I think one challenge with drama is the dynamics of an actor's performance can vary wildly. Sometimes even an actor who talks at a reasonable level normally can drop 5-10 decibels easily when performing. A dynamic scene can also get very loud even when starting quietly. Those situations are troublesome for wireless range and I try to be as close as they will allow me with my cart/antennas
Matt, great comment. Keep in mind that we exaggerated the problem for this video, but in the real world, range is not typically affected unless gain is set way off. We agree that you still want your antennas and receivers as close tot he talent as possible. But with a 10-15 dB range of "peaks", you can still set the transmitters to "tickle" the limiters and have excellent range. A little bit of limiting is probably preferred to never hitting the limiters, in terms of signal to noise, as well.
And to make things even more complicated, try children's drama (in a school gymnasium)! Kids can be very erratic. They mumble when they forget their lines (parents look at me wondering why they can't hear their child), or the kid is 3 years old and shy (so I have to pump up the sensitivity), they mumble the parts of songs that are wordy and complicated, then when it comes to the fun chorus they sing at the top of their lungs and peak the channel. Also, there are the various "exclamation" parts of plays where a kid (no matter what age) will let out a full-volume SCREAM and clip really badly. It's very difficult to set a gain structure for all of this. On top of all of that, I have to try to put a mic on ten kids (microphones are always an afterthought to drama teachers up until it's the main performance), tape it into place (for good gain before feedback), and hope the kids don't mess with it back stage. THEN, often times more kids need mics, so there is mic swapping backstage. And I pray that the parent helper back stage gives the right kid the right mic, and that they are putting it into place properly. Costumes rub elements and cause popping... batteries tank all of the sudden... Mufasa jumps off the cliff onto the stage and I pray he doesn't land on his transmitter... Phew. 100 things can go wrong, and no matter how hard I try to make it all work, some parent is pissed they couldn't hear their kid. Ok, I'm done complaining...
@@Puck90a - I think you hit everything I've had. I get the pops, crackles, static, and buzzing and all everyone is worried about is "turn off your cell phones so they don't affect the microphones." That's fine, so they don't ring during the performance, but I've heard what cell noise sounds like in the system and what I'm getting isn't cell noise, awd car as I know; it's all all of this you mentioned. Then more complaining comes about people not turning off their cell phones, they start collecting the kids' cell phones (again, fine if you don't want them playing with them or have them otherwise being a distraction,) but it's not helping - because it still isn't cell noise. The last play I did, I got it down to just one (of I think 12-14 microphones on kids) with the noise. We had run out of microphones we had available for use. Oh well...
That depends on the lav mic. In general, set the input level as high as possible before the "limit" or "peak" LED comes on during audio peaks. We looked at the G4 wireless manual but could not find any info on input level setting.
Yes, if you hit the limiters really hard, you can hear the effect of dynamic compression. However, if only peaks are limited by just a few dB, this is generally not noticed in the resulting audio. All things in audio are a tradeoff, and so it is a case of carefully adjusting input gain to achieve the highest amount of s/n while not audibly limiting the audio.
I have that exact same problem but when transmitter is still very close to receiver (5-10 metres). Do you have any idea what might be the problem? Many thanks in advance!
Without knowing the details of your system and setup, it is difficult to know what might be the cause of dropouts at close range. In some cases, you may have too much RF gain and this might desensitize your receiver and cause dropouts. RF gain is like audio gain - you want just the right amount, yet a lot of people use amplified antennas when the don't need them. Also, dropouts at close range can be due to a high level of reflections (RF bouncing off metal). If you are using an SRb, SRc, Venue or Venue 2 receiver, you may want to try Ratio Diversity to see if this helps with that issue.
I need a wireless mic system that can handle high dynamic sound such as live story telling performance, is there any product that can handle that? I tried rode wireless go, but it clips even I set at -24 db
Yes, the Lectrosonics wireless systems are known for wide dynamic range and low noise floor. Take a look at the L Series Kits for single-channel wireless systems with bodypack transmitter and lav mic: lectrosonics.com/zs-lrlmb-l-series-kit.html
With any modern FM (Frequency Modulation)-based radio system, the receiver will squelch if the noise floor is too high. With the input gain set way too low, there is not enough signal (compared with the noise of the channel) and the receiver is not happy.
@@lectrosonics Interesting, I never knew that was a thing! How does it differentiate between a transmitter with the gain set correctly but with a quiet signal (e.g. someone whispering) and a signal where the transmitter gain is set too low?
When the gain is set properly, the carrier is modulated, even if just a little bit, by everything the transmitter mic picks up, meaning the noise floor is higher, thus, the receiver has something to grab onto.
Hi, I use a Bose S1Pro speaker. Am a busker and need great sound and loud enough. I have a Shure microphone and an Xvive receiver, but plugged right into the speaker it does not give enough sound. I have had it for a few years now, could it be that it has lost signal? I wouldn't like to spend a lot of money right now, but I have no idea what to do next! Can one measure the signal in any way?
Roadrunner steals the show!
Beep Beep!!! Love the Roadrunner!
I think one challenge with drama is the dynamics of an actor's performance can vary wildly. Sometimes even an actor who talks at a reasonable level normally can drop 5-10 decibels easily when performing. A dynamic scene can also get very loud even when starting quietly. Those situations are troublesome for wireless range and I try to be as close as they will allow me with my cart/antennas
Matt, great comment. Keep in mind that we exaggerated the problem for this video, but in the real world, range is not typically affected unless gain is set way off. We agree that you still want your antennas and receivers as close tot he talent as possible. But with a 10-15 dB range of "peaks", you can still set the transmitters to "tickle" the limiters and have excellent range. A little bit of limiting is probably preferred to never hitting the limiters, in terms of signal to noise, as well.
And to make things even more complicated, try children's drama (in a school gymnasium)! Kids can be very erratic. They mumble when they forget their lines (parents look at me wondering why they can't hear their child), or the kid is 3 years old and shy (so I have to pump up the sensitivity), they mumble the parts of songs that are wordy and complicated, then when it comes to the fun chorus they sing at the top of their lungs and peak the channel. Also, there are the various "exclamation" parts of plays where a kid (no matter what age) will let out a full-volume SCREAM and clip really badly. It's very difficult to set a gain structure for all of this. On top of all of that, I have to try to put a mic on ten kids (microphones are always an afterthought to drama teachers up until it's the main performance), tape it into place (for good gain before feedback), and hope the kids don't mess with it back stage. THEN, often times more kids need mics, so there is mic swapping backstage. And I pray that the parent helper back stage gives the right kid the right mic, and that they are putting it into place properly. Costumes rub elements and cause popping... batteries tank all of the sudden... Mufasa jumps off the cliff onto the stage and I pray he doesn't land on his transmitter... Phew. 100 things can go wrong, and no matter how hard I try to make it all work, some parent is pissed they couldn't hear their kid.
Ok, I'm done complaining...
@@Puck90a - I think you hit everything I've had. I get the pops, crackles, static, and buzzing and all everyone is worried about is "turn off your cell phones so they don't affect the microphones." That's fine, so they don't ring during the performance, but I've heard what cell noise sounds like in the system and what I'm getting isn't cell noise, awd car as I know; it's all all of this you mentioned. Then more complaining comes about people not turning off their cell phones, they start collecting the kids' cell phones (again, fine if you don't want them playing with them or have them otherwise being a distraction,) but it's not helping - because it still isn't cell noise.
The last play I did, I got it down to just one (of I think 12-14 microphones on kids) with the noise. We had run out of microphones we had available for use. Oh well...
Come for the tutorial, stay for the wildlife.
goat
big fan of the roadrunner hahah
What would be the perfect input gain setting for Sennheiser G4 radio lav mic to get maximum range?
That depends on the lav mic. In general, set the input level as high as possible before the "limit" or "peak" LED comes on during audio peaks. We looked at the G4 wireless manual but could not find any info on input level setting.
Setting the proper gain structure on Lectrosonics Transmitters.
Doesn't bumping the gain up to the limiters reduce the amount of headroom available?
Yes, if you hit the limiters really hard, you can hear the effect of dynamic compression. However, if only peaks are limited by just a few dB, this is generally not noticed in the resulting audio. All things in audio are a tradeoff, and so it is a case of carefully adjusting input gain to achieve the highest amount of s/n while not audibly limiting the audio.
Hello Karl, at which TX power did you do this test, at 50mw? Thank you
Yes, that's correct. The SMQV was set at 50 mW.
I have that exact same problem but when transmitter is still very close to receiver (5-10 metres). Do you have any idea what might be the problem? Many thanks in advance!
Without knowing the details of your system and setup, it is difficult to know what might be the cause of dropouts at close range. In some cases, you may have too much RF gain and this might desensitize your receiver and cause dropouts. RF gain is like audio gain - you want just the right amount, yet a lot of people use amplified antennas when the don't need them. Also, dropouts at close range can be due to a high level of reflections (RF bouncing off metal). If you are using an SRb, SRc, Venue or Venue 2 receiver, you may want to try Ratio Diversity to see if this helps with that issue.
I need a wireless mic system that can handle high dynamic sound such as live story telling performance, is there any product that can handle that? I tried rode wireless go, but it clips even I set at -24 db
Yes, the Lectrosonics wireless systems are known for wide dynamic range and low noise floor. Take a look at the L Series Kits for single-channel wireless systems with bodypack transmitter and lav mic: lectrosonics.com/zs-lrlmb-l-series-kit.html
@@lectrosonics sounds good, but the link has no detail about pricing and shipping
We don't sell direct - check with our retailers for pricing & shipping: Location Sound Corp, Trew Audio, TAI, Second City Sound, B&H, Gotham Sound
strange range 😀 Audio gain could impact on distance? why? :)
With any modern FM (Frequency Modulation)-based radio system, the receiver will squelch if the noise floor is too high. With the input gain set way too low, there is not enough signal (compared with the noise of the channel) and the receiver is not happy.
lectrosonics Later, i will happy! i hope :))
@@lectrosonics Interesting, I never knew that was a thing! How does it differentiate between a transmitter with the gain set correctly but with a quiet signal (e.g. someone whispering) and a signal where the transmitter gain is set too low?
When the gain is set properly, the carrier is modulated, even if just a little bit, by everything the transmitter mic picks up, meaning the noise floor is higher, thus, the receiver has something to grab onto.
@@lectrosonics thank you !
Hi, I use a Bose S1Pro speaker. Am a busker and need great sound and loud enough. I have a Shure microphone and an Xvive receiver, but plugged right into the speaker it does not give enough sound. I have had it for a few years now, could it be that it has lost signal? I wouldn't like to spend a lot of money right now, but I have no idea what to do next! Can one measure the signal in any way?