SR/Live Sat, November 22, 2008

Sound Reinforcement/Live Sound | Features |

Wireless Monitor Systems - Using individual monitor mixes on stage

Figure 1 – Sennheiser Evolution wireless – wireless monitor system.

Wireless monitor systems are essential for stagebound musical productions. Perhaps the biggest advantage of a wireless monitor system is the ability to use an individual monitor mix for each musician on stage. Furthermore, a wireless monitor system significantly reduces the amount of, or even eliminates, monitor speakers in the performance area. This results in lower risk of feedback, and a more lightweight, compact monitor system.

Some special precautions must be taken before using wireless monitor systems. In most cases, this signal is a stereo signal. This multiplexed signal is more sensitive to dropouts, static and multi-path situations. For longrange applications, mono operation can improve system performance.

If wireless microphones and wireless monitor systems are used in parallel, those systems should be separated in a way that the frequencies are at least 8 MHz apart and that the physical distance between the transmitter and the receiver is maximized. This will reduce the risk of blocking – an effect that desensitizes a receiver and prevents the reception of the desired signal. Therefore, if a bodypack wireless microphone transmitter and a wireless monitor receiver are both attached to the same talent, those devices should not be mounted directly beside each other.



Figure 2 – Wireless monitor systems with individual transmitter antennas close together.

Figure 3 – The same transmitters used with an active combiner with only one transmitter antenna.