Top wireless microphone systems for Christmas Productions

Monday, December 8, 2008 by Joey Vadala

Church audio installations and real worship bands need powerful wireless tools that can be set up quickly and used confidently.  What is the top wireless microphone for Christmas Productions? We rated our selections based on factors such as available features, affordability, and sonic clarity. 

Our winner is the Shure SLX series.  The system offers over 950 frequency selections and is rated for 16-20 systems in the same area.  We tested all of the top ten systems for signal strength without additional antennas and the Shure output strength rated tops.  The real cost of the wireless systems has to factor in all of the parts needed to make it work in your church environment.  I love Sennheiser and AT wireless and sell those brands as well, but the signal strength as we measured it just didn’t provide the same results as the Shure model.

Then we get to the main reason above all others that the Shure SLX series wins is sonic clarity.  You can buy less expensive wireless, but dollar for dollar this series is great because of the companding circuitry.  The long explanation is here at this Shure technical link http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/Products/us_pro_product_wireless_ARC

The short of it is that all manufacturers compress the sound prior to transmission of the wireless signal and then re-expand the signal after reception.  Instead of companding across the entire dynamic range like most wireless systems (causing a whooshing audio artifact known as “breathing”), companding only occurs at high audio levels. These levels are high enough to make the companding artifacts inaudible. The results can be heard by the untrained ear as a microphone that sounds more like a regular wired microphone.

Don’t just take my word for it…Buy one for your Christmas program at a special Christmas price or rent one and if you agree with our results and wish to purchase within a week of that rental, we’ll discount the rental from the sales price.