Advice

On 1 January 2013 a line-in-the-sand is being drawn for the legal use of many wireless microphone systems widely used in churches, schools, pubs and clubs across the UK. According to national specialist retailer and installer EAV Pro Audio, up to 75% of users may be unaware of an impending change in the law, which could directly affect them.

Following the ‘digital switchover’ this year, some of the radio frequencies currently used by wireless microphones are being re-allocated to allow the broadcast of Freeview television signals and new 4G mobile technologies. The knock-on effect is that many wireless microphones legally in use today will conflict with these signals and will therefore be outlawed come the New Year deadline.

EAV managing director, Glyn Chapman said, “We’re shocked by just how little awareness there is amongst users about the upcoming changes in the law.” He went on to say, “in our experience, up to three quarters of users don’t understand the changes, let alone know if their equipment will be compliant come 2013.”

Not all equipment will be affected by the changes, but the technicalities can be complicated by the number of microphones in use, the location and frequency settings currently in use. EAV urge all wireless users to seek professional advice if they haven’t already.

Talking about how people can check their compliance with the law, Glyn said, “we urge people to use our online equipment checker or call us for free advice if they are concerned - we’re always happy to help demystify the complexities of the technology!”

Wireless microphone users can check their compliance by using the special free tool or by calling 0845 125 9409 and talking to one of EAV’s specialists, again free of charge.

EAV Pro Audio have been supplying wireless microphone systems to Schools and other educational establishments for over ten years. We understand that 99% of schools don’t have a massive budget for their audio requirements, yet still require a large amount of professional sounding gear for that tiny budget. When it comes to wireless microphone systems you can easily pay £500 plus for a quality unit and when you have a school production needing 12 radio mics, this can cripple even biggest of budgets. Not only that, kids will have accidents (as well as adults, looking at the teachers here) and replacing microphones/lapels/headsets for these types of systems can cost an awful lot therefore, a top of the range expensive radio microphone may not be the most economical choice.

If it’s just a single wireless microphone system is required, we have professional entry level systems that come in at around £100 pounds per unit. These systems are perfect for when purse strings are very tight. All of our major manufacturers like Sennheiser, Audio Technica, Trantec, Shure and AKG offer systems at this level and you have the selection of handheld, lapel, headset and even instrument systems. Give us a call on 0845 125 9406 or email us at sales@e-av.co.uk and we can recommend which system would suit your school best. To view a selection of our systems, take a look at our wireless microphone page.

If it’s multiple wireless microphones you require to cope with large school productions, we have a great range of racked and ready wireless microphones that offer you multiple radio mics that are racked up in a quality flightcase with antennae distribution and all you need to do is plug them in to your mixing desk and you are ready. From 4-way racks up to 12-way systems, we have something that will allow your school to become fully wireless. Trantec pioneered this racked format and are still our biggest selling racked N Ready wireless microphone supplier. They do three different racks ranging from their entry level systems to their theatre professional units. These are all built by Trantec on our behalf and then we ship them directly to you. If you want to look at another manufacturer of racked up wireless mics then we actually build Audio Technica, Shure and Sennheiser systems in-house and ship them fully tested. We do a variety of ranges that cover most budgets. Again, if you need some advice on which systems will do the job for you, just call or email us. Our website shows the different systems that are available so check out our Racked and Ready Wireless Microphone page.

Providing budget wireless microphones for schools shouldn’t just be about giving them an unbranded pile of rubbish to save a few pounds. We can help your school get the most out of your money and feel secure that you have spent it on a wireless microphone system that will last and provide a quality that is needed. As with all schools and education establishments, once you decide you would like to place an order, we will be happy to invoice you providing an official purchase order is sent over.

As many of you know, the EAV sales team pride themselves on their customer care and are always looking for better ways to help make people be sure that what they are buying is the right choice. Let’s be honest, the world of pro audio is not the cheapest world to live in. A decent microphone will cost you anywhere from £69 to £1000’s and you need to know that your money is going to a product that will bring something extra to your sound.

So because of this, EAV have started to create their own “Overview” videos of the products and ranges that they sell. These are not the one sided glamorous and glitzy manufacturer’s videos that you will see on their sites, but rather Dave sitting down with the product in his hands and giving you brief but informative slice of product pie (sorry, not sure where that came from). The aim is to get a couple of new videos each week and cover some of new and exciting products as they are released. As this is being typed the first in a series of Budget Wireless Microphone systems videos are being produced. But for now, here’s one on the brand new Allen & Heath ZED60-10FX we posted last week;

Whenever a new video is live it will be posted straight to our EAV Pro Audio Youtube channel and linked over to our EAV Facebook page. We will post any video’s of products directly on the product pages for people to watch also.

Audio Technica make great quality wireless microphones systems for all levels. They have their 700 series, 2000 series & 3000 series that all offer great features and a professional system. So the question is. . .

What's the difference between the 700, 2000 & 3000 range of Audio Technica wireless microphones?

Well, below is a table that outlines the main differences between the ranges and clears up a few things. If you have any questions about the Audio Technica range of radio mics, just give us a call. To view the full range of wireless microphones we have to offer, including Audio Technica, just click on this Wireless Microphone link. If you just wish to take a look at only the Audio Technica series of radio mics, just click here

Everyone knows there are big changes happening to the wireless microphone frequencies at the moment. With channels 61 to 69 being taken away from radio mic users in December of this year and channel 38 replacing the old channel 69 shared band. With all these changes come many new questions regarding things like;

1) Do I need a license to run my systems?
2) Will my wireless microphone work after 2012?
3) What frequencies should I be using
4) Which license do I need

If those are questions you would like answering, take a look at our wireless microphone frequency checker page, you will get the answers you require. Another big question we often get asked is ‘How Many wireless microphones can I run at once?’ Now the answer to this question relies on a number of things. The first being on which frequency band do you mean? If it’s the free band of channel 70 then you can ‘current’ run up to four wireless microphones simultaneously on this band. Now I say ‘currently’ because no one know exactly how channel 70 will be affected once the mobile broadband technology moves in to channels 61 to 69. There is a chance that channel 70 may be affected by this technology and depending on where you are in the country, you may find channel 70 very limited if at all usable. The problem is, no-one can say for sure until after 2012 when channels 61-69 are occupied.

If you wish to know how many wireless microphones can be used in the new shared band of channel 38 then this is the current best information we can give. Some manufactures claim they can fit 12 wireless microphones running simultaneously within channel 38, others say they wouldn’t spec more than 8. Personally, I think 10 systems can be tuned with enough space in-between them to run comfortably on channel 38.

Remember, channel 38 is designed for people moving from venue to venue, if you are based at a fixed location, I would be looking at buying a fixed license and purchasing a block of frequencies that only you can use in your area. These channels are a little smaller than channel 38 (8MHz instead of 12 MHz) and you can run around 8 systems on each of these channels.

If you have any further questions about wireless microphone frequencies, just give us a call and we will do all we can to help.

As many of you know, in December of this year, there are going to be some big changes to the frequencies available for wireless microphone users. For many of you it means parting with some cash and replacing your wireless microphones. For people that only use one or two systems, you may be able to tune them within channel 70 which is, and will continue to be, free to use. Before these changes were announced, most people bought wireless microphones that include the frequencies of channel 69 and 70. Channel 69 is being sold off but channel 70 isn’t therefore, using the frequencies we have listed below, you may be able to re-tune your units and continue to run them past 2012. Channel 70 is a small band and you can fit a maximum of four wireless microphones on it.

Here is a list of our biggest selling wireless microphones. Please take a look at the bands they run on, if your systems are on this band, you will be able to tune in to channel 70. If you have any questions or your wireless systems are not listed, just give us a call or drop us an email. Alternatively, use or Wireless Microphone Frequency Checker tool.

Wireless Systems with a numbered display

These systems show a number or letter on the receiver rather than a specific frequency

ATW1600 Series – F Band – Tune to: C (863.125MHz), D (863.375), E (864.125MHz) or F (864.375MHz) .

ATW2000 Series – F Band – Tune to: 1 (863.1MHz), 2 (863.5MHz), 3 (864.1MHz) or 4 (864.9MHz) .

ATW700 Series – F Band – Tune to: 1 (864.9MHz), 2 (864.5MHz), 3 (863.5MHz) or 4 (863.1MHz) .

Frequency Displayed Systems.

The following units actually show you the frequency they are tuned to on the receiver.

ATW3000 Series – F Band – Tune to: 863.1, 863.5, 864.1 and/or 864.9MHz.

Sennheiser EW100 & EW300 (G1,G2,G3) E Band – Tune to 863.1, 863.5, 864.1 and/or 864.9MHz.

Trantec S5 series – D Band - Tune to 863.1, 863.5, 864.1 and/or 864.9MHz.

If the changes are confusing you or you want any futher information, please call our sales team. We are happy to help you with all your wireless microphone problems.

EAV have just launched their wireless microphone frequency checker. This online feature will allow users to gain all the information they need to be confident their current wireless systems or potential new wireless systems are future proof from the 2012 frequency changes.

By filling in the quick 8 question form, the EAV team will get back to you within one working day with all the info you will need regarding your systems. We will let you know which frequency bands are available for you to use in your area, which license (if any) would be suitable for you and whether your current systems will be usable past December 2012.

We are encouraging all wireless microphone users to take the two minutes it takes to fill in the form to do so. Whether you already have your systems or you are looking in to replacing your radio mics, we could offer some advice that may save you some cash or at least put your mind at rest that you are spending your money on the right equipment.

We are being asked many questions recently regarding wireless mics and the frequency changes such as;

• Will my current radio microphones work past 2012?
• Can I add more wireless microphones to my current set up?
• What frequency should I be running my wireless microphones on?
• Do the wireless microphone changes affect my systems?
• Do I need to buy a license?
• Do I need to buy new wireless microphones because of the changes?
• Should I use a Fixed Site License or the Channel 38 license?

By using the form above, we will be able to answer these types of questions for you. Click this link to view the wireless microphone frequency checker

EAV Pro Audio have recently set up a 'Hearing assisted audio' section on our website that consists of hearing loop systems and Infrared systems. This little guide helps you understand what these things are, how should have one, how they work and techniques for getting the best out of your hearing assisted audio systems. Our sister company, Acoustic Arrangements, have been installing Loop and Infrared systems into churches for over 15 years, if you have questions regarding them, please give us a call on 0845 125 9409

TYPES OF HEARING SYSTEMS

What are induction loop and infrared systems?

Hard-of-hearing people find it difficult to hear in larger venues because of poor room acoustics. The problem is made worse by the distance that sound has to travel before it reaches the audience, background noise and competing sounds.

Induction loops and infrared systems reduce background noise so that sound can be heard more clearly.

How do they work?

Induction loops and infrared systems replace the sound path between the sound source and the hard-of-hearing person with either an inductive (magnetic) or infrared signal that is not affected by acoustics or other sounds.

The hard-of-hearing person uses a receiver that converts the signal back to sound. With loop systems, this is usually their own hearing aid (only those with a ‘T’ position). Infrared systems use special receivers to convert the signal back to sound. Both systems enable users to hear from anywhere covered by the system. The sound that people hear without a receiver is unaffected.

What is an induction loop?

An induction loop is a cable that encloses the audience area. It is connected to a loop amplifier that gets its signal from a microphone placed in front of the person speaking or via a direct connection from a sound system, or other sound source. The resulting electric current in the loop produces a magnetic field corresponding to the speaker’s voice. Anyone within the area of the loop who is wearing a hearing aid switched to the 'T' setting, or a loop listening aid, can pick up this field. Users may need to adjust their own hearing aids for volume.

The loop wire usually runs around the edges of a room so that it serves the entire audience area. Sometimes, however, it only encloses a particular seating area. It can also be routed over doors and arches. This doesn’t affect how the loop works.

Loops consist of ordinary insulated cable, but the gauge must be chosen with care. The cable is normally run around the edges of the room – usually a single turn is used, but some systems may need two or more turns of cable to generate sufficient magnetic field or to match the amplifier’s characteristics.

Tricky loop design situations

External factors may affect how well a loop works. These could be such things as metal work, pillars and pipes and high ambient RFI (see below). Think about these when you begin to plan – sometimes they may influence whether or not you install a loop at all. Some problems however may not arise until after the loop has been installed.

Interference from other circuits (RFI)

Even if the loop itself works properly, hearing aid users may hear magnetic interference from electrical equipment and wiring, such as fluorescent lights, light dimming systems or power cables. This interference is picked up directly by their hearing aids. You can usually identify sources of interference using a portable field strength meter, hearing aid or loop listener. If it can’t be prevented or reduced, assess the interference to see if it will be acceptable to people using the loop. Interference from other electrical equipment is a common reason for people not getting the intended benefit from a loop system – so pay close attention to this point.

Overspill

Loop systems are designed for users within the area of the loop, but there is always some overspill, as walls, ceilings and floors do not block magnetic fields. This means hearing aid users outside the looped room may be able to overhear conversations if their hearing aids are switched to 'T'. The magnetic field may also overspill into adjoining rooms and rooms directly above and below. You should think carefully about this if you are fitting more than one loop area. If this could be a problem, you could consider an infrared system instead.

Interference to other circuits

In some circumstances, an induction loop may cause interference in other parts of a sound system, instrument pick-ups or video systems. This can happen if the loop cable runs close to other signal cables that are especially vulnerable to this kind of interference. Carefully routing the cables may prevent this problem, but ground loop isolation is sometimes required and can be expensive.

Metal in buildings

This can have an unpredictable effect on loop systems. The loop may produce a weaker inductive signal than expected if the metalwork in the area of the loop is substantial, and the signal strength may vary from seat to seat in the listening area.

Regular checks

Ideally, you should use a field strength meter with headphone output to check the system. This lets you check both magnetic field strength and quality of signal. You should test the loop regularly and adjust as necessary – how often will depend on your venue.

What is an infrared system?

Infrared systems can provide high-quality sound and are available in stereo (or dual mono) versions. They use invisible infrared light to carry sound to portable receivers. The complete system consists of infrared 'radiators', that gets its signal from a microphone placed in front of the person speaking or via a direct connection from a sound system, or other sound source, personal IR receivers are then used for the user. Radiators cast infrared light over the listening area, rather like floodlights. You may need one or more infrared radiators, depending on the size of the venue. The quality of sound received by the user is of a much higher standard than that of induction loop systems.

Using receivers

Anyone using the receiver can sit anywhere in the area covered by the radiators. The infrared light produced by the radiators usually reflects off walls and surfaces in and around the coverage area. So sound should be received anywhere in the covered area, but some wall coverings absorb infrared light, meaning that the receivers will only work when they are pointed towards the radiators.
The most widely-used kind of infrared receiver is a ‘stethoset’ which is worn without a hearing aid but you can also get a ‘neck loop’ receiver that can be used by someone wearing a hearing aid, set to 'T'.
Most venues keep both types of receiver and keep the batteries in the receivers fully charged. The ear tips of a stethoset must be cleaned or replaced after use.

Interference

Infrared systems are not prone to interference unless the receivers are in direct sunlight. The radiators do not transmit outside the room they are used in, so several systems can be used at the same time in rooms next to each other. For this reason, they are also suitable for confidential meetings. Infrared systems eliminates problems encountered by use of induction loops on instruments, audio signal cables, video and VGA cables.

How much do induction loop and infrared systems cost?

A DIY loop in a small meeting room can cost a few hundred pounds. A professionally installed loop in a big venue can cost several thousand pounds. Infrared systems tend to be more expensive than loops because you need a stock of receivers.
Some organizations install cheaper systems designed for domestic use in their smaller rooms, but check first that this sort of system is suitable and that it meets health and safety requirements.

Helping your customers get the most from your system

Microphone technique

The quality of the signal your system produces can only be as good as the signal it receives. Loop and infrared systems do not improve signal quality – they simply reproduce what is fed into them. It is easy to get a clear signal when someone speaks directly into a microphone. The further the sound has to travel to reach the microphone, the poorer the sound quality, particularly if you have poor room acoustics or background noise. Place the microphone as close as possible to the person speaking. This is fairly easy if speakers remain in the same spot. It becomes more difficult when speakers sit in different positions or move around. If this is the case, you will need to choose the correct type of microphone and plan where you place it.

Operating the system

You can leave some infrared or induction loop systems on all the time. Otherwise you will need to turn your system on each time. Even with lots of microphones, or other audio sources such as tape or CD recorders, the controls on the mixing console are usually set up and fixed. You will need someone to operate the mixing console if the system is part of a larger sound system.

What is the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA)?

The DDA aims to stop discrimination against disabled people, including deaf and hard of hearing people, in the workplace, in education and when accessing goods and services. Goods and service providers include theatres, cinemas, places of worship, conference halls, banks, courts and tribunals, supermarkets, airports, shopping centers and bus and train stations.
The Act says that service providers may not discriminate against a deaf or hard of hearing person by refusing to provide a service or offering a service of a lower standard or on less favorable terms, on the grounds of their hearing loss. Service providers must make reasonable provision and adjustments to the way in which they provide goods or services to enable deaf and hard of hearing people access to them.
If it is not reasonable to provide a permanent loop or infrared system, then the service provider should provide a temporary system.
If you already provide an induction loop or infrared system, you are required by law to make sure that the system is properly maintained and that staff are aware of it and know how to use it. This applies to temporary and permanent systems.
You must also make sure that additional equipment, like neck loop receivers or loop listeners, are maintained and tested, and that you have a reasonable number. You should make sure that you display signs telling customers that a loop or infrared system is available.

Setting up your graphic equaliser to eliminate feedback – “Ringing Out”

Feedback is one of the most common problems people get when using PA systems. This however, does not need to be the case. With the careful setting up of a graphic equaliser this problem can be greatly reduced if not virtually eliminated.

Feedback occurs when amplified sound from a loudspeaker re-enters a microphone and is re-amplified. Feedback occurs at specific frequencies, sometimes referred to as peaks, in a system. A graphic equaliser allows you to cut these specific frequencies and therefore remove the peaks. You’ll notice that most graphic equalisers have either 15 or 31 ‘bands’. These ‘bands’, each with their own slider, control a range of frequencies within the audio spectrum. With a 31 band unit (also referred to as a 1/3 octave EQ), the frequency range of each slider, or band, is smaller which therefore gives more precise control.

Ringing out using FLS
For simplicity, firstly we’ll discuss how to set your graphic if you have FLS (Feedback Location System). FLS is a great help to the user who is unfamiliar with setting up graphic equalisers. Not only that, it saves time too! Equalisers with FLS have an LED above each band slider. When feedback occurs the light glows above the band at which the system is feeding back. This allows the operator to locate and cut the band quickly and easily. The method outlined below is a relatively simple way of reducing feedback in your system.

• Firstly make sure all the sliders on the graphic equaliser are set to the centre position, ie flat. This means that there is neither boost nor cut on any of the bands.
• Raise the fader of, for example, your lapel radio mic (lapel radio mics tend to be very prone to feedback) or your vocal mics. Continue doing this until the system starts to feedback, or ‘ring’. Do this carefully so as not to induce more than one or two feedback frequencies at a time.
• The FLS light above the band at which the feedback is occurring should now be lit. Cut this band, ie move the slider down from its central position until the feedback is eliminated.
• Repeat this process of raising the mic level and cutting the feedback frequencies until the first frequency you cut starts to feedback again. You should stop here because if you continue you will just be cutting the same frequencies and reducing what’s known as headroom.
• This process can be repeated with the other mics in your system which are prone to feedback (there is no need to do this for mics of the same type).
You should be able to achieve far higher levels with your system without it feeding back after this process is complete. You have successfully rung out your system!

Ringing out without using FLS
The process for ringing out without the help of FLS is exactly the same as the above, the only difference being you must pinpoint the frequency audibly, this is often difficult even for an experienced ear! A real-time analyser, RTA, can be used to identify frequencies in much the same way as FLS.

Automatic Equalisation
Products such as the DBX Driverack PA and the Driverack PX will automatically perform real-time analysis at the push of a button

Hope this helps a little

Jonathan

Last Friday my band released an album of original recordings and the whole recording and mastering process was done in my basic home studio setup in my spare bedroom. I thought I would write a little blog about what was used so you can see that you can get great results from a cheap home studio setup. I’m not going to bore you with mic'ing techniques (will do that in another post) or what we did on each individual track, just simply what equipment was used so you can see that a decent studio recording can be done on a budget.

My band is an Acoustic duo and the instruments that were recorded (all at home) and feature on the album are; Vocals, acoustic guitars, banjo, banjolele, ukulele, Cajon drum, Djembe drum, Mandolin, Piano and various percussion instruments. The album was recorded on my desktop computer using Nuendo as the sequencing software. There are many different recording softwares on the market such as Cubase, Pro Tools, Logic, Sonar and Propellerhead's Record. It’s really horse for courses when it comes to software. Most people start on one bit of software and never move because you get used to where everything is. They all offer slightly different things but Nuendo is just what I have used for quite some time.

Now the obstacle when recording at home on a computer based recording setup is; How do you get the audio from the instruments and on to the computer? Well, this is where an Audio USB Interface or Audio Firewire Interface comes in. The one I use is the Phonic Helix Board 18 and it does the job perfectly. Essentially it is an input device like a mixer that has USB or Firewire outputs. If you go for a Firewire or USB 2.0 interface (rather than USB 1) then you can stream however many inputs your desk has simultaneously into your computer and it splits them out to individual tracks in your recording software and you can mix them afterwards. Basically, it becomes your computers soundcard.

The next step in getting your recording done is choosing which mics you will use. Now I am fortunate to have bagged a Shure KSM44 Studio Condenser microphone at a very special price. Like most people this mic may be a little above your budget for a basic home studio and it would have been way above mine if I hadn’t been offered a very special price direct from Shure (the perks of being a dealer I guess). There are some great studio condenser mics on the market at bargain prices such as the Audio Technica AT2035, The Audio Technica AT2020, The AKG C214, The Rode NT1-A and NT2-A studio Pack. All the above mics will give you a great sound on your recording.

Now believe it or not, that one condenser microphone was used to record everything on our album. Seriously, we used it for mic’ing the acoustic instruments, the vocals and even the percussion. The only other mic used was an AKG D112 kick drum microphone on the bottom of the Djembe and inside the sound hole of the Cajon, we still used the condenser mic for the top of those drums. Having a good studio condenser microphone is paramount in home recording. It might also be worth mentioning that i have no vocal booths or isolation areas. everything is recorded sitting in front of the computer.

The last major bit of kit you will need are some studio monitors. I have a pair of entry level Genelec monitors that sound great. If the budget is a little low you could look at something like the Wharfedale Diamond 8.2 monitors or the Yamaha MSP5 monitors. Both will do the job and allow you to mix a good mix.

Once all the tracks were laid down we mixed the album within Nuendo and most of the effects were the basic ones found within the software. We did use some of the BBE Sonic Maxiser software on various bits but on the whole we didn’t use any expensive plugins. The mastering was done on T-Racks which is another bit of software. The only other bits of kits used were cables, stands and of course a decent set of headphones. I have a pair of the Audio Technica ATH-M40 cans and they work a treat.

Now I understand that just having this equipment won’t give you a guaranteed great recording. You obviously have to spend a little time learning your software, experimentation with EQ, effects, mixing and mic placements however, if your persevere with it and keep playing around, you will start to hear those recordings getting better and better.

You can hear my album from our bands BandCamp store and judge the quality for yourself. It’s obviously not a £1000 a minute Abbey Road quality but I’m sure you will agree it’s not bad for a home recording. Take a listen here - http://www.barricadesrise.bandcamp.com/

Since recording the album I have started to play with Presonus Studio One recording software which looks set to replace my Nuendo as it is easy to use and has mastering features built in.

If you have any questions about home recording or equipment needed for setting up a basic home studio then please give me a call or drop me an email.

Bye for now

Jonathan
EAV Pro Audio