Sabine SWM7000 Radio Mic's

[Andy Barm]

Hello all, am new here but have browsed the forum in the past. I'll get straight into my post, basically we are soon to do a musical show where the director wants all characters on radio mics (8 actors) and is looking at possibly putting radio mics on a few of the instruments (mainly brass). We currently own a 6 channel trantec s4000 system and to be honest I dont feel im getting the best out of the system and we quite often get interferance from the local bingo hall. Very irritating when we've paid our mic frequency licsence fee!! I used the TS22 headworn mics with the system on our musical last year to some good effect but I was quite often plagued with feedback probelms due to where our FOH system is (will be different this year, we are a very flexible theatre) Also I find that the s4000 belt packs quite often break where the mic connects to the pack due to the thin plastic construction.

 

So I've been offered an 8 channel sabine SWM7000 system for a decent price and am interested if anyone has had any experience of these systems. Im quite interested in the software that comes with the system and am aware of sabine's history with FBX etc...

 

Sorry if I've rambled on a bit, feel free to edit.

 

Cheers Andy

[Shez]

I presume it's a ch.69 licence that you've got?

Unfortunately, that doesn't give you any guarantees about interference from other users as you share these frequencies with them (providing that they've also paid for their licence of course!) You would do well to find out what frequencies they are using so that you can avoid them. There are enough frequencies in that band that you should be able to use your six alongside a few of theirs without any problems.

[Andy Barm]

Yeah its a ch69 system. I think there are one or two unlicenced users nearby as were in the centre of town so we get all kinds of interfearance, bingo calls, butchers special offers etc!

 

I think I really am looking at getting rid of our trantec stuff as it lets me down one way or another every time I use it. Also its not often that I get some money to spend and have been wanting to upgrade our radio mic's for a while. The sabien stuff looks really good and what with it being a digital system should be fututre proof for the near future. Having never used such a system though I was interested in anybodys opinions if they'd used it or heard anything about it.

 

Cheers again

[J Pearce]

The interference could be from licensed users. The shared freq Ch69 license carries no guarantee that you will be the only user on those frequencies. You need the more expensive coordinated license for that.

[Andy Barm]

I appreciate your feedback and am aware that it may also be from licenced useres. I suppose thats why im interested in the sabine mic's im being offered due to them working digitally and presumably free from interfearance from other users. Im still looking into how they work as its an area new to me but I am really interested in anyone's feedback on sabine.....

[J Pearce]

No worries, sorry if that was patronising. Just trying to clear up any misunderstanding.

[Andy Barm]

ah no worries there mate, not patronising at all. Good to get feedback from people in the know! I've been using the trantec's for six years now and feel im ready for a change, the packs just feel flimsy and I've heard better sounding systems. I think the interfearence issue is one that becomes a bit annoying when you try to explain to a director whats going on, although due to most of our shows being in the evening we only really know how much a tray of beef is going for during tech weeks and matinee shows on market days!!

[Big Dave]

I've used the Sabine things once - had them on a demo a while back and I can quite honestly say they were awful. Drop out was an issue and lets just say they are not the best sounding thing I've ever heard. Went straight back in the box and went back to Shure.

 

Great idea, just badly executed.

[Shaggy]

The swm7000s are not on ch69. They are on 2.4ghz, that is the same as wi-fi. We have a set of four at work, and when I used it I found that there was a very short range and that if the transmitter was held wrong it could drop out. There were also interference problems on all the channels I tried, although apparently you can connect up your laptop and scan all channels available using that.

 

I'd prefer some decent shures or sennheisers with appropriate licences.

[Simon Lewis]

Went straight back in the box and went back to Shure.

 

Sabine... from Shure??? I thought Audio Technica had been distributing them for the last few years?

[david.elsbury]

I think he's saying he went back to using Shure, Simon.

[Andy Barm]

The swm7000s are not on ch69. They are on 2.4ghz, that is the same as wi-fi. We have a set of four at work, and when I used it I found that there was a very short range and that if the transmitter was held wrong it could drop out. There were also interference problems on all the channels I tried, although apparently you can connect up your laptop and scan all channels available using that.

 

I'd prefer some decent shures or sennheisers with appropriate licences.

 

I think you misunderstood me, I was refering to my current trantec system and licence being ch69. I am aware that the sabine system is 2.4ghz. thanks for your response though. :)