Members blkmonday Posted August 31, 2014 Members Share Posted August 31, 2014 im a working musician and i run my own PA. A few times a year I run sound for a few different speaking events. I dont want to use my AT wireless mic in fear of it being dropped. Im looking for a low cost wireless mic to make my life a little easier at these events. basically something that will work halfway decent for speaking only. nothing fancy, just something that will send a clear signal from 25' away or so. suggestions? no Mr.Microphone please! hahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kalina2 Posted August 31, 2014 Members Share Posted August 31, 2014 Shure PGX24 with capsules PG58 quite safe and not very expensive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blkmonday Posted August 31, 2014 Author Members Share Posted August 31, 2014 im actually looking for something bottom of the barrel. but something that works. think a karaoke quality mic. i currently do 2 of these events a year and it will probably turn into 4 tops. just a working wireless mic for under 100$ much under if possible. something that if dropped and dies i wont care too much. like...dare i say....a nady or pyle. again its for speaking only to announce trophy winners at car shows and fishing tournaments. nothing more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dogoth Posted August 31, 2014 Members Share Posted August 31, 2014 Do you get paid for these events? If so I wouldn't recommend anything cheap - ever. I'm not a big fan of the Shure PG series but I'd agree that that is the lowest I'd go for any kind of professional or semi-professional work. You might look around and find some older, used, name brand VHF mics (make sure they have multiple channels). That would be your best bet for something decent & cheap. Make sure you buy from someone who will provide some kind of guarantee as the handheld/belt pack parts often get abused pretty badly (which is why you don't want to use your existing AT :-). my .02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BillESC Posted August 31, 2014 Members Share Posted August 31, 2014 Audio Technica's ATW-802 handheld VHF system $ 99.95 should do the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted September 1, 2014 Members Share Posted September 1, 2014 Audio Technica's ATW-802 handheld VHF system $ 99.95 should do the trick. I just tried one of those and they work, but just barely. I've placed a couple of ATW 700's in two different schools and they worked surprisingly well, and sounded much better than the 800 series IMO. There seems to be a price drop now. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ATW702 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted September 1, 2014 Members Share Posted September 1, 2014 Ahhhh, it's good to know the race to the bottom continues. Spending less money on a wireless mic than a decent wired mic costs doesn't sound like a good idea to me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted September 1, 2014 Members Share Posted September 1, 2014 I've gone the cheap-wireless route. Not really worth it. It isn't so much about sound-quality---the sound quality on even the cheapest handhelds is probably sufficient for speeches---it's about the signal quality. Even at short distances, cheap wireless units are prone to dropout, static and interference more easily. Plus there is more handling noise from the mic. Those things will ruin the speeches given much more than poor sound quality. And if you're playing in different venues every gig, then you never know what you're going to get in terms of interference and such. You really want a unit with some variable channels. Also, I don't know if I've ever had anyone ever actually drop a mic during a speech. And most mics are going to be able to withstand most drops anyway. Buying a cheap mic for fear of it being dropped seems like the wrong thing to be considered. All the reasons to buy a better mic far outweigh the odds that it might get dropped and damaged. It'd be like buying a cheap car because you're afraid you'll get into a accident. Who does that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kalina2 Posted September 1, 2014 Members Share Posted September 1, 2014 But this microphone http://ru.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Shipping-Premium-Quality-Dynamic-Vocal-Wireless-Microphone-Mike-With-Bright-Clear-Sound-Exceed-SM-57/857852396.htmlThis product should be discarded after one use .... Think it might be worth to buy something better and more durable? Are you so rich that you can buy cheap stuff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted September 1, 2014 Members Share Posted September 1, 2014 Are you so rich that you can buy cheap stuff? Well said! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blkmonday Posted September 2, 2014 Author Members Share Posted September 2, 2014 good points from everyone. appreciate the input and thats why i come here before wasting money. im going to look at some used units from shure, at and senhieser. i suppose if its a halfway decent unit i might actually have other uses for as well. that AT unit for 99 bucks is also a good option...or just use the sm58 wired mic for them ive been using. it is a paid sound gig so yea they should sound good and at the end of the day do they really need a wireless? no. thanks for advice guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted September 2, 2014 Members Share Posted September 2, 2014 it is a paid sound gig so yea they should sound good and at the end of the day do they really need a wireless? no. If it's at a fixed location like a podium? No. If they are walking with the mic or handing it around to other people in the room? Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cappttenron Posted September 2, 2014 Members Share Posted September 2, 2014 I think the better question is what mic gives you the most value for the dollar. I wonder if anyone makes a bumper of some kind for a wireless mic? With a thick foam screen and some kind of rubber bumper on the other end I think your AT would be fine if it was dropped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted September 3, 2014 Members Share Posted September 3, 2014 I've gone the cheap-wireless route. Not really worth it. It isn't so much about sound-quality---the sound quality on even the cheapest handhelds is probably sufficient for speeches---it's about the signal quality. Even at short distances, cheap wireless units are prone to dropout, static and interference more easily. Plus there is more handling noise from the mic. Those things will ruin the speeches given much more than poor sound quality. And if you're playing in different venues every gig, then you never know what you're going to get in terms of interference and such. You really want a unit with some variable channels. Also, I don't know if I've ever had anyone ever actually drop a mic during a speech. And most mics are going to be able to withstand most drops anyway. Buying a cheap mic for fear of it being dropped seems like the wrong thing to be considered. All the reasons to buy a better mic far outweigh the odds that it might get dropped and damaged. It'd be like buying a cheap car because you're afraid you'll get into a accident. Who does that? For the most part I agree with what you're saying. I did find however, that in the particular AT mic I linked to (700 series) they were a bit of an anomaly. The range was good, the functionality and build quality were okay, and even the sound was good. I would imagine they accidentally created a better than average mic at that price point. I have no idea whether they were able to sustain that level of "quality" or not. OTOH the 800 series had serious dropout issues at the venue where I tried it, and the sound was kind of like "it slices it dices". As far as dropping mics I also largely agree, except when it comes to elementary schools. In those cases things get broken, stepped on, rolled over, stolen, misplaced and generally abused far beyond most of our imaginations. I've seen so many receivers without the mic that it's not funny. when I ask the teacher where the mic is, they invariably say, I don't know, no one has seen it for a year now. So cheap but functional seems to be the key there. I do like to use good wired mics in elementary schools though. It gets them in the frame of spending two or three hundred for a wireless, if they've spent one hundred for a wired. High schools are a different story, and that's where you can actually place quality gear YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wesg Posted September 5, 2014 Members Share Posted September 5, 2014 Are those Samson units any good? I have a hard time believing they could be based on the price tag, but one of the local rental companies has one. I normally rent an AKG setup that's worth over a grand all-in and sounds amazing. My criteria is bullet-proof wireless, drop-proof, mic quality is tertiary; my target user is a drunken bridesmaid. Although I guess I care about handling noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ian Poole Posted September 5, 2014 Members Share Posted September 5, 2014 We have a Trantec s4.4 that was pretty cheap. They used to be sold as the Sennheiser Freeport. Over 5 years of trouble free use so far.http://www.trantec.co.uk/Systems/trantec_S4.4_H_Handheld_System.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Axisplayer Posted September 5, 2014 Members Share Posted September 5, 2014 my target user is a drunken bridesmaid. The best wireless unit for these folks is one that DOESN'T work. At least, that has been my experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nchangin Posted September 5, 2014 Members Share Posted September 5, 2014 Yes the more they drink the more it should cut out, I couldn't agree more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted September 5, 2014 Members Share Posted September 5, 2014 My biggest complaint about cheap wireless used for speeches is pickup pattern. Because most people insist on holding the mic down around their waist when they give a speech, for whatever reason. How hard is it to hold it close to your mouth so people can hear you talk? Especially since most people don't project their voices when speaking anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Axisplayer Posted September 5, 2014 Members Share Posted September 5, 2014 You are right that folks hold the mic at their waist. Might be time for a lavalier mic for them (I can't believe I actually recommended one of them to anyone, but maybe JUST for those folks…..) Clip it on and they don't get to hold where they want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted September 5, 2014 Members Share Posted September 5, 2014 You are right that folks hold the mic at their waist. Might be time for a lavalier mic for them (I can't believe I actually recommended one of them to anyone, but maybe JUST for those folks…..) Clip it on and they don't get to hold where they want to. Yeah, but lavs don't really work for "pass it around" situations or multiple speech-givers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dogoth Posted September 7, 2014 Members Share Posted September 7, 2014 Are those Samson units any good? I have a hard time believing they could be based on the price tag, but one of the local rental companies has one. I normally rent an AKG setup that's worth over a grand all-in and sounds amazing. My criteria is bullet-proof wireless, drop-proof, mic quality is tertiary; my target user is a drunken bridesmaid. Although I guess I care about handling noise. Samson gear as a rule is pretty low end. I wouldn't consider it. The handling noise should be heard by the groom in private only during the consummation ;-) Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DBR013 Posted September 29, 2014 Members Share Posted September 29, 2014 IME, cheap wireless...worthless. Buy the best and cry once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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