A radio or ‘wireless’ microphone, as its name suggests, does not require a cable to carry its audio signal to a mixer or other audio equipment. They’re designed to give the singer, speaker or instrumentalist the freedom to move about the stage unhindered, and are also widely used in electronic news gathering (ENG). Wireless systems comprise three basic components - microphone, transmitter and receiver. Wireless mics are either handheld, lavalier (also known as ‘tie-clip’ ), headset or instrument ‘clip-on’ models, each designed with specific applications in mind. Transmitters are usually either built into the body of the mic, or come as a separate belt-pack that the mic is connected to – they process the audio signal from the mic and send it out as a radio signal. The receiver then picks up this broadcast and converts it back into an audio signal.
