10 Tips For Using Wireless Microphones

Wireless microphone systems seem to be everywhere today. The spectrum is getting crowded and with the application of digital television and a plethora of other wireless gizmos frequency availability is at a premium. Knowing how to set up and use these systems is important to getting the best performance and to stay within regulations.

1. Always use fresh batteries. Make sure batteries are installed properly matching the positive – negative prongs. Improper installation could result in shorting out the electronics, fire or in some cases the battery could explode. Make sure battery terminals are touching the battery tightly and that the battery is tightly secured in the battery holder to avoid power drop and shortage. When using more than one battery in a pack replace all batteries at the same time. Never use a fresh battery with a used battery. Avoid using rechargeable batteries unless the manufacturer designs them for use with the units.
2. Place your receivers properly. For best reception keep receiver in a high, open area and within line-of-site of the transmitter if possible. Avoid areas with liquids, cables lines, steel or metal structure, neon lights, satellite receivers, scanners, other audio lines and cell phones that might interfere with your reception. 
3. Optimize reception. To avoid drop out, expand the antennas as wide and far as they go. Stay within your transceiver’s recommended reception range whenever possible. Although a range test is a good suggestion before use, be aware that the system response changes with the environment and as areas fill with people and objects.
4. Don’t pop your P’s. To avoid outside noise and vocals pops use a windscreen. For best results, a windscreen is always recommended for a headset microphone
5. Place microphones properly. For best vocal response, keep the talent’s mouth 4-6 inches away from handheld microphone Headset microphones should be placed directly in front on the mouth within 1-3 inches. A lavaliere microphone should be placed at heart level or at 10-12 inches down from the chin. Suggest that talent wear clothing that dampens noise such as cotton and wool, avoiding noisy material such as leather, metals, satin, silk and polyester blends. 
6. Handling the microphones. Avoid dropping the microphone, touching the microphone with wet hands, or blowing into the microphone to see if it is on. Place the microphone on your talent to avoid sweat clogging the element. When wearing a lavaliere microphone avoid contact with the chest to cut down on unwanted sounds.
7. Don’t bang heads. Make sure your transmitter and receiver are using matching frequencies. Be aware that others may be working with wireless in proximity to yours, which may cause frequency disturbance and drop out. To solve this problem utilize a frequency agile system or a wired microphone If you don’t have a back up and others are using the same frequency in the area, keep the transmitter close to your receiver to limit problems and shut off the transmitter when not in use. 
8. Avoid the sonic boom. When using wireless, as with any other audio products, make sure the unit is turned off and volume is down before inserting wires. Make sure volume is turned down before speaking or playing through the unit. 
9. Hold the howl. Avoid subjecting the microphone to feedback by walking in front of speakers, placing the microphone on the floor or near power supplies or amps while the microphone is on. 
10. Adjustments. Squelch adjustment can be used to help boost reception and frequency response.

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10 Simple Suggestions For Handling CDs and DVDs

There are countless bytes of precious memories and critical data stored on optical discs every day but the average user has no idea just how sensitive the media can be. The following is an extract from the NIST’s Quick Reference Guide to optical media care. A good starting place to learn how to care for your optical media:

1. Handle discs by the outer edge or the center hole. Do not bend the disc.
2. Use a non-solvent-based felt-tip permanent marker to mark the label side of the disc.
3. Keep dirt or other foreign matter from the disc.
4. Store discs upright (book style) in plastic cases specified for CDs and DVDs.
5. Return discs to storage cases immediately after use.
6. Leave discs in their packaging (or cases) to minimize the effects of environmental changes.
7. Open a recordable disc package only when you are ready to record data on that disc.
8. Do not touch the surface of the disc or use adhesive labels.
9. Store discs in a cool, dry, dark environment in which the air is clean. Do not expose the disks to bright sunlight for extended periods of time.
10. Remove dirt, foreign material, fingerprints, smudges, and liquids by wiping with a clean cotton fabric in a straight line from the center of the disc toward the outer edge. Do not wipe in a direction going around the disc.

THE NIST LIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology or NIST has researched the matter and publishes several excellent references on the subject of proper care and handling of CDs and DVDs.  Following the link will direct you to the NIST Website where you will find Special Publication 500-252, October 2003, Final. This publication carries a wealth of information for use, storage and care of optical media.

There are no absolute assurances that information will always be readable on any media but much can be done to minimize data loss and the expense of recreating material lost to issues as controllable as improper storage or writing a title on the face of the disc just to name two. -33-

10 Easy Steps To Color Display Setup

 An important part of any production is assuring that what you are seeing is what is going to air, tape or disc. Because one observer may see a particular color differently than another, the best way to assure you are getting proper color and luminance levels is with a Waveform Monitor and Vectorscope. All is not lost if you are in a situation where these devices are not available.  Here is an alternative method for quantifying color through the use of standard test patterns from The Society Of Motion Picture And Television Engineers (SMPTE) and the use of optical viewers.

1. Assure that the monitor is in its normal viewing environment. Avoid any direct reflections in the monitor screen.
2. Turn the monitor on and let it stabilize for about 15 minutes.
3. Send a known standard video signal to your monitor, like SMPTE Bars.
4. Lower the color level to a black and white image. Observe the black and white bars to ensure they do not look slightly tinted.
5. Reset the chroma or color control to bring back the color image. Some monitors have a detent in the control. When set to the factory default a tactile detent will be felt while operating the control.
6. While observing SMPTE Bars on the screen, adjust the brightness control for proper black level. Adjust brightness while observing the level of the 3 small black bars at the lower right of the screen. Stop when the lightest bar at the right is barely visible.
7. Now set the contrast control (sometimes called picture) for proper white level. One way to find this point is to first turn the contrast all the way up. As this is done the white bar at the lower left on the screen will brighten and flare. At this point, turn the contrast control slowly back down, reducing the bloom until the white square itself just begins to respond.
8. If the monitor has a “Blue Screen” switch, switch it on. If your monitor does not have a blue screen switch you can use a Wratten 47B filter to observe the screen. Only the four color bars containing some blue signal (gray, cyan, magenta and blue) and their sub-bars should now be visible.
9. Adjust the color saturation with the same chroma or color control used in step 5 until the gray and blue bars (the bars at the far left and far right) are of equal brightness. Then adjust the Hue control (Sometimes called Tint or Phase) until the cyan and magenta bars are of equal brightness. Now these four bars should be of equal intensity, and the other three bars should be entirely black. This is the correct adjustment!
10. Now turn off the blue only screen. Bars should now appear normal. Visually recheck black and white levels and that the bars are correct in hue and color. Yellow should appear yellow not reddish or greenish and magenta should be just that — not purple or pink.

That’s all there is to it. -33-