OT: Need a good wireless LAV mic

[Nick Price]

Hi Brian,
i think the best option would be to hire a kit i’m afraid. You can hire the sennheiser kit for around £10/day £40/week here in the UK so it must be similar over there wth you. Unfortunatley you just cant get a decent wireless sytem with 400 dollars. Is just not in your budget so I wouldnt even consider buying one.
best
nick

[Stu Siegal]

Hey Dan,

Don’t mean to infer that you were being a snob at all, your reviews and research are quite helpful and an excellent resource. The poster was just looking for some “real world” advice, and I thought your post was discouraging, making him feel that the entry level gear was useless. It’s not, it just has limitations. Point them out, and encourage him to know them going in and be realistic.

Yes, there are range, rf, squelch and a host of other compromises in entry level gear, but as long as you are realistic about their limitations, you take them and make them work for you.

The guy is using the consumer version of a prosumer cam. His whole budget probably isn’t 4k. But people are earning a living and producing excellent content using entry level wireless producing award winning docs, corp., broadcast, events etc. using 500 dollar wireless setups. If you’re a small operation, the $600 setup is the one in your bag for a certain type of project, and you make it work. When you can afford it, and you want a 4k setup, you hire an audio guy. Brian can afford that, and most likely doesn’t need to on this gig anyway.

It’s easy for experts to miss the forest for the trees sometimes when recommending gear. The whole point of DV or HDV in general is that they get everyone in the game. As is often said here and elsewhere, buy the best gear you can afford and get in the game.

http://www.verite-media.com

[Craig Sawchuk]

I saw a cool device for smaller camcorders called (I think) a Levelcam, that is a stabilizer handle for hand-held use and also on a tripod using a quick-release. It provides an ideal place to mount a wireless receiver secured with small bungees. I think that you can get it for under $50 at B&H or you can Google it to find the manufacturers home page. Mounting a wireless receiver is definitely a pain in the butt on smaller cameras. I’m going to pick one up myself ’cause this is always an issue with me — can’t tell you how many times I’ve been juggling, dangling, or trying to find a place to mount the receiver on the tripod…

Craig

[Russell Lasson]

[Dan Brockett] “Unfortunately, the terms, “good” “wireless” and “$400.00″ don’t go together.”

I would correct your statement to say, “great wireless mics and $400 don’t go together”. Lectrosonics is high end and they sound great, not just good.

I might suggest buying a decent wireless kit, but then upgrading the mic to a Tram. I just used one this past week end and I think they sound great.

-Russ

Russell Lasson
Kaleidoscope Pictures
Provo, UT

[Brian Pitt]

Thank you all for your responses. I think I’m going to look into a Sennheiser S2 kit, and if the quality isn’t good enough for the project (which isn’t a Hollywood Multi-million dollar one) then we’ll just rent something.

Thanks again.

Brian

[Nate Stephens]

Russell, Where you using that Tram mic with an Lectrosonics set up..

I googled Tram and the Mic looks identical to the mic that I got off Ebay with an Lectrosonics Countryman set up…. And your right the mic sounds good…

[Russell Lasson]

I rented a sound package from an audio guy who really knows his stuff. He has Lectrosonics, but the package I rented was using just a Sennheiser evolution 100(?) transmitter/receiver with a Tram mic.

I would definitely prefer a Lectrosonics package, but for someone on a budget, a Tram mic with a less expensive transmitter/receiver package might be a “good” option.

-Russ

Russell Lasson
Kaleidoscope Pictures
Provo, UT

[Gordon Gurley]

One word: Lectrosonics. Really expensive but worth it. Also, keep in mind that the FCC has sold much of the band used for wireless mics. I can’t remember the specifics, but in the not too distant future, many wireless mics will be riddled with interference.

Gordon Gurley
Director of Operations
Stanford Video

[Anna Chiaretta]

Re-opening the conversation 3 years later…

I was hoping some folks would be up for getting into specifics of transmitter and receiver options out there, what kinds of specs am I look for in these days in the land of hyper interference? I am definitely more a video brain than an audio brain but diligently learning.

Of course directing me to any sources out there on the internet would be wonderful. That lav mic analysis website is great for looking at what kinds of mics to have in pocket for a backup when something gets drenched or crushed on the job.

thanks all.