Small headworn wireless mics

doive

Member
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
 
Last edited:
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.
 
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?
 
Last edited:
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.
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
I have in the back of my mind that you need a licence from OFCOM to run a radio mic in the UK. I don't remember where it comes from, but it would be wise to check. Certainly in chunks of Europe you need a licence and they take enforcement seriously - like drilling through illegal transmitters to stop them working...
 
I have in the back of my mind that you need a licence from OFCOM to run a radio mic in the UK. I don't remember where it comes from, but it would be wise to check. Certainly in chunks of Europe you need a licence and they take enforcement seriously - like drilling through illegal transmitters to stop them working...

I sure wish somebody would drill through the illegals at my work so I could buy new ones...stupid cheap-skate district people saying "we won't get caught". That may be so, but they won't work very well...
 
We've been running 2 radio mics for several years (since well before i got here) and i made the assumption they were licensed but i'll now check that out.

The theatre is about 3 miles from the city centre and set in 16 acres of it's own land, so you would have to have some some serious transmitters to break it up. As a matter of being proper however, what is the best way to go about checking for problems, other than applying for a license (would i need to do it to put another mic in?)

Also, it looks like we're going for the MM and Audio Technica ATW-T210 as a solid, but cheap option.
Is that a good idea?
 
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.

I agree with Themuzicman we have Shure SLX body packs that stop working until you squeeze them then they magically work. Cost us ~150-200 for two new ones (not exactly sure on prices but it was expensive)
 
We use any lapel mic with surgical tape to tape it to the jawline and behind the ear. Works great and you can get them in various colors or even paint the cord if necessary. Countryman E6 is my favorite with the AT underear second
 
The theatre is about 3 miles from the city centre and set in 16 acres of it's own land, so you would have to have some some serious transmitters to break it up. As a matter of being proper however, what is the best way to go about checking for problems, other than applying for a license (would i need to do it to put another mic in?)

A few miles is NOTHING... TV transmitters are designed to travel for tens or hundreds of kilometres and they are the most likely thing to cause you issues, beyond interference between your own systems...

I may be wrong on the licensing thing - probably your best bet would be to check with your local supplier or contact someone like Shure or Sennheiser in the UK. Or ring Brit Row or someone like that you regularly uses RF at a professional level and just ask. OFCOM's website seems to be difficult to find answers on...
 
I have had great results with the AT microsets. They now have a newer model that is even smaller that I have not used yet but the AT892 was very natural sounding and, coming in several colors, relatively low profile. I also use the Countryman E6 sometimes and have good results with them too (although cable failures seem more frequent). As for lavs, I use the AT 800 series and do wig and hair mounting.

As for radios, make sure you assess TV stations in your area and coordinate frequencies between units. Just because two units are on different frequencies doesn't mean they wont interfere with one another. Most manufacturers have compatability software that can assess your frequency choices and tell you if they are compatibile. Good luck.
 
I've done a quick check around with our current equipment and i'm not having any interference issues so i think it should be alright to run without any major issues.

I also checked with the university who have licenses for 6 frequencies within all university buildings so i just need to hop on one of them :D

Thanks very much for all your help guys!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back