SONY 索尼 DWZ-M50 专业无线话筒 舞台演出极品 正品行货! THE DWZ-M50 MICROPHONEThe DWZ-M50 is somewhat more ambitious and expensive than the DWZ-B30GB, but is equally easy to use and also works in the 2.4GHz band with 24-bit PCM audio. Here’s what’s included (Fig. 3).
Fig. 3: The package contents. Clockwise from top: AC adapter, receiver, CD-ROM with the manual in five languages and printed manual in English cable, handheld microphone, and the two antennae. The mic stand clip is in the center. Let’s start with the cardioid, unidirectional dynamic mic. Even with batteries it feels a little lighter than an SM58, despite an overall slightly larger diameter and a body that extends about 3.25" beyond that of an SM58. However, when you consider that the SM58 is invariably wedded to an XLR connector at the end, and of course the Sony isn’t (hey, it’s wireless!), then practically speaking Sony is only about 1.25" longer due to its protruding, stubby antenna. I’m not sure what mic capsule Sony is using, but it’s in the same sonic league as popular stage-oriented dynamic mics. I did find it necessary to use a wind screen (as I do with all mics), and being a dynamic, I appreciated the 5-band EQ included the receiver so I could boost the highs just a bit. The mic has a removable/interchangeable wind screen, and removable/interchangeable capsule (specified as needing a 31.3mm diameter and pitch of 1.0mm pitch; Sony says the mic is compatible with their CU-C31, CU-F31, and CU-F32 mic capsules). Unscrewing the element lets you access an attenuator with settings of 0, -6, and -12dB. Furthermore, you can unscrew the mic grip to reveal the lock/unlock slide switch, channel display, channel selector button, and (like the guitar system) a USB micro-B connector. The power/muting button is always accessible, and the battery/muting indicator is always visible; like the DWZ-B30GB, the battery indicator displays one of two states: good, or “you-better-put-in-new-batteries-soon.”
THE DWZ-M50 RECEIVERThe receiver is larger than the one for the DWZ-B30GB, although it has the same complement of output jacks (including—yes—a USB micro-B connector); one difference is that the XLR is switchable between mic and line levels (Fig. 4). There are also connectors for the two antennae. The receiver can’t be battery-powered, but uses the included 12V (positive tip) adapter. Fig. 4: The receiver’s rear panel has balanced and 1/4" jacks, as well as all other connectors. The front panel is dominated by a large and extremely readable color LCD, and all adjustments are menu-driven from a variety of menus (Fig. 5). Again, you can choose between wide and narrow band operation, but channel setup works somewhat differently than you might expect; instead of choosing a channel on the mic and having the receiver hone in on it, you instead can have the receiver scan for the optimum channel, or scan for clear channels and display which ones have low, moderate, or high interference. In either case, you then set the mic channel to match. You can also select channels manually, but I don’t see any reason not to the let the receiver do the work for you unless you’re using multiple units.
Fig. 5: The display prior to turning on the mic. Goodies in addition to the graphic EQ include the option to set whether the aux/tuner out jack passes or blocks signal when the mic is muted, and the ability to optimize the remaining transmitter battery time display for alkaline, Ni-MH, or lithium batteries. In use, the display shows the selected channel, signal strength for each antenna, audio levels, estimated remaining battery time for the transmitter, and whether the equalizer is on or off (Fig. 6).
Fig. 6: The display indicates signal strength, audio levels, and other parameters. CONCLUSIONSI tested both systems for range. It’s important to find a location that’s not next to a major interference source; out of curiosity, I set the receiver up within a few inches of a wireless modem, and not surprisingly the receiver couldn’t find a clear channel. Moving it just a few feet gave a couple clear channels, and a little further away, all the channels were available with minimal interference. Under real-world conditions, when using both the guitar and mic transmitters indoors with various objects in between them and the receivers (as well as some random RF interference), I was able to get a 100% reliable connection at 70 feet away. I ran out of open space at that point, but Sony says the maximum line-of-sight range can be up to 200 feet for the DWZ-B30GB and 300 feet for the DWZ-M50. When I put three walls between the transmitter and receiver at 70 feet, the connection was no longer reliable, which based on prior experience, was expected. The squelching when going from signal to no signal wasn’t as elegant as some more expensive systems, but thanks to digital technology, as long as I was in range the sound quality didn’t change within that range—no cut-outs or pops. You probably can sing from the balcony seats if you’re line-of-sight and there’s not a lot of interference; for typical distances—i.e., anywhere on a big stage—you’re good to go. It’s clear Sony’s intention was to combine performance with cost-effectiveness. Of course, being digital the DWZ systems start off with an inherent advantage; but the implementation is also noteworthy. The guitar/bass version is simpler, less expensive, and slightly easier to set up but also includes clever options, like the cable emulator and the ability to run the receiver from a pedalboard’s power supply in case you want to go wireless to your pedalboard rather than your amp (or if you just don’t want to carry around one more AC adapter). The mic is equally adept at performing its duties, but with a somewhat heftier feel (and price). Again, there are extras—like the graphic EQ, excellent display, ability to use other capsules, as well as somewhat greater range. It also helps that the mic “feels” right, with sound quality comparable to “industry standard” mics; the battery life is excellent, too. This is Sony’s first foray into affordable digital wireless for musicians, but they got it right from a technical standpoint, as well as in terms of the user interface. The bottom line is as long as the power sources are doing their thing, you’re not in a super-dirty RF environment, and the transmitter and receiver are set to the same channel, you really can’t go wrong.
Craig Anderton is Editor in Chief of Harmony Central and Executive Editor of Electronic Musician magazine. He has played on, mixed, or produced over 20 major label releases (as well as mastered over a hundred tracks for various musicians), and written over a thousand articles for magazines like Guitar Player, Keyboard, Sound on Sound(UK), and Sound + Recording (Germany). He has also lectured on technology and the arts in 38 states, 10 countries, and three languages. 12265300yahua
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