1) Forget VHF, very prone to interference.
2) Azden stuff, IMO, a good example of you get what you pay for!
3) The AT unit is VHF, forget it.
4) Can't see if the Sony is VHF or UHF but at that price point I'd have to wonder.

We use only the Senny EW 300 units with the Gold lav mics. Just brilliant stuff. Probably in the USA expect to pay around $1,500.

Seriously, using wireless is fraught with risks and the only way to minimise those risks is unfortunately spending serious money.

Ask yourself, do you really need a wireless mic. Running a cabled lav is way more reliable no matter how much you spend on the wireless kit.

Yes there's some scenarios where you have to go wireless, for those can't you rent the top shelf stuff?

Also keep in mind that both here and in the USA there's plans afoot to render most current wireless mics unusable due to spectrum re-allocation.

Bob.

farrs - I didn't know that about the spectrum re-allocation.

Guess I should hold off until that whole issue is resolved.

So maybe a boom pole shotgun mic (I have a shielded 10' extension cord for my Rode VideoMic) or wired lav would be more appropriate???

Cliff Etzel
bluprojekt

Bob is right about using a boom or wired over wireless.

Was going to add if you do order, order some extra windscreens such as:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/410228-REG/Windtech_1402B_Foam_Windscreen_3_8_White_.htmlWindTech[/link]

Do you need a BeachTek? The W88 no. I assume your camera does not have
XLR so wired mics yes unless you stay with R0de with a short cable. Mics that need
phantom power (condencers) you'll like the BeachTek units. Again, if you can
afford it, get their version with a VU meter.
You can buy boom poles or make one yourself. Look for previous posts from me
if you are tight with cash and want a weekend project.

So maybe a boom pole shotgun mic (I have a shielded 10' extension cord for my Rode VideoMic) or wired lav would be more appropriate???

YES!

Wireless should be the option of last resort. Sennheiser do a very nice wired lapel kit. The lapel mic plugs into an adaptor which has the XLR connector, the adaptor has a belt clip. I've met several shooters who just keep one of these in the kit bag. It's small, relatively cheap and foolproof.

Sorry to keep talking only about Sennheiser gear but the company I work for is a reseller down here so I know their stuff fairly well. Not the cheapest but we have very,very few problems and when we do the local importer fixes it pronto. AT stuff is pretty good but we just can't get the same level of service from the importer. Obviously where you are things might be different. If you've got a local rental house talk to the guys there. If it survives being used in the rental business it's tough and generally easily repairable.

I should also mention that the latest Sony wireless kits are pretty good, much better than their older units. But the good units are around the same price as the Sennheisers.

Another tip. A lot of people see broadcasters using wireless gear without issues. Not only is their gear very expensive but the real clue is they have a dedicated spectrum allocation which they have to beg to get a licence to use and they pay for the privelege.

Bob.

My TRV950's have mini jacks - My Rode VideoMic works quite well and I have one of their dedicated 10' shielded cables so maybe a boom is the best route to go.

Had also found a Shure wired lav mic - any comments on Shure products?

Also, I had envisioned using the wireless setup out in remote areas where interference would typically be minimal (out in the country, etc)

Any thoughts?

Cliff Etzel
bluprojekt

Shure product I haven't used personally in a long time but they have a good reputation.

For certain out in the bush you're much safer than around the cities but then again maybe more likely to strike problems from rogue RF users.

Problem with wireless stuff is you never really know. It can be working fine and then someone hits the transmit button on their two way. That's why I think everyone says to use it as a last resort. I have used wireless links quite a bit but always have a fallback, even if it's only the on camera mic. It's one thing to have dodgy / useless vision. Audio screwups can be absolutely fatal depending on what you're shooting.

Cliff,

Stay away from the Sony WCS-999. My brother and I both have that kit, and we both get unexpected static occasionally when we use it. No way to predict it, and if you DO go with it, for Pete's Sake listen to what you're recording. I'd never use it to do a wedding, since that can't be recreated. ONLY for stuff you can do it "takes", if that.

TD

The Senn 100series wireless are great and they, like the 300 series that Bob referred to, have a channel bank that you can change manually to a frequency that should work for you. It is reliable and I use them for weddings and events. Range is great as well. I did run into a problem of an extremely high pitch beep that I still have not got an answer for as it was not the pilot tone, but for some reason now it is gone. Anyways, if you are still considering wireless I would not buy before looking at these.

j razz

One time I had a problem with a very loud and high-pitched noise picked up by my lav microphone (high enough that I could not hear it, but I could see it on the level meter). I thought at first it was radio interference, but it was only inside specific rooms and it dropped when I put my hand over the mic. It turns out those rooms, in a university building, had an ultrasonic motion sensor that turned the lights off automatically when no one was in the room. Sure enough when I stood on a chair and held my coat over the ultrasonic emitter, the noise dropped down. Just FYI

I'm still mulling over whether to get a wireless lav setup or not. Seems as though issues will arise at the most inopportune time and unless one can do takes of a shot, one could be hosed if their is an issue.

I do utilize ear buds to monitor audio while shooting. With a wireless setup, it seems as though it's another thing to have to worry about when shooting and I have enough on my plate with all that I do on a project.

I guess my biggest challenge is the budgetary constraints that preclude me from going to something better. I'm thinking I might stick it out with a boom and my shotgun mic for the time being and see if I can rent a wireless setup and see how it works.

Cliff Etzel
bluprojekt

I'm thinking I might stick it out with a boom and my shotgun mic for the time being and see if I can rent a wireless setup and see how it works

Very wise idea. Sure I work for a rental company but I still think I can say without bias that renting something for a day or two to get some real hands on experience is a very good idea. You just can't get the feel of any kit until you use it in the line of fire.
Some rental comspanies also sell gear and may offer you a good deal if you've already rented the gear.
If you're renting anything for the first time and it has to connect in anyway with your kit or other kit, take the gear with you and insist on seeing it all work together and do this in person. You'd be amazed at the minor gottchas that can crop up.
Just one example: Someof the minipin plugs out there are too fat to plug all the way into some cameras, the body of the plug is too fat and fouls the camera body and / or other connectors.

One other tip, earbuds in my opinion don't cut it for monitoring audio in the field. You really need low impedance closed back headphones that exclude as much ambient sound as possible. To really check your audio put your hands over the headphones and close your eyes. The last bit causes your brain to focus on the sound. I've had to rescue the audio from one wedding where the person shooting the reception was 100% certain they could hear sound in the cans when the minipin plug was half way out! Thankfully there was something (@-50dB) recorded to the tape.

Bob.

I use Shure SLX4's and AT&T ATW-R3100's both with hand-helds, not exactly cheap stuff and they perform well in technical terms. Never had a problem with them, but I believe in Europe different (higher) frequency ranges are in effect.
As the hand-helds are designed for close miking they sound somewhat thin if you shoot acoustic instruments e.g. in an symphony orchestra. Better to use long cables and large diaphragm mikes.
In other words, your choice in wireless mikes is limited. But I guess you already knew that, he, he.

Both Sennheiser and Audio Technica make wireless transmitter units that you simply plug into a mic, they even feed phantom power to the mic. No reason therefore why you can't use a LDC or any other mic as a 'wireless' mic.
The main use for these units however is on a boom mic (some boom poles have fittings specifically for them) where cutting back on the number of cables running around a shoot is a good thing. For micing an orchestra etc I'd think wired mics are the way to go as there's no compelling reason to not run cables.

Bob.

Farss,
I second that on sennheiser, GOOD STUFF! I come originally from the audio world and there are two low end mic companies that are impressive, senn and shure.

I am for the first time learning of shotgun mics so people here have been advising me on my purchase and my funds are limited. I've opted to stay away from the rode videomic as I've read too much info on it's drawbacks.

However on wireless Adorama has sonys UHF uwpc1 for 399 which is 100 bucks less than ANYONE else. I don't know if it's a typo but it's real. I'll be getting my tomorrow 2nd day air and I'll let you guys know if I get the real thing....hahahaha you know all those bait and switch camera companies will stick some radio shack piece in the box LOL.

I've purchased from adorama before and never had a problem however this seems too good to be true.

Aug

I wished you were right Bob, but for both Shure and AT I have not been able to find any plug-on transmitter. I know Sennheiser has one.
You have model codes and/or links? That would be helpful.

Sure thing.
Audio Technica ATW-T1801, normally part of the ATW-1812 system. AT don't list the transmitter separately but the local agent has it for AUD 495.00. Talk to a serious AT dealer. Senny pull the same stunt with their unit but you can buy just the transmitter by itself.

If you want to use this or the Senny unit with a pole, Loon Audio's poles are made for it except one warning, their poles cost more than the transmitter.

Bob I think you mean the ATW-1802 I found in the mean time.
The 1801 is a body pack transmitter.
But for Shure I haven't found such a device yet.

"For certain out in the bush you're much safer than around the cities but then again maybe more likely to strike problems from rogue RF users.

Problem with wireless stuff is you never really know. It can be working fine and then someone hits the transmit button on their two way."

-------------
You have your logic backwards. Most unlicensed wireless mics share frequencies on a secondary basis with licensed transmitters. WE are the rogue RF users.

Most UHF wireless mics share frequencies with television stations (channels 14-18) and with public safety (fire and police) who have licensed access to frequencies in the channel 14-15 range.

After the DTV switchover next year, the FCC will be auctioning all of the VHF and some low UHF television spectrum, potentially raising billions of dollars for the US war effort (I couldn't resist the political jab). What happens to the unlicensed secondary users is anyone's guess. It depends on who buys the spectrum, but it's most likely to be cellphone, telephone and cable companies wanting to replace the "last mile" of wire to the home and establish wide-area internet access. In other words, your wireless gear could become junk. It won't happen overnight and may even take a few years for the spectrum auctions and the subsequent sour-grapes lawsuits to be completed. Then expect some political fallout as the local taxing authorities find themselves out of the loop. In other words, you can probably expect any UHF wireless mics you buy today to be usable for the next few years, probably more.

This all presumes that the DTV switchover won't be delayed yet again.

Steve

My bad,
yes, 1802. Was late at night and the catalogue made it hard to read which number went with what.

I haven't seen anything similar from Shure. They've never been a huge mover in the wireless world, certainly not like Senny, AT or Lectrosonics.

This is a real can of worms and one that's going to hit almost all of us. Speaking with the local AT agent a few days ago they're as uncertain as the rest of us. Our spectrum allocation goes in 2012, so they expect sales to die from 2009. The ACMA (our FCC) was simply clueless. They didn't realise that almost every venue, church, football club etc had wireless mics. They're so far out of date they thought all users would have to do was change a crystal. What a mess.
Looks like our new spectrum will be around 600MHz.

Bob.

I've used the AT U100 system for years, very reliable UHF true diversity system with lav transmitter and cube transmitter options. And very affordable, especially since they now came out with their dual-channel version, I believe that's the 1800 series.

As for the white space issue, I had a long talk with a Letrosonics engineer at their NAB booth about it. He said it's not as bad as people think. He explained that the other uses for the spectrum, like say a wi-fi router, are much higher powered, of course, but they are over a much bigger chunk of fequency, and you get the power integrated under that curve. When you take a wireless mic, it is much lower power, but it is using a really small slice of the frequencies, so it will actually punch through based on integrating the smaller amount of power in a smaller frequency chunk of that range.

He said the only side effects would be slightly decreased range.

I got the wireless Sony UWP-C1 for 399 from adorama and
WOW is this thing nice.

cystal clear from 40 ft through walls and no drops or interference.
it's a UHF system.

I'll be using it today on a wedding so I'll let you guys know how it performs over a longer period of time.

Aug