Shure SLX-D Wireless Microphone System Review
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- Опубликовано: 7 июл 2024
- In today’s episode, we have a look at a new digital wireless microphone system from Shure - the SLX-D. This is a pro-level wireless system at an affordable entry price and which can expand as you need more channels. It is NOT mainly aimed at film production, with its 1/2 rack size receiver, but could be useful for studio and corporate video production which is my main source of income. Let’s dive in and take a closer look!
#SHURE #SLX-D #WirelessMicrophone
If you’d like to learn how to make great dialogue audio for your film and video projects, please have a look at my courses at school.learnlightandsound.com including processing dialogue audio in Adobe Audition and DaVinci Resolve/Fairlight, recording sound, how to use the Zoom F4, F6, F8, and F8n, and how to get the most from the Sound Devices MixPre series of recorders. Our latest course is Sound for Live Streaming with the ATEM Mini.
Gear used or mentioned in this episode. The links below are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Sweetwater, Pictureline or other affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases:
- Shure SLX-D Digital Wireless Microphone System - B&H geni.us/Skc87
- Shure TwinPlex Lavalier Microphones - B&H, Sweetwater geni.us/GI3A
- Sound Devices 888 Audio Recorder/Mixer - B&H, Sweetwater geni.us/zAryW4J
- GODOX SL-150II LED light for video and photography - Amazon geni.us/nBdQF Discount Claim Code: 05ORLTWY
- LAOFAS 41 in 120 cm Deep Soft Box - Amazon geni.us/uq8q6d
- Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K - B&H, Pictureline geni.us/uK8UqB
- Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS ART Lens - B&H, Pictureline, Amazon geni.us/bhOWVlW
Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself: geni.us/G7by
Copyright 2020, Curtis Judd
Index:
00:00 Start
0:13 Summary
0:23 Intro
1:38 What Not to Do
2:24 The UHF Advantage
6:03 Digital System Advantages
7:50 Features Overview, Pros/Cons
9:35 Practical Noise Floor Sample
11:09 Distance Test
13:40 Powering Options
15:07 Setup
16:30 Package Configurations
18:10 Regarding Latency
19:05 Build Quality and Controls
20:51 Potential Cons
22:28 Additional Notes
23:54 Please buy my courses
Note that Wireless Workbench support was added after this review was posted. 👍
So glad you covered this system.It's on the list for a group I'm working with, and it's nice to get a feel for how it works.
👍 Thanks Lloyd. Best wishes on choosing the right system for the group!
I know this is two years later but it was a great refresher for me to watch again! I ended up getting one of the slx-d products. Thanks for your consistent testing Curtis!
Glad it helped 👍
I just purchased this in march and I love it.
I’m a Professional Wedding DJ and when it comes to the ceremony I’m always on edge on worrying about something going wrong or drop outs with the mic.
Happy to say since I’ve figured out how to group scan and use it to its better potential that it’s a great product!
I’m always concerned to have the system close to the receiver as much as possible so seeing that 100 meters for the test was very helpful and give me a better idea of where I can set up at
I just purchased the Beta54 to go along with it for toasts and speeches for piece of mind and also 2 rechargeable battles and the dock.
Prior to this I was using the basic 300.00 Shure lapel system and SM58 wireless microphones. They were awesome but I did have some drop outs and issues that I’ve noticed but nothing significant.
Great video and thanks again!
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Amazing and thorough video. Thank you, Curtis!
Thanks Anthony!
Curtis, this system sounds excellent to my ears. Just as good as a quality shotgun microphone. Thanks for another great review!
Thanks R. S.
From watching your excellent review I have decided to buy one.
However ...
It appears that there are 4 SLX-D systems each covering a different spectrum of frequencies ...
I travel all around the world playing a bamboo flute in theatre sized venues ...
Which specific SLX-D system would you recommend ... the G59,H56,L56 or the S50 ?
Thank you for your time.
Yinka
These systems are 100% compatible with Wireless Workbench 6. I installed 16 of them today, and they're definitely a great bang for your buck(comparatively speaking) that's UHF reliabilty, interfaces with their older antenna distribution too.
They must have updated things. That's good news.
I can attest to this. SLX-D definitely works with WB.
Worth noting that you can purchase 1/2 wave antennas for this receiver unit to replace the 1/4 wave antenna it comes with. For $88 retail it’s a cost effective upgrade for range and reliability.
Love Shure equipment and have used many different series wireless systems over the years!
Thanks for the tip, M Peters!
some of the older sure wireless has lasted for decades. My old high school has probably 30-35 older sure units, most of which were in a rack case. I believe all the receivers worked even after 20+ years. They weren't our main but instead for productions that needed more than the 10 main Audio Technicas we had.
Wow! Yes, I get that impression - durable stuff.
Remote input gain control is supercool.
👍
Your Mixpre training course is awesome! Wish I had taken it long ago.
Thanks OTsuperduper! Glad to hear it was helpful!
A couple of notes as I run the next level up Shure...
1. Shure has a tool on their website to help you choose which frequency band works for you based on zip code in the US
2. If “let me make sure I have my rack packed” isn’t in your normal lexicon and you normally don’t have AC power, probably not the best solution for you.
Thanks John, appreciate the insights!
This system is my consumer dream
👍
Just to get a feeling for the 3,2 ms latency. In real life sound is travelling with around 343 meters per second. So 3,2 ms is equal to around 1 meter distance from the sound source (343/1000*3,2=1,0976). Standing next to each other and talking in a Covid-19 save distance of 2 meters has a latency of around 6,4 ms ;)
👍
Thanks for the review. I missed the deadline for Shure trade up program for K12 (614-638MHz) and M15 (662-686MHz) bands and now have 4 systems deem illegal to use in the US. Looks like I'll be buying the SLX-D to replace those.
I hope it works as well for you as it did for me.
Wow! Very nice system. Toys for big boys. 😁
Not just for the big boys - about the same price as a Sennheiser G4 lavalier kit. 😀
Thanks for the in depth review, trying to find one that works with shure wireless work bench
Ah yes, need to move up to one of the more expensive systems.
@@curtisjudd right your review saved me there. I’m going to look at the qlx d
Interesting timing! I’ve got a few channels of Shure ULXD wireless headed my way currently from USA, as I thought I’d give Shure a try. (especially as Shure Axient is getting more popular on the high end for tv/film shoots)
Solid equipment. Looking forward to hearing your impressions.
@@curtisjudd my "logic" (read: excuse for me to spend money and play with new gear) was:
1) fills in a 1RU space on my sound cart to add a couple of channels on top of the six channels the Lectrosonics Venue gives me, thus giving 8 channels in total which matches the 8 for a Sound Devices 833
2) gives me access to native support for Wireless Designer
3) these two channels scans the entire spectrum of RF that I normally use (Shure is surprisingly wideband in comparison to Lectro's narrowband wireless).
@@SoundSpeeding You've also almost convinced me! Good logic.
@@curtisjudd plus Shure gives other features that my Lectrosonics doesn't have: such as digital encryption! Perhaps I'll never need it? But nice to have that option if needed in the future.
(SLX-D doesn't have this though, yet another reason why ULX-D/QLX-D is better: service.shure.com/s/article/SLX-D-vs-QLX-D-wireless-system?language=en_US)
Your content is truly among the best in this field (in a very short list of “bests”). I have a silly question. I’ve been helping my friend with online learning for his small dojo. We record videos and he also conducts combined in-person and online classes using Zoom. I’ve been using the Senal SCI-3212 and the Tascam DR-10L for recording, and he’s just been using his laptop for Zoom. He got a small grant through the city so we’d like first to improve the quality of Zoom audio. I’m looking into a wireless mic system (I was thinking sth like Shure BXL14?) with an audio interface like the Audient EVO 4. But I’m wondering if there are any wireless options that can be used for both recording and live audio? We could justify spending more on a dual-purpose device. (I’m sure this question accurately reflects my novice status, LOL...but thank you again for your top-notch content. It has made the biggest difference to us in these trying times.)
The combination you suggested should work nicely. It could also work for live if you split the output from the receiver to both the audio interface and PA system. That setup is a bit more complex and I'd need to understand more of the details, but it should be possible.
I don't know if this is simply expected with wireless systems but I could hear the noise floor and it seemed to be a a somewhat distracting level for sound for video. But that's just my take, great vid as always
Thanks for the feedback. It was likely the fans in the various lights.
it's been 2 years but let me answer to this one: I have this system here for a test - the SLX-D and a TwinPlex TL47. And yes, there is a relatively high noise floor. I was surprised to hear a similar noise floor (in respect to the SNR) with this system compared to a way cheaper system like a RØDE mobile system with way cheaper microphones. Yes there is a difference (in that the Shure system is a bit quieter) but not a lot.
I'm actually quit impressed by how low the noise floor in this video example is! Because Curtis is speaking at a low volume in a calm way, so the mic doesn't have a lot to pick up.
I will experiment with different positions (i haven't tried UNDER my shirt yet - that might be a big difference!).
thank you for this video - i really like you calm way of describing things a lot. i appreciate your efforts because i know how much time it takes to make it look and sound so good and easy :)
The Shure SLXD is compatible with Wireless Workbench 6.
I have 3 sets of this system, and it works great.
Nice that they added that!
@@curtisjudd, that is true, and it works good with Wireless Workbench.
Hello!!! great video and review !!!! thanks so much... i have a question for you:) Can you have the body pack active and also the hand Microphone using one SLXD4 Receiver/Transmiter box or can you only user one at a time . i want to the get combo set. thanks again great video!!!!
Need a separate receiver for each mic.
Wow! Thank you for another great video!
Does UHF normally has longer range than WiFi?
Yes, typically it does at equal power.
@Sasuntidictous Rhoireiphapos Thanks for the RF details!
hey curtis, curious if you plan on getting your hands on the new slxd5 receiver or slxd3 plugon transmitter? direct competitor to the deity theos lineup?
I have a kit sitting here and I'm getting ready to test it out in the next few weeks. 👍
This recording has a relatively high white-ish noise in the background. Wonder which link in the audio chain/signal path that contributed the most (acoustic noise, mic to transmitter input, Lossy codec compression, receiver output to recorder)
It was mostly the fans in the lights used to light the scene.
I have to agree with many commenters. This sounds way better than expected. I typically hate the sound of lav mics, and only use them when convenience must be prioritized. But this sounds warm and full, not unlike one would expect from a well placed boom mic. For many years I've used a Shure GLX in combination with a Countryman E6 headset on tour in theaters and auditoriums. It held up across five continents of travel. I really trust Shure when it comes to wireless systems.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
The latest WWB6 (6.13.3) do support SLX-D for offline coordination.
Interesting, thanks for that. Strangely, when Shure launched this just a few weeks ago they were careful to clarify no Wireless Workbench support.
Curtis If you’re using a wireless system that has a 19 ms delay does that matter if you’re applying time code to it?
Hi Navarre, yes, potentially. You may need to apply an offset in post.
Curtis, do you have a video on how you normally hide lav mics?
Yes: ruclips.net/video/RxcQz4VFGXA/видео.html
Can you do a tutorial for wireless microphone to mixer podcasting? 🙏
Hi Gamal. Tell me a bit more about what you're trying to accomplish. Will see what we can do! Thanks!
Dear Curtis, please review the new Sennheiser EW-D system which is in the same price tier as the SLX-D.
Hi Alexey, that'd be good, I'd like to. But I don't have access to an EW-D system at the moment. Perhaps in the future.
you are a great master of spiritual light / sound! i have been following you for a year . i need your help for a system for a house of worship ?
You may want to contact me via email which you can find on the About tab on my RUclips channel.
A (possibly unusual) problem that I've ran into is international compatibility; we do recording in more or less random countries with wildly varying regulatory doctrines with regard to spectrum. Renting mics everywhere is very expensive, so we've been looking at purchasing a system that travels with us. However, it seems like the choices boil down to either frustratingly low-end 2.4GHz systems that work unlicensed everywhere, or systems with very wide spectrum radios and can fit into most jurisdiction's frequency allocations but may require licensing. Do you have any suggestions for this use case?
Hi Benjamin, I hear this. I haven't been in the same situations only because 99% of my work is in the same country so I don't have any specific experience to share. But perhaps there are others here who can help.
Why not hedge your bets and do both? Get for instance Wisycom that is very wide and UHF, but also get a couple of Deity Connect kits as well “just in case”.
hi buddy.. how compare this slxd vs sennheiser ew g4 series for sound quality? Which one will you more prefer? For electric guitar wireless.
I’d prefer the SHURE.
@@curtisjudd thanks sir, I’ll bought slxd.
Always appreciate extreme tests - thank you, Curtis. I am curious if anyone would happen to know if an item of this sort can be powered by a portable supply. I have seen portable AC supplies by a company called Goal Zero, but I don't know if this is practical. - Dave
Yes, for the 400Wh and larger Goal Zeros, they should be able to power a couple of channels without an issue.
Teacher of Teachers : from memory, doesn’t the 1/2 RU TX take 12V? (correction: 15V? Thus you’ll need to step up the voltage from the usual 12V out of a BDS) You don’t need to use AC if you don’t want to.
@@SoundSpeeding Thanks for steering me to some additional info I didn't have!
@@teacherofteachers1239 always best to skip AC if you can go straight DC powering! If you need to power them on location that is.
What will be the difference between one of these SLX models versus a Shute u4d or ur4d wireless mic from yesteryear? I’m debating whether I should get a shure U4D dual rackmount unit or not versus getting one of these modern mics.
Great question but I’m not sure since I haven’t worked with the U4D.
I'd expect the SLX-D series to sound better, but the UR4D could be a little bit more reliable. That would be my guess/assumption.
If reliability is very important for you, then get the Shure Axient Digital series.
For short films, and low budget features, I currently have 2 TL47s and will be running a Rode NTG5 as a boom. Is this a receiver system that would be inline with that level of production? Or is there something else that would be more fitting in your opinion? The mics are going into an F8N field recorder. Thanks in advance Curtis.
Hi Rick, yes, the twinplex lavaliers should work great. I don't believe the SLX-D system includes an XLR plug-on transmitter with phantom power so it wouldn't work for the NTG5, unfortunately. Alternatives depend largely on your budget.
@@curtisjudd that's unfortunate. I would be in the budget close to the Sennheiser AVX system. I'm certainly below the A10 system you brought insight to in another video.
@@curtisjudd and on that note, is there any sense in using a cheap set of external recorders, to individually record the lavs, since the budget for the film is small and generally not going over a 2 shot in the script with mic'd talent given the limitations on lav and boom equipment. Just throwing it out there, might not make any sense
@@rickhickman2730 If the boom is your primary audio and the lavaliers are just backup, then yes, body pack recorders can work. The problem with them is you never know if you're getting clothing rustle or other issues until you are done with the shoot. But if they're just there for backup and doing retakes is ok, they're fine.
Wireless Workbench support is being added soon!
That would be amazing! 👍
Great video! Right now i'm using Shure SM58+Zoom H4N PRO but i really dislike its sound:( Can anyone recomend +/- 200€ mic for podcasts and game streaming. Mbe Lewitt LCT 240 or Audio Technica AT875R?
If you're going to have the mic on camera, the Lewitt. If you don't want it in the frame, the AT, but it will be farther away and pick up a bit more room noise.
@@curtisjudd big thanks! I really love your tutorials and review's:)
Hi Curtis. I'm a dancer and planning to begin teaching 1 on 1 online and group dance lessons in my small living room. i'm converting my living room into my dance studio. This Shure SLX-D interest me. I have a focusrite2i2 that can be used as the audio interface because I want the audio going through zoom or OBS. i know this video is almost 2 years ago. Do you recommend this for my new entrepreneurial business?
Yes, seems like a good fit for your situation.
@@curtisjudd I just checked the price and I'm just starting out without a big budget. Can you recommend a comparable product that cost less but get's the job done.?
@@LooseJointhiphopdance the Shure SLX-D is their ultra affordable series, their entry point to UHF wireless.
Perhaps look for them secondhand?
Although, your needs are so modest and nondemanding, you could possibly get away with say the cheap Deity Pocket Wireless.
Pair it then with a cheap cheap headset lav. such as the Nady HeadMic HM-10 or Sennheiser ME 3 or Galaxy Audio HSM4
i am buying more and more equipment . cannot stand the temptation . :)
Oh no! I'm trying to cover some mid-range gear which is good enough to last a long, long time so you don't need to keep buying. 😀
Curtis Judd please tell me not to buy a cartoni tripod 🙈🤨 but anyway if you will be in Israel and will need to record audio you know where to find the equipment 😋😊😆
@@AlexTseitlin Do not buy a Cartoni tripod. But if you do, it should last you a lot of years. 😀
Curtis Judd I tried the cartoni heads the are awesome 😎 but I have 2 manfroto heads 🤨😊
Curtis Judd what software do you use for your video courses ?
You didnt cover this but is there a localised backup recording with the wireless pack? I feel like this is nearly free option that everyone should build to. Either you are using 2.4 GHz and need the redundancy because you are likely going to have issues with audio if you push the limits or you are on the clock and producing work; thus it is even more costly to shoot if (human) errors happen.
That would be great, but sadly, in the US a company named Zaxcom has a patent on the concept (wireless lavalier bodyback doubling as a recorder).
@@curtisjudd shame that us patents thought this was something that could/should be patentable. This seems like a common practice, that you would want to record locally and not risk any corruption.
Probably no way to easily reverse the 2010 patent (they seem to have filed a few too many, about similar aspects of local vs transmitted recordings)
@@dragade101 Agreed. In 2010, neither small recorders nor body pack lavalier transmitters were novel technologies. In that light, combining the two seems a bit of a stretch for patent protection in my opinion. My take is that patent protection makes sense when a business has invested massive amounts of R&D to develop a new technology. While I'm sure Zaxcom had to do some engineering work, it would NOT seem like a massive amount of work given that the two technologies were already pretty mature.
@@curtisjudd
It looks like Litke filed for a 1964 patent (US # 3134074) for the first wireless microphone. Surely having 55 years of development means this tech isnt nonobvious, esp when you want to add redundancy. Not sure how Zaxcom could swing that.
It seems Deity found a workaround, as their firmware update enables this functionality.
In the meantime they have added wireless workbench funktionality to this system. So one less con.
That's great news!
Hi Curtis, i have a request will you please review Sennheiser MD 431 II sometime in future 🙏
Would love to if I can source one.
@@curtisjudd Geeat. Thanks!
Could make a lesson on how you made this footage in your video from minute 9:37 to 10:52
Yes: ruclips.net/video/a1F-7f-IryY/видео.html
It wouldn't have cost Shure anything extra to make the antenna on the body pack user replaceable.
My experience suggests that it probably would cost more, but the question is whether it would have been substantial enough to drive the price up to maintain margin. OR, it may also be that they’re trying to differentiate product lines with replaceable antennas only appearing on the next product tier.
have you heard of the system Mine Q8? wanted to know something about it THX haha
Not until you mentioned it. It is a livestream encoder?
@@curtisjudd yes and heard that it supports HDMI and SDI simultaneously. Didn't know why I came below video and make an irrelevant comment but anyways xD thanks again.
@@roastmandig_9075 Looks pretty cool!
Disassembling and reverse engineering IKEA battery brand is a thing on the internet. Varies over time but it’s been things like Eneloop and Volta’s best OEM batteries. From time to time ikea has extremely good quality battery per price... so “just an ikea battery” makes no sense as they’re often top notch batteries. Nitpick :)
Sorry, "just" Ikea batteries as in, "I didn't go to extraordinary lengths to procure boutique batteries that aren't available to the general public but are worlds better than every other battery out there..." 😉 I agree, they're great batteries. They power most things longer than my eneloop pros.
Curtis Judd sorry if It sounded attacking, I must have been on a bad day. I love your content and everything you publish. IKEA’s battery is just one of the weird parts of overly discussed/debated internet topics :) they are fun and weird since you don’t know what you are getting and it’s constantly changing. In the geocaching community and other places people are weirdly obsessed with batteries people have repeatedly ran out and bought in bulk at various times when their batteries where extraordinary good ones for the price. It’s a bit insane they can buy a few billion of the best batteries and sell them for like 10 or 25% of brand name price.
@@randomgeocacher No, not at all! I bought them because I had heard they were basically white label Panasonic cells. They're working great! I highly recommend them.
@@curtisjudd I believe they're basically the same as Eneloop Pro batteries.
Same rating, and reportedly the same factory. I bought a few sets through Ikea mail order, and they're holding up well. They weigh a fraction of a gram to the eneloop pro (< 0.25g difference), so that supports that theory.
@@chakerian Good stuff.
Great Video.. This is a little out of my budget. How would the RODELINK System with AC powered Receiver Base possibly fare? I've been looking at this since I like that the the different Tx and Rx units are interchangeable ( As far as research has shown me) . So that in theory I can adapt as the need arises.
The RODELink seems to work well if you are working with one or two channels. But people tend to run into dropout issues when trying to run more than that, especially in areas where there's a lot of 2.4GHz activity (WiFi, Bluetooth, cordless phone, etc.)
@@curtisjudd Thanks for taking the time to respond. I take it that you still have the Rodelink Performer kit. I need a "wireless handheld mic" anyways and was thinking it would be convenient to have an entire interchangeable eco system. I'm thinking to get the Tx XLR and just attach a mic to that when I need it. The biggest push for me to the performer kit is the desktop Receiver and if that unit paired with any of the other transformers would offer a good increase in performance over the battery powered receiver.
@@kenyontech 👍
Are the mic capsules interchangeable?
This does not come with lavalier microphones. You have to buy them separately. You can buy any lavalier which is wired for Shure wireless units so that is almost any pro level lavalier.
The handheld capsules are interchangeable. Shure sells SM58, Beta58a, Beta87A and KSM capsules separately which thread on to the top of the handheld transmitter. This makes it possible to change or upgrade the capsule in the future.
How’s the interference? Congregations in California are not allowed to do services indoors, they are all out doors and there is a relatively big concentration of phones in a small area.
I didn't run into any problems but I haven't stress tested it yet due to the pandemic - our office is closed for the time being.
I run the next higher level system (QLX) but with the same freq band and have never had an issue...
@@johnbaker8512 John, I'm curious, what are the output power specs on the QLX body pack TX units? I'm curious if they're the same 1 and 10W.
Curtis Judd Same 1mW and 10mW spec from the SLX. On either one... if you have “talent” using them, I would make sure to set the transmitter lock so no one messes with your settings or turns it off on you.
Curtis Judd you need to step up to the ULXD to get the higher power transmitters, which is what I’ve done.
Works for Joe Rogans podcast. Isn’t this the very same mic
Not sure, but seems reliable enough for a show with that many viewers.
Ned Studios from the looks of it I’d assume all his podcast mics are hardwired, like podcasts usually are.
@@SoundSpeeding Oh I see. I think Ned is thinking the Shure SM7B. Yes, same company but not the SLX-D wireless system. That SM7B is probably hard wired.
Can this work at a wedding ?
If you have a portable rack or table for the receiver, and AC power, then yes. But the receivers are just too large for sound bags.
Rode Go in the garbage bag. Shure in the shopping bag.
Hahaha! I hope the SLX-D works better for you!
@@curtisjudd First 3 events done. Perfect connection. No drops at all. But I am not totally sure about my settings. Should I set the transmitter to low, for simple panel discussion setup with no more than 10 people in the room in total and always a straight line of sight to the talent no more than 5 meters away from the receiver. They are wearing the transmitter on the back though. I have done all 3 gigs on high, but this only gives me 3-4 hours battery life, which makes everything a little too tight time wise.
@@phcphcphc Congrats! I'd do some tests, but in many cases, the low power setting should work in those circumstances unless you've got some nearby TV stations competing with you or some other RF source.