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Recommendations on wireless lav mic set

Noel R.

Noel R.

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I have a shoot next weekend and I'm looking for a pair of wireless lav mics. Normally I do tons of research before buying anything but I'm pressed for time, and any help would be appreciated. We are shooting a scene and can't use our boom mic, so I'm looking for a good alternative.
 
Get Sennheiser G3 set ($599) and rent a Sanken Lav mic. If budget is not a problem, get Lectrosonic 410 series..
 
Thanks for the info. I was looking for something in the midrange, but it's good to know the Lectro's exist. It's a small production, so the Senn's will work fine for what we need right now. It's something I've been thinking about getting which is why I'd rather not rent. Now that I need them, I have a reason to buy.
 
If buying Sennheiser set, try to get a good separate lav mic. The stock mic it comes with isn't great and also has very fragile wiring. 3 of those mics broke at the connector end for me. Sanken Lav mics are the best or you could check out Countryman B3s
 
G3s and G2s are excellent value.. though after you use lectro and zaxcom, you will see why they cost more.
the mics that come with the eng kits are very poor. buy and OSCAR SOUND TECH mic instead.. should be about $150 per... while you can rent a sanken wired for senn 3.5mm it will not sound as good as either the lectro wired version or as good as the OST copy of the sanken.
I own all these and many others... and have compared them side by side...
I do have a spare g2 set with stock mic for sale..
 
Michael Winokur said:
If you buy a Sennheiser, the locking 1/8" connector that comes in the box is wired to deliver signal to tip and ring, it won't work with RED's audio. But if you use a generic 1/8 male to 1/8 male connector it will work fine.
http://winokurphotography.com/blog/?p=694
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Good tip Michael and nice write up on your website. I am planning on recording the audio externally, but for those one man shoots I can definetely see myself recording straight to camera.
 
Christopher Mills said:
G3s and G2s are excellent value.. though after you use lectro and zaxcom, you will see why they cost more.
the mics that come with the eng kits are very poor. buy and OSCAR SOUND TECH mic instead.. should be about $150 per... while you can rent a sanken wired for senn 3.5mm it will not sound as good as either the lectro wired version or as good as the OST copy of the sanken.
I own all these and many others... and have compared them side by side...
I do have a spare g2 set with stock mic for sale..
Click to expand...


Christopher, thanks for the info. Very interesting that the OST copy of Sanken sounds better than the Sanken itself. I love these sort of tips. Keep them coming. Also I'm sure the Lectros would sound better, I may try renting those out sometime just to hear the difference, but I don't doubt what you're saying.
 
I don't agree that the Oscar Sound Tech mics are matches for Sanken. But the OST mics are very good, particularly the Tram clones (OST-802's). I think those are perfectly serviceable for a lot of situations. If the OST is a Cadillac, the Sanken is a Mercedes -- not quite in the same category, but both very good performers.

For difficult mic-hiding situations, I think the Countryman B6's are unbeatable. Be aware that they are somewhat fragile, plus you need to know how to mount them on the actor for optimum results. Doing this while minimizing clothing noise and wind noise takes a lot of experience and expertise.

The Sennheiser G2's and G3's are not great for range, partly because of their receivers' front end, and partly because of their (relatively) low power. I think the Lectro SM-series transmitters and 411-series receivers are far better performers, both for sound quality and for RF performance. A better solution might be to rent a couple of Lectros rather than to buy a low-cost wireless system like the Sennheisers.
 
I might as well throw in my 2 cents!! Lectrosonics series 185 190 and 195 are great mics - as long as your working in close - up to 30 feet or so - the actual mic is critical so get a used good condition receiver and transmitter and switch the ( most likely) standard mic for a TRAM and your really golden. Although my main setups are Lectro 400 series my 20 year old 185 is used at least once a week and my 195's have special use mics on (single and double strip attenuated) all the time. I've been using Lectrosonics for 20 plus years and they rarely fail you. Most problems are either connectors or power.
Used 185 sets about $200
Used 190 sets about $250
Used 195 sets about $400 ??

There are some off brand mics on eBay from China that for under $50 that are actually really good - if your really cutting cost these are awesome and they come in colors and have a full set of mounts
 
Marc Wielage said:
I don't agree that the Oscar Sound Tech mics are matches for Sanken. But the OST mics are very good, particularly the Tram clones (OST-802's). I think those are perfectly serviceable for a lot of situations. If the OST is a Cadillac, the Sanken is a Mercedes -- not quite in the same category, but both very good performers.

For difficult mic-hiding situations, I think the Countryman B6's are unbeatable. Be aware that they are somewhat fragile, plus you need to know how to mount them on the actor for optimum results. Doing this while minimizing clothing noise and wind noise takes a lot of experience and expertise.

The Sennheiser G2's and G3's are not great for range, partly because of their receivers' front end, and partly because of their (relatively) low power. I think the Lectro SM-series transmitters and 411-series receivers are far better performers, both for sound quality and for RF performance. A better solution might be to rent a couple of Lectros rather than to buy a low-cost wireless system like the Sennheisers.
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Marc.. the oddity I found with the Sankens when wired for sennheiser g2s and g3s is that while they performed well, they did not sound as good as the OSTs wired for the same box.

I typically use my OSTs for hazzardous duty, and sanken's for the rest of my work..
My G2s have basically been relegated to camera hops and extra IFB use..
I am using Lectro digital hybrids and a venue system with Sanken cos11s for the bulk of my wire needs..

though I seem to keep hanging on to a vhf lectro pair as my last resort short range camera hop
 
I'd be curious to see how folk at attaching their Lectro receivers to their Epics, not the audio connection but actually strapping on the box. I am using Velcro and rubber band wraps, not ideal but seems pretty solid. (Yeah I adhered Velcro to my receiver, is that bad?)
 
Mark Andersen said:
I'd be curious to see how folk at attaching their Lectro receivers to their Epics, not the audio connection but actually strapping on the box. I am using Velcro and rubber band wraps, not ideal but seems pretty solid. (Yeah I adhered Velcro to my receiver, is that bad?)
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Velcro is a wonderful thing! I velcro my Lectro transmitter right on top of the quad module, perfect fit and perfect location. It's a poor mans Pro I/O and battery mount all in one!
 

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As a rental manager at Du-All, we have about 8 of the Sennheiser G2s, and a few more of the G3. Sound is not my forte, but those guys rent out constantly, and haven't head any issues with them. Clients might lose a cable here and there, but otherwise, solid built and does its job (for the price).
 
Thanks for the info, I ended up going with the G3s. The lectrosonics would be great, but cost is a factor, and the G3s will work fine for what we need right now.
 
Rob Castiglione said:
Its true that the Sennheisers G2/G3 are serviceable - but there is no real comparison with the sound quality of Lectrosonics.
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Uhhh, that's a matter of opinion. I have Lectros and Audio Ltds. Side by side, switching back and forth I and other sounds guys using my setup prefer the Audio Ltds over the Lectros. If you talk to the guys at Vark Audio (who happen to be the US rep for Audio Ltd, they will tell you that the RF shielding on the Audio Ltds is superior, far superior, to the Lectros. I do like the additional info that you get on the Lectro display and their scanning capability, but in the end, that's icing on the cake. Sound quality is what really counts. Its a matter of opinion, but I prefer the Audio Ltds.
 
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