Wireless Mic Tape

[Gongalong]

Hi folks,

 

Anyone here get involved with productions?

 

We’ve borrowed some body pack mics with a headset mic, and the mic needs to be secured to the face of the performer. I’m aware of surgical tape. Anyone use that and know if it works well, or should we use something else? The mic has no extra anchoring so it does need securing in some fashion.

 

Thanks

[Alex0x7F]

Transpore tape is the way to go

[dhicks]

I’m aware of surgical tape.

 

As suggested, Transpore or similar hypoallergenic tape - from experience, something in standard surgical tape (possibly the adhesive) irritates my skin. Depending on just how neat a result you want I think you can now get tape to colour-match various skin tones, although standard mostly-transparent tape is probably fine.

[Oaktech]

We just go micropore or transpore - micropore seems to be more hypoallergenic. Micropore also takes makeup better for hiding it, but is slightly less sticky and sweat resistant as a result.

[SamanthaD]

https://ursastraps.com/

 

All sorts of weird and wonderful mounting options for beltpacks, tapes for capsules etc.

[dhicks]

Micropore also takes makeup better for hiding it, but is slightly less sticky and sweat resistant as a result.

 

I was just reading the Micropore FAQ:

 

https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/82089O/common-questions-micropore-surgical-tapes.pdf

 

Seemingly, the trick is to dampen the skin first, then apply the tape, then it sticks better when dry. I don't know if that then makes it less sweat-resistant, though.

[Oaktech]

I was just reading the Micropore FAQ:

 

https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/82089O/common-questions-micropore-surgical-tapes.pdf

 

Seemingly, the trick is to dampen the skin first, then apply the tape, then it sticks better when dry. I don't know if that then makes it less sweat-resistant, though.

 

It tends to slip like cheap toupee tape rather than just peel off if it's applied damp and then gets sweaty.

[dhicks]

https://ursastraps.com/

 

@SamDavis - as you're here... I'm currently looking at options for headset wireless mics. Looking at the website you linked to, and the link from there to their supplier's website, there seems to be a very large range of prices - some mic packs seem to cost £2,000 each, whereas I can get a set of 4 headset mics off Amazon for £120 the lot. Any idea what the difference is, and if that will make much / any difference from the point of the average school performance?

[Oaktech]

@SamDavis - as you're here... I'm currently looking at options for headset wireless mics. Looking at the website you linked to, and the link from there to their supplier's website, there seems to be a very large range of prices - some mic packs seem to cost £2,000 each, whereas I can get a set of 4 headset mics off Amazon for £120 the lot. Any idea what the difference is, and if that will make much / any difference from the point of the average school performance?

 

 

I used to do it for a living...

 

Your 2k packs will be built of metal, have specifically tailored battery packs, will accept a wide range of mic elements, will come with professional warranty which isn't going to quibble over a scratch or two, the receivers will have better features like auto anti-interference channel changes, pilot tones, battery monitoring, may be on licensable frequencies, will have the facility to use external antenna arrays, will be rack mountable... They're just... Better.

 

Your £120 ones may not even be on currently legal UK frequencies, will break the first time they're dropped will be useless the first time the cable gets yanked as it's soldered in not on a locking plug, can be interefered with by everything from mobile phones to people's RF car keys...

 

And then there is always something in the middle.

 

Personally I've always gone with Trantec for budget radios or Sennheiser for middle and higher quality radios. Some people swear by Shure, but I'm not convinced.

[SamanthaD]

What he said ^ (I still do this for a living!) - I'd probably add the £120 ones are likely to be fixed frequencies so you can't change them to play well with other systems - I usually run Sennheiser radio mics on festivals and if I see someone with a budget Shure guitar pack it's then a load of fun making sure the frequencies aren't going to intermodulate with each other.

 

One BIG thing to realise - analogue radio mic manufacture is dying out. The future is digital, and the bigger manufacturers (Shure, Sennheiser etc) are soon going to be ceasing production of analogue models. It's already nigh on impossible to get hold of some components, and it's only going to get worse. If you find some bargain deals then that's maybe why, but with that spares for the older models are going to be becoming just as scarce.