If you want something that lets you move around a bit when talking, singing, etc., then you are obviously going to need a wireless microphone system.

Sure, one could in theory use a wireless mic for things like singing on a stage, but until you actually do it, you don’t realize just how annoying and cumbersome microphone wires can be.

So, going wireless is definitely the way to go these days. However, wireless microphones are such a broad category; so broad in fact that it can actually be difficult to figure out which microphone is the right one for you.

If you were to just put “wireless mics” into a marketplace like Amazon, you would get hundreds upon hundreds of options; so picking the best one would be tricky, to say the least.

That is where this article of ours is hopefully going to come in handy for you. In this article, as the title implies, we are going to be talking about wireless microphones system.

In fact, we are willing to bet that we will be going way more in-depth on the topic than you would ever expect an article to go into. We will be talking about everything that you need to know in order to become an expert on wireless mics.

This article will include in-depth looks at things like what wireless mics are, how they work, why they are a good option, and much more.

What Are Wireless Microphone System?

On the surface, the question of “what are wireless microphones” couldn’t seem simpler, but the reality is that as you look deeper into the question, it becomes a lot more in-depth than you would initially expect.

Obviously, the simple answer is that any microphone that doesn’t require a cord is “wireless.” However, there are some other factors to consider, such as the different types of wireless microphones that one is likely to encounter.

Dynamic Microphones

While any microphone can, in theory, be wireless, the vast majority of wireless microphones that you will find on the market are what is called “dynamic microphones.” Given how common they are, we felt that we should explain exactly what they are.

Dynamic microphones are designed for use in a live, noisy environment (the opposite of this is the condenser mic, which is meant for use in a closed studio environment). You can probably already start to see why dynamic microphones are the most common subtype of wireless microphones.

If you are using a wireless microphone, the chances are good that it is for some sort of live events, such as a concert, a speaking engagement, or something similar. Most live events have lots of ambient noise, such as crowd noise, footsteps, etc.

Sensitive microphones will pick this ambient noise up, while less sensitive dynamic mics will not. This is why they are the preferred option for live events and why most wireless options are built as dynamic microphones.

What To Look For In A Wireless Microphone System?

Next up in this article, we want to talk about something that is extremely important, which is what you need to look for when buying a wireless mic.

If you are currently in the market for your first wireless mic, or if you are buying a new one, then you are going to want to pay special attention to this section as it is going to help you when it comes to sorting through the many different wireless mics on the market.

A Well Built Microphone

It may seem odd to list toughness as one of the top qualities for a microphone, but hear us out. If this were any other type of microphone, we wouldn’t really mention that you should look for a durable, well-built mic both because it is extremely obvious and also because it isn’t anywhere near as important for other types of mics.

However, wireless mics, because of the way that they are designed, are exposed to a lot more dangerous than other types of microphones. While you may be the most careful person in the world, the reality is that at some point or another, you are likely to drop your mic on the ground, especially if you are doing something very active on stage like singing.

Well, you don’t want your brand new mic to break, which is why you want one that is very tough and that can stand up to a bit of punishment.

One Mic Or Multiple Mics

When you are buying a wireless mic one of the main decisions that you have to make is whether you want to go for a single wireless mic, or whether you want multiple mics. A single search online will tell you that there are a ton of both options available.

Obviously, there isn’t a whole lot that we can talk about here as which option you will go for will depend entirely on what you are looking for. If you are doing something like singing live, then you only need one mic.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for microphones to do something like setting up a karaoke system, then you will want to go for multiple mics. Something to note when buying multiple wireless mics is that you really want to make sure that the receiver can easily support a bunch of wireless microphones without dropping the connection all the time.

Make Sure Your Microphone Isn’t Sensitive

You may recall that earlier on in this article we talked about how live environments (which is where we imagine most people will be using their wireless microphone) tend to be full of ambient noises like people speaking, footsteps, stage creaking, etc.

Well, we want to emphasize once again that these sounds will be picked up by your microphone and ruin whatever it is that you are doing unless you make sure to specifically invest in a wireless mic that isn’t sensitive.

Less sensitive mics pick up less sound, and so they are less likely to pick up unnecessary ambient noises. We really want to emphasize this point because it can be confusing since if you are buying a different type of mic, such as a wired condenser mic for a recording studio, then you want to do the opposite and invest in a very sensitive mic.

Given that this article is intended for beginners, we wanted to spend a lot of time ensuring that this point is extremely clear to newcomers.

Transmitter Systems

The next thing that is absolutely crucial for you to understand when it comes to wireless mics is the concept of transmitter systems. See, in order for wireless mics to work properly, they need some sort of receiver to both connect the mic to a wider sound system and to transmit audio. This is how you are able to hear the audio from a wireless mic, despite there being no wires or cables or anything like that; the receiver is responsible for the signal being transmitted.

Have you ever seen a speaker giving a presentation with a wireless mic before and noticed a little square device on their hip that they occasionally fiddled with to mute themselves or to change the volume? If so, then you have seen a transmitter in action. The transmitter actually adds an extra dimension to the process of buying a wireless mic and it makes it a bit trickier.

Since you have to consider more than just the microphone, you have to also consider the quality of the transmitter that comes with it. You could have the greatest wireless mic in the world, but if the transmitter is garbage and not picking up the mic’s signal, or it is dropping it often, then the microphone isn’t worth a whole lot, is it?

Generally, when it comes to transmitters for wireless mics, there are two categories (roughly anyway) that you can put the transmitters into. On the one hand, you have central transmitters. These transmitters tend to be larger (shaped like a computer modem) and are put in a single location.

These transmitters are usually capable of supporting at least two microphones at once, if not more. They are often used in locations with a dedicated speaking platform, such as a karaoke bar. The other type of transmitters are the smaller types of transmitters.

These transmitters are the ones that are able to be put in a pocket or attached to a belt. They are smaller, cheaper, and can typically only support one mic at a time. They are the preferred option if you are planning on using your mic for something like personal speaking, and therefore you may be moving around a lot.

Conclusion

As we said in the introduction, this was a very in-depth article on a topic that most of you probably thought there wasn’t much to before reading the article. We want to thank you for sticking with us throughout the article and we genuinely hope that you learned something from it.

Like this guide? Then you’d definitely love our other guides on the best microphone for vocals.