Hey guys, I've been working on this for a few days now and I've been hitting nothing but brick walls.
I'm currently working in a theme park where the audio systems were set up by people who don't understand how to work audio. The sound boards are behind the stages, no monitors, mismatched headsets, all kinds of crazy stuff. This is mostly beside the point, however. My real problem lies with the mismatched headsets.
Every stage is equipped with a Shure SLX Wireless system. The SLX4 Diversity Receivers are connected to the performers' SLX1 Bodypack Transmitters. No problems yet, right?
Here's where the fun stuff happens. The microphones in use are Sennheiser ME 3 headset microphones. Now, these Sennheisers come with a 3.5mm (?) jack, while the Shure SLX1 Bodypacks are designed for a TA4F 4-pin Mini Connecter. Before I took up shop at the park, the headsets had already been chopped and converted to the TA4F connectors.
The problem I'm having now is the cables are extremely temperamental. I've taken apart a few of them and had to re-solder the connections. When doing this I was able to get a really good look at just how ugly the modifications were. Lets just say that converting a two-wire mic to a 4-pin mini connector shouldn't be done, but I digress.
Even after cleaning up the connections there is still a lot of crackling and popping happening with some of the bodypacks. The best I can tell at this point is that the TA4F connectors are just slightly too small for the bodypack's input and they tend to shimmy about while the performers do their dancing, causing the problems.
Does anyone here have any ideas on how to possibly fix this? The TA4F connectors are too small for a rubber band to stay in place, gaff tape never holds because the performers' sweat makes it impossible for it to stay in place, and to top it all off, I am unable to be present when the shows are being performed as I have other duties elsewhere in the park. Any help would be excellent.
I'm currently working in a theme park where the audio systems were set up by people who don't understand how to work audio. The sound boards are behind the stages, no monitors, mismatched headsets, all kinds of crazy stuff. This is mostly beside the point, however. My real problem lies with the mismatched headsets.
Every stage is equipped with a Shure SLX Wireless system. The SLX4 Diversity Receivers are connected to the performers' SLX1 Bodypack Transmitters. No problems yet, right?
Here's where the fun stuff happens. The microphones in use are Sennheiser ME 3 headset microphones. Now, these Sennheisers come with a 3.5mm (?) jack, while the Shure SLX1 Bodypacks are designed for a TA4F 4-pin Mini Connecter. Before I took up shop at the park, the headsets had already been chopped and converted to the TA4F connectors.
The problem I'm having now is the cables are extremely temperamental. I've taken apart a few of them and had to re-solder the connections. When doing this I was able to get a really good look at just how ugly the modifications were. Lets just say that converting a two-wire mic to a 4-pin mini connector shouldn't be done, but I digress.
Even after cleaning up the connections there is still a lot of crackling and popping happening with some of the bodypacks. The best I can tell at this point is that the TA4F connectors are just slightly too small for the bodypack's input and they tend to shimmy about while the performers do their dancing, causing the problems.
Does anyone here have any ideas on how to possibly fix this? The TA4F connectors are too small for a rubber band to stay in place, gaff tape never holds because the performers' sweat makes it impossible for it to stay in place, and to top it all off, I am unable to be present when the shows are being performed as I have other duties elsewhere in the park. Any help would be excellent.