How Do Wireless Microphones Work
Ever wonder how do wireless microphones work? These microphones utilize batteries for it to send radio waves across the across frequency to the receiver. Therefore excellent and strong battery needs to be used for wireless microphones always. Once the battery starts to weaken, the microphone decreases its performance by distorting the sound. Let's learn more about how do wireless microphones work.
Wireless Microphone System
Wireless microphones are pretty much the same as those wired microphones. The only difference is what it uses to transmit signals.
Wired microphones have a male XLR output connection and transmit signals to a mic input via cable. In comparison, wireless microphones transmit signals via a radio transmitter to relay the output signal to a receiver before it is sent to a mic input.
Parts Of A Wireless Microphone System
Let's breakdown the different components of a wireless microphone system.
Microphone And Its Body
The microphone piece of the system is similar to a standard microphone. It functions as a transducer that converts that sound into audio signals. In summary of how it works:
- You will produce the sound, and the sound waves will cause vibration to the microphone diaphragm.
- This diaphragm vibration will be converted to an electrical signal by electromagnetic induction or the variation in the capsule capacitance.
- This signal may or may not be magnified inside the microphone before the output.
- The microphone's body comes in three styles. The handheld, the lavalier, or the headset. A handheld wireless microphone is bigger than a wired microphone as it houses the built-in transmitters and batteries. The wireless lavalier is not totally wireless, as it comes with a clip that you can attach to your clothing. It also comes with a thin cable leading to its transmitter. Same with the headset, it comes with a thin cable to connect to a belt pack transmitter, so it is not totally wireless.
Transmitter And Receiver
The transmitter transmits the audio signal coming from the wireless microphone to the receiver via radiofrequency. The receiver is usually located near the audio console, while its output is attached to the microphone input via the XLR cable.
The transmitter comes in three types. The handheld transmitter is the one that is usually connected to the microphone capsules. The plug-in transmitter comes in a standalone transmitter box. The belt pack is just small and can be hidden in the clothes you are wearing.
Pros Of Using Wireless Microphone
Using a wireless microphone comes with some perks.
- Since it has no cable, there are fewer chances of accidents like getting tripped or getting something tangled from the wires.
- You can move freely.
- Good signal transmission since audio doesn't need to travel through a long cable.
Cons Of Using Wireless Microphone
Here are some disadvantages when you go wireless.
- You might need a lot of batteries since it's how the transmitter will work. If you frequently use the wireless microphone, then you will have to stock batteries as well.
- There are chances for radio interruption that will hinder the signal.
Con
Despite the disadvantages of using a wireless microphone, I think it is still a good choice in general, especially if you use it at work that requires a lot of movement.