Hi all,
Complete newbie to both the forums and audio systems - so forgive me for my lack of knowledge (I also hope this is in the correct forum!).
Basically, we have an audio system already setup where this mic goes into an amplifier and then into some speakers.
The amplifier has 2 extra XLR slots, and I want to add 1 or 2 lapel or lavalier or face microphone to the amplifier as well. I've already read up that I can't connect 2 transmitters to the same receiver, so any new microphone that I buy will have to have its own receiver and transmitter.
Just for reference, the setup is for fairly large presentations in a large open room, this is not for musical purposes.
I've looked around for a while, but am confused by the specs, and value-for-money of mic systems available out there, and being a complete newbie, I don't want to buy a duff microphone system.
Ideally I'd like 2 microphones with 2 transmitters that connect to a single receiver box, but if that's not possible, or expensive, any recommendations of a single mic, single transmitter and single receiver setup would be appreciated.
Here are the requirements:
Just for reference, an example of what I found is this, but I'm unaware of the quality of the microphone since the specs don't mean anything to me, and I don't know the brand and/or if there are better options available.
Any help is appreciated - and yet again, apologies if I have posted this in the wrong area or included incorrect information!
Complete newbie to both the forums and audio systems - so forgive me for my lack of knowledge (I also hope this is in the correct forum!).
Basically, we have an audio system already setup where this mic goes into an amplifier and then into some speakers.
The amplifier has 2 extra XLR slots, and I want to add 1 or 2 lapel or lavalier or face microphone to the amplifier as well. I've already read up that I can't connect 2 transmitters to the same receiver, so any new microphone that I buy will have to have its own receiver and transmitter.
Just for reference, the setup is for fairly large presentations in a large open room, this is not for musical purposes.
I've looked around for a while, but am confused by the specs, and value-for-money of mic systems available out there, and being a complete newbie, I don't want to buy a duff microphone system.
Ideally I'd like 2 microphones with 2 transmitters that connect to a single receiver box, but if that's not possible, or expensive, any recommendations of a single mic, single transmitter and single receiver setup would be appreciated.
Here are the requirements:
- Receiver has volume control
- Can be either lapel/lavalier/face microphone
- Comparable quality to existing microphone system we have
Just for reference, an example of what I found is this, but I'm unaware of the quality of the microphone since the specs don't mean anything to me, and I don't know the brand and/or if there are better options available.
Any help is appreciated - and yet again, apologies if I have posted this in the wrong area or included incorrect information!
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Well, while you can use this without a mixer, I wouldn't. Most wireless mic receivers will allow you to switch to line level output, and that could feed your amp directly. I would work, but it's clumsy. Your better off with a little mixer between the mic and the amp. And if you have more than one mic, it's needed.
The mixer will allow you to mix more than one mic and to (important) do some EQ to help with sound quality and prevent feedback.
There are a number of powered speakers on the market now that do not need an sepearte amp. Mackie, JBL Eon, QSC, Yamaha, etc. You'll still want a mixer, tho.
FWIW, I've been doing exactly this since about 1995.
The mixer will allow you to mix more than one mic and to (important) do some EQ to help with sound quality and prevent feedback.
There are a number of powered speakers on the market now that do not need an sepearte amp. Mackie, JBL Eon, QSC, Yamaha, etc. You'll still want a mixer, tho.
FWIW, I've been doing exactly this since about 1995.
Hi, thanks for response. In that case, a mixer is probably a bit out of budget and scope, so with a single microphone/transmitter/receiver combo and a simple pre-amp like this, would that be a feasible setup? If so do you have any recommendations for the mic/receiver/transmitter combo?
Thanks!
Thanks!
There are wireless mic systems where the central receiver can handle several channels, but they are pricy, probably more expensive than two separate basic one mic systems.
Dual/Multiple Channel Wireless Handheld Microphone Systems - Full Compass
Dual/Multiple Channel Wireless Handheld Microphone Systems - Full Compass
i would like to know more about the amp and speakers the OP is using with his Audio Technica wireless mic, the best mic in the world can be made to sound like pooh if the downstream electronics and speakers are slathering crap....
i'm like minded with Pano without some form of mixer to allow multiple inputs(i.e. more then one mic) and the ability to set levels and EQ your dead in the water.
the Shure BLX system would require a mixer even though it's a dual channel system..
and the tube pre is really not what is needed in this instance.
i'm like minded with Pano without some form of mixer to allow multiple inputs(i.e. more then one mic) and the ability to set levels and EQ your dead in the water.
the Shure BLX system would require a mixer even though it's a dual channel system..
and the tube pre is really not what is needed in this instance.
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Hi all! Thanks for all the responses, definitely a lot to think about!
Some updates:
The amp I'm using is this one
(or some derivative version of that amp)
The speakers we are using I could not find a model number since I'm not tall enough So the brand is APart, and here's a picture of what they look like:
Some background as to what I'm doing:
I've been tasked with improving the audio system since the presenter can be difficult to understand/hear sometimes. Issues we have are:
- Feedback from microphone
- The room echoes and it can be difficult to understand
- If possible some form of realtime volume control for the presenter would be ideal so that they can adjust their volume quickly if the previous presenter spoke at a completely different volume to them (since the amplifier is difficult to use, and in a cabinet around the back which is difficult to get to).
So my thinking was that the microphone wasn't ideal since it was causing the feedback, and people had a tendency to hold the microphone at completely different distances, so having a fixed distance mic like a lapel/face/lavalier mic could help solve the problem I thought. For those same reasons, and the fact presenters speak at completely different volumes as well, and the amplifier is almost impossible to get to and almost impossible to find, is why I proposed the pre-amp, which would be placed next to the presenter for quick audio adjustment.
So with all of this said, I'm not sold on the lapel/lavalier/face microphone idea any more in terms of a value-for-money upgrade, because if we can upgrade the existing system, that sounds like a better option.
So if I was to add a mixer between the receiver of the existing mic and the amp, and fiddled around with the settings, I should be able to get a better sound to suit the room than what the amplifier could do by itself am I correct? It could also help with feedback I assume? It's worth noting the receiver already has a high-pass filter on it, but I haven't checked yet if it is enabled.
So with all that being said, it would still be ideal to have some (preferably wall-mounted and simple) volume controls for the microphone the presenter is using (the AudioTechnica one posted earlier in this thread). Is there a setup that is possible where there is a mixer to set up the microphone perfectly for the room, and an inline volume control of some sort to help the presenter get the correct volume?
I'm struggling to know what to look for if the volume control idea is feasible, since I don't know what's compatible, or what is the best/easiest/most-well-known solution to this problem.
Thanks for all the help
Some updates:
The amp I'm using is this one
(or some derivative version of that amp)
The speakers we are using I could not find a model number since I'm not tall enough
So the brand is APart, and here's a picture of what they look like:
Some background as to what I'm doing:
I've been tasked with improving the audio system since the presenter can be difficult to understand/hear sometimes. Issues we have are:
- Feedback from microphone
- The room echoes and it can be difficult to understand
- If possible some form of realtime volume control for the presenter would be ideal so that they can adjust their volume quickly if the previous presenter spoke at a completely different volume to them (since the amplifier is difficult to use, and in a cabinet around the back which is difficult to get to).
So my thinking was that the microphone wasn't ideal since it was causing the feedback, and people had a tendency to hold the microphone at completely different distances, so having a fixed distance mic like a lapel/face/lavalier mic could help solve the problem I thought. For those same reasons, and the fact presenters speak at completely different volumes as well, and the amplifier is almost impossible to get to and almost impossible to find, is why I proposed the pre-amp, which would be placed next to the presenter for quick audio adjustment.
So with all of this said, I'm not sold on the lapel/lavalier/face microphone idea any more in terms of a value-for-money upgrade, because if we can upgrade the existing system, that sounds like a better option.
So if I was to add a mixer between the receiver of the existing mic and the amp, and fiddled around with the settings, I should be able to get a better sound to suit the room than what the amplifier could do by itself am I correct? It could also help with feedback I assume? It's worth noting the receiver already has a high-pass filter on it, but I haven't checked yet if it is enabled.
So with all that being said, it would still be ideal to have some (preferably wall-mounted and simple) volume controls for the microphone the presenter is using (the AudioTechnica one posted earlier in this thread). Is there a setup that is possible where there is a mixer to set up the microphone perfectly for the room, and an inline volume control of some sort to help the presenter get the correct volume?
I'm struggling to know what to look for if the volume control idea is feasible, since I don't know what's compatible, or what is the best/easiest/most-well-known solution to this problem.
Thanks for all the help
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If you struggle with a lot of room echo you may want to consider some damping of the walls as a first line also. It may bring more improvements to your setup than new microphone.
I agree that a mixer in your setup would be ideal, eq is often needed for spoken word, especially if the acoustics are poor. If you’re in Europe you can have a look at thomann, they have some good budget lavalier setups you might consider. Though I would say, with poor acoustics, lavaliers are not certain to solve your problem if you struggle with acoustics.
I agree that a mixer in your setup would be ideal, eq is often needed for spoken word, especially if the acoustics are poor. If you’re in Europe you can have a look at thomann, they have some good budget lavalier setups you might consider. Though I would say, with poor acoustics, lavaliers are not certain to solve your problem if you struggle with acoustics.
Acoustic foam is being considered by another team member, so hopefully that aspect will go through.
Is there such thing as a single-mic mixer that will have all the controls mentioned by the others in this thread? The mic is connected to the amp through XLR so I'm assuming XLR input and output would be ideal, unless converters don't bring in loss in audio quality. The price of the mixers that you've already mentioned is so low that this doesn't really matter anyway though...
I'll have a look at Thomann, but as I said, I'm not so sure if lavalier would be worth the time and money anymore, when we can improve the existing setup.
If anyone still has any thoughts on the following that would be great also
"So with all that being said, it would still be ideal to have some (preferably wall-mounted and simple) volume controls for the microphone the presenter is using (the AudioTechnica one posted earlier in this thread). Is there a setup that is possible where there is a mixer to set up the microphone perfectly for the room, and an inline volume control of some sort to help the presenter get the correct volume?
I'm struggling to know what to look for if the volume control idea is feasible, since I don't know what's compatible, or what is the best/easiest/most-well-known solution to this problem."
If anyone also has any ideas for better solutions for the issues described in my previous post I'd love to hear them
Is there such thing as a single-mic mixer that will have all the controls mentioned by the others in this thread? The mic is connected to the amp through XLR so I'm assuming XLR input and output would be ideal, unless converters don't bring in loss in audio quality. The price of the mixers that you've already mentioned is so low that this doesn't really matter anyway though...
I'll have a look at Thomann, but as I said, I'm not so sure if lavalier would be worth the time and money anymore, when we can improve the existing setup.
If anyone still has any thoughts on the following that would be great also
"So with all that being said, it would still be ideal to have some (preferably wall-mounted and simple) volume controls for the microphone the presenter is using (the AudioTechnica one posted earlier in this thread). Is there a setup that is possible where there is a mixer to set up the microphone perfectly for the room, and an inline volume control of some sort to help the presenter get the correct volume?
I'm struggling to know what to look for if the volume control idea is feasible, since I don't know what's compatible, or what is the best/easiest/most-well-known solution to this problem."
If anyone also has any ideas for better solutions for the issues described in my previous post I'd love to hear them
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Unless you get into some pricey mixers, I can't think of a remote volume option. It could be built, but why not just put the mixer where the presenter can get to it. That's what I often do for unattended break-out rooms.
Feedback will always be a problem with a lav mic. You can lessen it by getting a cardioid pattern mic capsule, see what AT or Shure have available. That will be a big help toward clean sound. The simple mixers do have limited EQ, sometimes just enough to keep you out of feedback trouble. Beyond that you'd want more precise EQ and that costs money. Keeping the volume to a reasonable level also helps prevent feedback. Seems simple, bit a lot of people forget that.
Feedback will always be a problem with a lav mic. You can lessen it by getting a cardioid pattern mic capsule, see what AT or Shure have available. That will be a big help toward clean sound. The simple mixers do have limited EQ, sometimes just enough to keep you out of feedback trouble. Beyond that you'd want more precise EQ and that costs money. Keeping the volume to a reasonable level also helps prevent feedback. Seems simple, bit a lot of people forget that.
As far as a "head worn" mic, those are the most feedback resistant. More and more presenters are using them, but you'll still find a good number of people who are uncomfortable with them and prefer a lav. For casual use in a small room, the lavaliere is still king.
Something to think about and discuss with your crew.
Something to think about and discuss with your crew.
Thanks again!
I'll discuss the head worn and lavalier mics with my team and see what they think.
If I was to keep the single-mic setup that we've already got, and stuck a pre-amp with volume and gain control between the mic receiver and the amp, and lead the pre-amp to the front so the presenter could get to it, would that work? Are there any pitfalls I should be aware of with that? Bear in mind the main use of the pre-amp would be on-the-go volume control for non-technical users, but gain control and improved warmth and tonality is also a benefit (which is apparently what the pre-amp we are considering offers).
Part of the project is to make the system easier to use, and we're a little worried that putting a mixer next to a non-technical user might be a little intimidating. With that being said, as mentioned before, this is the pre-amp that I'm considering, but someone in this thread said that it might not be the best fit (it seems like the best fit to me...) - any ideas? If we were to get a different one if the idea works, then it should be mountable to the wall (we can 3d print a holder for it, but the inputs/outputs and the dials need to be on adjacent panels).
It's worth noting that we have bass and treble control on the amp, and if we get that pre-amp, it has gain control, so that should in theory be the full range of EQ, and high-pass is available on the receiver itself, so is a mixer still necessary?
Apologies for all the questions, but thanks for the help!
I'll discuss the head worn and lavalier mics with my team and see what they think.
If I was to keep the single-mic setup that we've already got, and stuck a pre-amp with volume and gain control between the mic receiver and the amp, and lead the pre-amp to the front so the presenter could get to it, would that work? Are there any pitfalls I should be aware of with that? Bear in mind the main use of the pre-amp would be on-the-go volume control for non-technical users, but gain control and improved warmth and tonality is also a benefit (which is apparently what the pre-amp we are considering offers).
Part of the project is to make the system easier to use, and we're a little worried that putting a mixer next to a non-technical user might be a little intimidating. With that being said, as mentioned before, this is the pre-amp that I'm considering, but someone in this thread said that it might not be the best fit (it seems like the best fit to me...) - any ideas? If we were to get a different one if the idea works, then it should be mountable to the wall (we can 3d print a holder for it, but the inputs/outputs and the dials need to be on adjacent panels).
It's worth noting that we have bass and treble control on the amp, and if we get that pre-amp, it has gain control, so that should in theory be the full range of EQ, and high-pass is available on the receiver itself, so is a mixer still necessary?
Apologies for all the questions, but thanks for the help!
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I havent tried the behringer unit but i have the Art equivalent and i would not suggest it for your use. It is OK as a cheap character pre for recording, but it is noisy if you increase the tube gain and it doesn't do much overall in my opinion.
I would rather consider a small mixer like Pano suggested. Something like this: the t.mix MicroMix 2 USB – Thomann Danmark
Would fit the bill and also let you connect music directly, control levels on stage and let you do some rudimentary eq. There are several equivalent mixers in that price range on thomann you can look at. With regards to intimidation of the eq, i would go for some basic settings that can remain unchanged for most uses and that should be OK. just put a sticker on it saying "only touch this button"
I would rather consider a small mixer like Pano suggested. Something like this: the t.mix MicroMix 2 USB – Thomann Danmark
Would fit the bill and also let you connect music directly, control levels on stage and let you do some rudimentary eq. There are several equivalent mixers in that price range on thomann you can look at. With regards to intimidation of the eq, i would go for some basic settings that can remain unchanged for most uses and that should be OK. just put a sticker on it saying "only touch this button"
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