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UHF And VHF Wireless Microphones

By Bruce Hathaway

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 10Apr2011 Word count: 592 Viewed: 803 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Microphones are used to capture all manner of sounds for any number of reasons. Through the years, the field has evolved to encompass two main standards when it comes to wireless microphones. One is VHF and the other is UHF. Each has its own specifications that distinguish them from one another. Following is some pertinent information on UHF and VHF wireless microphones.

UHF versus VHF

UHF stands for ultra high frequency. This standard is considered to give a better quality signal than VHF (very high frequency), due to a variety of factors. One is its separation from other transmission sources, which results in non-mixing of signals and thus better overall clarity. It does this because it transmits over a wide range of frequencies that is at least ten times greater than those used by VHF.

This translates into greater utility of use without interference. For example, when working in an area with high foreign signal transmissions there can be problems with picking up other signals or being picked up by an unrelated party. With UHF, the range of frequencies avoids the problem with "mixed signals" better than with VHF.

That being said, VHF is still around for a reason, even though it is outperformed by the UHF standard by a long-shot. UHF wireless microphones are so expensive that the difference in quality does not matter for most lay-people. Simply put, UHF wireless systems cost a lot. In addition, it is unlikely in many situations that interference will indeed take place with the VHF standard unless working in specific contexts.

High level professionals will generally use the UHF standard rather than amateurs or hobbyists. This more advanced standard actually works as an insurance policy of sorts when recording or performing. For example, lots of money rides on the quality of recorded voices, events and the like. If interference is a problem, the performance or the recording might diminish the impact greatly, especially when there is no opportunity for do-overs. So, those professionals are readily willing to pay for the advantages that UHF offers.

Frequency Ranges

It must be noted that when dealing with these microphones, the term frequency does not refer to the frequency at which the voice is being recorded or sampled. Instead, it is referring to the frequency at which the signal leaves the microphone or body-pack transmitter and travels to the wireless receiver. VHF wireless set-ups will usually be found transmitting from 170Mhz and 216Mhz. This is in stark contrast to the transmission range of UHF wireless, which is 450Mhz to 952Mhz.

Suppliers

Three main suppliers of both professional and amateur UHF and VHF systems are Shure, Audio-Technica and Sennheiser. All three are well known for their reliability and quality and offer from the simple one mic set-up to multi microphone and receiver sets in both UHF and VHF. Some systems are even interchangeable.

In summary, the two main differences between the UHF and VHF wireless microphones are their overall performance and cost. UHF is both more expensive and better performing than VHF. However, it must be stated that the difference in quality and utility is not such to discourage or discontinue the use of VHF, simply because the price difference is so great. For those looking into this, make sure to evaluate your needs to help you make a better informed choice as well as what you can reasonably afford.

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