Imagine…everyone is ready for service, the gear is set up, but then the pastor’s wireless microphone cuts out. Many houses of worship have likely experienced a similar technical hurdle with their wireless equipment right when, or just before, it’s needed most. For larger HOWs that have a dedicated tech team, this problem can be remedied quickly. However, for those with volunteers or a nimble staff, working to address this in a timely manner can feel daunting. Don’t worry – it's possible to remedy wireless issues, even within a smaller organization. Here are a few simple steps to help troubleshoot wireless in houses of worship.
How To Be Successful with Wireless from the Start
Reliable wireless systems are key to the success of HOW events and performances. However, issues can arise. When they do, it’s important for your staff to know how to act quickly.
First, it’s best to plan for events sooner rather than later. Whether you are part of a small, mid-sized, or large HOW, think about your audio production needs in advance. Collaborate with tech teams—whether in-house or with third-party integrators—to prepare at least two months ahead of time for larger, more complicated events and performances. Use the time to determine the equipment and staffing that will be needed to execute a successful event. Having these early conversations with your tech teams is important to ensure you’re extra prepared for whatever comes your way day of.
Next, consider your current inventory. Make note of the brands, models, and frequency ranges you have and whether you’ll need to outsource from another company – this applies whether you buy or rent the equipment. If your HOW hosts a lot of events, such as holiday productions, local speaker series, etc., consider buying. If you don’t have all of the equipment or gear, help your tech teams get in contact with the right manufacturer and integrator to get the equipment. Have your tech teams work with the integrator to learn how to use the equipment, if extra assistance is needed. This will make sure they have what they need to host a successful event and avoid, or help them be prepared to handle, any issues that may arise.
How to Troubleshoot Wireless Microphones
Experiencing a problem with your system can be frustrating, but even more so is troubleshooting it so it can be fixed. But where to start? Wireless dropouts are typically the result of either radio frequency interference or issues with the antenna setup, but sometimes both. Typically, start with the microphone transmitter itself, and move on from there.
Microphone Transmitter Testing:
This is a great first place to start when troubleshooting. The goal is to isolate the problematic wireless microphone and test it out on its own. Turn off all other wireless transmitters and try that one mic on its own. If the mic is working, that means your transmitter, receiver, and frequency are all operating correctly. So, what now?
- If the microphone is still experiencing dropouts or signal loss:
- This means the most likely culprit is a bad frequency (see below on scanning)
- If scanning doesn’t resolve the problem, try the microphone with another receiver to determine if the microphone may require repair
- If it works fine with another receiver, double-check your antenna placement and connections (see below for more details on antennas)
- If it works properly, the problem is likely caused by the interaction with other wireless microphones in the setup. When using more than two, it is critical that you select frequencies that do not interfere with one another. Wireless coordination tools such as Shure’s Wireless Workbench, are helpful to determine frequency compatibility for large wireless audio setups.
Monitoring Receiver Indicator Lights and Frequency Scanning:
Next, you’ll want to check out the receiver indicators for issues in your equipment and in the environment.
Troubleshooting dropout problems:
- Check the meters or lights on the receiver, monitor the RF level indicator, and see what happens when you experience a dropout. If the light goes off or the RF meter falls during dropout, the problem is related to the RF signal – either a dropout due to interference or problems with the antenna setup.
- First of all, observe the RF meters on the receivers with all the wireless mics turned off. If any receivers are showing signal on the meters, this means interference is present on that channel.
- Newer wireless mic systems are equipped with the ability to scan for the best frequency. Perform this step on any receiver that is experiencing dropouts or showing RF signal metering when its mic is off.
- For setups with multiple wireless mics, it is critical that you ensure the frequencies are compatible with each other. If all the wireless systems are the same model, this can be as simple as making sure they are all using different channels within the same “group.” But if they are a mix of brands/models, software such as Shure’s Wireless Workbench must be employed to ensure compatibility.
- If all else fails, remove the receiver in question from the rack, use the stock antennas on its back, and isolate it from the rest of your equipment. Place the receiver six to 10 feet away from everything else. If it works fine in this scenario, see below for steps on troubleshooting antennas. Otherwise, the unit itself may be in need of repair.
Troubleshooting sound quality issues:
If the problems you are experiencing seem to be related more to how the microphone sounds (versus simply cutting in and out), this is not likely related to radio frequencies, but audio level settings in the system:
- If the microphone sounds distorted, check the audio level meters. If they are showing red (or “overload”) that means the audio gain is set too high and should be reduced. Be careful not to turn it down too much.
- If the audio LEDs are barely lighting up, the gain is set too low. The microphone will sound very quiet and/or “noisy.”
- Ideally, you should see most of the audio signal LEDs lighting up, but without triggering the red “overload” LED.
- If the microphone still doesn’t sound right, then be sure to check your mixer’s settings for that channel.
Check Your Antennas:
Another big reason you might experience dropouts is if your antennas aren’t set up correctly.
Take note of:
- Placement of remote antennas: Wireless microphones work best when they can “see” the receiver antennas, so line-of-sight is critical for ensuring the best performance. For instance, when the antennas are placed in the same room as the microphone, there is less of a chance of signals being blocked or compromised. Also, make sure the antennas are placed high enough to be above the heads of the congregation. Humans are great absorbers of radio frequency energy!
- How many wireless receivers are in use: If it’s four or more, the use of antenna distribution is highly recommended, especially when using rack-mounted receivers. Multiple, closely spaced antennas will interfere with each other, disrupting their pickup patterns. Antenna distribution fixes this issue by allowing all your receivers to share a common pair of antennas.
- Remote antenna cable: the amount of signal loss in the coaxial cable used to remote-mount antennas can vary wildly, based on the type of cable. If you don’t know what type of cable is in use, don’t exceed more than 10 or 15 feet of cable between the receivers or antenna distribution. Consult with your integrator or manufacturer if you need to extend the antennas further distances than that.
Additional Tactics to Consider When Addressing Wireless Issues
In addition to all the above, there are a few other simple tactics to employ to help address issues quickly. To help determine what the problem is, you need to continue decreasing the obstacles or variables that are affecting your wireless system.
Think about your hardware first. The most important thing to remember is that all your equipment needs to be plugged in and wired correctly or it will not work properly. As the old saying goes, 90% of problems in a sound system are due to cables and/or connectors. For example, make sure all audio and antenna cables are inserted fully. If a particular receiver is having issues, consider replacing the corresponding audio or RF cables.
Second, consider what software you are employing. Be proactive by using monitoring tools to scan the venue or RF environment before a big service or performance. This will help tech teams get a feel for the RF environment and allow them to add in wireless bands while avoiding interference and other issues that may arise. For example, leverage software such as Shure’s Wireless Workbench, that enables tech leads to track and manage equipment connected to the wireless system without having to stop production. This way, frequency monitoring, and coordination can be done from one place.
Lastly, think about your day of management. Know that not every HOW has the means for a full tech team but having one or two designated people or volunteers to manage the wireless on the day of an event or performance is recommended. Their job is to monitor RF frequencies, and battery levels (you did remember to check the batteries, right?), and do pre-show tests of the microphones/bodypacks to ensure everything is set to run smoothly.
Houses of worship face the same wireless issues as concert venues, sports arenas, and Broadway theaters. What’s important to keep in mind is that managing wireless issues does not have to be difficult if you’re given or have access to the right resources. Houses of worship can troubleshoot on their own without a fully equipped team but sometimes asking for outside help is inevitable.
