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Wireless Microphone System [message #67063] Fri, 15 April 2011 17:42 Go to next message
teladria
Messages: 1
Registered: April 2011
Esquire
I hope that this is the right forum/discussion board. I'm trying to purchase a wireless lapel mic system (with 2 mics) and I really don't know what the top brands are. Since I am purchasing this for a University system and I will be traveling with it and setting it up, I need to know the who. A decent middle brand is cool. Thanks
Teladria
Re: Wireless Microphone System [message #67079 is a reply to message #67063] Sat, 16 April 2011 19:00 Go to previous message
Thermionic is currently offline  Thermionic
Messages: 208
Registered: May 2009
Master
Howdy Teladria,

Over the years I've either personally used or at least heard all the common name brands of wireless stuff on the market, in every price range, and IMO nothing in the low-to-mid price range beats Sennheiser. Once you get into the megabuck price range, Audio Technica and Shure rule the roost, but I'm not too crazy about their cheap stuff, especially Shure's. I'd avoid Nady and Samson altogether.

The Sennheiser ew114 G3 with the ME4 cardioid pattern lapel mic sells for $500, or for $100 more you can get the ew122 G3, which has the same mic capsule and bodypack transmitter but a slightly better receiver. However, you probably won't hear the difference between them unless the PA system in the venue you're performing at has the basic quality to reveal it.

Both units display the levels of the transmitter's radio transmission, audio signal, and battery strength on the receiver, which also has a built-in digital equalizer. This is also the favorite low-mid price range/price-performance value wireless system of a friend who owns a professional hi-end recording studio in Atlanta and does nationwide consultations for PA system installations, if that tells you anything.

If the budget allows, the ew300 Series has a better bodypack transmitter than the ew100 Series. I'd avoid Sennheiser's bottom-line FreePORT systems.

Whatever you buy, make sure it has a cardioid-pattern mic capsule, which means the mic picks up sound best from directly where it's pointed ("on axis"), and rejects sound progressively from the sides around to the rear ("off-axis"), where it picks up practically no sound at all. This is useful in live sound applications where everything is being amplified through the PA system, because it rejects the sound coming from the monitors and front-of-house main speakers, thereby greatly reducing the chances of feedback "squeal." You'll probably want to avoid omnidirectional pattern mics, which pick up sound equally from every direction. They have their applications, but in general live sound is usually not one of them, except in certain specific circumstances.

Sweetwater is a great online music products dealer that carries the full Sennheiser line, and I wholeheartedly recommend them. Their salespeople are friendly, highly knowledgeable, and eager to help you make the proper choice for your particular application. And, they always put a handful of yummy candy in the bottom of the shipping box for you, LOL!

Thermionic Razz
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