50 Years Mics (Part 3)

Wireless microphones for churches have had their popularity just about explode at the same time as the frequencies available for their use have shrunk.

There are four basic types of wireless microphones. They can be wired directly to instruments like electric guitars, there are handheld versions, some are used with clip on or concealed lavalier microphones and the headset types can now be small and inconspicuous.

There is a wide spread of price ranges. Top of the line units can run $2,500.00. There are even units on the internet for under $25.00. I did try a few and not surprisingly some just didn’t work at all and the best of the cheap lot were terrible.

The price depends on the type of transmission, analog or digital. It also is influenced by the operating frequencies and of course by quality of construction.

The lower cost microphones are analog using what is known as narrow band FM transmission. The advantages are lower cost, often better battery life and ease of set up and use. The disadvantage is that they can pick up outside interference and are typically limited to at most ten units in use at once. Most of the modern units have the ability to have their frequency changed if they do pick up interference.

In churches outside of very large cities, these units often work quite well. The units we use are the Electrovoice R300 models. They are surprisingly well built and use a metal rather than plastic case for the pocket transmitter. Just two AA batteries power the transmitter. They come standard with a choice of headset, lavalier or handheld microphones. An option is a guitar cord. These cost $300.00 for the microphone, transmitter and receiver. We do like to improve the headset unit with a better headset. The instrument adapter cable is $20.00.

For the latest and greatest professional use there is the Axient Digital wireless system from Shure. A system with one handheld and one headset microphone costs $4,319.00. This is very popular with the major acts as it is fairly easy to get good high quality sound almost everywhere.

Of course there are many makes and models that fall in between the two extremes. One factor that may influence preference is the actual microphone capsule that is used.

It is best to have the same characteristics among all of the microphone capsules in use. The wireless microphones should match or be very close to the wired microphones used elsewhere.

As with wired microphones it is often the worst microphone in use that appears to work the best. If the sound system is tuned up to allow the worst one to avoid feedback, that will impair the sound of the better ones!

Next time a bit about main loudspeakers.