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Lectro and Sony wireless lav mic


ekimsound

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Hello.

I'm a newbie soundguy from Korea,

started working in Vancouver recently.

This is my first time posting a topic here so before I start,

I want to thank everyone, how helpfull, just reading all the posts in this site is.

Really, really.

Thank you for sharing all the discussions and experience.

So here is my story,

I will be helping on a short interview type pilot show in a few week.

They wanted to use wireless lav mics which I don't have any,

so I told the person who contact me (...producer? not sure)

that we can rent out Lectrosonics lav mic (UM400/UCR411)

or I can borrow my friends Sony lav mic.

(cant remember the model, according to my google image search, think it's UWPV1/3032)

And the person sends me an email back

"I don't know anything about sound or mic's so I'm not sure what the quality difference would be between the Lectrosonics and the sony? Is one preferable over the other?"

In my short experience,

I think Lectrosonics lav sounds a bit more sharp than Sony,

but I don't know the exact difference between the two

and I don't know the "words" to use when I want to explain it to someone else.

Could anyone give me a clue what and how I should explain?

And what kind of "keyword" I should search to dig in and study about these?

Thank you so much again.

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Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on picking up some work! Have fun with it.

To kind of expound on my view of what Jon said, I think the decision whether to rent a radio set or borrow one from a friend depends more on other factors besides which radio is "better". How strong is your friendship? Is saving the money it'll cost to rent a set worth risking your friendship should something happen to the equipment? Do you have the means to replace it for your friend if something happens to it? Is your friend willing to train you in its proper use? If you rent one, it's insured, the rental house can show you how to use it, and you can choose among different microphones. The rental house can make suggestions as to which microphone might work best in your situation. If your friendship is one where he/she is willing to risk their equipment for your training / experience, willing to teach you how to use it, and it won't strain the friendship, well, that's where the choice should be made, I think, rather than which one "sounds better".

The microphone itself will have a bigger influence on the sound than the brand of transmitter/receiver set, and the choice of which particular microphone will work best in your situation depends on too many factors to offer a simple answer. However, there are many threads here that should offer some pretty good direction when it comes to which lav mics work well for most people in different given situations. Bottom line is, though, you won't know these answers for yourself until you get out there and gain experience using the different mics and radios. I think it's fine to ask for guidance for a starting point, but until you hear the differences for yourself and get experience using them in different situations, or have the opportunity to have someone who already has this experience work with you for a while so you can gain some of your own, nothing anyone say's will really mean much to you.

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If you rent one, it's insured, the rental house can show you how to use it, and you can choose among different microphones. The rental house can make suggestions as to which microphone might work best in your situation.

That's interesting to hear as our rental companies require US (freelancers) to provide insurance for all equipment hired.

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Thank you, Jon and Brian.

I think there were some misunderstanding because of my English.

I said 'borrow' which I was actually meant 'rent' from my friend.

He owns a small local production company and I'm not taking out his gear for free.

He gives me a discount, but I still pay for it.

And it's not my first time using sound gear and lav sets

I still need a lot of experience and study, but my friend doesn't have to teach me.

I realized my post itself was a stupid question when Brian mentioned about the microphone.

That shows how inexperienced I am.

I know it in my head but totally lost it when I was writing this post.

To be honest, I was more excited that I was writing something here. (I think I have some kind of fantasy on this site..)

In my short experience, of course I prefer the Lectro.

It might be because of the mic, but Sony sounded heavier(?) when I once used it.

I didn't hated the Sony's, but felt Sony's had really short distance(?) of how far I can go from the subject.

And... I think this might be because of the difference of the antenna on the transmitter/receiver set.... right?

Besides the microphone and antenna...

then what makes the difference between different models and brands?

It's more a curiosity question.

I'll also try to search through the old posts.

Thanks again.

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That's interesting to hear as our rental companies require US (freelancers) to provide insurance for all equipment hired.

That's basically true, though for smaller items at least some rental companies will also let you provide a credit card on which they'll place a charge for the full replacement of the equipment you're renting and then cancel the charge after you return the equipment (and pay the rental fee).

To the OP: A few years ago I used Sony's then top-line wireless system for a couple weeks. It was pretty good, though expensive. But based on the model numbers in your original post, you're comparing a US$600 Sony system to a US$3500 Lectrosonics system.

The Sony system will probably be fine in some situations. The Lectrosonics system will be fine in many more situations.

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All things considered, I'd go for the Lectrosonics. Choice of frequency and block range is location-dependent. Lav choice and use has been discussed many times, so you'll find tips on that elsewhere on the site.

The sound of the two may well be influenced by microphone choice and level, though most Sonys are all analog, and the 400 Lectros are digital hybrid. Zaxcoms are also very good.

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From one newbie to another:

1: Get the Lectrosonics.

Read the manuals for the transmitter (http://www.lectroson...ers/um400a.html) and the receiver (http://www.lectroson...rs/ucr411a.html). Read them carefully and try everything out before you attempt the job. Read them again.

Don't be afraid to print the manuals out and bring them along. It would be better to look a little unsure about what you're doing and get decent audio. than not bring the manuals and get no audio at all.

2: Let's assume that since it's a rental outfit that you'll get one of Lectrosonics' decent lav mics. If you get something better like a Countryman or a Tram just consider yourself lucky. Make sure they give you the accessories you'll need like a clip to attach the lav to a shirt.

Here's a short, very basic, video about using a lav mic (http://www.5min.com/...ophone-24532231). If you haven't done it before it'll give you enough info to fake it your first time. Practice on a friend before you do the job. Since you say it's an interview situation you probably don't have to worry about hiding the mic under clothing but do route the wire inside the person's shirt.

3: Smile a lot.

Good luck (or 행운을 빕니다 if Babelfish is working properly)

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I already printed out and went through the Lectro manuals some time ago,

but didn't know there were also 'wireless-guide' from them and all the other links!!

Thanks a lot again.

Now it's time to study.

PS, Babelfish worked perfectly!! Thank you. (or Thank you) ....

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How does this work? Do you bring them in via iTunes?

---

I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?tlseni

Go to any site that lets you download .pdfs as manuals. Once it's done, if you tap the screen near the top of the document you should get presented with the option to either 'Open in iBooks' or 'Open in...' if you've got another program that can store or read .pdfs (such as dropbox)

Once it's in iBooks, you never have to download it again.

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I already printed out and went through the Lectro manuals some time ago,

but didn't know there were also 'wireless-guide' from them and all the other links!!

If you'll be sending/recording sound to a camera, I suggest also downloading the manual for the camera you'll be working with. Read the audio set-up section. Print out the key pages so you can make sure you get the camera set the way you want. And search the archives here for tips, suggestions, and warnings on working with specific cameras.

Good luck!

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If you'll be sending/recording sound to a camera, I suggest also downloading the manual for the camera you'll be working with. Read the audio set-up section. Print out the key pages so you can make sure you get the camera set the way you want. And search the archives here for tips, suggestions, and warnings on working with specific cameras.

Good luck!

+1

Until you recognize the camera by make and model and know that you know it, you should do this always.

Also, always remember to tape down the audio controls on the camera once they are set so the camera operator doesn't bump them and readjust your gain accidentally.

And monitor your return!

And regarding the lavs, go with the Lectros if you can. I own and use the Sony's constantly, and they are fine units for their price even though they are largely unknown in our community (everyone uses the Sennheiser G series)... but it's like saying, "Should I get the Mercedes or the Honda?" If you can swing the Mercedes, do it!

And for future reference after this project, try and remember what Brian W. said:

The microphone itself will have a bigger influence on the sound than the brand of transmitter/receiver set
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