Microphones Wireless lectern mic options?

[AudJ]

I am installing some new sound equipment in an elementary school, and the principal requested a lectern mic that is wireless (No trip hazards in a small area with young award recipients) I could just pop a wireless handheld into a gooseneck and be done with it, but I wondered if there might be something like a slim gooseneck mic available that could be adapted to an ew100 G4 pack? There are 12 of those going in, but all of the mics I am finding require phantom power.

Any recommendations or other ideas also? Most of the grant $ is spent, be we could reallocate funding for something we had not considered.

Thanks!

 

[Aaron Becker]

It sounds like a silly request, tbh. Is this a long-term solution or a one-off? If it's one-off, wireless handheld for the win. Is this a gymatorium? Wireless handheld wins again.

If this is permanent, I'm sure you can find a way to hide/enclose the cable to it isn't a trip hazard. Does the podium need to be moved around/can it be moved around, or is it fixed?

I'd find a microphone you want to use based on the microphones specs, meeting the needs that you have in the space, and THEN worry about wireless vs wired. The simple request for wireless can't be the only deciding factor in situations like this.

 

[MNicolai]

Shure and Sennheiser both have wireless gooseneck options. Shure's is probably a little cheaper because they have something in their mid-grade SLX line (MX890). Sennheiser has the SL-Tablestand 133-S DW.

Otherwise there is an old trick is where you can use a 9v-powered phantom power source to insert some 48VDC between a gooseneck mic and a bodypack. It's been so long since I've done it I forget if there's anything special you need to do to interface with the pack beside an XLR>bodypack adapter cable.

 

[AudJ]

Thanks to you both -

It is a small auditorium stage, but they use the lectern in different locations, probably 4-6 times each year, based on video use or down in front of stage for some meetings, etc. The request was made because the principal is concerned about the small children being unpredictable when coming on stage, and there is no assigned person for setup, so they never know where the wire will not be secured...

Current mic inputs are unrealistically far away from the required locations, and adding pockets is cost prohibitive - the grant is for equipment only, No install or contractor, and although I have the ability, this room is outside my job description, and I am offering advice and simple connections/set-up for them. I am recommending it for the future though.

The biggest issue I think is that the grant writer included “wireless lectern microphone” in the grant proposal, and there is concern about not reporting the needs listed in the grant as “complete”. They want more grants in the future...

 

[TimMc]

Fifty cents worth of gaffer tape or even duct tape would do, but if they told the grantor they'd buy a wireless lectern mic, they should so do.

The alternate is to wrap every child in bubble wrap, then put them in padded ATA cases. You know, because that's the way the real world is. /curmudgeonliness.

 

[Chase P.]

The alternate is to wrap every child in bubble wrap, then put them in padded ATA cases. You know, because that's the way the real world is. /curmudgeonliness.

Wait... locking the terrors, I mean "tykes", in boxes has been an option this whole time?!

 

[josh88]

Fifty cents worth of gaffer tape or even duct tape would do,

Or a handful of yellowjackets to just throw on the ground and drop the cable into it. keeps the path clean and once you have them, you have them.

 

[RonHebbard]

Wait... locking the terrors, I mean "tykes", in boxes has been an option this whole time?!

@Chase P. As long as the case is padded and ventilated. A few years back a famous C&W star was rolled through the crowds to open his tours you may recall.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[manuallyfocused]

We just had to solve this exact problem (we have the Sennheiser G3 mics). We bought a Shure MX418 gooseneck mic (any gooseneck with an XLR connection would work), a battery-powered phantom box, and used the SKP100 G3 transmitter (designed to plug onto a standard wired dynamic mic). In our case, I had already convinced our media arts teacher to buy compatible gear for his students' wireless mic use for electronic news gathering, so we had the SKP100 transmitter in stock. You may be able to use the newer SKP500 transmitter and forego the phantom power box, but it's a lot more expensive. Good luck!

 

[Daniel Sepke]

If the goal is to have a slim gooseneck mic this can be solved without the need for a phantom power unit if the beltpack transmitter can use condensor lav mics with a 5V bias (basically every system at this point). I am planning for this with our next lectern replacement. My theatre is outfitted with Shure equipment and I am planning on using the Shure Microflex MX418SE/C. This mic is based on the same capsules in the WL series of lav mics from Shure. The specific model I am planning on using has a removable preamp that the mic connects to with a captive cable that exits the bottom of the gooseneck. It is possible to rewire the Tini-Q on this cable to match the beltpacks wiring. There are many variations on this mic some of which are a direct XLR which simply integrate the preamp into the gooseneck, that model would require a separate phantom power injector and then a matching transformer to connect to your beltpack.

This same trick is how you can also make your own Peter Engh style Omni-Goose mic. Those take the choir drop style Microflex models and connect the gooseneck directly to the Tini-Q connector (or whatever connector your wireless system uses).

Dan

 

[Aaron Becker]

Is there a sound-related reason you want a "traditional" looking lectern mic as opposed to tossing a wireless handheld on the podium?

Added info: Is the concern that the grant says "wireless lectern mic." Does the grant writer know the technical differences between a "lectern" mic and a "wireless handheld?" You might find they don't, or the folks that are approving it/signing the checks don't know or care, they just want the sound to work.

 

[rwhealey]

Is there a sound-related reason you want a "traditional" looking lectern mic as opposed to tossing a wireless handheld on the podium?

Added info: Is the concern that the grant says "wireless lectern mic." Does the grant writer know the technical differences between a "lectern" mic and a "wireless handheld?" You might find they don't, or the folks that are approving it/signing the checks don't know or care, they just want the sound to work.

+1.

Unless you need the smallest visual profile, an 87C or the Sennehiser equivalent on a goosneck stand is used very often for lectern mics.

 

[AudJ]

Is there a sound-related reason you want a "traditional" looking lectern mic as opposed to tossing a wireless handheld on the podium?

Added info: Is the concern that the grant says "wireless lectern mic." Does the grant writer know the technical differences between a "lectern" mic and a "wireless handheld?" You might find they don't, or the folks that are approving it/signing the checks don't know or care, they just want the sound to work.

No sound reason - no visual reason either. Pricing on the expected equipment fell below the grant amount, so we were exploring options. Some of the ideas above are awesome, so I’m putting that together, as well as a different package that includes a couple other things instead. Looks like the boss is leaning toward the wireless handheld and more stuff at this point, but we’ll see when it all shakes out.

 

[RonHebbard]

No sound reason - no visual reason either. Pricing on the expected equipment fell below the grant amount, so we were exploring options. Some of the ideas above are awesome, so I’m putting that together, as well as a different package that includes a couple other things instead. Looks like the boss is leaning toward the wireless handheld and more stuff at this point, but we’ll see when it all shakes out.

@AudJ Possibly, if the pricing is good enough, you can afford to sneak a redundant back-up system into your purchases?
@TimMc Have you any further thoughts??
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[firewater88]

I run an older AT podium mic to a Countryman Phantom Power Battery module then out to a wireless pack. Keeps it mobile and works great!