Wireless Microphone Purchase

[gobias]

Out of interest, where are you purchasing your set? I'm also looking to buy some wireless systems and at am a bit of a loss as to a cheap online store. Any ideas?

 

[Charlie1974]

Well, "cheap" is never a good way to go. The prices I'm quoting are standard across several retailers.

My main purchases come from Northern Sound and Light and/or Performance Audio. Their websites are Northern Sound & Light - NSL - Call Us 866-796-6232 and Performance Audio - Your Source for Professional Audio & Video Gear.

Good luck.

 

[BillESC]

For yucks and giggles, I priced out a 24 unit Audio Technica 4000 series system with 12 receivers in the C band and 12 in the D band along with 3 antenna distribution systems per band.

Without mics, you'd be looking at about $ 18,800.00

 

[museav]

In terms of the networking ability in the 100 vs 300, wouldn't the IAS software we have take care of printing multiple coordinations for each band? It may limit our ability to actually SEE the RF activity, but as long as we know what frequencies to use in our area via the printout, we could just try channels until we find the ones that are compatible?

The Sennheiser WSM also allows you to see and change the receiver labeling, monitor audio and RF levels and monitor mute status and battery life (with warnings for things like low battery life). You could also remotely change frequencies if necessary, say if some new interfering source or IM was experienced in the midst of a production. Unless the receivers can easily be directly monitored and accessed by the operator, then this type of functionality can be a real benefit when running larger systems.

 

[mbenonis]

Let me spec out all of the things you need, to make sure we're on the same page here.

If you go with the 100 series:
24x 100 series EW172-G3, $500 -> $12000
8x ASA/NT Antenna Distribution Unit, $580 -> $4640
2x A2003-UHF Directional Antennas, $280 -> $560
28x Countryman B3 Elements, 3.5mm Connector, $150 -> $4200

Total System Cost: $21400

If you go with the 300 or 500 series, everything remains the same except the EW172-G3's go up to EW3xx-G3/EW572-G3 at $849. Total cost goes up to $29800.

Looks like you're right on the money here, Charlie!

 

[Charlie1974]

BillESC

For yucks and giggles, I priced out a 24 unit Audio Technica 4000 series system with 12 receivers in the C band and 12 in the D band along with 3 antenna distribution systems per band.

Without mics, you'd be looking at about $ 18,800.00

Good idea. However, I don't feel safe only having two bands to work with... and my fears were confirmed. According to IAS, there are only 9 frequencies available in the C band and 8 in the D band. This is not accounting for spacing required to prevent intermod... Not to mention, Sennheiser and Shure are more widely accepted in large-scale setups like this.

mbenonis

The Sennheiser WSM also allows you to see and change the receiver labeling, monitor audio and RF levels and monitor mute status and battery life (with warnings for things like low battery life). You could also remotely change frequencies if necessary, say if some new interfering source or IM was experienced in the midst of a production. Unless the receivers can easily be directly monitored and accessed by the operator, then this type of functionality can be a real benefit when running larger systems.

This sounds like an amazing thing to have... However, I just really don't think we can swing for it. I'll have to bring the idea up to the Board and see if they are willing to authorize an addition $10 grand, which is unlikely.

 

[Charlie1974]

Actually, I just got off the phone with the Artistic Director. He said that they could also do the shows with smaller casting first, and work up to high cast shows this season. That way, we could order a smaller number of more expensive units upfront, and then build the system as each show progresses. Apparently, it not that they don't want to spend the money for the more expensive units; only that they don't have it to spend until some ticket income starts flowing.

If we can in fact follow this route, then maybe we can go for the higher priced units. Can anyone explain the differences between the 300's and 500's? From reading Sennies specs, they seem exactly the same?

We may even be in the market again for the Lectro's which would be nice; due mainly to the ease of adding additional channels in the future.

PS) I just saw a video of the Sennheiser WSM software. Pretty neat. However, do we need any sort of networking box to run the 300's or 500's in networking mode? In the video, he had the receivers hooked up to a NET1 Frequency Management Network System. Would we need this as well?

 

[mbenonis]

Charlie, check your PM box.

 

[fx120]

Actually, I just got off the phone with the Artistic Director. He said that they could also do the shows with smaller casting first, and work up to high cast shows this season. That way, we could order a smaller number of more expensive units upfront, and then build the system as each show progresses. Apparently, it not that they don't want to spend the money for the more expensive units; only that they don't have it to spend until some ticket income starts flowing.

If we can in fact follow this route, then maybe we can go for the higher priced units. Can anyone explain the differences between the 300's and 500's? From reading Sennies specs, they seem exactly the same?

We may even be in the market again for the Lectro's which would be nice; due mainly to the ease of adding additional channels in the future.

PS) I just saw a video of the Sennheiser WSM software. Pretty neat. However, do we need any sort of networking box to run the 300's or 500's in networking mode? In the video, he had the receivers hooked up to a NET1 Frequency Management Network System. Would we need this as well?

Lectrosonics is by far the best way to go if you're going to be starting with something like 12 channels and building on it. Their VRM series reciever chasis can be stacked and daisy chained, significantly reducing the ammount of outboard gear you would need to purchase for RF distribution.

I just priced out for you a 12 ch system using UM400A transmitters and VRM-WB-N recievers in block 19 and 21, antenna cabling between the units and 25' cables to a pair of ALP500 DLPA antennas, total cost before mics was $19,750.00. Moving up to the SMV transmitters would be about $200 more per unit.

Lectros software is also quite good for setup and configuration of the units, the only down side is that it's not over ethernet, and requires a direct USB connection, however this elimnates the cost of additional networking gear. .

When your house grows and that ticket income starts rolling in it is going to be an easier upgrade to more VRM receivers which you can just daisy chain to the existing units, and move on to another pair of channel blocks.

 

[Charlie1974]

I priced a Lectro setup with the LMa transmitters and the VRS receivers. Comes to about $13,000. However, this does not include the B3's, at a rate of $160 each. Total would be about $15,000 for that setup. I would off course spread the blocks out from block 20 to block 26 (2 freq. in each block) to begin with.

True, its not the tracking receivers, but neither is the Sennheiser. The tracking receivers add an addition $200 per channel.

 

[TimmyP1955]

We bought 9 100G3 A range.

We don't have any outside RF to worry about, so I just told SIFM to give me 16 frequencies in the A range. I dialed up the first nine. One of these is fed by the supplied stick antennas, which are mounted atop the rack. The other eight are fed by a pair of splitters, which are fed by a pair of the supplied stick antennas, which are mounted atop the rack.

We borrowed 4 or 5 G2 A range. I left the freqs where they were set in their home venue. These were fed by paddles and splitters.

We borrowed 4 or 5 G2 C range. Otherwise as above.

We ran 3 or 4 rehearsals and 5 shows with no RF issues.

Wish I'd known about these before buying E6s, as users report that these compare very well: MM Audio - The Next Generation of Pro Audio Equipment