AKG WMS40 XLR microphone Tx/Rx (Thanks, Mark!)

[LAB]

I already have a good quality wireless microphone (the italian dB
Technologies PU900M, Beyerdynamic capsule and a RF link better than many pro
Shure mics, not only PG's!), but for some non-critical applications (i.e.
short distance in a church) I'd like to buy a AKG WMS40 Transformer for
about 140 Euro by Ebay from Germany.

Transmitter has an XLR connector to be used with any dynamic microphone
(there is also a sensitivity adjust). I could use a good quality mic or the
first SM/PG58 I get in my hands. Tx frequency is fixed (it has no PLL...)

Does anyone tried it?
Primarily: does it have a compander or noise is very annoying? (even
though receiver could have a noise gate to declare a better ratio!).
RF link is good?

From a cheap device like this I don't want the best performances, but it
must have good value for the money...

Thanks
Gian

[LAB]

I'm talking about WMS 40 PRO TRANSFORMER SET:

http://www.akg.com/site/products/powerslave,id,920,pid,920,nodeid,2,_language,EN.ht ml


Gian

[Geoff]

LAB wrote:
> I already have a good quality wireless microphone (the italian dB
> Technologies PU900M, Beyerdynamic capsule and a RF link better than
> many pro Shure mics, not only PG's!), but for some non-critical
> applications (i.e. short distance in a church) I'd like to buy a AKG
> WMS40 Transformer for about 140 Euro by Ebay from Germany.
>
> Transmitter has an XLR connector to be used with any dynamic
> microphone (there is also a sensitivity adjust). I could use a good
> quality mic or the first SM/PG58 I get in my hands. Tx frequency is
> fixed (it has no PLL...)
> Does anyone tried it?
> Primarily: does it have a compander or noise is very annoying?
> (even though receiver could have a noise gate to declare a better
> ratio!). RF link is good?
>
> From a cheap device like this I don't want the best performances,
> but it must have good value for the money...


I take you mean the SO40 "Snap-On" transmitter ?

It's OK - better than any SM58 you plug into it.

But I alway call them (and other such devices) "Snap Offs" for reasons which
should be obvious.

geoff

[Geoff]

LAB wrote:
> I'm talking about WMS 40 PRO TRANSFORMER SET:
>
> http://www.akg.com/site/products/powerslave,id,920,pid,920,nodeid,2,_language,EN.ht ml
>
>
> Gian

"Transformer set" ?!!!

Do you mean Transmiitter and Receiver Set ?

Or just the snap-on transmitter:
http://www.akg.com/mediendatenbank2/psfile/datei/54/wms40_en4055c1bc1c85f.pdf

The WMS40Pro is an OK wireless system if all you require is
single/fixed-frequency non-diversity system with an average-to-good dynamic
microphone.

For me the fixed freq would make it a no-no, but "yer pays yer money....".

geoff

[LAB]

>> LAB wrote:
>> I'm talking about WMS 40 PRO TRANSFORMER SET:
>> http://www.akg.com/site/products/powerslave,id,920,pid,920,nodeid,2,_language,EN.ht ml
>> Gian

> GEOFF wrote:
> "Transformer set" ?!!!
> Do you mean Transmiitter and Receiver Set ?
> Or just the snap-on transmitter:
> http://www.akg.com/mediendatenbank2/psfile/datei/54/wms40_en4055c1bc1c85f.pdf
>
> It's OK - better than any SM58 you plug into it.
> The WMS40Pro is an OK wireless system if all you require is
> single/fixed-frequency non-diversity system with an average-to-good
> dynamic microphone.
>
> For me the fixed freq would make it a no-no, but "yer pays yer money....".
>
> geoff

I agree, Geoff but, as I wrote, I already have a very good UHF dB
Technologies wireless. We could debate about the TG-X58 capsule, but RF link
is very good. It's better than a Shure PG 58 wireless and even other pro
Shure's (at least old ones I tried).

Last week I've "bet" with a young sound engineer that my dB technologies
would cover the diameter of Piazza del Popolo (=People's square) in Roma:

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_del_Popolo_(Roma)
http://images.google.it/images?q=piazza+del+popolo

His Shure PG58 was losing the link at the half of the square, but the dB
was still OK at 3/4 of the square with no problems. In addition it's powered
by two inexpensive Alkaline or Ni-MH AAA batteries.

I'll use the WMS40Pro with a Rode M1 or Sennheiser MD431 or Shure SM58,
from a situation to another, mostly indoors. A friend of mines have already
tried a 30 Euro noisy no-compander no-diversity 115MHz(!) microphone: it was
ok... :-S
If there will be other wireless's they will likely use other bands (VHF
or 800MHz band).

Thanks for your useful help!

Gian

[Richard Crowley]

"geoff" wrote ...
> I take you mean the SO40 "Snap-On" transmitter ?
>
> It's OK - better than any SM58 you plug into it.
>
> But I alway call them (and other such devices) "Snap Offs" for reasons
> which should be obvious.

I've seen a significant number of "wireless mics" on TV which
looked remarkably like standard mics with a standard XLR
connector and a stub wire ("antenna"?) coming out the end.
Remarkable that they could fit the whole transmitter and
battery in to the XLR shell. And the sound was equally
remarkable. Just like a studio recording! :-))

[LAB]

Ok, I'll let you know in a week!

--
Gianluca

[LAB]

Hi, Richard
Are you talking about these?

http://cgi.ebay.it/UK-2-x-Wireless-Karaoke-Microphone-MIC-DJ-Vocal-Silver_W0QQitemZ270467660141QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_ Music_Instruments_Microphones_MJ?hash=item3ef920f9 6d

12 Euro each at the Porta Portese Sunday's market in Roma. S/n is about
50dB... but RF link (112...116 MHz free osc.!) is not so bad. With some
music and some little noisy people you can enjoy the songs (it depends on
the cleverness of the singers...)

They are a beautiful toy. You can sing indoors without the "tale" for 20
meters without problems. They use only a "AA" battery for about 20Hours.
There are also main-powered receivers.

--
Gian

[LAB]

Oh... XLR antenna connector is only to connect the antenna to the
internal 4-transistor transmitter (1 of them is only to obtain 7.5V from the
1.5V cell)

--
Gianluca

[Richard Crowley]

"LAB" wrote ...
> Hi, Richard
> Are you talking about these?
>
> http://cgi.ebay.it/UK-2-x-Wireless-Karaoke-Microphone-MIC-DJ-Vocal-Silver_W0QQitemZ270467660141QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_ Music_Instruments_Microphones_MJ?hash=item3ef920f9 6d

No. It was a joke. (Note the smiley-face at the end.) :-))

Dunno about there in Italy, but here in the USA, it seems like
common practice to hand a singer an ordinary mic with a chopped-
off mic cable "tail" to use as a fake "wireless mic" when they are
lip-syncing to a studio recording.

NOTE: Please quote at least part of the message you are replying
to so we know what you are talking about. Else your messages
seem like random thoughts.

[Geoff]

LAB wrote:
>
> I agree, Geoff but, as I wrote, I already have a very good UHF dB
> Technologies wireless. We could debate about the TG-X58 capsule, but
> RF link is very good. It's better than a Shure PG 58 wireless and
> even other pro Shure's (at least old ones I tried).

That's surprising.

>
> Last week I've "bet" with a young sound engineer that my dB
> technologies would cover the diameter of Piazza del Popolo (=People's
> square) in Roma:
> http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_del_Popolo_(Roma)
> http://images.google.it/images?q=piazza+del+popolo
>
> His Shure PG58 was losing the link at the half of the square, but
> the dB was still OK at 3/4 of the square with no problems. In
> addition it's powered by two inexpensive Alkaline or Ni-MH AAA
> batteries.

If you are doing something at all important in an environment like that, you
need to be looking at the pro end of the market rather that the MI / Home
end.

geoff

[Geoff]

Richard Crowley wrote:
> "geoff" wrote ...
>> I take you mean the SO40 "Snap-On" transmitter ?
>>
>> It's OK - better than any SM58 you plug into it.
>>
>> But I alway call them (and other such devices) "Snap Offs" for
>> reasons which should be obvious.
>
> I've seen a significant number of "wireless mics" on TV which
> looked remarkably like standard mics with a standard XLR
> connector and a stub wire ("antenna"?) coming out the end.
> Remarkable that they could fit the whole transmitter and
> battery in to the XLR shell. And the sound was equally
> remarkable. Just like a studio recording! :-))

AKG had a series of their mics like that , D880, D3700, etc, with suffix "M"
, that took wireless modules up their handle. But they never really took
off.


geoff

[LAB]

> http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_del_Popolo_(Roma)
> http://images.google.it/images?q=piazza+del+popolo

>> GEOFF:
>> If you are doing something at all important in an environment like
that, you need to be looking at the pro end of the market rather that the MI
/ Home end.

As a volunteer I try to have semi-pro performances in no-profit catholic
events. 2 weeks ago I attended at "Gesù al centro -della storia, della vita,
della tua città" (= "Jesus at the center -of the history, of life, of your
city") also with additional technical resources.

--
Gianluca

[Peter Larsen[_3_]]

Richard Crowley wrote:

> "geoff" wrote ...

> I've seen a significant number of "wireless mics" on TV which
> looked remarkably like standard mics with a standard XLR
> connector and a stub wire ("antenna"?) coming out the end.
> Remarkable that they could fit the whole transmitter and
> battery in to the XLR shell. And the sound was equally
> remarkable. Just like a studio recording! :-))

This is not new technology, it has been around for at least 40 years, but
they need to sell the old stock off before marketing it on a wider scale.

Kind regards

Peter Larsen

[LAB]

I have received the AKG "Transformer" (it's his official name) set.
Sound is awesome: full, crystal clear, almost no breathing effect. Tx is a
bit light, fragile, but I can't ask for more at that price!

RF link seems to be good, although it's not a diversity receiver, but at
this time I have tested the system only at home through three walls.

Output level seems to be a bit low even near system clipping, but I'm
sure of that. I'll compare it to the dB Technologies.

Thanks to all for your precious advices.

--
Gianluca

[Geoff]

LAB wrote:
> I have received the AKG "Transformer" (it's his official name) set.
> Sound is awesome: full, crystal clear, almost no breathing effect. Tx
> is a bit light, fragile, but I can't ask for more at that price!
>
> RF link seems to be good, although it's not a diversity receiver,
> but at this time I have tested the system only at home through three
> walls.
> Output level seems to be a bit low even near system clipping, but
> I'm sure of that. I'll compare it to the dB Technologies.
>
> Thanks to all for your precious advices.

OK, googled it and it is indeed a set with the 'Snap On' ( snap-off if you
are not careful) transmitter.

If the output level "is a bit low', you simply turn up the sensitivity on
you mic input.

geoff

[LAB]

They say it's a line out, but they say also "300mV"... Now I'm modifying
output stage for a +13dB additional gain.

--
Gianluca