Today, there are more ways to communicate than ever before. That’s why you need an AV partner who understands the changing technology and how to make the most of it.

Every month, AVW-TELAV keeps you up-to-date on the latest and greatest technology trends. Whether your brand is traditional or trendsetting, having a finger on the pulse of technology will help you determine the best medium to get your unique message across.   

Wireless Microphone Technology: Dealing with Wireless (RF) interference

The cell phone is a great example of the evolution of one of the most pervasive and reliable wireless audio devices around. BUT, even with such a refined technology, we still get the occasional interference, noise and dropped calls. Much of the interference comes from external sources that we have absolutely no control over. These external noise sources are typically other wireless users nearby, reflections or interference from physical barriers (like walls) and noise radiating from other electronic equipment.

The Interferences

The wireless microphones we use in live sound have also evolved and are many times more robust than what we had to work with in years past, but like cell phones, can suffer from interference. An additional challenge is that the number of devices that share the spectrum with wireless microphones over the past years has increased exponentially. The number of wireless devices we are using on our events has doubled, maybe even tripled. We have also had the radio frequency (RF) spectrum (useable wireless space) shrink by more than half, due to RF re-allocation (HDTV / DTV), creating a very congested wireless spectrum that is much smaller than it was two years ago. So now, we have way more wireless products competing for interference-free channels in a much smaller wireless spectrum. Thus, the potential for interference and noise in wireless audio products is increasing and will continue to get worse.

So how do we cope with this new wireless reality?

Well, there are a number of technologies that allow us to better navigate the wireless minefield. Most of AVW-TELAV's professional wireless microphone systems from Shure and Sennheiser have built in RF scanners that allow us to "find" clear channels that we can use.

Our advanced microphone systems add frequency management software that allows us to better plan and manage the channels to minimize the chances of interference. We also have added to our inventory some advanced high-resolution wireless frequency scanners and RF-management software. This, combined with our wireless specialists, allows us to better manage and plan for events with multiple wireless systems, reducing the chance of noise and interference affecting your event.

At the end of the day, we are still dealing with wireless technology; it will never be quite as robust as a wired connection, but with the proper use of technology and resources that AVW-TELAV brings to the table, we can provide the best possible wireless experience for your event. Just ask us how.