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Thoughts on UCR210D/UM200C vs G3 in 2015?


Korey Pereira

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I am currently using G3 wireless for production sound.  I have 3 sets that I use for a combo of mic'ing talent and wireless hops to cameras for scratch.  I recently had a TX go out on me.  It was working one second and would not power on the next.  This has me thinking about taking this opportunity to move to lectrosonics.

 

Two factors leading me towards going lectro: 1) Better range, 2) less scrutiny from producers / camera ops for using G3s.

 

While I would LOVE to pick up a SRB + (2) SM transmitters, it is not in the budget as I primarily do post work these days.

 

What I am considering is a used UCR210D/UM200C, which is more in my budget.  My question: is this a good choice vs sticking with another G3?

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I have a few 211/um200c sets that I use along side my 411a/SRB when I need them. I find they all sound similar enough to mix comfortably. Don't forget that Lectrosonics have made incremental upgrades very easy with their backward compatibility. So when you want to make the jump to SMQV, you don't necessarily have to lay out the cash for a new receiver at that time.

 

I still use my G3s as scratch to camera, and think it's a great option on small cameras.

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The 210 is an odd looking beast and uses a slightly wacky AA battery sled (that only that model had), but its guts are pretty much the same as the 211.  Not having the display and having to enter the freq settings by the old "2-dial" method is kind of a pain if you are used to more modern interfaces, but the performance of the wireless has been better for me than the Senn. G series for sure.  The main diffs I hear between my 210s and my more current wires is that the newer stuff is quieter.  The range is about the same.

 

philp

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I'll go against the grain here. I've used a couple of UCR100/Lma systems as a foot in the door on Lectrosonics. I bought them figuring I could use them as camera hops in the future when I upgrade. Good systems on a budget, I run them with iPower 9v lithium rechargeables all day, and the only issues I've ever had with them were my own stupid fault. Once I got my head around proper freq coordination and using the Freq Finder app I haven't had any issues with them. Yes, dialing in the freq with the tweaker is old school, but I generally don't have issues. That being said, I live in a pretty rural area, so there's not a lot of traffic.

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I'll go against the grain here.

How is that going against the grain? Everyone seems to like 210/um200 combo.

I wouldn't discard the G3s yet. I had a receiver, too, that woudn't switch on, but Sennheiser repaired it for a fairly low fee. You could still use them as backups/camera hops

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The G3s have their place... the trick is to know when...

 

  The 210 series is ROCK SOLID and although fiddly to adjust the frequency, and AA batts, performs great in the field...  For dialog... with a miked subject, paired with a quality lav, it its head and shoulders above the quality of the G3...   Not a fair comparison in that regard..

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Totally agree on G3s having their use as "utility wireless".

Perfect mate for 5ds and camera scratch. EK300 IEM receivers with a built in headphone amp make the system a great producer/director/boom op feed.

As someone who made do with older wireless for a little too long I'd say save your cash for Lectro 400 stuff. Older SM transmitters are a good deal and even at retail the SR is great. That said, you'd do fine with Lectro 200.

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I will add that my G2-3s have been a very successful income vs cost deal for me, since they work so often as ref. audio hops to cameras, particularly DSLRs.  They sound and work plenty good enough for that task, are small, light and easy to use and are cheap enough to be considered expendable.  I worry a whole lot less about a G2 on a moving camera than I do my more "serious " hops like SRb.   So yeah, hang onto them when you upgrade.

 

philp

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I have an entire collection of 200 series stuff, and they are great performers. Miles better than the Senny or AT stuff I had before. I've gotten nearly a 1/4 mile range (not production quality, but enough for signaling) out of them in certain conditions. I also have a couple 210 receivers that I could sell you to get you started, B27 or 28.

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Everybody always dumps on G3s. I think they're pretty darn great as long as you're not trying to push the range too far. IMHO they sound much nicer (and certainly have better signal to noise) than lectro 200 series, but not as nice as 400 series.

I recently put a 664 with a G3 up for sale. Almost immediately got more than 5 people asking about the G3 and whether I'd sell it separately.

If you're looking for a halfway step up, I suggest you look for some used sennheiser 2000 series. These are basically the same as G3s but can be dialed to 50mw and have 3 pin Lemo wiring. I've used these with a good amount of of success.

And I didn't mention this before, but I also really like the form factor and ease of use of the g3s.

Another suggestion is to look for some used qrx100 trxla900 Zax wireless. Those sound absolutely phenomenal, and there are more on the used market than one would initially think.

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Thank you all for your input!  So after stewing on it for a few days, I decided to go for broke (literally) and opted for an SRb + (2) SMV after all! I feel that in the long run, this will be a much better investment and last me a lot longer than an older system like the 210D.

 

I agree with several comments that the G3s still have uses, especially as mono hops to DSLRs / timecode (hadn't thought of that one) / video village.  I am going to sell one of my G3-B units + SKP100-B to help offset my purchase.  For now I am going to hold on to my two working RX and one TX.

 

 

How is that going against the grain? Everyone seems to like 210/um200 combo.

I wouldn't discard the G3s yet. I had a receiver, too, that woudn't switch on, but Sennheiser repaired it for a fairly low fee. You could still use them as backups/camera hops

 

Thanks Constantin for the suggestion - I have sent my dead TX off to Sennheiser for repair.

 

NOW the last thing I need to do is figure out what to do about mics for the SMVs...

 

I do have a Countryman EMW tan and a DPA 4061 Lo-Sens both wired for Senn G3.  Would it be a better idea to have these rewired for the SMV or sell them and put the money towards (2) Cos11-D?  Thanks again for the support from everyone!

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The G3s have their place... the trick is to know when...

 

  The 210 series is ROCK SOLID and although fiddly to adjust the frequency, and AA batts, performs great in the field...  For dialog... with a miked subject, paired with a quality lav, it its head and shoulders above the quality of the G3...   Not a fair comparison in that regard..

the G series definitely have a distinct crunch on high end frequencies of dialog that is not necessarily a good thing but passable i guess with the general viewing/listening public. i can generally spot one upon listening right away on reality shows etc. IMHO they works great for camera guys one-man-band'ing. i say go for the 210's. i completely agree w above. the g series work great for timecode and wireless returns!

 

-Ken

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I have four G3 receivers I use as camera scratch track receivers. Fun fact: I use a Lectro IFB 250mw transmitter and the G3's pick up the signal great. I love the Lectro IFB transmitter because it's cheap and I've dubbed it "The Border Blaster" because I've had it cleanly transmit for blocks in certain cases / great as a car to car IFB transmitter.

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I have four G3 receivers I use as camera scratch track receivers. Fun fact: I use a Lectro IFB 250mw transmitter and the G3's pick up the signal great. I love the Lectro IFB transmitter because it's cheap and I've dubbed it "The Border Blaster" because I've had it cleanly transmit for blocks in certain cases / great as a car to car IFB transmitter.

wow that is a good tip

 

-Ken

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I have four G3 receivers I use as camera scratch track receivers. Fun fact: I use a Lectro IFB 250mw transmitter and the G3's pick up the signal great. I love the Lectro IFB transmitter because it's cheap and I've dubbed it "The Border Blaster" because I've had it cleanly transmit for blocks in certain cases / great as a car to car IFB transmitter.

Agreed, thanks for sharing - is there any trick settings wise to getting the EK100 to receive the signal (other than tuning to the right channel of course)?

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