MI Pro

To give the briefest and most easily understood overview of the present situation as it stands, one needs to go back a few years to the announcement of the DDR, when the sale of spectrum frequencies was announced. At that time, Ofcom succeeded in completely overlooking the programme making and special events (PMSE) market, prompting the re-formation of the British Entertainment Industries Radio Group (BEIRG) to lobby for the retention of channel 69, which contains the licensed frequencies that PMSE had been using
for years.

The success of BEIRG’s lobbying looked as though it had paid off by 2007; Ofcom had acknowledged PMSE’s claim as valid and had made assurances that space (and probably channel 69) would be left for PMSE usage.

Then came the World Radio Conference of 2007, where EU techies discussed the possibility of establishing a co-ordinated pan-European frequency spectrum block. The plan was adopted, which means that Europe will (sensibly) have a united radio frequency policy, but the bad news is that this block included channel 69.

Ofcom was unlikely to question this as the sale of channels 61 to 69 would bring in much more revenue than selling channels 61 to 68.

Of course the industry, represented by BEIRG, can bid for channel 69, but up against the multi-millions of the mobile companies, even companies such as Shure, Sennheiser, AKG and Audio Technica combined cannot hope to compete. BEIRG could also have rejected the offer to switch, but in the world of political negotiating the result could well have been ‘take it or leave it’.

This means that, in all likelihood, the current ocean of wireless systems out there will be redundant by 2013. That leaves four years for the entire industry to redesign and market new equipment, which might not seem too much of a difficulty, until one takes into account the fact that Ofcom has yet to announce which channel will be made available to PMSE, whether this will be a permanent or temporary move and whether the government will help fund
the switch.

This leaves everyone – and by no means least the MI retailer – with something of a dilemma. There is good money to be made from selling entry-level to mid-priced wireless systems, it is a growing market and, as is often the way with technology, the state of the art is becoming increasingly available to an ever widening market, but now the products have a built-in obsolescence.

Without word from Ofcom as to how (or if) the Government will assist in any switch over, let alone on what frequency the equipment will function in the future, retailers would be wise to explain the situation with each sale. There is obviously the chance that Ofcom and manufacturers will allow some sort of amnesty – bring in your old wireless system and get a new one – but no-one knows. In the meantime, as one BEIRG spokesman put it: “You need to cover your arse.”

He went on: “This might have a negative effect on sales, but there is nothing to be done. The important thing is that people have to know what has been going on and, if they can be, persuaded into registering their displeasure with Ofcom, their MPs, anyone and everyone.”

As MI Pro goes to press, the publication of the Digital Britain report is imminent (due on January 27th), which may make things a lot clearer – although on past evidence, one might be equally justified to expect the continuation of the vagaries and procrastination at which Ofcom has excelled since the DDR was first announced.

That said, the wait is almost certainly coming to an end sooner rather than later and there are a good three years’ worth of sales to be had from stocking these increasingly popular products. The important thing is to keep your ear to the ground and keep your customer informed as to what is going on. As is always the case, better to lose a sale but keep the customer in the long run.

Samson
Samson has been at the forefront of micro-technology since it launched the Airline system some years ago and the abandonment of the need for beltpacks and wires (particularly for lavalier mics and instruments) was broadly welcomed by the end user.

The Concert 77 system can be configured with the new HT7 handheld transmitter available with Samson’s Q7 dynamic element, as well as the Samson C05 handheld condenser element.

The HT7 features a three-segment battery indicator, separate power and audio on/off switches, adjustable AF level (audio gain) and 12 hours of battery life on a single nine-volt battery.

The new CT7 belt-pack transmitter can be configured as a lavalier, headset, wind instrument and guitar system thanks to the locking P3 input connection. The device also has an adjustable AF level and 12 hours of battery life on a single nine-volt battery.

The CR77 true-diversity half-rack UHF receiver is the core of the Concert 77 system. The synthesized PLL frequency control circuitry keeps the signal locked, while dual-tuned antennas with LEDs monitor the true-diversity operation. Two CR77 receivers can be rack-mounted together in a single-space rack adapter available as an added accessory.

Sennheiser
As Samson was coming out with its Airline technology, Sennheiser was keeping step by coming up with the SKP unit, a little plug that attaches to any XLR connected wired mic (that’s as close to all of them as makes no difference) and turns it into a wireless mic.

The SKP 3000 is, unsurprisingly, part of the 3000 series, which also includes the SKM 3072-U handheld that comes loaded with access to 32 switchable channels and a veritable swathe of receivers, including the EM 3031-U/-V which provides 32 channels in a single rack-space unit.

Then there are the beltpacks, including the new EK 3241, which has a switching bandwidth of 36MHz and frequencies that can be tuned in steps of 5kHz, making the receiver the perfect partner for Sennheiser’s higher end transmitter models in the 5000 series, the SKM 5200 and SK 5212.

Audio Technica
The Japanese giant for all things mic and headphone has been making significant inroads into the wireless market for some years now, which combined with some spectacular endorser deals (perhaps the most notable being the opera singer Katherine Jenkins, who uses the Artist Elite AEW-T5400 transmitter mic,
the Pigeon Detectives and Breed),
have seen the company winning considerable prestige.

The high-end Artist Elite 5000 and 4000 series range from the AEW-5416 package (retailing at £3,649), a dual system with two AEW-T1000 UniPak  beltpacks and two AEW-T6100 handheld hypercardioid dynamic mic transmitters and the AEW-R2500 dual receiver, to the AEW-4110 body-pack system with an AEW-R4100 receiver and AEW-T1000 UniPak transmitter – a snip at £1,069.

Closer to MI hearts are the more affordable mics and receivers available in the 2000 and 3000 series (with prices for mics alone starting at £209 for the ATW-T220 and £299 for the ATW-T341).

Shure
The king of the mic makers maintains pretty strong elbow room in the market on the basis of its name, of course, but more so because the quality of its wireless systems keep it as the front runner. The latest (and many would say best) of these are the new and extensive Performance Gear systems, which comprise set-ups for lavalier, headsets, instruments and, of course, handheld vocals.

The PG2 transmitter has a combined power/mute button with lock function, gain switch, channel select, a seven-segment, multi-coloured LED display, eight hours of battery life from a nine-Volt battery (included) and functions over a distance of 75 metres. The handheld is fitted with the PG58 mic head and all that number has inspired in mic users for the past 40 years. Combined with the PG4 receiver and its microprocessor controlled ‘Predictive Diversity’ technology, internal antennas for ten selectable frequencies and up to four compatible systems per band, you have one of the most effective and simple systems available for under £200. The PG58 system is also available as dual system.

Trantec
Buying British is something that a lot of musos don’t consider, but for vocalists – and particularly those looking for a good wireless system – it is a good option thanks to Trantec.

A quarter of a century after pioneering the first readily available radio mics, Trantec introduced the groundbreaking S5 series, based upon the award-winning, professional S6000 system, which is widely used in theatre and broadcast. The S5.3, the latest multi-channel UHF product from Trantec, is the little brother of the S5.5 system and has 11MHz of bandwidth that enables the running of up to 12 channels simultaneously – at a price you will find hard to match.

AKG
NAMM saw the launch of a new system from the famed, Harman-owned, Austrian mic manufacturer, the DMS 700, which gives users a state of the art feature set including digital audio encryption, ultra wide tuning range and high channel count in a simple to use 19-inch chassis. Ideal for live sound reinforcement, the DMS 700 is touted as a ‘revolutionary wireless solution designed for the future’ as it operates with two frequency bands with each band providing a tuning range of up to 155MHz of receivers and transmitters, giving the user extended flexibility in today’s crowded RF environment.

Meanwhile, at the entry level, AKG has the WMS 40 Pro systems, which have the unique HDAP (High Definition Audio Performance) technology, which ensures a quality, transparent sound in virtually any conditions. The transmitters operate for 30 hours off a single AA size battery, saving the user frequent battery replacements and thus money.