Small headworn wireless mics

[doive]

Hi,
I'm new to this whole business so sorry if i don't give enough information or say the wrong things.

I took over as technical manager of a student theatre company (at durham uni, UK) at the beginning of this year. The first thing they asked me to do was investigate wireless mic systems and what we could possibly get. I've had no experience with headworn wireless mics though so have no idea what to look for.

These are the spec i need to comply to:
- Cost £200-450 (per unit - i need 3, budget may be slightly flexible if we make a profit on the upcoming production)
- mic size, as small as possible (the presiedent like this Audio technica and we have previously hired this Sennheiser
-Theatre size ~300-400 capacity
-wireless mic usage - we use them to mic singers in musicals (once yearly) and would hope to hire them out to neighbouring student theatre companies
-Current sound system mixing desk which runs into a separate 2kW power amp (can't remember the name) into 4/6 speakers, mid-range (i.e. not subs or tweets)
-We also have 2 sennheiser receivers which we can use, but onl handheld mics to go with them
- there is no other buildings near by which use wireless equipment so we have no danger of intereference

So my questions:
1) is this a good mic and/or good value for money at £250?
2) when it says it is "Terminated for Sennheiser wireless systems using Lemo connector" what does it mean? (i.e. can i easily put it into any body pack)
3)if i was to get that microphone what bodypak/receiver would you recommend?
4)anything else you recommend?

Thank you guys, if you can answer you'll help me out massively :D

[TimmyP1955]

Wireless: Sennheiser 100G3 work very well.

Mics: MM Audio - The Next Generation of Pro Audio Equipment (I wish I'd heard about these before we bought nine Countryman E6).

[tbrennan]

We use all Shure systems. Try the Shure ULX or Shure SLX systems.

[BillESC]

The Audio Technica Microset is an excellent ear worn mic with a small profile. It is available from AT terminated for use with several different wireless system manufacturers.

If you already have wireless systems, please list the make and models. I'd be happy to let you know which the Microset can be terminated for.

[Dionysus]

I've had great sucess with countryman associates' products such as the B3 Lav, and the E6 series of headset types.

Countryman Associates, Inc.

They come with any type of end you may need. They even have a selector on their product page for the microphones to match the type of connector with the wireless system you are using if you are not sure.

[doive]

Thanks for all your help guys! These have been great responses :D

I've looked into Shure products but all the mics they sell are too obvious and bulky, we were hoping to get something a bit more subtle so you wouldn't be able to see it on-stage.

The wireless system we already have is this sennheiser system - EW135 G2

The countryman mics look really great, but they are a little out our price range, we need to have the system for around £400 including transmitters + receivers etc. I think this may end up coming in a little more expensive than that. Also i'm not sure whether they'd ship to the UK and whether we could get stung by import taxes?

Thanks for all the help guys, it sounds like the AT is not a bad mic to go for at that price so i think we will stick with that. I'm still not sure about the termination though?

EDIT: I just saw the MM mics, they look great! Do you know how reliable/hard wearing they are?
I assume i would buy a separate wireless system and then select the termination type i wanted?

[jonliles]

I've used the MM mic's for 3 productions (a run of 4 nites, a run of 2 nights, and a run of 20 nights) with no problems. response from the MM's have been great.

[Blah067]

Originally Posted by doive

Hi,
- there is no other buildings near by which use wireless equipment so we have no danger of intereference

Sorry, I can't let this one fly. Interference doesn't just come from other buildings. More often it is from TV stations (improper freq coordination) or intermodulation.

If you need help planning your frequencies, let somebody on CB know. Many of us have software and the knowledge to coordinate the frequencies for you. Many brands of mics also scan the air for you, and go according to that.

My personal recomendation-Shure ULXP's. I love the UR stuff too..but I doubt that's in your budget.

Have you looked into Countryman E6 earsets?

My 2 cents

[themuzicman]

My 2 Cents:

For Bodypacks/Receivers: Either the Shure SLX or Sennheiser 100G3, both are awesome systems.

I love the SLX's IR port that automatically syncs bodypack to the receiver, it was a handy feature when I used this system on a daily basis.

However, I find the Sennheiser bodypacks to be a bit more rugged and well built.

As for mics:

Countryman B3 or E6 all the way. I love those things, great little mics at a great price. The B3 set me back something like $160 an element (4 years ago, I'd assume the price has risen since, what hasn't lately!), and the E6 was around $300. I do know that with a little work, you can headmount the B3, though I don't remember what headmounts we used.

[mbenonis]

I also stand by B3 elements. Not only are they reasonably priced/almost disposable at $150 USD/ea, they also sound great. They can definitely be used with Sennheiser gear too (Evo 100 series).

With regard to freq coordination, it is extremely important that you do it. Wireless receivers, especially lower end ones, tend to be less robust and thus have lower IP3 points and other issues. Thus, well-coordinated frequencies can help to reduce the odds of RF blurps and fuzzes in your system.