Wireless Lavalier Mics?

Ken Wozniak · May 23rd, 2007, 01:29 PM

I bought the PRO88W seven(?) years ago and I think it sounds great. Lately, though, I have been getting more and more interference from cell phones. People assume that if they turn the ringer off everything is peachy. Wrong! More than once I've picked up the old "da-da-da da-da-da da-da-da" from somebody's vibrating cell phone. Fortunately, it's never happened during speaking, so I could dub music or ambient noise over it.

My question is, do the UHF diversity systems get this cell phone interference also? I'll be shooting another wedding soon, and need to decide if I should use the cash for a new wireless system or go for the FS-C drive.

Regardless, I definitely got my money's worth out of that 88W.

Gotta remember to add to my pre-ceremony checklist: Tell groom and groomsmen to turn their cell phones off.

Chris Leong · May 23rd, 2007, 02:46 PM

Woz
The da-da-da-dance happens with UHFs as well as VHFs.

VHF is walkie talkies, radio phones (taxi radios and the like), some cell phones and remote controls.

UHF is mainly TV frequencies at the moment, a lot more walkie talkies and car radio phones than before, and, of course, in Hollywood, it's where all the wireless production lav mic frequencies and IFBs, etc. are..

If you don't have the time to fool around with this, use the more expensive sets that dance around the 65 or whatever frequencies over two receivers to make a clear signal all the time. That's really what you're paying for, and it's actually not that expensive for what it does.

If you're not in an area or shooting at a time where this is an issue, well, it's not an issue. One frequency, if clear, does the job just as well.

Steve House · May 23rd, 2007, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Wozniak

I bought the PRO88W seven(?) years ago and I think it sounds great. Lately, though, I have been getting more and more interference from cell phones. People assume that if they turn the ringer off everything is peachy. Wrong! More than once I've picked up the old "da-da-da da-da-da da-da-da" from somebody's vibrating cell phone. Fortunately, it's never happened during speaking, so I could dub music or ambient noise over it.

My question is, do the UHF diversity systems get this cell phone interference also? I'll be shooting another wedding soon, and need to decide if I should use the cash for a new wireless system or go for the FS-C drive.

Regardless, I definitely got my money's worth out of that 88W.

Gotta remember to add to my pre-ceremony checklist: Tell groom and groomsmen to turn their cell phones off.

Just FYI - it's worse than the vibrator. If the cell phone is powered on at all, even if it's completely silenced including the vibrator, it still "phone's home" every few minutes to let the cell system know which tower it's closest to. You have to emphasie the damned things have to be completely powered off, not just silenced. Blackberrys are even worse/

Ken Wozniak · May 23rd, 2007, 09:14 PM

Thanks, gents. I'll look for the best freq-hopping system I can afford. I've come to accept that the good stuff is usually expensive, but not all expensive stuff is good.

Carlos E. Martinez · May 24th, 2007, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Douglas Spotted Eagle

A good wireless that will "work well" in most situations should:
~Be true diversity
~Be UHF

Sorry to disagree with both terms, which in my professional experience as sound recordist and audio rental business did not prove true for Lectrosonics mics. At least in Brasil and Argentina, where they have been and still are used for location audio.

Their CR18X/M18X series, which is VHF, is more reliable than experience with similar mics will let you think. Except for a single situation, where they were used close to radio transmission antenna, they proved quite RFI free. I have about 8 of them, constantly being rented.

I also have CR190 and UCR190, both UHF, which are cleaner than the VHFs on longer distances and with more obstacles in between, but do not sound really better in most situations.

Neither of them all are diversity, and they do not seem to care. So I think there are VHFs and VHFs, and non-diversity and non-diversity.

John Wallace · May 25th, 2007, 04:09 AM

I've been using the Sennheiser G2 100 set with tie-clip lavalier (ME2) for the last year for interviews. It's a great wee system and remarkably long on battery use. The ME2 is omni-directional and, though it will obviously do best for the person it's attached to, you can get half decent takes from others within a couple of feet of it.

With a K6/ME66 strapped to the camera (z1), the result of mixing both channels is a natural take with warm bass tones on the voice and good ambience. Buying both together will leave your wallet smarting a bit though.

One word of advice: check and double-check that the frequencies on both the receiver and the transmitter match. It's too easy to knock either into a different 'bank' while scrolling through the menus (e.g when adjusting gain settings).

Rycote do a wee piece of foam and fluff that goes over the tie clip to cheat wind - a must for any outdoor work. My ones cost me £35 for two but there may be cheaper options/vendors out there.

My only irk with the G2 is there's no way I can find to disable the 'mute' switch on the transmitter pack - I had one subject who tried to edit his own take by turning the thing off and on all the time!

As for dadada-dadada cell phone interference, you can pick this up through any sound equipment it seems - even wired systems. Yet another good reason for carrying a side arm on shoots... :-)

Having said that, I've had no problems at all with this using the G2 Kit, even thoguh I've watched subjects answer their phones in the middle of a take!

John

May 23rd, 2007, 01:29 PM	#16
Ken Wozniak Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Bend, IN Posts: 179	I bought the PRO88W seven(?) years ago and I think it sounds great. Lately, though, I have been getting more and more interference from cell phones. People assume that if they turn the ringer off everything is peachy. Wrong! More than once I've picked up the old "da-da-da da-da-da da-da-da" from somebody's vibrating cell phone. Fortunately, it's never happened during speaking, so I could dub music or ambient noise over it. My question is, do the UHF diversity systems get this cell phone interference also? I'll be shooting another wedding soon, and need to decide if I should use the cash for a new wireless system or go for the FS-C drive. Regardless, I definitely got my money's worth out of that 88W. Gotta remember to add to my pre-ceremony checklist: Tell groom and groomsmen to turn their cell phones off. __________________ Woz

May 23rd, 2007, 09:14 PM	#19
Ken Wozniak Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Bend, IN Posts: 179	Thanks, gents. I'll look for the best freq-hopping system I can afford. I've come to accept that the good stuff is usually expensive, but not all expensive stuff is good. __________________ Woz

May 25th, 2007, 04:09 AM	#21
John Wallace Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: Dumfriesshire, UK Posts: 41	Sennheiser G2 100 wireless system I've been using the Sennheiser G2 100 set with tie-clip lavalier (ME2) for the last year for interviews. It's a great wee system and remarkably long on battery use. The ME2 is omni-directional and, though it will obviously do best for the person it's attached to, you can get half decent takes from others within a couple of feet of it. With a K6/ME66 strapped to the camera (z1), the result of mixing both channels is a natural take with warm bass tones on the voice and good ambience. Buying both together will leave your wallet smarting a bit though. One word of advice: check and double-check that the frequencies on both the receiver and the transmitter match. It's too easy to knock either into a different 'bank' while scrolling through the menus (e.g when adjusting gain settings). Rycote do a wee piece of foam and fluff that goes over the tie clip to cheat wind - a must for any outdoor work. My ones cost me £35 for two but there may be cheaper options/vendors out there. My only irk with the G2 is there's no way I can find to disable the 'mute' switch on the transmitter pack - I had one subject who tried to edit his own take by turning the thing off and on all the time! As for dadada-dadada cell phone interference, you can pick this up through any sound equipment it seems - even wired systems. Yet another good reason for carrying a side arm on shoots... :-) Having said that, I've had no problems at all with this using the G2 Kit, even thoguh I've watched subjects answer their phones in the middle of a take! John

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May 23rd, 2007, 02:46 PM	#17
Chris Leong Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles CA USA Posts: 507	Woz The da-da-da-dance happens with UHFs as well as VHFs. VHF is walkie talkies, radio phones (taxi radios and the like), some cell phones and remote controls. UHF is mainly TV frequencies at the moment, a lot more walkie talkies and car radio phones than before, and, of course, in Hollywood, it's where all the wireless production lav mic frequencies and IFBs, etc. are.. If you don't have the time to fool around with this, use the more expensive sets that dance around the 65 or whatever frequencies over two receivers to make a clear signal all the time. That's really what you're paying for, and it's actually not that expensive for what it does. If you're not in an area or shooting at a time where this is an issue, well, it's not an issue. One frequency, if clear, does the job just as well.