Wireless Microphones -
Reviews, How They Work and What You Should Know

Written by Ron Carpenito, DJ Ron Carpenito, Boston MA

(Continued from page 1)

So now you're looking for a great system on the UHF level for less interference, multiple channels to choose and True Diversity to make sure the signal gets back to the receiver.

The next thing to consider is the actual microphone element. Microphone elements are different and have different sensitivities. The more expensive microphones will be what are referred to as "Hot". This is a term referring to the ability of the microphone to pickup the voice of the user from a distance instead of having to place the microphone right up against your mouth "Cold". Some mics have built in "gains" and there are "gains" on the receiver, you can try and increase the gains on lesser quality microphones to make up for the coldness of the mic, but in the end it won't work as well and you'll typically get feedback or you will start picking up the noise from the microphone housing hitting the rings on your finger or anything touching or tapping it.

How do you tell if a microphone is hot or cold? A microphone uses a pickup element to convert your voice into an electrical signal that it sends back to your system. It typically works like a speaker in reverse. The element that is used to pickup your voice is called a diaphragm. The quality or lack of quality in this diaphragm will be the most important aspect as to a microphones hot or cold characteristic.

Another important difference is the microphones directionality. There are three different categories of directionality in microphones: Omni-directional, Uni-directional, and Bi-directional. As the names imply, Omni, meaning "all", picks up sound from all angles. Uni, meaning "one", picks up sound from one direction. And Bi, meaning "two", picks up sound from two directions. For our purposes most of the mics you'll be looking at will be Omnidirectional.

Next we need to consider which style of microphone you want to use. There are handheld microphones, lavalier or lapel microphones and headset microphones. By far the majority of all DJ's will start off with a handheld microphone. This is the most versatile way to go and easiest to pass from person to person.

A lavalier or lapel microphone with a great pickup element is perfect if your providing sound for a ceremony where the microphone and sound equipment need to be invisible (not seen in photos). Here is a tip for setting up sound for a ceremony. If you're providing a wireless lavaliere microphone for the officiant, consider mic-ing up the groom instead of the officiant. The reason is the officiant is already facing the audience and typically will project their voices. The Bride and Groom will typically be facing each other or the officant. The microphone will be in front of the officiant picking up his/her voice. The added benefit is that you will pickup the vows and anything else said by the Bride and Groom who tend to talk softly facing each other.

A headset microphone is great if you as a DJ want to be able to speak to the crowd while working your equipment or doing something else with your hands. With these headsets the microphone element is usually right in front of your mouth. This works best when you're behind your system, usually in between two speakers. You won't need to have the gains up so much since the mic is directly in front of your mouth, thereby reducing the potential feedback of sound from the speakers. The downside to headset mics is the appearance and feel of the headset. They tend to dig into your head and do not look appropriate for a wedding or classy affair.

Some of the wireless microphones I've used in the past between $250-$500 are Gemini, Shure, Samson and Audio Technia. If I had to rate these brands in order of performance quality I would have to say the Shure brand is the best and the Gemini brand not the best, with the Audio Technia and Samson coming in the middle. If you're a new DJ looking to save some money go with the Gemini UHF systems. They are not a terrible brand, in fact I still use one in my system, you're just not getting the best quality or sound. If money is no object go directly for the Shure brand. These are the mics the professionals use and yes I am sure you will be paying for the name, but for the most part there is a reason you pay a premium for the name. If you're somewhere in the middle I would recommend the Audio Technia UHF Freestyle systems. I've been using this one, both handheld and lavalier for many years and I must say the microphones have great pickup and the reliability of the signal at distance is great.

When it comes to wireless microphones you will absolutely get what you pay for, so please don't fall for those extremely low priced models you see on Ebay or in the catalogs on close-out. Just imagine you're at a wedding, the bride just made her walk down the aisle, everyone has taken their seats, the music is off and the officiant begins to speak. All that comes out of your speakers is chopped up words because the signal is dropping. Everyone turns around and starts looking at you, and the officiant may even try to tap the mic, bringing more attention to the problem. What do you do next besides freak out? What you do is buy a quality microphone so you're never in this situation to begin with.

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Wireless Microphones -Reviews, How They Work and What You Should Know

Wireless Microphones -
Reviews, How They Work and What You Should Know