Wireless microphone system-wireless microphone

In this article you will read about the uses of the wireless microphone, why it is commonly preferred by performing musicians over your standard corded microphone and the other applications the wireless microphone is used in. You will also learn about the different types of wireless microphones and the sound quality they provide.

Wireless microphone system/ wireless microphone: how they work

There are two types of wireless microphone, the handheld and the hands free. In hand held microphones the battery transmitter is built into the microphone itself where as the hands free wireless microphones have a short cable that connects to the transmitter.

There are two commonly used types of transmitters for the wireless microphone system, the plug-on transmitter and the body pack transmitter.

The plug-on transmitter, containing internal batteries, allows for the greater flexibility.  The internal batteries provide power to the wireless microphone as well as powering the transmitter through phantom current.  Plug-on transmitters allows the use of any microphone that is compatible with its power circuit.

Body pack transmitters are usually called Lavalier transmitters, named so for the type of wireless microphone they are used for. Much smaller in size, the Lavalier microphones are small, measuring at just a couple of inches and are typically clipped the collar of a shirt.  You might have noticed these types of microphones when watching television. It is possible to use non-Lavalier microphones with this type of transmitter with the proper adapter. The radio transmitter emits an audio signal from the microphone by radio waves to a receiver that is placed nearby.   The receiver picks up the radio signal broadcasted by the transmitter and changes it back into an audio signal.

The receiver is by far the most important component when using a wireless microphone system.  Wireless microphones typically have a range of 300 to 600 feet.  A good receiver is required to optimize range ability.

There are two types of wireless receivers, the single antenna and the diversity.

The single antennas operate by utilizing one receiving antenna and one tuner, very similar to FM radio.   These receivers are sometimes subjected to interruptions due to the wearer of the microphone moving about the room and encountering dead spots.

The diversity receivers are thought to provide better performance by having two separate antennas placed a short distance apart and two separate tuners. Due to there being two available antennas there is a less risk for drop out considering at least one of the two antennas will be able to receive a clear signal.

The wireless microphone system can be purchased as either UHF (ultra high frequency) or VHF (very high frequency). There is some debate as to which of the two type offer better sounding quality, both are very similar, however, they offer different operate different bands of the FM spectrum.  The UHF operating in the 470 MHZ to 698 MHZ bands, the VHF bands spans 150-216 MHZ.

UHF is generally thought of as producing better sound quality and offering fewer “dead spots.”  Dead spots are areas where the microphone will not work.  UHF systems draw more power, meaning a shorter battery life.  UHF is typically much more expensive than the VHF systems and offer less interference.

VHF systems are much cheaper and offer longer battery life. You can raise your chances of running to into interference with radio signals and dead spots as well as have a range of only approximately 300 feet whereas UHF systems give you approximately 600 feet.

Wireless microphone system/ wireless microphone: Everyday use

If you own a television, you’ve seen a wireless microphone being used.  Commonly seen on the news or talks shows, the hands free microphone is widely used for the news and media. These microphones are small enough to be clipped to the lapel of a shirt and barely detectible.  The hands free microphone is also used during police sting operations and is commonly referred to as “wearing a wire”.

Wireless microphones can also be used for entertainment purposes, such as gaming, like with the interactive videogame rock band.  When going out for a night on the town, you can find the wireless microphone at comedy clubs, karaoke bars or musical entertainers.

You can find them in lecturing halls or in churches used during a sermon, even at the zoo if you’re catching a live show. The wireless microphone system serves several useful purposes and enables the user to have more freedom moving about.

Musicians are commonly known to prefer wireless microphones over your standard cable version.  When moving about onstage there are o worries about tripping over the cord, getting it tangled or using a microphone that has suffered from cord damage and thus hinders a performance.

Entertainers that use the wireless microphone systems do have to keep in mind the parameters of the wireless microphones receiver. There is a 300-600 foot range with the wireless variety, stepping out of which can cause your microphone to be rendered useless.  There is also the battery life to consider. Depending on the type of wireless microphone you use, be it UHF or VHF you will have different battery life to adapt to.

Wireless microphone system/ wireless microphone: The system that’s best for you

When purchasing a wireless microphone system or wireless microphone you must first consider what your use of this system is for.  This meaning, what are you priorities? Do your needs require a system with long range, are you going to need a system that allows you to use more than one wireless microphone at a time without the worry of interference? And what are you willing to spend on your new system?

If you need to purchase a system for musical purposes  and you will be using multiple wireless microphones it may be a better choice to purchase a UHF system,  although more expensive than the VHF systems, the UHF systems offer more frequencies to operate on and reduce your risk of interference.

Interference can be a big issue when it comes to using a wireless microphone.   There are possibilities of receiving interference from other radio signals; other digital devices if located within a few feet of the receiver can cause interference. Wireless microphone systems are subject to interference from other sources broadcasting on the same spectrum such as TV stations.  If you’re using multiple wireless microphones interference can occur if there aren’t enough frequencies to operate on.  Because UHF has more frequencies to operate on, if you’re going to use more than five wireless microphones and interference is a concern, it would be a safer bet to purchase a UHF wireless microphone system

If you aren’t going to be using more than five wireless microphones at a time and can manage In a 300 feet parameter, and are broadcasting within open radio environments, free from interference and have a limited budget , then a VHF system will be more than adequate for your needs.

Running in prices ranging from 43$ for a single channel VHF wireless microphone    to 979$ for an 8 channel UHF system, the cost you put into purchasing your system should really be about what your intentional use for the wireless microphone will be.   The cheaper VHF wireless microphone system could easily be used for gaming purposes or small lecturing halls whereas the more expensive UHF system could be used for entertainment purposes such as music production.

Inevitably with the knowledge of what each system has to offer you, finding the right wireless microphone system to fit your needs should be a much easier process.