Wireless Microphone Guide

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WIRELESS MICROPHONE GUIDE

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Overwhelmed by the options?

Yes, there are many different options to choose from, but rest assure that all products offered are top quality and both Shure and Sennheiser are the top manufacturers in the world of professional quality wireless microphones.

Shure has a stronger name in the US and Sennheiser is extremely well known in Europe. Both Shure and Sennheiser wireless systems come with a 1 Full Year Warranty against any defects. In case of manufacture defect within the first year of your purchase, the unit will be either repaired or replaced at no charge by them.

Reliability is the key element when you are shopping for a wireless system. Cheap systems will be a certain headache in the near future and there are many cheap brands out there. It’s easy to manufacture a wireless system but difficult to manufacture one with quality and reliability.

That said; let’s bring up the different aspects when shopping for a wireless system:

a) VHF vs. UHF
b) Diversity vs. Non-Diversity System
c) Systems with 1 given frequency vs. Systems with multiple selectable frequencies
d) Dual Channel vs. Single Channel
e) Expandability – combining VHF systems with UHF systems
f) Ease of Use vs. Features

Questions that are relevant for your selection:

a) Do you travel with your system?
- YES = Shure SLX series, Shure ULX Series, Shure UC Series, Sennheiser EW100 Series and Shure U Series
- NO = Shure T Series, Shure UT Series
b) Are there other wireless system users in the same location?
- YES = Safer choice => Shure SLX Series, Shure ULX Series, Shure UC Series, Sennheiser EW100 Series and Shure U Series
- NO = Shure T Series, Shure UT Series
c) Do you prefer something easy to use – out of the box?
- YES = Shure T Series, Shure UT Series
d) Do you prefer to have more features and flexibility instead?
- YES = Shure SLX Series, Shure ULX Series, Shure UC Series, Sennheiser EW100 Series and Shure U Series
e) Will other wireless systems be used at the same time ?
- YES - If yes, what are the other existing frequencies?
  - Don’t know = You have to go with one of these: Shure SLX Series, Shure ULX Series, Shure UC Series, Sennheiser EW100 Series and Shure U Series
  - I know the other frequencies = You can choose between the ones above or the Shure T Series and Shure UT Series
- NO = You can choose between the ones above or the Shure T Series and Shure UT Series
f) Are you on a budget, and you just want a simple system for a non-critical job or entertainment?
- YES = Shure PG Series

Diversity vs. Non-Diversity

This characteristic has to do with the hardware of your wireless receiver. A Diversity system, also known as “2 antenna system” combines 2 signals to produce a higher quality transmission while the Non-Diversity system, also known as “single antenna system” process only 1 signal producing a lower quality and less reliable transmission. The Non-Diversity system for that matter is a clear budget choice only and we don’t recommend that kind of system, unless you’re on a budget and your place of use is an ideal situation (no obstacles, no other wireless users, user very close to receiver, etc.).

Non-Diversity Systems = No longer available

Diversity Systems = All systems we offer.

Systems with 1 given frequency vs. Systems with multiple selectable frequencies

Systems with multiple selectable frequencies will always be a better option and will be a MUST if you travel around the country or around the world. The systems with 1 given frequency, you cannot change the frequency, so if you travel to another location and there’s some TV channel on the air on the same frequency, your system will NOT work. Another situation where you want to be able to change the frequency of your system is if you perform in places where there are other users with other wireless systems that you have no previous knowledge of, so if one of these other users has a system operating on the same frequency of your system, yours and his/hers will NOT work.

A frequent question is: “Can I buy another transmitter to use with my existing receiver?” You MUST have 1 receiver for each transmitter and they MUST be on different frequencies, so the answer is no. Unless you turn off 1 of the transmitters prior to use the second one, the system will NOT work if 2 transmitters are turned on, on the same frequency.

Systems with 1 given frequency = Shure T Series, Shure LX Series, Shure UT Series

System with multiple selectable frequencies = Shure SLX Series, Shure ULX Series, Shure UC Series, Sennheiser 100 Series and Shure U Series

Dual Channel vs. Single Channel

Dual Channel systems are nothing more than 2 receivers built inside the same box. The only practical advantage is to save space, and in case you choose the Top of The Line system made by Shure, to save money. There are only 2 Series manufactured by Shure that offer dual channel receivers: LX Series and U Series. The last one is the Top of The Line series and just for comparison sake, the U24D/58 sells for $3,065.00, which has 2 handheld transmitters and 1 dual channel receiver. If you were to buy 2 single channel systems of the same series, you would have to pay $1,840.00 each. In this case, you would be saving around $600.00 buying the dual channel system.

Now, with the LX Series, it’s a different story. The LX Series is an older Series that operates on the VHF band, and it is a Non-Diversity system. The system with 2 handheld transmitters and dual channel receiver sells for $699.00, however you can buy a Non-Diversity single channel T system for only $279.00. Mounting 2 receivers on the same rack space is possible with an accessory (UTR). The final cost would be cheaper, and you could use the 2 systems in 2 different locations at the same time since they are 2 independent systems. The major difference would be that the LX System is better built than the T Non-Diversity Series.

The matter of the fact is that 99% of the times you will be better of with 2 single channel systems than with 1 dual channel system.

Expandability – combining VHF systems with UHF systems

You can combine existing VHF or UHF systems with other VHF or UHF systems. Mixing VHF with UHF is a good way to expand the number of possible users if you don’t want to jump to a more expensive system with multiple selectable frequencies.

Ease of Use vs. Features

All things being equal, the ease of use is going to be greater the less features you have to set or deal with. Nonetheless, wireless microphones are no rocket science and once you start playing with it (even the most sophisticated ones) you will soon get a grip of it. The main thing to keep in mind is that if the wireless system will be handled almost every time by a new user (e.g. a guest on a presentation or someone being interviewed) or if it will be handled mostly by the audience (audience making question to the person making the presentation), then in these cases, a system with less settings that can be accidentally changed will be preferred.

Ease of use can be simplified in the group that will have only 1 given frequency = Shure T Series and Shure UT Series. Simple straight out of the box systems, no fussing. Open, connect, you are done! But, you cannot travel from Atlanta to NYC and then to L.A. and expect it to work always interference free.

For greater reliability and more flexibility as far as where you can travel to and as far as having more users at the same time (that you don't know the frequencies), look for the Shure SLX Series, Shure ULX Series, Shure UC Series, Sennheiser EW100 Series and Shure U Series

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