Going back to previous posts on sound for film shows

[Peter Stedman]

Some time ago I posed questions regarding sound for our video club's film shows. I got lots of valuable gen that I have passed on to the 'mafia'. (Nothing has been done of course?? However . . .

I thought someone might be interested in my own personal solution that I'm very happy with. Firstly I play my DVD's from a little portable player, the audio going into a small battery powered mixer that naturally has a volume control. Video output then to the projector.

I already have a small PA kit used for my work that luckily runs from a built in battery. In the kit there are two radio receivers. One freq is for my hand held mic and the other is there for a tie clip mic. (Can't ever remember using this) Here comes the exciting for me. I take the audio out from the DVD player into the radio transmitter. . . . The situation is now that my amp/speaker is at the screen end, totally battery driven and at projection end only the projector is mains powered. Other wiring is NIL. It works superbly. I can also use my hand held radio mic for anouncements etc. The player, mixer, radio transmitter all fit into a shoe-box size box.

I wont go on, because I will await for someone to point out to me something they will see as a snag but I already know, so lets see who takes the bait. (Oh I really am nasty!!!) Anyhow, joking aside, I find this set-up so compact and easy for myself.
Cheers. Pete
Pete

[billyfromConsett]

It sounds an interesting plan but the amp surely isn't battery driven? That needs its own mains power?

You seem to have a sound system that is wireless to the amp. If the frequency is protected and no-one else starts broadcasting on it - i.e. "this store is about to close, take your goods to the nearest till" then you should get the sound you want. Not sure how you would easily adjust the volume though and keep the signal clean, but I've not tried usng a wireless sound PA.

Not sure where the mic parts fits in though. Is it on another input on the amp? And why did you come up with this?

[Peter Stedman]

Billy
Thank for the reply, sorry I haven’t been back but so far as I know I didn’t receive the usual automated reply saying some had posted a message. However. . . I will gladly answer your points now.

Battery amps. Yes there are many around and, as I write, there are three in my house. I was even looking at a new system over the weekend. Let me tell you of the one I’m currently using. (Oh I had better explain – my job is in the entertainment world) The model I’m using is a TOA and it is what they call a Meeting Amp. It is a combined amp/speaker etc. with tape deck and two radio receivers, all in the one package. It’s not rated with a very high power but for most halls it is more than adequate.

As supplied it can run on mains or standard torch batteries. Torch batteries being costly I never use, but installed a 12v sealed rechargeable lead acid battery. It will run for hours, in fact I have to consciously remember to charge it occasionally. The two radio receivers are used as follows. The first is with a hand held radio mic and the second is with a tieclip or headset mic. The tie clip mic has a battery powered pocket transmitter. They are both on different frequencies of course so that they can both be used at the same time.

Actually, I’ve just looked back at my original posting that you replied to and I explained it there. Not to worry perhaps this is clearer.

So instead of plugging a mic into the pocket transmitter, I just plug in the audio from the portable DVD player. What I did fail to mention is that along side the DVD player is one of those tiny battery powered mixers and thus the volume etc. can be controlled from the projection end. (The amp & speakers being the screen end). The combined speaker amp is not intended to be hi-fi as it’s just PA but no one has ever commented but I suppose if you are a hi-fi buff then you would turn your nose up a little. It doesn’t need anything to be plugged into the amp as the radio receiver is built in already. The entire DVD player, mixer and radio transmitter all goes into a shoe box sized box. The only mains wire being for the projector.

You mention getting interference from others on the same frequency. Well years ago that used to happen on the VHF frequency (I can tell some tales on this) but this hasn’t happened for years and now I use UHF I can easily change channels if ever required.

With many video chaps now using Sennheiser radio mic kits with their cameras this make can be used as above, but the receiver would have to be plugged into the 'Line In' socket whereas my receiver is built in. In fact it is mentioned in the Sennheiser instruction booklet I believe. I should mention that I'm certainly no whizz kid on these matters so know little of the technical side.

I hope that makes it clearer and might be of interest to others. I still haven’t mentioned what some folk might see as a flaw in the above but will wait for someone to spot it.

You asked "Why did I come up with this?" Well moons ago I did pose questions on this board about our club getting a new projection kit and I have seen a couple of set-ups where the amount of wiring all over the place was so mind boggling and prone to problems on every plug and socket (as well as dangerous) I thought there must be a simpler way . . . .

Pete