Wireless microphone options for visitor attraction

[Dicky]

Dear All,

 

I've been scratching my head as to how to solve a sound problem in a visitor attraction.

 

The problem is this, the attraction requires a host to walk through several different rooms and be able to talk through a PA system in every room. (The PA systems in every room are already there and work well) The issues with this are: the walkthroughs take approximately 30 minutes and start every 10 minutes, so there are more than 1 happening at once.

 

The solution needs to be wireless, probably a headset mic would suit this application best, and at the moment, the best solution I've come up with is to have a radio mic pack that has a frequency selector switch on it, that the host selects a different frequency in every room, and there is a seperate reciever in each room that has it's own frequency. The rooms are fairly close together with plasterboard walls seperating them, so the radio mic transmitter would leak into all the rooms at the same time, hence the need for different frequencies.

 

The problem with this are: It relies on the host to switch channels on their packs as they move into a different room, so the question I'd like to put out there is, Is there a system out there that is capable of switching automatically, or does anyone have any ideas or projects that they have worked on that would help minimise the possibility of sound coming out of the wrong place at the wrong time if the host has switched to the wrong channel?!

 

look forward to hearing from you.

 

 

Dicky

[ferretwrangler]

Is there some kind of infrared system - similar to Sennheiser tourguide? There wouldn't be any cross talk with an infrared option?

 

Dunno.. will have a think

[Stuart91]

How many rooms are there? Could you have one wireless mic per room, which the host picks up when they enter and puts back when they leave?

[ferretwrangler]

Panasonic Infrared So it seems such things do exist. They may do the job

[the kid]

I am sure its been thought about but a recorded track of narration or what ever it is might work, introduced at the start and such.I did a show with a mix of host talking and host fired backing tracks and worked fine. Also how big are the rooms? is there a need for mics and things, can it not be just vocal?

[GR1]

Why do they need a head mic? I would put a hand held in each room and keep it simple. If the rooms have only got plasterboard between them you will need to keep the levels really low to such a degree that no amplification may be better if the hosts voices can cope with all that talking.

[pstewart]

Would the Extron Voicelift system work? It uses IR transmitters & receivers.

[nplatt]

Don't know how practical it would be.

 

I have seen some of the Line 6 kit used where the person speaking has had the transmitter set to one channel and they then change the channel on the receiver when they move into each area.

 

It take a bit of discipline from the presenter and the transmitter not being in public view for little fingers to play with.

[ImagineerTom]

The basic Line6 stuff (V-30 & V35 systems) have a very simple and accessible switch to change them between the first 6 channels so would theoretically do the job if you feel you can trust the operators; otherwise you're going to have to be looking at a IR based system to make it idiotproof.

[MarkPAman]

TOA make an IR system.

 

Click me

[Dicky]

Thanks all for the useful replies, I'll take a look at the IR options, as that's a technology I was unaware of.

 

The host needs to use their hands to pick things up, so a HH isn't an otion, but I did think of picking something up and putting down in every room, but that I think would be more problematic than switching channels on a reciever pack.

 

Will let you know where this goes.

[cedd]

Thinking about it the other way around, why not switch the audio in the room to match the mic pack, rather than switching the mic pack to match the room frequency?

 

 

 

 

So on entry to each room you have a selector panel with a rotary switch and momentary push button. Each presenter has their own radio mic on its' own channel. They keep this channel throughout the day. As they enter a room they select their channel number from the rotary switch, which selects the line from their receiver and sends it to the amplifier in that room. They then press the momentary switch which latches in a relay which un-mutes the room audio. They then do their talking. As they exit the room there's another push button which they press as they pass. This is a push to break and it causes the mute relay to drop out, cutting their sound in that room. As they walk in to the next room, they simply select their channel again and continue on.

 

Some big plus points - the switching is done at an accessible panel, mounted where it's easy to reach. No fiddling with belt packs, which means your packs can be better fitted under clothing or out of the way. The actual hardware costs are pretty low. I reckon you could buy the project boxes, rotary switch, push switches and relay for around a tenner per room. Your only real costs are cabling. You'd also need a central power supply for the relays. This central power supply is also nice because you could fit a global button which would break the power to all the stations and mute all the rooms - great for emergencies or at the end of the day.

 

If security of the panels was a problem then you could replace the push switch with a keyswitch.

 

Being a permanent installation you'd maybe get away with using cat5 or telephone cabling for the audio distribution, so cable costs are cheap. It also means you can pick your wireless system based upon its' merits as a wireless system, not on its' ability to switch channels.

 

Oh, and all the user accessible parts are standard and easily field replaceable too.

[the kid]

IIR the act6 packs have rotary selection on them.

I still wonder why a mic is really needed unless its 40 people + but then you have other things to think about like people seeing what is being held.

[DrV]

What a fun project it would be to expand cedd's suggestions with an rfid reader at each door and a tag for each presenter... :-)

Dave

[lite_lad]

Could you use one of the systems which is used on stage to track a performer and adjust which speaker they are coming out of such as Timax or Stagetracker. That should be able to give you an automated system, but the startup cost is likely to be considerably more than £10 a room! but it should be fairly expandable once you've got the hardware.