Wireless Lavalier Suggestions?

guitaristic

prophet of Dave
Hey everybody! So this local pastor I know is looking for a new mic (he only likes wireless lavalier mics). I figured I'd ask you guys to help get him a good idea of what to go for! I barely know squat about them myself, but I figure some of you guys have more experience :)

His price range is about $325! He's got a semi-low voice that projects well. The kind that would make a nice morning radio talkshow host :D


Any suggestions?
 
That's a very very low budget.

Normally, people suggest the Sennheiser G3 as the bottom limit of quality radio to go for.

However, he might like to look at the new Sennheiser XS series, it's about half the price of G3, but still pretty good.
 
Indeed that's low for a quality radio mic. There's an old saying that "you can spend $3000+ on a radio mic system that's almost--but not quite--as good as a $20 XLR cable".

That said, the new Sennheiser XS has been getting good reviews over at the live sound forum where I'm a mod--but it's new enough that nobody has used one for more than a few weeks. Prior to the XS, the usual recommendation for an economy lav system was the Sennheiser Freeport or the equivalent Trantec. They're actually exactly the same unit--Trantec makes them for Sennheiser--so go with whatever is the best price.

Finally, I'm not sure what the US price is but a number of people have reported good results with the Line 6 2.4GHz digital system. It's very robust (using spread spectrum technology) so this might be an option if you have other RF mics in use and frequencies are a problem. The only downside is that if you use multiple Line 6 units they can interfere with Wifi computer links if any routers are really close by--the reverse isn't true though. The Line 6 isn't bothered by computer stuff.
 
If that Line 6 product is using the TI chip then it is capable of CD quality, which I don't think any of the FM wireless systems manage. On the other hand, its range won't be quite as long so if the distance to the receiver needs to be large then the traditional systems probably still win.

Anyway, Shure and AT also have products in your price range, so choose your poison. I like the ATs other than the connector they use which are the nicest to use but a giant pain to service.
 
I've not tried them myself but users I've talked to say the range is actually greater than a typical UHF FM system. Of course, I bet the failure mode is a bit "there one moment then completely gone".....
 
Cool guys! Thanks a ton. I'll toss the Sennheiser XS series his way and see what he thinks! You guys rock.
 
I just wish that all of the wireless makers would go with a unified microphone hook up to their body packs :cursing:
 
They should all standardize on Binder 711 series 4-pin, as follows:

1 ground
2 signal (hi-Z)
3 +5V to +9V across 4k7
4 4k7 to ground

Even the Binders aren't quite perfect (although close!): there is no way to ground the shell when two cable-mount connectors are joined. Switchcraft Q-Gs have the advantage there.
 
I've never experimented with the Binders but, at various times I've standardised on 4 pin Hirose and 6 pin Lemos. The Lemos were fun--a pain to solder but allowed the same connector to be used for mic and line level sources just by changing the pins you used on the break out. The mic/line thing was a convention by Audio Ltd, an excellent British manufacturer of high end radio mics. I bought my first four Audio Ltd. systems in 1984, sold them in 2005 before moving to Aus and the guy who bought them is still using them today! No problem with those Lemo connectors!
 
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