Wireless Sound Systems Explained

This article will clarify the many different wireless systems that you can use for your Church or Band PA System.

Let’s start at the beginning: What is a wireless system and why do I need one? Think of a wireless system like a small radio station. You can send a signal from your microphone to your mixer and not have to worry about any cables on stage to get in your way. All wireless systems will have a transmitter [this sends the sound] and receiver [this receives the sound]. The receiver will plug into your mixer just as a normal wired microphone would.

When looking at wireless systems you will quickly see several varieties, mostly involving frequency ranges. To keep it simple here is a quick summary:

VHF will be the least expensive. They are also the most prone to having signal issues due to many devices [Phones, Radios, TV Stations, etc] using the VHF frequency band. They are perfect for home use or when the budget just doesn’t permit using UHF or Digital. UHF systems operate on higher less cluttered frequency bands. This creates a much better signal and is best suited for churches or live musicians where performing without any audio drop outs is imperative. Digital systems take it a step further and encode the signal so that there is no noise added to the signal traveling through the air.

There are different options of transmitters that you can use to send the sound as well.

The most common wireless system used is a hand held microphone. They look like this:

They are very handy when there are multiple speakers because the microphone can be handed over to another speaker very easily.

Another popular option is known as a lavalier microphone.

This is a small microphone that clips on to the users clothing. These are very helpful when the vocalist wants or needs to have their hands free. The lavalier microphone has a small cable that connects to a box known as the belt pack. This is the box that sends the audio signal to the receiver. You don’t need a belt pack with a hand held microphone as the transmitter is built into the microphone.

You can also connect a head set style microphone or instrument connection to the belt pack. Headsets come in different varieties and you can get a very discrete low profile style headset that is barely noticeable to the audience.

They even come in different colors to blend in with skin tones. The instrument connection allows an instrument like a guitar to be plugged into the belt pack. This allows the player to move around the stage without worrying about tripping on any cables. The nice thing about using a belt pack system is that you have the versatility to change the connection for different uses and use a lavalier one day and a headset the next day.

In addition to the standard wireless systems, there are also In Ear Wireless Monitors and Listening Assisted Devices which we will discuss in a separate article.

Whichever wireless system you may choose, MusiciansBuy has an extensive selection to fit your needs and budget. Our team of sound gurus will make sure you get the right system with the best customer service in the business! Call 1-877-778-7845 to order today.