Look, I get it. You’re a busy filmmaker, a videographer who’s hustling, a visual visionary who needs to create; your talents should be applied to your art, not worrying about the tedious specifics of sound recording. Still, you’ve accepted the reality that without decent audio quality, people won’t take your productions seriously. Since budget constraints sometimes prevent you from hiring a dedicated audio engineer—and using anything more than your camera—you find audio-related responsibilities falling on you with increasing frequency, but nobody taught you about the kooky wireless stuff that all the engineers use. So here you are, thinking to yourself, “What’s the minimum that I need to know about this wireless business to get by? No, I DON’T want to become a nerdy scientist of sound. I don’t care about the indescribable subtleties of sonic greatness or the audio battles waged throughout human history; no, I DON’T want a separate field recorder; I just want to know ENOUGH.” Like I said, I get it. Consider this a guide to the basics of wireless audio for YOU.
Why Wireless?
If you haven’t already reached this conclusion, let it be known: wireless microphone systems are an unavoidable reality in film and video production. Why aren’t the built-in microphones on cameras the go-to method? Due to their design and distance from the subjects, they don’t capture sound with the quality demanded by everyone and their grandparents. Wireless mic systems allow you to get higher-quality microphones very close to your subject while sending audio to your recording device (probably a camera of some sort) wirelessly, at a distance. Better sound and “no wires!” Well, your wireless setup will probably still have a short cord between the mic and the transmitter, and another one between the receiver and your camera. So, don’t go into this expecting the complete absence of cables.
Required Components in a Wireless System
Although there are innumerable wireless systems for all kinds of applications, for the purpose of recording dialogue, a wireless system needs three components: a microphone, a transmitter, and a receiver. The microphone will convert the sound into signal that the transmitter can transmit (wirelessly) to the receiver, then the receiver will receive it and output it to your camera. Forgive me if this is common knowledge, but you’ll want to have the microphone close to the talent for the best clarity and intelligibility. Since the microphone is frequently attached to the subject and the microphone needs to connect physically to the transmitter, the transmitter will also be on the subject. Considering that the receiver will connect to your camera, it should be located on your shooting rig.
Recommended Wireless Microphone Systems
There are several wireless microphone systems designed for maximum simplicity and a “set it and forget it” mentality. This RØDE Wireless GO kit, this Sennheiser XSW-D set, and the Saramonic Blink 500 B1 are examples of such systems. If you use a camera with XLR inputs, check out the self-configuring Sennheiser AVX-ME2 SET. Or you could consider the Sony UWP-D21. Why? Out of the box, it’s user-friendly and straightforward, with NFC syncing and automatic gain control, but also has more advanced functionality, including variable muting and channel memory. Those systems come with a clip-on lapel mic, a bodypack transmitter, and a camera-mount receiver, so each is well equipped for similar uses.
The aforementioned systems operate in different frequency bands such as UHF, 1.9 GHz, and 2.4 GHz, but comparing those is outside the scope of this article. Just know that with more and more devices operating in the same frequency zone, you’re increasing the likelihood of interference. For your information, Bluetooth and some Wi-Fi technologies work in the 2.4 GHz band, many cellphones and newer cordless phones sit in the 1.9 GHz band, and lots of TV and radio devices hang out in the UHF zone.
Essential Settings
Imagine unboxing a newly purchased wireless microphone system… It has that new-system smell and it gives you a glimmer of excitement; this is it, now you’re set! Not so fast, partner. Even if you bought an all-inclusive wireless system, your audio worries are not a thing of the past. There are settings and considerations that may require your initial or continued attention.
For starters, some transmitters and receivers come already paired or “synced” from the factory, while others require you to do it. If your components feature an automatic sync function, initiate it. Otherwise, you’ll have to set your transmitter and receiver manually to the same channel. If you end up experiencing interference while on that channel, you should change them both to a different channel.
Another crucial element that you should never forget about is gain, an adjustment used to control the audio signal level. Whenever the audio signal is too loud, you can expect unpleasant distortion. Conversely, when the audio is too quiet, the noise, hum, and hiss are likely to overpower the voice you’re recording. In many cases, the audio gain can be changed at transmitter, receiver, and camera, and yes, it does matter where you change the gain. For example, if distortion occurs at the transmitter because its gain is maxed out, lowering the gain at the receiver and camera won’t fix the issue. Nope, doing so would just turn down the volume of the already distorted signal, but it would remain distorted. So, each gain stage needs to be adjusted to prevent distortion and avoid noise as much as possible. Also, please, PLEASE listen to your audio through headphones to make sure it sounds clean.
Troubleshooting
Once your wireless system is up and running, there are still other factors that can be real showstoppers. Effectively troubleshooting them will allow you to get back on the right track when you do inevitably encounter problems.
You must accept the reality that your location or environment can have a massive impact on the performance of your wireless microphone system. Barriers and miscellaneous obstructions (including the human form) between the transmitter and receiver will reduce the maximum operating range of your system, and can cause signal dropouts. So, try to maintain an open, unobstructed, line-of-sight view between the transmitter and receiver. Things you can’t see are also suspect. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth-enabled devices, TV transmitters, AM/FM radio signals, clumps of power cables, and other wireless microphone systems are some of the many common causes of interference. So, try to avoid placing your system close to them.
Since most camera-mount wireless mic systems are battery powered, keep a stock of spare batteries or charge up internal batteries. Sure, dead batteries are the worst, but weak batteries are also bad because they can cause interference in some systems. Watch out for faulty or intermittent cables, too. I strongly suggest investing in a backup supply of replaceable batteries, cables, and adapters. You will need them sooner AND later.
Conclusion
Having read this article, you should now be able to set up and operate a basic wireless microphone system without taking a night class or consulting a guru. If you find yourself wanting to know more, start with this video and check out additional relevant content here. Have questions or thoughts about your entry into wireless audio for video? Let us know in the Comments section, below.
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