It's All Waves

Hi sound friends! I'm trying to establish a list of clear (or best) blocks in Puerto Rico (I haven't been given any specific cities). Ideally, responses would be based on personal experience, and given with corresponding cities. I'm well aware of the FCC database, and have looked. I've compared this with FreqFinder's suggestions, which also come from the FCC database, but the data I'm gathering from both sources are quite different. Guessing FreqFinder is taking strong broadcasts from outside the target city into account. And as most of us know, actual scans/experience is better than going off a database, so I'm asking you all. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Hi sound friends! I'm trying to establish a list of clear (or best) blocks in the Baltimore, Maryland area. I'd like responses based on personal experience, ideally. I'm well aware of the FCC database, and have looked. I've compared this with FreqFinder's suggestions, which also come from the FCC database, but the data I'm gathering from both sources are quite different. Guessing FreqFinder is taking strong broadcasts from outside the target city into account. And as most of us know, actual scans/experience is better than going off a database, so I'm asking you all. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

I have a new 42S3, with Wisy MTP40S TXs. I also have some old G3 systems. G3 TX to Wisy RX sounds great! (Still have the hiss of the G3 tx though. Use a hot mic and gain stage properly.) You cannot receive a Wisycom transmission well with a G3 receiver. The companding is a little different. Wisy's RX is designed to "decode" companding schemes from different manufacturers using a DSP to model the different schemes. The G3 receiver can only "decode" (really, expand) a G3/G2/2000 transmission, as they all use the same "HDX" companding scheme. Companding = COMPressing (TX) + exPANDING (RX) I hate to say it, but I personally like the G3's "EVO" companding a little better. I've never felt that it sounded unnatural. Wisy's ENC, however, is a little jumpy. You can here it in a slightly dynamic, but relatively quiet acoustic noise floor. I don't touch ENR. Never sounds right. To answer THE question, for everyone other than the OP since he's moved on, is for most bag work with a low channel count, I honestly do not think you are gaining THAT much with a Wisy SYSTEM, at least in my experience (and yes I'm coordinating frequencies, and scanning, etc...). I put an SMA connector on one of my old G3s and now I can use an external antenna, or distribution. Range is comparable to Wisy when using as radio mics in a bag, side by side (to be clear, I mean a full-G3 system vs a full Wisycom system. Range is often better than my Wisys on my G3 IEMs that I use as IFB (even with Wisy at 50mw). More often than not, I'd say. I don't care if someone wants to shoot me for saying that–I have experienced this many times at this point. I've done hours of testing and a month of gigging with both systems side by side. Honestly, I'm still having some strange issues with the Wisy system that I've never had with another system (G3, Lectro)–random, but sometimes predictable FULL SCALE blasts of white noise, being the main one. (That'll teach you to keep those faders down!) This could totally be user error, but I have yet to ask the lovely people of this forum or Wisy for assistance. Tone Squelch is on, for those of you about to mention that.. But maybe it's a related setting thats astray. I think you're best "in between" upgrade at this point is an "old" NARROWBAND Lectrosonics system, i.e. hybrid/400 series that came out before their wideband stuff, which is almost useless (not exaggerating–thinking of the SRc that I forcibly returned after over a year of BS). The wideband stuff I've used of Lectro and Wisycom (SRc and 42S3) are hyper sensitive, RF-wise, or something. Walkie talkies and even bag transmitters can cause a lot of problems with both. Granted walkies are 4 watts or so! Kind of understandable... With the SRc, if you're on a show with another mixer (and yes, a talented supervisor using IAS) don't get near the other mixers! Their transmitters (or likely the interaction of yours and theirs) will blow some shit up! (Your ears I mean.) I haven't been on a muli-mixer show with bags full of Wisys yet, so I can't report too much on that. Get a used UCR411a and a UM400a (the A is important!), SMv, or SMQV transmitter. The older versions of the SMxx series will not have some important features, so make sure you figure that out–like remote control, back light, variable tx power). I have not used Zaxcom or Audio Limited wireless at all, so I cannot speak to their respective levels of performance. In theory, digital transmission (as these two now use) solves a lot of the problems of analog, namely the need for companding, but creates a bunch of new ones. Can't wait until digital wireless is as evolved as analog is today! Hope this helps someone.

Damn... That really sucks to hear. Just got a new MCR42S3 set. Sennheiser G3 has the same problem. I've experienced it many times. I've had a Lectro system next to a G3, and the Lectro did not do it.

borjam, thanks for your reply and story about that awesome ultrasound tech! I feel that sound is so underrated in its usefulness, compared to EM, so I love hearing about awesome sound-powered tools! I wasn't totally clear when explaining my situation. When I mentioned the problem with the dynamics processing, I was talking about audio-only processing, but that which seems to be necessary to prepare for a healthy analog transmission, i.e. companding, HF rolloffs, etc... Aaaand that's about as deep as my knowledge goes with RF transmission. 😁 Actually, the first time I experienced the G3 problem, I thought it was the mic, and called Countryman, sent them a recording, and a spectrograph, and they never responded, ha! The last time I experienced this, I had Cos-11's on all my Tx's, so that rules out the microphone, as far as I can tell. Regarding the point about microwaves, I didn't realize motion detectors use microwaves! Aye! But that is very good to know for many reasons, ha! I do think it was Tx-related, though, which in my limited understanding, would suggest that it was something coming through the microphone. The bit about seeing the Tx AF meter go crazy, but the Rx not, also tells me it was at the Tx. But I've rather recently become aware of the fact that Tx's can be hindered by other transmissions. So I don't really know! Thanks for clarifying for me! I hadn't considered the pilot tone bit–that's interesting... Larry, I feel like you nailed it! Mostly because of your background.😉 I imagine this explains the "key test" failure in the G3's as well. Have also had problems with super sibilant talent. Have had to set the gain lower than I'd like, to avoid it. Do you think the bit about interference with the pilot tone could have potentially played a roll? I don't recall the audio straight dropping to silence, as I would imagine a loss of pilot tone would incur. It reminded me of modulating something on a synth with a random step generator.

I've experienced something funny which I believe is the result of ultrasound feeding my old G3 transmitters. It will sound like an irregular low frequency modulation of the audio that's coming through the microphone, and the Tx meter will be constantly peaking at almost any reasonable gain setting, but the receiver's looks relatively normal in size, and the space is relatively quiet. The sound is clearly not right. I assume it's an artifact of the dynamics processing involved in analog transmission. I originally thought this was a result of acoustic modulation by subsonic frequencies from newer A/C systems, since the modulation was more on the scale of a beat, than a pitch, but I could not hear it with the naked ear. I finally came up with the right Google search phrase, and found someone experiencing similar problems that stopped after disabling an ultrasonic light switch (auto light switch that uses ultrasound to detect a presence). I see this at almost every brand new elementary/high school in New Orleans. The last time I dealt with this, I had a lectro SRc, SMQV, and LT running at the same time, and only the Sennheiser G3 was affected. Maybe it's related to the G3's failure of the key test? It would seem the G3 transmitters do not like ultrasonic information! To sum it up, it seems that G3's are susceptible to ultrasonic interference, where Lectro hybrid systems are not. Have yet to try Wisy or Zax in this environment. If you ever have a strange Tx AF meter reading, and "choppy" sound, and are running a G3, it's very likely that you'll need to disable some ultrasonic detectors in your vicinity!