Issue: System quality. It may seem strange to list “system quality” as a wireless problem, but a great many wireless difficulties start with inferior equipment. Inexpensive systems can often work well in rural areas and/or in relatively undemanding applications.

But in larger cities and their surrounding suburbs plagued by typical frequency congestion and myriad interference sources, something better may be required.

The same is usually true when more than a few systems must be operated at the same site. And, this situation is going to worsen, with more and more digital signal sources going on the air almost daily.

The adoption of digital technology has greatly lowered the price of many audio products, but the impact of these advantages on wireless systems has been relatively small to this point. Wireless systems are still largely analog-based, and their manufacture is more labor intensive due to the requirement of considerable tuning, testing and tweaking.

Quality components also tend to be expensive in comparison to digital components and are less adaptable to low-cost automated assembly.

Unfortunately, there is yet no new magic technology that can cut the cost of a quality wireless system significantly - say 30 to 40 percent. Right now, if cost goes down, so do quality and performance. And it’s easier and cheaper for manufacturers to promote their mic capsules and “features” rather than build in better performance.

Consequently there is a growing tendency to regard the RF portion of a wireless system as being relatively unimportant. This is a serious mistake.

Solution: If a wireless system doesn’t have the selectivity and interference rejection to cut through all of the “junk” in the air, it doesn’t matter which mic elements it has, how neat the feature set, or how much money was “saved”. You’re simply left with something that doesn’t work like it should.

The recommendation is to pay a little more and go for performance over features. High-quality wireless systems cost less than half of what they did 10 years ago, and they work better in virtually all cases.

Final Thoughts: All in all, wireless microphone and in-ear monitoring systems can significantly enhance the experience for audiences and performers alike. Freedom of movement for actors, musicians, minsters, orators and politicians is a major benefit.

However, the complexity, cost and potential problems are the risks of using microphones. By following the guidelines presented in this series of articles, you should be well on the way to flawless operation from wireless systems.

Don’t forget that this is a changing world with respect to the RF spectrum and thus the operation of wireless mic systems. What works today may not work tomorrow.

Your best bet is to stay informed and educated. Watch for announcements about RF issues related to the FCC and potential other users of the spectrum. Keep up with the technology as manufacturers introduce new systems.

And most of all, stay up on troubleshooting skills so you can identify where the problems originate. Sometimes the wireless will be at fault, and sometimes not. It’s best to know the difference.

Click here to go to to Part 1 (“PSW Wireless Primer”) of this series, or click here to go directly to Part 2 (“Avoiding Wireless System “Issues”).

View photo gallery

Page 10 of 10
Previous  « First < 8 9 10