wireless lav with built-in recorder?

H

highdefvideo

Member
I recorded an interview using wireless lav mic (sennheiser ew100 g2) and the audio contain bursts of interference sound. I was able to edit out some of them but not all. I want to prevent this from happening again.

I will add a boom mic as a backup, and I want to know if there are any wireless lav mic system with a built-in audio recorder in the transmitter? This way I don't have to worry about radio interference, and since I can hear the voice being recorded, I don't have to worry about unexpected audio problems (e.g. clipping, clothing noise, mic malfunction, etc).
 
It depends on what country you live in. Zaxcom has a patent that prevents any competitors from providing such a device in the US. There are a few offered outside the US. Zaxcom products are top of the line for professional audio people. Very expensive. If you live outside the States, Deity makes modestly priced products that may suit your needs.

https://zaxcom.com/internal-recording-wireless/
https://www.cinema5d.com/deity-bptrx-transceiver-recorder-d4-duo-microphone-deity-connect-fw-v20/ (note: features disabled in the US)
 
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Now that I think of it does seem odd someone hasn't come out with something sooner. Not sure why there would be a patent issue basically a recorder with wireless capability.

I don't know your situation but its standard procedure to record with two sources shotgun and wireless because you usually like to have the ability to mix some ambient to make it sound more natural. The other thing is you should be monitoring it to catch problems. I read a lot of ppl on forums say when I got home... I can't fathom not monitoring audio. The other thing you could do is bring a digital recorder as backup, meaning if you run into interference you have something else to go to.
 
Because that is how the world works.

Almost everything in your daily life you see or touch is some type of intellectual property that is patented, copyrighted, or trademarked.
 
highdefvideo said:
I recorded an interview using wireless lav mic (sennheiser ew100 g2) and the audio contain bursts of interference sound. I was able to edit out some of them but not all. I want to prevent this from happening again.

I will add a boom mic as a backup, and I want to know if there are any wireless lav mic system with a built-in audio recorder in the transmitter? This way I don't have to worry about radio interference, and since I can hear the voice being recorded, I don't have to worry about unexpected audio problems (e.g. clipping, clothing noise, mic malfunction, etc).
Click to expand...

I've been waiting for this: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...e_sync_track_e_pocket_audio.html?sts=pi&pim=Y coming in Sept...
 
One sure way to avoid interference problem is to use wireless only when absolutely necessary. You'll always bet better sound with a cable, especially for a sit down interview. You lose sound quality on a G3/G4 or other prosumer system and will always risk interference. To use a lav with a cable, you have to get a cheap power adapter to use phantom power with an XLR cable that runs right to your recorder.

If you have to use wireless, are you scanning frequencies before starting? The built-in Sennheiser scanner isn't very good. You can get a frequency scanner fairly cheaply like the RF Explorer. Works pretty well. Or you can upgrade to a better wireless system that has front end tracking. That can be pretty expensive. Recording audio without monitoring can be very risky. You'd never know if the lav is rubbing against something, the cable is bad or rubbing against something or there's some extraneous noise in the background. You also can't modulate the signal if the speaker is too loud or too quiet. Ideally, a good sound guy is your best bet who will handle all of the above.
 
For sit downs, most of the time, we boom(at least if the shot or environment allows it). If we feel we need to double up, we boom and run a hardwired lav. Usually the only time we run wireless lav's in a sit-down situation is if the shot dictates it(i.e.: really wide slider shot seeing head to toe or jib that would show cables). The RF environment is just so ridiculously hostile today and it's only getting worse. Even with expensive, high powered systems in frequency coordinated environments I've taken hits, dropouts and interference with only feet between Tx and Rx.
 
captslomo said:
Maybe it's time for an enterprising young lad to begin distributing foreign puchased Zaxcom units that "fell off a truck."
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That's not the issue, you can buy a Zaxcom unit that is wireless and records internally at about $3k per channel here in the US. The issue is that no other manufacturer else can sell
their models here in the states that do the same function because of Zaxcom's patent.

Interestingly, Deity has built a plug-on transmitter for handheld microphones that will let you use it wirelessly AND record internally but only when a microphone is attached
to the unit that activates the 48V phantom power but not the plug in power that attaching a hard wired lavaliere to it would require. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...tx_24_bit_48_khz_2_4ghz_transmitter_with.html

Other work arounds for US users are to order devices from dealers outside the U.S. I've bought some items (not audio) from www.cvp.co.uk in the UK and from Vistek in Canada but you will pay more and will possibly have to deal with
customs fees and currency exchange costs.
 
Run&Gun said:
And the Zaxcom patent is just further proof of how dumb the US patent system is.
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The patent system is out of whack. Because the patent environment is the way it is, one would be an idiot not to take advantage of it to their benefit. In fact, one is forced to play the game for the sake of survival in certain markets. It's unfortunate for the rest of us.

I once worked for a technology company. Patents were valued so much we had an annual patent application quota. So of course, you file applications for the stupidest things just to fill the quota. One of our competitors, for fun, filed a patent for a coffee cup holder inside a piece of equipment for people that serviced the equipment. The patent was awarded. It was the equivalent of Xerox putting a coffee cup holder on the inside of a service door on a copy machine. Of course, none of the competitors cared. It was stupid. We all laughed that the patent office awarded the patent.

[edit] One more note about stupid patents. To give you an idea how companies operate, the company handed out monetary rewards for applications that were accepted by the patent office and another bounty for a patent award. So there was an incentive for everyone to submit an application for everything. Unfortunately for me, I had to review applications for the patent attorneys to filter out the garbage. One person actually submitted a patent application for shelving to hold modems in a lab. The 'novel' idea was to get them off the floor. This was a lab in India. So now you know how whack the patent business is.
 
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NorBro said:
Pending there is no patent issue for this anymore in the USA (if you live here), there might be some in the future. Along with highly desired 32-bit float recording for everything moving forward.

On a side note, it's not exactly what you're looking for but the DR-10L is popular for the price (and its safety track).

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1281085-REG/tascam_dr_10l_mini_portable_recorder.html
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AFAIK the european version of this records and simultaneously puts out a signal which can be fed to a transmitter e.g. Sennheiser (or presumably a cheap bluetooth for monitoring only). https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tascam-DR-10CS-Connection-Lavallière-Microphones/dp/B00QV8L586
 
That's pretty much what this thread is about...USA vs. other locations.

You can't get that version - the DR-10C - shipped to the USA (at least not legally).

We have the DR-10L here.
 
I recall the DR-10S (hence the Zaxcom v Teac n/a patent infringement case) was the version with the throughput to a G 100 series Sennheiser Tx. the DR-10L (Lectro) was discontinued all together
The patent is waste of time because most G series owners would not be purchasing the Zaxcom anyway due to the price difference, and makes it more difficult for folks w/o large gear budgets plus alienating potential Zax customers as well. (Sorry Glen)
 
From the 10C series, the 10CH and 10CS were the ones overseas.

But the CH was discontinued, while the 10L in the USA [with only internal recording] is a strong seller.

Tascam.jpg
 
Rick R said:
... The patent is waste of time because most G series owners would not be purchasing the Zaxcom anyway due to the price difference, and makes it more difficult for folks w/o large gear budgets plus alienating potential Zax customers as well. (Sorry Glen)
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That's a brilliant observation. I hadn't thought of it that way.
 
NorBro said:
That's pretty much what this thread is about...USA vs. other locations.

You can't get that version - the DR-10C - shipped to the USA (at least not legally).

We have the DR-10L here.
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My apologies, I missed that on the Amazon UK page. I have ordered CDs and Blurays from Amazon UK and Germany is the past without problems, didn't know that sometimes they are not allowed ship to USA
 
But that's what's bizarre...it has nothing to do with Amazon. But the reason they aren't allowed to ship that product here because it's not allowed to be used in the USA because the company who owns the technology inside of it will not allow it.
 
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