Dual channel wireless ?

[Gints Klimanis]

Hi,

I'm interested in two channels of wireless audio transmission. I plan to use lavalier or any XLR microphone on the transmission side. Are there any decent dual channel systems or should I just buy another single channel system and some plug converters.

[Lynn Earl McDow]

Gints

If money is not a problem, you should look at Audio-Technica's 1800 series

[Daniel Epstein]

Zaxcom has a dual channel model which is good for camera links. Most of the time the cost is about the same as two seperate transmitter/receiver packages.

[Johan Forssblad]

Daniel,
The Zaxcom stereoline is great but one limitation isn't obvious; you cannot have one stereo receiver to receive from two mono transmitters, like one mono channel from a lavalier and the other channel from a boom mike. Both channels must come from the same stereo transmitter. It is also eating batteries, one set for breakfast, another set for lunch and the third set for dinner. But to solder the extremely small LEMO plug and get the required two SMD capacitors in there ... UAGH!! That was the hardest thing I have ever soldered in my life ... However, it is highly professional and sounds great. /Johan

[Steven Davis]

Originally Posted by Johan Forssblad

Daniel,
The Zaxcom stereoline is great but one limitation isn't obvious; you cannot have one stereo receiver to receive from two mono transmitters, like one mono channel from a lavalier and the other channel from a boom mike. Both channels must come from the same stereo transmitter. It is also eating batteries, one set for breakfast, another set for lunch and the third set for dinner. But to solder the extremely small LEMO plug and get the required two SMD capacitors in there ... UAGH!! That was the hardest thing I have ever soldered in my life ... However, it is highly professional and sounds great. /Johan

Johan, what Zaxcom do you have? I was looking at either thier transmitter or thier recorder as companions to my wireless lav.

[Johan Forssblad]

Hi Steven,
I have the Zaxcom Digital ENG receiver and Zaxcom Stereoline transmitter. The old model without recording.

Recently there was a Goldline transmitter and ENG receiver for sale on ebay but I think it ended without sale. Those are not cheap and the new one with recording and timecode are even more expensive. They also have remote controlled Tx so you could adjust the setting of the Tx remotely!

They offer a high degree of flexibility. I can connect the Tx to a soundboard and record two channels on the camcorder (equipped with the receiver). This gives a solid stereo sound for music events and similar and I can move around with the camera without changing the sound impression.

Or I can go the other way round: Put the Tx on the camcorder and send the camcorder audio to a harddisk recorder where I also record from boom mike etc.

Or I put the Tx on a lavalier and send to the harddisk recorder where a boom mike is connected to another channel for interview etc.

I just wish I could get the 4 CH capture to work from my XL H1 to Final Cut so I could record CH1 + CH2 from camcorder stereo mike, CH3 from lavalier via wireless and CH4 from the boom mike ...

Plenty of possibilities. Good luck! /Johan

[Steven Davis]

Originally Posted by Johan Forssblad

Hi Steven,
I have the Zaxcom Digital ENG receiver and Zaxcom Stereoline transmitter. The old model without recording.

Recently there was a Goldline transmitter and ENG receiver for sale on ebay but I think it ended without sale. Those are not cheap and the new one with recording and timecode are even more expensive. They also have remote controlled Tx so you could adjust the setting of the Tx remotely!

They offer a high degree of flexibility. I can connect the Tx to a soundboard and record two channels on the camcorder (equipped with the receiver). This gives a solid stereo sound for music events and similar and I can move around with the camera without changing the sound impression.

Or I can go the other way round: Put the Tx on the camcorder and send the camcorder audio to a harddisk recorder where I also record from boom mike etc.

Or I put the Tx on a lavalier and send to the harddisk recorder where a boom mike is connected to another channel for interview etc.

I just wish I could get the 4 CH capture to work from my XL H1 to Final Cut so I could record CH1 + CH2 from camcorder stereo mike, CH3 from lavalier via wireless and CH4 from the boom mike ...

Plenty of possibilities. Good luck! /Johan

Thanks, I'm still looking.

[Dean Sensui]

Originally Posted by Steven Davis

Thanks, I'm still looking.

Steven...

As Lynn mentioned, check out the AT-1800.

I have one and it works quite nicely. You can use both lapel and plug-on transmitters.

It's frequency agile, can automatically search for "clean" frequencies, and has a diversity receiver. It also uses AA batteries.

[Ty Ford]

Originally Posted by Gints Klimanis

Hi,

I'm interested in two channels of wireless audio transmission. I plan to use lavalier or any XLR microphone on the transmission side. Are there any decent dual channel systems or should I just buy another single channel system and some plug converters.

Hello Gints,

Any XLR mic? Some require Phantom Power. There aren't many plugon transmitters that supply full Phantom Power.

What do you mean by plug converters?

The AT1800 is a good mid priced system. Actually, it's probably the lowest cost duel system out there.

Regards,

Ty Ford