Sennheiser EW100 G3 Lapel Mic Hiss

[Greg Thuente]

I have a Sennheiser EW 100 G3 Lapel XLR Mic, that I primarily use for weddings. I typically clip the transmitter to the Grooms pants by his hip and run the mic up under his coat and attach the mic to the outside of the jacket. When the Groom is standing still I don't hear a hiss on the audio but every so often if the Groom moves his arm over the transmitter (not the mic) I get a hiss and it is very loud and you cannot hear the audio from the vows and so on.

Any ideas? I have the squelch at low.

Thanks!

[Nate Haustein]

Greg, this happens to me from time to time with my G3 - the last time it happened was in St. Paul doing a wedding at St. Kate's!

I've never quite figured out what it is that causes the terrible audio hits (that my Sony system never does) but it seems to be an interference issue most of the time. I've found that scanning for clear frequencies at every new location helps a great deal, and so does isolating the delicate antennas on the Tx/Rx. Use new alkaline batteries every time. I also run the receiver on top of the camera because if I place it say behind the camera, I get interference from the HDMI cables hooked up to the monitor.

The G3s sound nice, but I'm not crazy about the robustness of their signal. If you need to not worry, rent a higher end system - otherwise, I'd say be careful with placement and always test beforehand.

[Colin McDonald]

Originally Posted by Greg Thuente

When the Groom is standing still I don't hear a hiss on the audio but every so often if the Groom moves his arm over the transmitter (not the mic) I get a hiss and it is very loud and you cannot hear the audio from the vows and so on.

That description sounds like a loss of signal which can happen with any wireless body pack system when the aerial (antenna) is contacted by skin or clothing martial, particularly in less humid conditions when material can build up an electrostatic charge. Try to arrange for the aerial (antenna) to be clear from all accidental contacts if possible. A clear line if sight from transmitter to receiver also helps as does keeping the distance between them as small as possible.

I must say I have found the Sennheiser systems very reliable in extensive use over the years, but it can depend on the local conditions.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Colin McDonald

That description sounds like a loss of signal which can happen with any wireless body pack system when the aerial (antenna) is contacted by skin or clothing martial, particularly in less humid conditions when material can build up an electrostatic charge. Try to arrange for the aerial (antenna) to be clear from all accidental contacts if possible. A clear line if sight from transmitter to receiver also helps as does keeping the distance between them as small as possible.

I must say I have found the Sennheiser systems very reliable in extensive use over the years, but it can depend on the local conditions.

This is what I was about to say.

If the antenna touches the body you will get a signal attenuation of about 70dB.

Having the antenna just 1cm off the body will recover most of this.

Remove the clip from the transmitter and turn it over so that the antenna hangs down when the transmitter is clipped to the trousers (American translation = "pants" - pants means something totally different in English) - this helps keep the antenna off the body and should help stop the problem.

As a groom is likely to be nervous and may be sweating, the problem when the antenna touches, or gets close to, the body would be worse than with dry skin.

[Ty Ford]

Or, take the groom's cell phone away.

I've had cell phones know wireless reception from 25 yards to a foot.

You can't always relay on the owner to keep it turned off.

That's why I suggest letting them know it's a problem and telling them you'll hold it for them.

Regards,

Ty Ford