Page 2 of 4

Budget Factors

Do wireless mics save the production company money?

There is a popular myth that using wireless mics will save time and money. Not!

Wireless mics cost money to rent as well as to operate. For instance, the average daily rental for a good wireless system is approximately $35 to $75 per unit. That is not taking into consideration the cost of batteries, nor the time spent in rigging them and trouble-shooting.

How many units do you need to budget for?

The answer is: a couple more than you plan on using. If you have only one actor and you bring only one radio mic, then what happens if that radio mic stops working either due to an internal electronic malfunction or on account of local RF interference on its frequencies? Do we all get to go home for the afternoon?

Add to this the cost of batteries.

Radio mics can consume an awfully expensive pile of batteries over the course of a production. Most brands operate from 9-volt alkalines, which cost around $2.75 each. Some of the newer units utilize a handful of AA or AAA batteries per reload, and their cost adds up quickly, as well.

The most common cause of poor radio mic performance is weak batteries! Always begin your shoot with fresh, premium batteries installed in the transmitter and receiver.

The battery in the body pack transmitter should be changed around every four hours, more or less. Even though some manufacturers claim eight hours of life, I don't know of any top notch soundpeople who feel comfortable going that long on one battery. After four hours, battery voltage tends to drop off steeply, along with transmitter range and clarity.

In addition, you do not want to interrupt the flow of activity on the set in order to change batteries while the director is "cooking". Professionally, it is safer to change batteries frequently than to risk an ill-timed delay or a bad take.

Receivers don't eat batteries quite as much. Some receivers can last eight hours on a single set of batteries.

And if you do need to check the voltage of a battery, or to replace it, it is usually easier to access the receiver (sitting out in the open) than to fumble with a transmitter buried under someone's wardrobe.

Battery voltage should be checked with a digital volt meter. Inexpensive digital meters can be purchased at your local electronics store for under twenty dollars.

A fresh 9-volt battery puts out around 9.30 volts. Replace your batteries at around 8.2 volts or slightly lower, based on your experience with the radio mics.

By the way, your "discarded" batteries still have plenty of voltage for most consumer devices, so it is not necessary to toss them in the trash. Just don't use them for professional equipment.

There is one more budget factor to consider... time.

Radio mics require fifteen or twenty minutes per unit to properly hide and rig under wardrobe. Longer, if you experience difficulties with clothing noise.

Deciding to use radio mics on a shoot in order to save money is a mistake. It is less expensive and much more reliable to hire a good boom operator.

But bear in mind that there are many situations where wireless is the best, if not only, practical option!