Cordless Headset Mics

Derrick Mau · Post by **Derrick Mau** » 9 Mar 2005 5:44 pm

Any suggestions on a excellent cordless headset microphone for singing purposes?

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 11 Mar 2005 10:43 am

Hi Derrick,
I use a Countryman Isomax, it is wired, has a belt clip with an 'on' switch. But they can be used with a xmitter I think.
Needs phantom power. Sounds great and is light and unobtrusive. Around $300.

Look for an 'on/off' switch on whatever you get. You can't back away from these mics, so it's nice to be able to mute yourself if needed. You may find youself saying things over the PA you may not want everyone to hear

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Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"Listen Sooner"
www.book-em-danno.com
www.seldomfed.com

Dave Grafe · Post by **Dave Grafe** » 11 Mar 2005 5:56 pm

If you want to go wireless, I highly recommend the newer Audio Technica 3000 series, you can get the receiver and belt pack for well under $500 -- add the headset mic of your choice and you still may get it under that price (I got the body pack, receiver and a lav mic for $459, complete).

We have been using the AT 3000 stuff for the past year and it is hands down the best bang for the buck in UHF right now, rock solid, lots of frequencies available to work around TV, other wireless, etc. and this for a fraction of the cost for similar gear from Shure.

That's my $0.25

T. C. Furlong · Post by **T. C. Furlong** » 13 Mar 2005 9:57 pm

If you are going to use it on a loud stage, make sure you get a headworn mic with a tight pattern. The Crown has what they call a differoid technology that rejects stage noise and monitor feedback. I think for the money, the Sennheiser Evolution G2 is a great wireless system. You will want to find a local professional audio company to outfit you with the right frequency block and connector for the microphoner for the system.
TC

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 14 Mar 2005 12:15 pm

Of course if your only playing steel, wireless would appear to be overkill !! I use a AKG headset, and just tape the phantom power unit and controller to the side of my MatchBro -- but a headset is definitely the way to go for steel players.

Pat Burns · Post by **Pat Burns** » 15 Mar 2005 1:07 pm

..I use a Crown headset, and I'm happy with it...it isn't wireless but as Paddy pointed out, unless you're going to dance around the stage with your steel hanging off your neck like Billy Preston's keyboard, you don't need wireless. MF has them for about $200 or so including the power unit, which has both a battery on-off switch and a mic on-off button...I'd beware of the Shure headset, you have to buy and install a power unit separately with those..

...the sound on the Crown is every bit as good or better than my Sennheiser hand-held mic, and both beat my Shure SM58 hands down, in my opinion...
[This message was edited by Pat Burns on 15 March 2005 at 01:07 PM.]

Derrick Mau · Post by **Derrick Mau** » 18 Mar 2005 1:50 am

Thanks for the recommendations everyone!

Hal Higgins · Post by **Hal Higgins** » 18 Mar 2005 7:58 am

I have used several different head-set mics, including Crown, Shure, Audio Technica. Just last week I used and purchased a Samson wireless head-set system, and I am so pleased with its performance. The quality is clear, and it is a true diversity system.....it sells for around 360.00......

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Be Blessed........HAL
'85 Emmons LeGrande D-10,(8 & 6) Hilton Vol. Pedal, BJS Birthstone bar, Rack w/Evans Pre-amp, Lexicon MPX500; (2)1501-4 BW's in custom built cabs by T.A. Gibson, & Sound Tech PL802 Digital Power Amp.

[This message was edited by Hal Higgins on 18 March 2005 at 08:08 AM.]

Bob Cox · Post by **Bob Cox** » 18 Mar 2005 2:15 pm

Will these let you here whats coming through the monitors along with your voice?

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 18 Mar 2005 2:52 pm

Can someone speak to the issue of complexity using a headset mic? I'd love to use one, but just playing in bar bands, I wouldn't know how to set it up, know nothing about submixes, know that most of the bands I gig with no nothing about it either, and worry about sudden feedback killing my eardrums. I'm lucky just to get a parallel speaker cord feed to my passive hot spot vocal monitor, much less a powered feed from a mixer, or something even more exotic than that.

One other concern is with some bands i play a little rhythm guitar, so I’d have to be able to stand up and move a little without tangled wires.

Can this be done easily? I'd love to hear my vocals better, I always sing much better with kicking monitors. Thanks!

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E9 lessons
Mullen D-12/MSA D-12/Sho-Bud Pro 1 S-12/Melobar/Webb/Profex II

T. C. Furlong · Post by **T. C. Furlong** » 19 Mar 2005 12:38 pm

Since I'm in the audio business, I'll volunteer to explain. First, there is the microphone. Some people call it a head-set microphone. I believe that the proper term is "headworn microphone" because it is just a microphone that is small and is worn on the head. A head-set usually refers to a combination of a microphone and a headphone speaker in the same item. With musicians,the way it usually works is there are two independent systems. One for the microphone (for singing and speaking) and another for the in-ear monitor which is a headphone/earphone/monitor (for listening back).

The headworn microphone can either be hard-wired with a cable directly into the mixer/sound system or.... a different version of the same headworn microphone is plugged into a wireless bodypack transmitter which transmits to a receiver which is connected to the mixer/sound system.

The in-ear monitoring system can also be either wireless or hard-wired. In either case, the sound system's mixer should have an output that is fed from an auxilliary send. By using the aux send, you can "mix" the level of each of the vocal microphone or instrument that is fed to the mixer to achieve the balance that is desired by the person using the monitor. Some musicians use large headphones, some use ear buds like you would use with a Walkman or an iPod. Some use special ear monitors and some have custom molds made of their ear canals and have tiny speakers fit into the molds.

The wireless ear monitor systems have a belt pack style receiver and a transmitter that stays by the mixer. So the totally wireless singer/musican wears a belt pack to transmit the microphone's signal to the sound system and a belt pack to receive the monitor mix from the mixer.

Also, it gets even more complicated with additions of personal mixing systems, more-me boxes etc.

To some who use in-ears and headworn mics already, this description may seem elementary, but it seems that a few guys could benefit from a clarification. I hope this helps.

TC

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 22 Mar 2005 7:38 pm

Thanks, TC, great explanation and overview!

So: playing with simpleton country bands, would I save myself grief and frustration just being content with a Shure SM58 on a boom stand as always?

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 22 Mar 2005 8:15 pm

John, from experience I would recommend a "headworn" Mic over a boomstand -- it is just so much more user friendly, and if your just playing steel you don't need a wireless job. And just use your normal floor monitors as you would with a standard mic.

T. C. Furlong · Post by **T. C. Furlong** » 23 Mar 2005 5:38 am

It's hard to beat the sound of a regular handheld microphone like an SM-58. If the boom stand is working, I'd go with it. If you want to improve the microphone situation, a mic with a tighter pattern can sometimes help clean up the bands sound. I like the Shure Beta 58A or the Shure Beta 87A. They don't necessarily improve the sound of the vocal, but they do help to keep the bleed of other loud stage instruments under control. Drums, guitar amps, bass amps, keyboard amps etc. will sound less "phasey" or "tubby" if tight pattern mics are used for vocals.

TC