Wireless - Help with purchasing wireless microphones

[yoink52x]

I am new on this site. I know some about sound equipment (I can see I have a lot to learn). I know there are many threads already on this subject but there is also a lot that I do not understand in them.
I am looking into getting some new microphones for my school. We need 2 new hand held wireless microphones for general use and 4-6 mics. for theater and musical uses.
I do not know what to go with. I know there are many different brands and I do not know which is better for the price.
The local audio store is trying to push Audio-Technica.
Any help please.

Also do so many people want to stay away from digital band microphones? I know those frequencies are more desirable for other activities like remote control planes and the such because of the mass number of vehicles you can run in a small area. I would think it would be similar for microphones.

[chausman]

Audio-Technica is a great brand for schools, as they are relatively inexpensive compared to other alternatives, but are still high quality. The AT 3000 is often recommended around here.

[LesWilson]

Perhaps if you shop by feature... one feature I love about the Shure ULX receivers is that they show you the battery level on the receiver and whether or not the bodypack is turned off. It'd be hard to go back to a system that didn't do that.

[museav]

Also do so many people want to stay away from digital band microphones? I know those frequencies are more desirable for other activities like remote control planes and the such because of the mass number of vehicles you can run in a small area. I would think it would be similar for microphones.

I'm not sure what you mean by "digital band microphones", are you talking about the unlicensed 902-928MHz "900MHz" ISM spectrum (do not confuse that with the 944-952MHz spectrum for licensed STL use) and 2.4-2.5GHz Wi-Fi/802.11 spectrum?

Any RF communication requires a certain bandwidth per channel and sometimes a certain separation between adjacent channels. That determines how many channels can operate simultaneously in any given spectrum. You can get more simultaneous channels by having more available spectrum, by narrowing the bandwidth required per channel or by reducing or eliminating the separation required between adjacent channels. I note this just to point out that different devices require different amounts of bandwidth and thus different numbers may be able to operate within the same given spectrum.

The 900MHz and 2.4GHz bands, as well as some of the higher unlicensed bands, have the advantages of being unlicensed and of having well developed and common related technology. They also have several potential disadvantages. One potential disadvantage is that those bands are unlicensed and as you mentioned, can be very crowded (and are certainly not getting less crowded). As a result, interference is possible and that includes the wireless microphones interfering with other devices or systems, which is why some corporate and educational facilities will not consider 2.4GHz wireless mics. Microwave ovens and some other devices are also potential sources of interference in those bands. And since those are all unlicensed devices with potentially intermittent operation, there is little way to know what one may encounter or to perform any advance coordination.

The other primary disadvantage is that the higher frequencies generally require more power to achieve the same transmission distances and are also more susceptible to losses though racks, walls, ceilings, etc. as well as incurring greater cable loss with remote antennas.

So what it may come down to is that UHF wireless mics have several potential advantages over 900MHz and 2.4GHz systems and while the future of UHF microphones is currently not real clear, it is still far from the impending doom that some may espouse.

[FACTplayers]

Our band director recently purchased a Line6 microphone (2.4 GHz frequency, digital) and it is one of the best sounding microphones I have ever heard. I'm not trying to copy their advertising, but it is really clean and crisp. Also, super easy to set up. I do agree with museav that the digital channels are crowed and are only going to get worse, but we have never had any issues with interference with the Line6 mic. At the school we have public wifi, a local wifi for an internal network, and microwaves (teacher's lounge, but that's not too far away) - no interference. They aren't too expensive either, I strongly suggest the Line6.

Take a look at the Electro Voice microphones. They have metal body packs which are more durable and they are just solid and easy to operate. They show you the strength of signal and the battery level (on the receiver). Also, you don't have to fuss with trying to read the tiny channel selector like most mics have; you can scan the area for the clearest channels and set the transmitter to match. (You set group and channel, very simple). My favorite feature is that you can lock the transmitter pack so the actors cannot turn it off or change the channels during the show!

[Aman121]

I would second the AT 3000, not a huge fan of AT but I have used the 3000 series mics plenty of times and have never had major headaches with them.
Good wireless mics are never cheap though, so while keeping a few for general use is sensible, for big musical productions renting is almost always more cost effective.

[bishopthomas]

The best wireless I've used is the Shure UR series. But that's more than likely out of your budget. Anything less than that and I go with Sennheisers. I actually just got off the phone with them, ordered another ew135 unit. Like the Shure ULX, the battery level is displayed on the receiver. They have a wireless sync feature which allows you to easily program settings and coordinate frequencies. AA batteries. There's a two year warranty on all A stock wireless products.

[BillESC]

+1 on the ATW 3000 series. One touch frequency scanning makes selecting channels a snap and the receiver also let's remaining battery life in the transmitters.

[yoink52x]

Thank you everyone. This is all helpful information.