MTM32.
10mm wireless 10/4/05 3:03 PM
TEN MINUTE
MASTER No67
Wireless systems
Radio microphones and wireless systems can bring new-found freedom
to a live performance. Grant Bridgeman rides the radio waves.
L
ike all things in the
music technology
industry, wireless
systems have become
much more affordable
and prevalent, and are
now available from a wide range
of manufacturers, each system
offering slightly different
capabilities. Although not
generally used within the studio
environment, radio mics are
regularly used for live music
performances, in the theatre,
and for television and film,
providing freedom of movement
and (potentially) invisible mic’ing
techniques that are not possible
with conventional microphones
and cables.
FM transmission
The basic transmission principles
of wireless systems are the same
as conventional FM (frequency
modulation) radio. A carrier wave
defines the frequency at which
the transmitter and receiver
communicate. The amplitude of
A wireless system comprises a receiver
and transmitter, but each needs to be
carefully selected to connect correctly
to the source and destination.
Audio Transmitter
source
Microphone
Guitar output
Line-level signal
32 November 2005 MusicTech MAGAZINE
Page 1
Source
audio
signal
Frequency
modulator
Carrier wave
the audio source signal is used
to modulate the frequency of the
carrier wave and the result is
transmitted as an
electromagnetic wave. The
receiver is tuned to the
frequency of the carrier wave
and demodulates it, re-creating
the original audio input.
The frequency on which the
transmitter and receiver both
have to operate is analogous to a
channel. When using more than
one wireless system in close
physical proximity, each system
has to have its own dedicated
channel and it is necessary to
leave enough frequency ‘space’
between each of the systems.
When using just two different
wireless channels, a difference of
400kHz is usually sufficient, but
when using multiple wireless
systems (as is often the case
now since in-ear monitoring
Receiver Destination
PA
Guitar amp
Recording device
In-ear system
Modulated carrier
became more popular), the
frequencies of each channel have
to be carefully selected to
prevent intermodulation.
For radio microphones, the
frequency of the carrier wave
falls either within the VHF (very
high frequency) or UHF (ultra
high frequency) ranges. Both
VHF and UHF are within the
MHz range (1MHz=1,000,000Hz);
VHF covering 49–300MHz and
UHF covering 300–1,000MHz.
The VHF range is very highly
populated with traffic, as the cost
of the equipment is significantly
cheaper than for UHF. This
popularity means that VHF
wireless systems can be prone to
interference from other radio
signals – such as radio-controlled
toys, walkie-talkies and
conventional radio signals. This
situation is exacerbated by the
properties of VHF, as the carrier
wave has a relatively longer
wavelength and it can pass
through a reasonable amount of
non-metallic material. The result
is that competing VHF signals
are likely to be in the same space
as your radio mic. The UHF
carrier frequencies generally
provide better performance, as
these are less prone to external
Amp
Antenna
With FM transmissions, the frequency
of the carrier wave is modulated by the
amplitude of the source audio.
radio interference, give excellent
line-of-sight reception and
generally radiate only within the
constraints of the venue.
Diversity
As UHF waves are radio
(electromagnetic) waves, they
display similar characteristics to
sound waves and will reflect off
surfaces within a room. This
means that when using only a
single-antenna receiver, it is
possible that a reflected signal
will arrive at the receiver at the
same time as the direct signal
and cause some phase
cancellation, resulting in a partial
(or total) signal drop-out.
Diversity reception solves
this by using a pair of antennae
to independently receive the
same transmitted signal. The
antennae are physically spaced
apart from each other, the
distance between the two being
less than the wavelength of the
carrier signal (for 900MHz the
wavelength is approximately
33cm). This spatial difference
means that phase cancellation is
MTM32.10mm wireless 10/4/05 3:03 PM
Compression
Transmitter 2:1 Transmission
0dB
40dB
range
80dB
range
80dB
Compansion helps to expand the
dynamic range of FM transmission
using a combined process of
compression and subsequent expansion.
far less likely to occur at both
antennae at the same time. With
‘true diversity’ systems, each
antennae has an independent
receiver and the signals are
demodulated separately – the
main unit continuously compares
the signal strength from each and
seamlessly switches to the
strongest signal. Other diversity
techniques involve combining the
signal from the two independent
receivers and building a stronger
overall signal.
Companding
The main principle with FM
transmission is that the
amplitude of the source audio
Wireless systems provide a vital function
within the live performance environment.
signal modulates the frequency
of the carrier wave: the wider the
dynamic range of the source
audio, the wider the resulting
frequency variation of the carrier
signal. As each carrier wave has
a restricted bandwidth over
which it is allowed to transmit,
the dynamic range of the original
audio has to be restricted.
FM radio signals have a
dynamic range of only 40–50dB
and this is the same for radio
mics, so a technique called
companding (or compansion) is
used to maximise the dynamic
range. This technique involves
compressing the signal before
transmission (generally using a
ratio of around 2:1) and then
performing a complementary
expansion process (ratio of 1:2)
once the received signal has
been demodulated, restoring the
original dynamic range.
Page 2
Expansion
1:2 Receiver
0dB
80dB
range
80dB
Depending on the bandwidth
allowed for the carrier signal, it is
possible to achieve a 100dB
dynamic range for the audio
signal. Improved performance
can be achieved by using
multi-band compansion, whereby
the original audio signal is split
into two or more frequency
bands and compressed and
expanded individually.
The combination of
compansion and the actual
transmission processes can lead
to an increase in high-frequency
noise in the received signal. To
counteract this, the original audio
signal is ‘pre-emphasised’ before
the compression stage. This
pre-emphasis is a boosting of the
higher frequencies that is
equivalent to a 6dB/octave boost
from around 4kHz upwards. After
the expansion stage at the
receiver, the signal is treated to
an equivalent ‘de-emphasis’,
resulting in a reduction in the
high-frequency noise levels.
Squelch
Another major noise problem
with radio mics occurs when the
radio signal is lost at the
receiver. As the receiver is
searching for the carrier wave it
can be prone to picking up
background radio noise, which
generally manifests itself as loud
white noise. The Squelch control
is a noise gate on the audio
output of the receiver that is
Reflected
Direct
Transmitter Receiver
controlled by the strength of the
received radio signal. When the
radio signal drops below a
threshold, the output of the
receiver is silenced. This
threshold level can be manually
adjusted on the receiver and, as
the radio transmission signal
strength is distance-dependent,
higher threshold levels will
reduce the operating range of the
radio mic, but will reduce the
noise of the system.
A relatively recent refinement
to the squelch system has been
to use an inaudible ‘key tone’
(>25kHz) within the signal from
the transmitter. The receiver still
monitors the radio signal
strength, but also continuously
checks for the correct key tone,
un-muting the audio output only
when there is both the key tone
and sufficient RF signal present.
Controlling the airwaves
The Joint Frequency
Management Group (JMFG)
regulates the frequencies used
for radio microphone carrier
waves in the UK. This body
assigns the frequency bands
within the UHF and VHF ranges
for use with wireless systems.
Even though these devices
(should) use only localised
transmission powers, they must
not interfere with ‘primary users’
– TV and radio broadcasters,
commercial communications or
mobile phones.
Different groups within the
frequency ranges allocated for
radio microphones also exist:
frequencies that do not require a
licence; frequencies that require
a licence and can be used
Two antennae of a diversity reception
system can help reduce the chances of
phase cancellation occurring.
Reflected
Direct
Diversity
Transmitter
receiver
Even medium-range wireless systems
now offer UHF transmission and
diversity reception.
anywhere in the UK; and
frequencies that require a licence
and are to be used in a specific
location for a set period of time.
Acquiring a licence – by
approaching the JMFG – means
access to a wider range of
frequencies and less likelihood
of localised interference.
A radio microphone may not
replace a high-quality condenser
mic in the studio, but wireless
systems provide a vital function
within the live performance
environment and can, when
appropriately used, increase
your sense of freedom. MTM
Tech terms
■ Intermodulation
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an- non10%nea( *%(*2%'. 'o gene(a'e
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.e0e*'%on o, '"e ,(e<2en*%e. 4e%ng
2.e- ,o( ea*" .9.'em.
■ Electromagnetic wave
= 8a:e '"a' '(a:e0. a' '"e .3ee-
o, 0%g"' an- "a. 4o'" e0e*'(%*a0
an- magne'%* 3(o3e('%e.. =n
e0e*'(omagne'%* 8a:e *an '(a:e0
'"(o2g" a :a*22m.
■ In-ear monitoring
>o0-4a*? mon%'o(%ng ,o( 0%:e
3e(,o(man*e '"a' %. a 8%(e0e..
'(an.m%..%on 'o an ea(3%e*e 8o(n
49 '"e 3e(,o(me(.
!"#T%&# ()!O
■ John Eargle’s The Microphone Book
2nd Edition has a section dedicated to
radio mics covering theoretical and
practical aspects of radio mic use.
■ www.shure.com/booklets/wireless
and www.audio-technica.com/cms/
site/b1ef36f7cd249ff8/index.html
Excellent resources on all aspects of
wireless systems.
■ www.jfmg.co.uk The Joint
Frequency Management Group.
MusicTech MAGAZINE November 2005 33