Benefits of Going Wireless
Why go wireless? Is it worth the investment? For many artists, presenters, and performers, the answer is an emphatic “yes” for the same reason that our consumer devices, such as laptops, computer peripherals, and smartphones, operate via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: it’s simply more convenient. What’s more, wireless microphones offer numerous advantages over their wired counterparts.
They Allow for Greater Freedom of Movement
With a wireless microphone, you’ll be completely untethered, enabling you to move unimpeded during a performance. You can wander around your entire performance area, mingle with your audience, and even perform backflips if the feeling hits you.
They Create a Clean Look for Your Performance Space
Wireless microphones ensure that your audience won’t be distracted by the presence of wires, providing you with a clean look both on camera and onstage in front of a live audience.
They Avoid Cable-related Issues
Microphone cables are notorious for going bad and needing to be replaced. Cables can also become damaged or disconnected during a performance, leading to embarrassing, show-halting outcomes.
They Reduce the Likelihood of Trip hazards in Your Performance Space
Not only do wireless microphones allow you to move about with impunity, but you can also do so without fear of tripping over any of the cables that occupy performance stages where wired microphones are being used.
They Safeguard Against Ground Loops
The galvanic isolation provided by wireless microphones avoids creating ground loops between your microphone and other electrical instruments and devices onstage.
Anatomy of a Wireless System
A typical wireless microphone system consists of three components: a microphone, a transmitter, and a receiver.
Microphone
The microphone component of a wireless system serves the same purpose as a wired microphone: to capture sound. There are five types of wireless microphones designed for various applications:
Handheld wireless microphones serve the same purpose as a conventional wired handheld mic, allowing a vocalist to hold the microphone.
Lavalier microphones boast a low-visibility, clip-on design and yield high-quality sound in speech applications.
Headworn microphones are rugged, comfortable, easy-to-position headsets designed for full, clear vocal reproduction, making them a great choice for active performers or presenters.
Clip-on instrument microphones feature a sturdy clamp-on design with an easy-to-position gooseneck and are built to withstand the high sound pressure levels from woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments.
Electric guitar and bass wireless systems don’t use a microphone; rather, they employ a cable to connect your instrument directly to the rest of the system.
Transmitter
The transmitter converts the audio signal from the microphone to a radio signal. There are two types of transmitters:
Handheld microphone transmitters combine a handheld microphone and a transmitter in a single housing, so both functions are contained in one convenient unit.
Bodypack transmitters are belt- or guitar-strap-worn units with a connector that accommodates lavalier, headworn, and clip-on instrument microphones, as well as electric guitar and bass cables.
Receiver
The receiver receives the radio signals sent by the transmitter and converts them back to audio.
Modular receivers are either freestanding or rackmounted, and they’re typically powered by AC.
Portable receivers physically resemble bodypack transmitters, but they perform the opposite function. They’re typically battery powered.
Guitar pedal receivers are intended specifically for electric guitar and bass players and are designed to integrate seamlessly into a pedalboard.
Authored by: Mac McDonough
Published by: sweetwater.com, Dec 19, 2023, 10:00 AM