Weir69 Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Hi all, I am in charge of sound / lighting for a start up amateur dramatics society. We feel the need to use wireless headset style microphones but only have a tight budget to do this with. I was told "around £200". For that we need 4 mics and even Ebay seems unable to deliver. Does anyone have any suggestions for cheap systems (new or second hand) that would deliver good quality sound? These are seen as an investment so hopefully we could push the budget up, but as it is a start up group there is not much money! One option is to use the venues receivers and buy compatible Shure BLX1 body packs and mics. We would like to buy, but if necessary will hire. Thank you very much. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelgrian Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Hi all, I am in charge of sound / lighting for a start up amateur dramatics society. We feel the need to use wireless headset style microphones but only have a tight budget to do this with. I was told "around £200". For that we need 4 mics and even Ebay seems unable to deliver. Does anyone have any suggestions for cheap systems (new or second hand) that would deliver good quality sound? These are seen as an investment so hopefully we could push the budget up, but as it is a start up group there is not much money! One option is to use the venues receivers and buy compatible Shure BLX1 body packs and mics. We would like to buy, but if necessary will hire. Thank you very much. :) I'm afraid that 'cheap' and 'quality' do not go together with radio mics. £200 for 4 mics is simply unachievable, it's just about enough for a single channel of Sennheiser's budget XSW range new if you shop around. However you really to borrow or hire such a system first to see if it meets your needs. Radio mics are also expensive to maintain, headsets and capsules have to be treated as a consumable item and can be expensive even for budget models. I would recommend you hire rather than buy especially since you say it's a 'start up' group and therefore may not work out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieR Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Realistically, I don't think you will get four complete wireless systems for around £200 - particularly anything of quality. If you get too focused on trying to buy 'something' for the money then you are more likely to buy something that is either (a) poor quality, (b) gives you lots of trouble or © breaks quickly. It would just be a waste of the money. You indicate that the venue you use already has some Shure BLX systems? I get the impression that they don't have the beltpack transmitters though - is it just handhelds? If they did have the beltpacks then you should be able to pick up 4 budget headsets for the money. Adding the beltpacks into the mix will obviously require more money and may not be the best strategy as if you move away from the venue then you will only be able to use them with other BLX systems. My advice - either hire on a per show basis or keep saving for something that's worth investing in. If you need to chat further then please PM me. We're a main dealer for most of the popular brands and are based down in Edinburgh. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shez Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Unfortunately, "cheap" and "good sound quality" just don't go together when it comes to radio mics. You wouldn't get 4 good wired mics for that budget; even the cheap n cheerful headset mics I use cost more than £50 each and that's without the radio system they plug in to. Hit up your local hire co and build up a relationship with them. You'll get four decent systems for a week for that price if you smile sweetly enough. And don't forget that the PA that they're connected to also needs to be of decent quality to get worthwhile results and most importantly of all you need someone competent behind the desk to operate them - they're never set & forget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weir69 Posted March 8, 2016 Author Share Posted March 8, 2016 I'm afraid that 'cheap' and 'quality' do not go together with radio mics. £200 for 4 mics is simply unachievable, it's just about enough for a single channel of Sennheiser's budget XSW range new if you shop around. However you really to borrow or hire such a system first to see if it meets your needs. Radio mics are also expensive to maintain, headsets and capsules have to be treated as a consumable item and can be expensive even for budget models. I would recommend you hire rather than buy especially since you say it's a 'start up' group and therefore may not work out. Yes, I did suspect that. I did find a Trantec system on Ebay, but taking into account the running costs is a system like this still worth it in the long term (I doubt the group will split up)? Sorry for the basic questions, I'm normally a lighting guy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 You asked for cheap wireless systems that will deliver good quality sound. As mentioned this is just not realistic. For £200 you will not even get wired mics that are good. However if thats the budget - and by the way, who came up with that figure, and why - ther are solutions like this and it will probably work, for a while but it may well sound shocking. If it does, then what do you expect. If it sounds great, then do please let us know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weir69 Posted March 8, 2016 Author Share Posted March 8, 2016 @StevieR - Unfortunately the venue does not have BLX beltpacks, only handhelds. @Shez - The PA is adequate even if it's not quite up to theatre use, I've made do with worse.@Judge - I don't think they understood how pricey they can be, or have only used products such as the one you linked. Anyway thanks for the help, it looks like a hire then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart91 Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 there are solutions like this and it will probably work, for a while but it may well sound shocking. If it does, then what do you expect. If it sounds great, then do please let us know! One important thing to note is that the system Judge has linked to is a single frequency only - so you can't use more than one system at the same time. This is probably not a huge issue for its intended market of gym instructors and dance teachers, but is going to be a deal-breaker for theatrical use. If you do resort to something similar to those systems, then make sure you have the receivers on stage - perhaps out in the wings if there's space. If you position them at FOH the signal will be far weaker. Spread the receivers out a little - don't have a forest of aerials all together. The headsets may well distort with stronger singers - you'll need to move the capsule away from the mouth if they are loud enough, so definitely soundcheck every singer if at all possible. The plastic beltpacks will probably be more breakable than professional models - a single fall could kill them. So perhaps consider pouches for them and certainly warn the cast about the fragility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Let me join the chorus. With your budget, rent for the time being and only consider buying once you have, say, four times that budget. Cheap radio microphones are always more trouble than they're worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 You also said you are the lighting guy, and are trying to sort out this project. One thing you may have missed is that you NEED a really good operator to make them work. With all due respect to the lighting department, nowadays it's rare for the op to be busy during he show, while the radio mic operator has a script full of adjustments and mutes and is hands on start to finish. You also need somebody on stage to cope with the inevitable running problems. You also have a battery budget that with two shows a year could be more than your equipment budget. Is the venue and the PA cable of making any radio mic system work well? Your plan will need a major tweak. The budget is simply not workable in any way that will help you, not get in the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I suspect that the yearly maintenance on four good units would eat into your £200 budget before you consider the purchase cost. For theatre use I'd consider that you may need to spend £250 on each unit, then you would have to check the location and licence requirements, being sure that the transmitter frequency is legal in your location. Add to that the cost of a replacement boom mic and cable say yearly for each unit. It's possible that with cheap (ebay etc) radio mics, their operating frequencies may not allow four mics to run together, and/or may not be in the UK permitted bands, and if they are then they may or may not be in the UK licence exempt bands. Buying transmitters to match the venue's installed receivers is fraught! 1/ you have no idea and no control over if and when they upgrade to another system -leaving your transmitters useless, 2/ you don't usually want the radio mics on a different mix desk from all the rest of the audio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninjadingle Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 If I may be so bold - save the cash and tell the actors to learn to project their voices. Too many people these days feel they need radio mics as that's what the pros use, when really they just want to look "the business". The decision to use radio mics should come from technical, not the creatives, and only when the funds are available to do the job properly. If amplification is needed, consider other alternatives. Would a boundary mic solution work, or overheads? You can buy or hire much better solutions for the money than 4 channels of radio would cost, and would be an easier way of achieving the aim. It would also be a good introduction for yourself, as these solutions would be more set and leave alone than radio mics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gibbothegreat Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Well, at the risk of rowing against the tide, I did get a cheap four-way largely plastic Ch 70 (licence-free) system for a particular purpose and it has worked pretty flawlessly for me. A couple of caveats: I got a hand-held system, so can't speak for the headsets or beltpacks, and my usage is for roving mics for conference work, so nowhere near as arduous a life as would be likely for beltpack/headset combos in a theatrical situation. But in terms of audio and durability, they have been absolutely up to the mark, and that is some four years after purchasing them. The unit in question is http://cpc.farnell.com/chord/171-841uk/mic-system-wireless-4-ch-neck/dp/MP34807 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alec Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Well, at the risk of rowing against the tide, I did get a cheap four-way largely plastic Ch 70 (licence-free) system for a particular purpose and it has worked pretty flawlessly for me. The unit in question is http://cpc.farnell.com/chord/171-841uk/mic-system-wireless-4-ch-neck/dp/MP34807 It's still over 25% above the OP's budget, mind. And those headsets, while of unknown performance, are pretty non-unobtrusive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazz339 Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Well, at the risk of rowing against the tide, I did get a cheap four-way largely plastic Ch 70 (licence-free) system for a particular purpose and it has worked pretty flawlessly for me. The unit in question is http://cpc.farnell.c...neck/dp/MP34807 It's still over 25% above the OP's budget, mind. And those headsets, while of unknown performance, are pretty non-unobtrusive! I recently had a similar problem with our local scout hut. I decided that as I was being asked to recommend some mics, Sennheiser XSW was the lowest I was prepared to go. I bought XSW 72 GB on Ch38 (A belt pack variant supplied without mic, intended for guitars etc. (The belt pack is the same as supplied with mic)) and bought some headset mics off ebay. I did look at the 4 way set linked to but had concerns about their longevity solely because of the price, I suspect that repair would not be an option. I too question the way an equipment based solution is looked at before other options have been considered. £200 is simply not enough for 4 radio mics IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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