Help Choosing a Wireless Mic System

[crazy chris]

let me preface this by saying that i am by no means a cheapskate... but the costs of opening the theater continue to mount up.

that being said i am in the market for a wireless mic set up and was wondering if you guys think this would suffice for a small venue

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-4-HEADSET-L...663?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cf28c12f7

the price seems too good to be true.. which is normally a bad sign

any help is appreciated

thanks!

cc

 

[Puppetainer]

Tried to check it out Chris but it says the listing has been removed or is no longer available.

 

[crazy chris]

very odd....

does this one work?

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-4-HEADSET-L...663?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cf28c12f7

cc

 

[Puppetainer]

Yup. That worked. Here's a link to the same set-up a little bit cheaper along with some customer reviews.
http://www.buyscheaper.com/buy-chea...f-wireless-lavalie-headset-system-for-113-99/
Sounds like they may be a good starter set but you may want something better further down the road. I'll be very curious to see what you and others have to say as I too will be needing similar equipment somewhere down the line.

 

[crazy chris]

those reviews are very promising huh?

i may just have to try it...

i will let you know the results marc!

cc

 

[Buck-Beaver]

I am not an expert in audio equipment, but in my experience you get what you pay for. Puppetainer is probably right, this might work well as a starter system but I think you're right to be skeptical based on the price. The better systems I've seen made by companies like Shure cost at least $1,000 or more (usually a couples times that).

Once piece of advice I got from an audio technician with many years of experience is not to invest in systems that require 9V batteries; this is partially for practical reasons (the batteries are more expensive and slightly heavier), but also because the systems designed to run on 9V tend to be older and not very good.

I would really do a lot of homework on this. If you have a community theatre in your area, see if you can talk to someone there that does audio. There has been a lot of discussion about sound systems on the Puptcrit mailing list over the years; you can try searching the archives of it here.

You could also try contacting Tom Tucker, who is the PofA's sound and lighting consultant (PofA has consultants in virtually every area of puppetry available for free to members...another benefit of membership). I'll send you a PM with Tom's contact info.

 

[crazy chris]

thank you very much andrew! this forum is such a valuable asset to me!

cc

 

[crazy chris]

i believe i may jump up to this model...for now...

http://cgi.ebay.com/4x100CH-UHF-Wir...973?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item4cf21b703d

it takes AA batteries... which is a good sign...

cc

 

[TheCreatureWork]

Just a couple of things...
You really have to watch how big your space is in regards to sound. If you are too close to the speakers you'll get feedback (a high pitched sound).

You also want to watch for using UHF mics- I was at a performance once where a church across the street had the same frequency and every now and then their sermon would pop in and out over our performance.

I also had a cell phone conversation "pop" in one time.

Also, you will come to the realization that microphones are a dime a dozen- you'll go through them like crazy if not taken care of properly- make certain you set up policies around how equipment is suppose to be treated. If I were you I would invest in a good mixing board and speakers. For a good starter kit I recommend going to your local pawn shop. You can usually get a good mixer and speakers for next to nothing....mainly because there are people out there that always want the next big thing in sound gear and will pawn equipment that is nearly new.

One important thing...as a new business person I welcome to the world of BARTER!There are barter networks everywhere- people will list what they need and what they can provide. Do a google search on Bartering and it'll list any networks in your area. Don't be afraid to barter with people as well. 62% of America’s Fortune 500 companies reported bartering on a regular basis, so get use to bartering! . Look into it, I beg you!
Hope this helps.

 

[crazy chris]

good stuff CW...

yeah i was actually a dj for around 15 years and know the value of a good mixer and speakers! good tip!

i was nervous about getting phone convos bleeding through during a show... what solutions or alternatives are there that would remedy the chance of that?

cc