up the bridal couple.
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This was want I meant also... try to find some decoration in front...

And if you mice the bride and the groom (or how is it called ???) depending on the clothes, try to fix on the male (or are it 2 females or 2 males ? everything is possible these days). The male you can wire more easely I think then female.
 
kgimedia said:
The stock mic with G2's is not amazing but it is a million times better the on camera mic, on any camera, for a wedding.

I have found the if the officiant is going to be close to the "I do's" you should mic them and not the groom. The Bride and Groom can chit chat and that can add much time to the edit, especially if it is off color. Also the officiant does most of the talking anyway.
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Bride and groom !!! That was it
 
I have a G2 system on order and will pick it up this week. Also I'm planing to use it at weddings. This is a complement to my wired solution AT897/Pro70.
 
editman said:
I have a G2 system on order and will pick it up this week. Also I'm planing to use it at weddings. This is a complement to my wired solution AT897/Pro70.
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I'm planning to order the G2 tomorrow - with the adapter cable to use with the NTG-2 as well. This way I figure I can put the NTG2 (with battery installed) + G2 in some obscure place and not have to trail cables back to the camera. If I get chance to use the lav mic then so much the better.

We'll see how well it works - I need to be totally comfortable with it before I even think of using it for a paid job.
 
Similar to you Exact, I have done the G2 + battery powered phantom mic combo using an AT897. And when needed, it has worked well and solved cable problems. The G2 butt plug on my RE50 is a good combo also (phantom not needed). Battery powered phantom mics are handy, just make sure you keep fresh batteries in both the G2 and the mic. They both tend to eat batteries pretty fast, and the result is pretty ugly. I wouldn't start any project without fresh bats, and if the system is working much, I might change them after 4 hrs. I would be curious how much other folks change batteries.

Grant
 
Exact said:
I'm planning to order the G2 tomorrow - with the adapter cable to use with the NTG-2 as well. This way I figure I can put the NTG2 (with battery installed) + G2 in some obscure place and not have to trail cables back to the camera. If I get chance to use the lav mic then so much the better.

We'll see how well it works - I need to be totally comfortable with it before I even think of using it for a paid job.
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It's a good idea to test it first. Maybe you can ask a friend to get married, just to test things out :-p.. Tell them it's fake and after the "fake marriage" you tell them it was actualy real :-p

ok, back to serious...:Drogar-Dum(DBG):

Don't be "stressed", "self-complained" and all that other "psychologist money earning things" if it doesn't run as wanted... An electrician also had to learn once how to do things without someone watching him and avoiding him to do stupid things...
 
Assuming that you are being paid for these weddings, you need wireless that can deliver good quality, reliably. It is well known that the Sennheiser Evolution G2 system has ruled this market for many years because it meets or exceeds these requirements at a surprisingly low price. In fact, the features and performance of the G2 system suggests that it should cost more, but Sennheiser priced it for their intended market ("Event Videography") even though the system's performance is suitable for more demanding production types.

If you are just starting out, go with the system that has been proven to work at your budget; in this case the Sennheiser Evolution system. The G2 may be available used because it has been superceeded by the G3 system. If it was me starting out, I'd get a used G2 if I could find one (do not go wth anything less). if a G2 cannot be found, I'd spend a little more and go with the G3 system.

Remember, successful pros buy what they do because it increases their chances of career advancement and profit. People without experience should follow the lead of the people who do. Until you get to the point with your experience level and savings account that you can risk experimenting with something different
 
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