Help - Microphone Problem

[ace_entertainments 0]

I invested in wireless mics last week - Kam KWM11 VHF Microphones. I would have preferred UHF mics but these seem superb for the price. I used them last night for the first time and both worked together perfectly for the most part of the night, however for the last hr or so the channel B mic only worked in patches.

 

I think this could be because I am using a single unbalanced 1/4 inch jack plug cable which gives a mixed output - but im not 'techy' enough with this side of things to know for sure. If this isnt the case then they are faulty.

 

Can anyone confirm this or offer any advice before I send them back?

[Gary 0]

try swapping the two batteries between the two mics and se if the "fault" follows the battery, or stays with the mic.

[x4cs 0]

I invested in wireless mics last week - Kam KWM11 VHF Microphones. I would have preferred UHF mics but these seem superb for the price. I used them last night for the first time and both worked together perfectly for the most part of the night, however for the last hr or so the channel B mic only worked in patches.

 

I think this could be because I am using a single unbalanced 1/4 inch jack plug cable which gives a mixed output - but im not 'techy' enough with this side of things to know for sure. If this isnt the case then they are faulty.

 

Can anyone confirm this or offer any advice before I send them back?

 

 

The likely outcome here mate is that you radio mic is broken! the KAM duel mic setups are notorious for breaking down like this. without questioning any of you batteries/lead etc im 95% sure you just have a broken unit!

 

my advise, take it back to where you got it, get a refund and but something else, preferably not kam!

[Dream Catchers 0]

my advise, take it back to where you got it, get a refund and but something else, preferably not kam!

Thats a bit harsh.

I have been using a pair of KAM VHF mics for 2 years without an hitch.

What may be simply a flat battery is no excuse for ditching them.

 

Jim

[gadget 0]

I've got the KAM KWM11 dual microphones too, and I'm using the 1/4 -> 1/4 jack (Band its been fine so far - one mic got dropped last time :damn: , so a bit dented on the shield, but was fairly easy to bend back..

 

Although looking around, i think they're pretty much the same as the ProSound ones in Maplin (look exactly the same - and maybe not the only other company to be re-badging the same product).

 

Not sure what could have caused your problem though, batteries going flat? I know they don't seem to last that long..

 

Cheers,

 

David

[cmj 0]

Ive got one of he VHF twin Kam mics(model number unsure) and one drops out ALL the time, leaving me with just one!! Fortunately I've got my AKG WMS40(5 years old, no probs) if i need a bit of freedom!!

[Mattaious 0]

I use the kwm11's and ive never had a problem,

 

What it sounds like to me ( as already stated ) is batteries that are low.

 

I use recharables in mine, and they last around 8 hours with karaoke use.

 

 

With the output side, i dont use the mixed output jack i use the xlr outputs for each channel.

[Dukesy 0]

What was the outcome?

[jays karaoke 0]

Gotta agree with x4ts here, there are alot better radio mics out there, KAM are cheap and cheerful an just an average mic.

If you ask me it's worth spending abit more and investing in SHURE or SENHEISSER radio mics, they are industry standard mics and will cope with any amount of usage without breaking providing you look after them.

No insult intended here by the way, just my opinion

 

Jay

[Norfolk DJ 0]

Gotta agree with x4ts here, there are alot better radio mics out there, KAM are cheap and cheerful an just an average mic.

If you ask me it's worth spending abit more and investing in SHURE or SENHEISSER radio mics, they are industry standard mics and will cope with any amount of usage without breaking providing you look after them.

No insult intended here by the way, just my opinion

 

Jay

 

Makes like Gemini, Kam, Audio Technica and DB Technologies are plenty good enough for mobile use and offer good value. Don't see the point spending £300 on a mic unless you intend to sing down it, and I don't :ads:

[x4cs 0]

Makes like Gemini, Kam, Audio Technica and DB Technologies are plenty good enough for mobile use and offer good value. Don't see the point spending £300 on a mic unless you intend to sing down it, and I don't :ads:

 

 

Audio technica are lightyears infront of gemini, kam and DB for mics.

 

take audio techs 200 series, they do one for around £149 and it knocks socks off the gemini, kam and DB equivilants!

 

you carnt put AT in the same list imo...

[x4cs 0]

Gotta agree with x4ts here, there are alot better radio mics out there, KAM are cheap and cheerful an just an average mic.

If you ask me it's worth spending abit more and investing in SHURE or SENHEISSER radio mics, they are industry standard mics and will cope with any amount of usage without breaking providing you look after them.

No insult intended here by the way, just my opinion

 

Jay

 

spot on.

 

ive retailed KAM in the past and now we're very picky over what KAM gear we take. its build quality is poor to say the least and like you say, its cheap and cheerful - but no so cheerful when you see the number of returns there are....

 

i hope their returns department get well paid, because i rkn a lot of traffic passes through !!!!!

 

[ace_entertainments 0]

What was the outcome?

 

 

Used them again last night. Channel B mic wasnt working at all. The receiver picks it up when it is turned on as the green light comes on so I dont think theres anything wrong with the transmision, mic jst seems to have broken.

 

Cant think of anything else other than to return them. Batteries didnt fix it either ... one last thing Im going to try is turning the 'gain' screw. (small orange button beside the battery). I only noticed this last night and didnt have a small enough screwdriver to try it.

 

Hopefully it is something as simple as that but I doubt it ... thax for the advice

[gadget 0]

spot on.

 

ive retailed KAM in the past and now we're very picky over what KAM gear we take. its build quality is poor to say the least and like you say, its cheap and cheerful - but no so cheerful when you see the number of returns there are....

 

i hope their returns department get well paid, because i rkn a lot of traffic passes through !!!!!

 

I can tell you their PAR 56 LED cans aren't very well made! The LED array is glued in place and if knocked about a bit in transit the LED array cicruit board moves about... Also when all LEDS are on, it's a sorta blue colour, not a white mix as you'd might expect (the RED LEDS arent nearly as powerful enough as the blue & green as they should be imho).

 

I also have a KAM mandarin dragon. Weighs a tonne. Not a bad light, but not overly bowled over by it..

 

*Touch wood* the twin microphones are OK so far - but I've really only ever used one of the mics at a time, and only using the 1/4->1/4 jack atm (which is a bit too short at times !)

 

What KAM products are good/ok though?

 

 

David

 

 

[Mattaious 0]

You've jinxed me!

 

The other night while a singer is away in the landf Frank Sinatra - My Way - the kam mics decided to have a wappy fit.

 

Now when you turn mic A on it takes both channels on the receiver.

 

If you turn mic a and b on only mic a works.

 

Totally baffled me, its like the frequncies have gone pete tong,

 

 

Ive emailed KAM for some advice, but i hold no hope now......

 

Looks like a trip to mainland greece to buy a new set of mics now....................... Oh the Joys

 

 

 

[gadget 0]

Wasn't me! :shrug:

[x4cs 0]

*snip*

 

What KAM products are good/ok though?

David

 

 

their laser lighting effects are alright, and the LED stuff should at the mo be approached with caution - however, some of it can be half decent. apart from that they are what they are im afriad, budget entry level stuff. spend the extra on some decent stuff. the DJ world is flooded with s:cense:e (excuse my french) and in my experience you get what you pay for...if you think the £200 stuff isnt much cop wait untill you try the stuff that £50-150...

[gadget 0]

their laser lighting effects are alright, and the LED stuff should at the mo be approached with caution - however, some of it can be half decent. apart from that they are what they are im afriad, budget entry level stuff. spend the extra on some decent stuff. the DJ world is flooded with s:cense:e (excuse my french) and in my experience you get what you pay for...if you think the £200 stuff isnt much cop wait untill you try the stuff that £50-150...

 

I'd agree with you with respect to the par cans - I only saw an online video of the par 56. TBH, Prolight (LEDJ), appear to do some reasonable LED stuff at the budget end.

 

In fact I'm gonna get rid of the LED Par Cans for the moment, and stick with the old traditional PAR 56 300w MFL lamps!

 

Just need a 4-channel DMX dimmer pack, and I'll mostly be DMX controlled.. Ideas for best price for one of these on a postcard...

 

 

David

[x4cs 0]

I'd agree with you with respect to the par cans - I only saw an online video of the par 56. TBH, Prolight (LEDJ), appear to do some reasonable LED stuff at the budget end.

 

In fact I'm gonna get rid of the LED Par Cans for the moment, and stick with the old traditional PAR 56 300w MFL lamps!

 

The trouble with the LED stuff mainly is that its projection angle isnt as wide as ither lighting effects. At best you're only going to get 39 degrees, whicn in leymans terms means unless you are square onto the light you will not see its full brightness.

 

The LED stuff is great if you're kitting out and bar for example and you want to colour wash a wall with different colours all night long. the LED beams are concentrated enough to do that. however some genius in a production office has decided it'l be a great idea to put LEDs in disco lights - however due to the projection angles unless you have scanners they arent very effective yet!

 

Just need a 4-channel DMX dimmer pack, and I'll mostly be DMX controlled.. Ideas for best price for one of these on a postcard...

David

 

 

source prolight (prolight.co.uk i think) and find your nearest dealer! any of their basic 4 chan DMX mods are fine for entry level work and they dont cost the earth.

 

HTH

Edited June 5, 2008 by x4cs

[Mattaious 0]

Well ive found out what the problem was - The restaurant next door have a wireless mic for use on birthdays etc. - Thats what caused the problem,

 

Ive shifted his channels over a bit and all sorted now - so no trip to the mainland - whhooppeeee

 

 

[gadget 0]

 

source prolight (prolight.co.uk i think) and find your nearest dealer! any of their basic 4 chan DMX mods are fine for entry level work and they dont cost the earth.

 

HTH

 

I think I'll end up just buying a new Soundlab DMX dimmer pack from CPC. 50 notes +vat . Should do the job nicely (I hope).

 

Getting there with cues in FreeStyler, although I'm annoyed I can't use random DMX *and* the Cue sequencer at the same time. Ideally more than one instance of DMX400 would be better too (one to run LED PARS, and one to run the 300w Pars)...

 

 

David

 

 

 

Well ive found out what the problem was - The restaurant next door have a wireless mic for use on birthdays etc. - Thats what caused the problem,

 

Ive shifted his channels over a bit and all sorted now - so no trip to the mainland - whhooppeeee

 

 

Awesome, well done! You wouldn't have expected that to happen, (or the signal to travel that far!).

 

 

Cheers

 

Thanks for reminding me of Prolight (how could I forget).

 

I Found the Transcension CDP-405 which will do the job nicely (I have a bulgin->IEC lead too), so that would work a treat.

 

Think the cheapest place for one of those (better than the Soundlab one from CPC, looks the same, except has two bulgin sockets), is about 50 + 10 delivery.... (about 1.25 dearer than CPC but a lot more useful!).

 

Cheers