wireless mics?

[mabjustmab]

it's time. I have a bazillion shows this summer/fall/heading into winter. I'm turning into a veritable "Rock Star". livin' life on the road.

I want to bring my own mic with me. it's time I finally kick in the pennies to pick up a decent wireless mic.

who knows the most about such things?

1. how much should I expect to spend?
2. what should I ~not~ buy?
3. what do I need?
4. where do I get one? (internet?)
5. suggested brands?
6. features?
7. do you/know someone who has access to discounts or one you are selling?


any help is good help!
Thanks, LJ Braintrust!

Comments

[pictsy.livejournal.com]

Beware of sweet deals on eBay, etc., because a lot of people are trying to unload mics that will be illegal in July because of the new 700 MHz band prohibition by the FCC.

[mabjustmab.livejournal.com]

ooooh good info! I had no idea!

what kind of mic do you use and are you happy with it?

[pictsy.livejournal.com]

I've been using a wired mic because I'm waiting for the new Samson Airline Micro Earset system to come out.

The only wireless mics I've tried are Sennheisers, which are expensive and constantly breaking.

[mankoeponymous.livejournal.com]

You want a headset mic, I assume? I'd definitely say Samson. All the Samson products I've used have provided amazing value for the dollar.

You should also own a Shure SM57 or SM58 for backup. (Everyone who has a PA should have some of these too, but they're rock-solid, durable, ubiquitous, quality, and cheap, so to my mind not owning one is like going to a show without any duck tape.)

[mabjustmab.livejournal.com]

good point! and ya, a headset. I'm looking at the samsons. thanks!

[mankoeponymous.livejournal.com]

Now $134.96 - Samson SE50 Omnidirectional Headset Microphone - Cocoa
$15.00 off our already low blowout pricing, this week only!

(This from my inbox from Sweetwater.com, who really do have great prices and customer service. The SE50 is $199 in other colors than cocoa.)

[djamar.livejournal.com]

I have this: http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Shure-PG14PG30-Performance-Gear-Wireless-Headset-Microphone-System?sku=271192&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=49832316

I like it. It works really well. I'd stay away from Nady or any UHF band microphones. Those are more prone to interference.

[mabjustmab.livejournal.com]

thanks Amar! Shur is a good brand too. and it's available now.

[candle.livejournal.com]

I'm a music oriented pro-audio guy, so I don't deal that much with headset mics. But a few data points.

Question 3: Here's a bunch of background info on wireless: http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/live-sound/microphones/wireless_buying-guide.php

For touring purposes, a true diversity (AKA audio switching diversity) is what I recommend.

If you're doing shows where feedback is an issue, you might look for a mic that provides a cardiod (directional) pickup pattern rather than omnidirectional. It will help a great deal with feedback but adds the risk that if the mic slips down from pointing at your mouth, it'll drop out. It also won't do a good job of picking up your drum.

Speaking of the drum, you might look for a body pack that will allow you to easily unplug one mic and plug in another - that way you can mount one mic to your drum and switch to it if you're doing a drum only part of the act.

If you have the advantage of having a sound person who's paying attention, if you're singing, I'd recommend having a wired mic available for that. From the video clip on your website, it looks like you play with dynamic range a lot, which can clip audio easily. A wired mic has a single place (mixer mic amplifier) where it might clip and it's right in front of the sound person. A wireless mic has three (body pack, receiver, and mixer mic amplifier) and one or two of those will be inaccessible to the sound person.

Question 4: I highly recommend Chuck Levins -http://www.chucklevins.com/ They are both local to the DC area and have excellent prices, easily beating most of the consumer oriented mail order places like Sweetwater. As in 20% cheaper.

Question 5: Again with the disclaimer that I don't work with this specific type of gear except on rare occassion, my gut instinct is the mid to high end ranges of Shure, Audio-Technica, or Sennheiser. I try to stay away from cheap stuff from any manufacturer - I'd rather buy a good product once than a junky but cheap one three times.

I have always gotten excellent customer service from Shure - it's something they focus on.

Samson may have gotten better, but the last thing of theirs I used was rediculously bad. Samson, Nady, and some other companies that sell really inexpensive stuff buy stuff that's churned out by Chinese factories who will rebrand the products for whoever they're selling to that day. Which isn't to say that it's all junk - but some of it is.

Question 7 - I'll second the warning that the market is flooded with used products that won't work reliably any more.