Wireless Shure ULXS, and AT 3000, issues

[gafftaper]

We just started the run of the show tonight and suddenly there were two problems with my mics.

1) An Actress was wearing a Shure ULX-S transmitter. It was tested just fine prior to the show. She goes on stage and suddenly it isn't working. She comes off and it has gone from being on Group 3 Channel 4 to just reading E000. I pull the batteries, turn it off and on. Now all the groups are started by a letter E or F. On the receiver the groups don't have an E or F. I can't find anything refering to these codes in the manual.

2) An actor wearing an AT 3000 transmitter... brand new from BillESC by the way. Well this thing is working just fine for 3 rehearsals and one performance. Tonight it beeped 4 different times. I can't find any reference to a beep in the manual. It's working fine. But I have no idea when it's going to beep again.

Help!

 

[Dover]

I would say they are getting wet. Do you put your packs in condoms or something similar?

I don't know a lot about the AT 3k so I can't comment on that. But as far as the Shure equipment goes, I have never seen a pack fault out for a reason that was not sweat related.

Hope this helps
Dover

 

[gafftaper]

We are short on condoms thanks to a shipment screw up from an online condom dealer. The two packs in question were not in condoms. However, the Shure was worn by an actress who was not at all sweaty and it went crazy less than 5 minutes after the show started. I checked it seconds after coming off stage and it wasn't at all damp. The AT started beeping less than 10 minutes into the show. It's in the inside chest pocket on a suit coat of the Narrator... who also wasn't the least bit sweaty.

 

[museav]

As far as the "E" or "F" of the Shure ULS, it apparently somehow got into Master List mode (see the last troubleshooting item on Page 26 of the manual). Hold down the "SET" button for about 10 seconds or until the display changes, that should resolve it.

On the A-T, is the transmitter itself emitting a sound or is the beep from the receiver output? Have you verified that the actor, or anyone near them, has no cell phone, pager, PDA, etc.?

 

[Chris15]

1) An Actress was wearing a Shure ULX-S transmitter. It was tested just fine prior to the show. She goes on stage and suddenly it isn't working. She comes off and it has gone from being on Group 3 Channel 4 to just reading E000. I pull the batteries, turn it off and on. Now all the groups are started by a letter E or F. On the receiver the groups don't have an E or F. I can't find anything refering to these codes in the manual.

Look on page 26...

Problem: Receiver or Transmitter LCD displays E000 or F000 or similar code instead of the group and channel.

Solutions: Receiver or transmitter is in Master List mode. To enter or exit the Master List, press and hold the SET button for approximately 10 seconds or until the display changes.

 

[gafftaper]

Cool Thanks for the Shure help. I did find the pages about E and F codes, but didn't see that note on pg 26. Thanks!

As for the AT
The actor swears his phone was off and it was the transmitter beeping... but he IS a college student. I did hear the beep, but wasn't close enough to say it's definitely coming from the mic pack. I was too busy at that moment trying to figure out the code issue on the Shure.

 

[mbenonis]

Cool Thanks for the Shure help. I did find the pages about E and F codes, but didn't see that note on pg 26. Thanks!

As for the AT
The actor swears his phone was off and it was the transmitter beeping... but he IS a college student. I did hear the beep, but wasn't close enough to say it's definitely coming from the mic pack. I was too busy at that moment trying to figure out the code issue on the Shure.

Shouldn't his phone be in the dressing room at his station? I can't imagine he had it on stage with him...

 

[gafftaper]

I'm starting to wonder if it was an audience member's phone. The blocking of this show has this particular actor often standing in the aisles near audience members.

 

[ScottT]

I'm starting to wonder if it was an audience member's phone. The blocking of this show has this particular actor often standing in the aisles near audience members.

Could be. We had a guy with his 3G laptop on in it's bag in the audience once, now that caused havoc!

 

[mbenonis]

I'm starting to wonder if it was an audience member's phone. The blocking of this show has this particular actor often standing in the aisles near audience members.

He would need to be within 2-3 feet of the phone for that to happen, but I suppose its a possibility.

 

[Chris15]

He would need to be within 2-3 feet of the phone for that to happen, but I suppose its a possibility.

Erm, no... We're talking about an acoustic beep not RF interference... Aren't we?

 

[gafftaper]

Yes an actual acoustic beep... like an old watch alarm.

I just heard back from AT and they confirmed there is absolutely no way that beltpack made a sound.

The actor swears his phone was in the dressing room, he checked his costume pockets for anything unusual, and he heard the belt pack beep 7 times over the course of the show. I did here the beep once at a distance... but I was busy trying to figure out the frequency problem on the ULX so I ignored it. Weird.

 

[BillESC]

Yes an actual acoustic beep... like an old watch alarm.

I just heard back from AT and they confirmed there is absolutely no way that beltpack made a sound.

The actor swears his phone was in the dressing room, he checked his costume pockets for anything unusual, and he heard the belt pack beep 7 times over the course of the show. I did here the beep once at a distance... but I was busy trying to figure out the frequency problem on the ULX so I ignored it. Weird.

Gaff,

I just got off the phone with Scott at AT's wireless assistance desk and confirmed there is no way the Unipak can make or create an audible tone or beep. It can certainly however pick up one from an outside source.

Next time you make the pre-performance announcement about turning off all cel phone, etc., add that anyone who doesn't will be shot.

 

[FMEng]

Cool Thanks for the Shure help. I did find the pages about E and F codes, but didn't see that note on pg 26. Thanks!

As for the AT
The actor swears his phone was off and it was the transmitter beeping... but he IS a college student. I did hear the beep, but wasn't close enough to say it's definitely coming from the mic pack. I was too busy at that moment trying to figure out the code issue on the Shure.

I constantly have to remind people that setting a cell phone to SILENT still allows it to induce RF into nearby microphones. And the little buggers will transmit periodically even without a call in progress. I always tell folks to turn the phone completely OFF.

A couple of years ago, I was mixing a live radio interview with an internationally known jazz artist. His cell phone was in his breast pocket, just inches from a condenser mic. Right in the middle of the show, I start hearing bzzzt, bzzzt, bzzzt. The host had to ask to him to move his phone during the live interview.

As an interesting note, GSM phones, like those used by AT&T and T-Mobile are notorious for getting into nearby mics and other audio equipment. CDMA phones, like those for Verizon, use a modulation method that I have yet to hear get into any audio.

If you listen to committee hearings on C-Span, you will hear the tell tale buzzes of cell phones all the time. Neutrik actually came out with an XLR connector that can filter RF out to reduce the chances of this happening. Some condensor mics are especially sensitive to cell phones, but it can happen in the console preamps, too.

 

[museav]

Mic manufacturers recognize this problem and many now offer some mics with improved RF isolation.

It's sometimes surprising what can cause problems, Years ago the company I was with was installing a number of the large Hughes ILA projectors in projects. I started finding that when the projector lamp first struck it would trigger any wireless mics in the system. Get an RF analyzer out and sure enough, high levels of broad spectrum RF at projector turn on. Talk to the manufacturer to be told that the FCC certification was for normal operating conditions, i.e. in normal use and not during start up or shut down. I ended up having to program the systems to mute any wireless mics for a few seconds whenever you started the projector.