Wednesday, March 19, 2008
A Wireless Microphone Horror Story
Live Design: "To analyze how this affects our use of radio microphones, intercom, in-ear monitors, and IFBs, we need to look at a few issues. First is the broadcast spectrum. The FCC allocates the spectrum in which TV stations operate in this country, and each channel is allotted a 6MHz-wide band. Analog television broadcasts a video and audio signal within that band. For example, channel 20 is 506 to 512MHz. The video carrier frequency is 507.25, and the audio frequency is 511.75. Before DTV, we were able to squeeze a couple of frequencies in a TV channel's band if we had to, as long as we tuned our wireless device(s) to the “slot” between the video and audio carriers, or .500kHz below the upper channel edge, or even right on the channel edge, where the respective carriers' signal strengths are weakest."
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9 comments:
This article definitely makes me worry about the future of wireless mics- especially as the spectrum becomes more and more crowded. However, I do think that the author got a little caught up in the hype and "the sky is falling" mentality. I can't help but see that the comparison to Y2K as apt: everyone will freak out about it now, but a solution will come along and it will cease to be a big deal.
agreed. The title is a bit dramatic to me. The industry has adapted to situations in the past, and I'm sure there will be a solution soon enough. The amount of panic is a bit much. Its an issue that needs attention, and I'm sure it will pop up on the sound list over and over again.
This article was kind of funny in how much of a big deal was made about it. It seems a little over-exaggerated at times but I agree that this is a problem. Though along with what Alana said, I doubt that a solution won't be found before more people are fatally injured(jk). Even if a solution doesn't come up, it'll just be a crazy monopoly story.
The author makes a big deal about how there will be no place for wireless microphones once DTV takes over, and i am by no means an expert in this field, but i find it hard to believe that the usable spectrum will become completely full. I can see how eventually things will become more and more crowded, but technology will evolve and create ways to deal with this that we cannot currently conceive. Like the article says this is currently the y2k scare, but with more and more devices getting in, i can see a bigger problem farther down the road.
okay, the wireless re-appropriation isn't as bad as people are making it out to be. true, the TV spectrum that most wireless mics use currently is being split up and re-divided, but honestly, DTV is more popular on cable/satellite than it is on antennas. What should be a concern, however, is WiMAX - a long range wireless internet technology that is seeking a new, more useful frequency range to operate on. Perhaps wireless mics will be switching to digital/packet radio as well?
I see this as being more a problem for my high school than random huge productions. There is a limited and getting more limited amount of available bandwidth in the area that propogates well over a reasonably long distance, and this is the drive behind this change. The fcc has been working on this for a number of years. The problems raised by the author about white space devices are in my opinion almost a non-issue because I doubt the FCC would type-accept anything prone to that sort of failure. I see the solutions being more power or move to something like dsss in the low gigahertz. These systems have the uncommon advantage that line of sight is practical (or line of sight through fabric or a body).
However, these both cost more money, for the electronics and for the bandwidth. I see this being a problem for places like my high school, with their ancient 6 channel audio technica rack where all 6 channels never work at the same time (never is not an exaduration.)
Hmmm... it'll be interesting to see what happens, but I'm not sure this is the countdown to doomsday that they are making it out to be. We will figure it out I'm sure, so I don't think we will suddenly find ourselves entirely without wireless mics and the inability to hear actors.
The article makes it sound as if we are coming to the end of technological advancement. I see the the argument being raised, but i feel like the possibility for other technology advancements is not being recognized. although the entertainment industry may not get 100% attention with new technology advances, i am sure a solution will arrive not far down the road.
I think the author can definitely scare some people out of the bags of horror stories she has. There's always people who scare you with sides of the stories that you hardly know about. And I think that's what exactly she's doing. Not that this is a minor issues, but we don't need to worry about anything until we absolutely have to.
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