Philip Howells
August 8th, 2010, 06:03 PM
This thread starts with the fact that, unsurprisingly, many morning dress rental companies commission inexpensively tailored suits with maybe one or no inside pockets in the coat. The result is that the radio mic transmitter is clipped to the men's trouser waistbands. Often during the Summer the toastmaster or maitre d'hotel at the wedding breakfast will announce that the bride has given permission for the men to remove their jackets.
Although I always ask if the speakers are going to remove their jackets and explain why, inevitably the removal of jackets means some microphone cables are stretch-tested.
We decided to look for a solution and finally decided to try boundary layer microphones plugged into and powered by (they require phantom power) our Audio RMS radio microphone transmitters. First wedding was last Saturday.
The results are excellent. We purchased three AT851RW microphones which are white and insulated against mobile telephone RFI. We had to butcher one of the supplied white cables to give us the range of connectors required (the output from the mic is a miniature XLR, the Audio RMS transmitters use 6-pin Lemos) Modification to the phantom power element meant we had to include a full-size XLR junction in the middle but this also means we can use the microphones direct into a phantom-powered desk or camera if necessary.
Finally, my wife made small white cloth covers for the radio transmitters which we fastened to the table with white gaffer tape.
We miked the groom, bride's father and best man in this fashion and the result - in a notoriously tall, domed room with a fearsome natural echo - was excellent. Not only were the voices of the intended speakers excellently recorded but we also captured a quiet acknowledgment from the bride's mother seated beside the groom when he mentioned her. I doubt that would have been captured by a miniature lapel mic.
When the programme's edited I'll post a small clip of one of the speeches.
Although I always ask if the speakers are going to remove their jackets and explain why, inevitably the removal of jackets means some microphone cables are stretch-tested.
We decided to look for a solution and finally decided to try boundary layer microphones plugged into and powered by (they require phantom power) our Audio RMS radio microphone transmitters. First wedding was last Saturday.
The results are excellent. We purchased three AT851RW microphones which are white and insulated against mobile telephone RFI. We had to butcher one of the supplied white cables to give us the range of connectors required (the output from the mic is a miniature XLR, the Audio RMS transmitters use 6-pin Lemos) Modification to the phantom power element meant we had to include a full-size XLR junction in the middle but this also means we can use the microphones direct into a phantom-powered desk or camera if necessary.
Finally, my wife made small white cloth covers for the radio transmitters which we fastened to the table with white gaffer tape.
We miked the groom, bride's father and best man in this fashion and the result - in a notoriously tall, domed room with a fearsome natural echo - was excellent. Not only were the voices of the intended speakers excellently recorded but we also captured a quiet acknowledgment from the bride's mother seated beside the groom when he mentioned her. I doubt that would have been captured by a miniature lapel mic.
When the programme's edited I'll post a small clip of one of the speeches.