Things to look for when buying a cordless microphone
Wireless microphones have numerous uses, from amateur to
professional, from bars and clubs to educational institutions
and churches. A good, reliable wireless microphone system can be
an excellent addition to any of the mentioned locations, but it
can also be used on stage, during a concert, a prize contest,
announcing a play or for karaoke. Radio and TV stations often
use such cordless microphones with great success. There are
several frequency ranges in which you can get a microphone: VHF,
UHF and Giga Hertz. Cordless microphones may also take shapes
like hand held wireless microphones or clip-on microphones.
Advantages and potential problems of cordless microphones
When looking for a cordless microphone, one of your main
concerns has to address the mobility range that the device will
offer. Although the absence of a cord gives the person holding
the microphone more freedom, this must also translate in the
distance you can use the microphone, in relation with the
wireless receiver. A good wireless microphone will allow a club
DJ, for example, to leave his mixing desk and walk on the dance
floor with the mic in hand, without experiencing any signal loss
or quality problems. Also look for battery life specifications -
it's better to get a cordless microphone that has a battery
level indicator on it, so as to get early warning and not be
surprised by a sudden battery failure in the middle of a speech.
In fact, batteries used to be one of the biggest disadvantages
of older cordless microphones: they were heavy and had a short
life. Today, however, you can expect to get dozens of hours of
battery life and most wireless hand held microphones are
actually lightweight.
A few popular wireless microphone models
VHF performance gear microphones are the least expensive in the
line of semi professional and professional microphones. They
work well in a wide area, but you cannot expect extreme
recording environments to produce high quality results. Such
microphones are, however, suitable for 80% of all sound
recording situations. Fixed frequency UHF units are another
popular choice for many musicians and even for educational
institutions. They come with a series of microphone types, such
as cardioid, super cardioid or omni directional. Broadcast
quality UHF models are usually used in award shows, TV shows and
other high-end locations. They offer agile frequency responses
and excellent ambient noise cancellation filters.