One of the challenges in field video production shooting can be capturing good audio. When on location where power isn't available, or when you need to move freely while shooting and still capture solid audio of the on-camera “talent,” what do you do? Sometimes a wired lavalier or boom mic just isn't practical, or the cable presents a tripping hazard.
Camera-mounted electronic news gathering (ENG) wireless systems, which provide a battery operation for the receiver as well as the transmitters, have been around for a while. When I was in the market for one about seven years ago, there was only one reasonably priced system for under $1,000, and it was a non-diversity receiver—primarily meaning it was very susceptible to noise and dropouts—enough so that I rarely even tried to use it. Camera-mounted diversity systems, at that time, were in the $2,000 to $4,000 range.
So I was pretty excited to get the chance to work with Shure's FP system, an ENG wireless microphone setup with handheld, bodypack and plug-on transmitters available. I chose a system that included the battery-operated receiver, a bodypack transmitter with lavalier microphone, and a plug-on transmitter for use with existing XLR wired microphones.
Why ENG?
You may be wondering why a church would care about an ENG wireless system. Think mobility.
You're shooting a promo video talking about the upcoming capital campaign for improving/expanding your facility, and the pastor wants to walk around the facility, inside and out, while he talks. You need him mic'd, but to lead him around you can't have a plug-in receiver. And dragging a mic cable to a boom mic would be a hassle when walking all around the campus. Attach this receiver to your camera, the bodypack and lav mic to the pastor, and you can follow him all the way to Starbucks and back if you want.
Don't want the lav mic in the shot, but still want the mobility? Pick up a battery-operated shotgun condenser mic (these can be under $300), put it on your boom pole, attach the plug-on transmitter, and you're off to the races—nice boom mic'ing with no cable trailing off to your camera.
The FP5 receiver is small and compact— about the same size as the bodypack transmitter.
Or let's say you're on a missions trip, and want to be extremely mobile with your interview shots without the hassle of a cable. Then an ENG system will do this for you. You can lead your pastor through the African village you're helping, with him close-mic'd, and no cable to limit you or get in the way.
Features worth noting
The FP5 receiver is small and compact—about the same size as the bodypack transmitter. It comes with a pocket clip, as well as an adapter that lets it attach to a camera's hotshoe mounting bracket. Two cables are included: one for connecting to a professional XLR audio input, and one for connecting to an 1/8-inch TRS audio jack like those typically found on DSLR cameras. A gain control lets you adjust the audio output of the transmitter.
The FP1 bodypack transmitter is your typical wireless bodypack, with a Shure mic connector at the top. A Shure WL183 lavalier mic is included with the system.
The FP3 plug-on is another transmitter option that some may not be familiar with. It connects to any standard mic's XLR connector, turning a wired mic into a wireless mic. The transmitter does not supply phantom power however, so only dynamic mics, or condenser mics with internal batteries, can be used with this transmitter.
All units operate on two AA batteries.
The FP series also features two extremely handy setup features. The first is the Scan button located on the receiver. This causes the receiver to scan the airwaves looking for a clear channel, and automatically selects that channel when found. The second feature is the sync feature—press the Sync button on the receiver, align the receiver's IR port with the corresponding port on the transmitter, and the frequency information is transferred to the transmitter. No more messing around with manual coordination.
Performance findings
With the automated setup features, getting the system ready to go was painless. I connected it to my Canon XF300 and took a listen—and I was impressed.
I'm used to hearing some degree of low-level hiss from many of the wireless systems I've used in the past. On this system, I heard nothing—clear as a bell. The audio quality was excellent from both the plug-on transmitter and the lav/bodypack transmitter.
I took both transmitters around my house and yard while recording, and the range was also impressive. It wasn't until I was well outside the house (with the receiver in my office), with numerous walls separating me and the receiver, before any dropouts occurred.
My only complaint is that the plug-in transmitter was a little hard to get latched onto the microphone I was using. But once on, if felt very secure, which may be the point of it taking a little more force than I anticipated to attach it. I had no problem removing it from the mic.
The almost non-existent noise floor, easy setup and high audio quality make this a no-brainer for field production work. And with the combo kit I tested having an MSRP of $999 (street prices closer to $799), this won't break the bank for most churches wanting to do field recording.
Now I just need to see if it's in my own budget for use at the WFX conference this fall where I'm gathering attendee interviews on the show floor. It would sure beat creating a tripping hazard with the wired mic we usually use.
