New Handheld Transmitters

[drew.childs]

Our school auditorium has 2 Lectrosonics Venue Receivers. Under the not-so-watchful eye of a previous teacher, both of our handheld receivers disappeared. I have investigated the frequency ranges available from the receivers. Those frequency ranges correspond with the Shure BLX2 transmitter on J10 band. Can I just buy one of these and set the frequencies to match? Is it as simple as that? If I don't want to spend the money on the HH transmitter from Lectrosonics, what other options are there? Thanks!

Drew

 

[FMEng]

The Shure transmitter's companding would not match the Lectrosonic receiver. The pair might make audio but it would sound ghastly. You need to stick with Lectronics transmitters, or replace the whole system. They are expensive, but they are also very high quality.

 

[AudJ]

Agreed.
Before going through the expense, have you inquired with students, administrators, or other tech people where the mics could be? Former students in particular have a way of knowing a lot and spilling info. Assumming there was security of any sort, they could be around somewhere. If someone did really take them, the person(s) have surely found them useless by now, and just getting word out through students could result in a return. In my experience in schools, things like this are rarely unsolvable. The only exception would be someone intentionally try to cause grief, but usually in those cases also, someone else knows... Good luck!

 

[markviml]

Lectrosonics does have a compatibility mode on the venue. http://www.lectrosonics.com/Support/Wireless/tn1026-setting-compatibility-modes-venue-receiver.html

You could contact them to see what options for a less costly transmitter would work.

 

[AlexDavila]

I'm with Mike, the Lectrosonics Venue receivers work quite well with specific analog transmitters from other brands when set to compatibility mode. In my experience, I was able to use it very successfully with a Sennheiser ew 100 G3 handheld, although I believe Lectrosonics only recommends using the 2000 series. Also, I believe from Shure they only recommend the higher-end UHF-R transmitters. Give them a call, they're very friendly and based out of New Mexico. Be glad you have those receivers, they are some of the most flexible wireless gear on the market.
Best of luck.

 

[themuzicman]

In my experience, I was able to use it very successfully with a Sennheiser ew 100 G3 handheld, although I believe Lectrosonics only recommends using the 2000 series.

The 2000 series uses slightly different companding than the ew series -- slightly unrelated to the topic, but if you turn off the pilot tone on the 2000 series receiver you can get a lot of different sennheiser transmitters to work, however they don't sound nearly as good as when using the 2000 series transmitters. I have a feeling you will encounter the same sort of deal with the Lectro stuff -- it'll work, and it will sound alright on most PA's, but on a very good, well-tuned PA something will sound missing.