A little background: I make my living as a freelance trombonist, and I often play with groups that require the use of a wireless clip-on mic. In the past 10 years, I've had the chance to try out just about every type of wireless horn mic system on the market, including the most popular Shure and Samson systems. Until recently, the Shure GLXD14 system had been my workhorse for about 4 years, but due to mid-gig mic failure combined with Shure's extremely expensive out-of-warranty repair rates, I had to look into a complete replacement. A trumpet-playing colleague put me in touch with Ron Oswansky at Applied Microphone Technology in New Jersey, and he helped me get set up with this new system. www.appliedmicrophone.com
First, an overview. ***I tried to attach pics to this post, but for some reason it tells me 'the uploads directory is not writable'. 'lil help? thanks!
(1A - P808 horn mic
1B - Q7 Mini transmitter
1C - BP45 Preamp (for wired use)
1D - Opt. mini-xlr cable
2 - Q7 Mini receiver
The third picture is of the AMT unit mounted on my gig rig.)
First the P808 Mic itself (1A). The first thing you'll notice is that interesting four-point suspension system. It definitely eliminates any handling noise. The gooseneck is quite a bit longer than on other clip-on mics, and the length is actually adjustable at the clamp, which lets you find the perfect mic placement - I prefer some distance, for a more natural trombone sound. The clamp is spring-loaded, but also has a locking screw. It's a very secure hold, but not very convenient if you need to switch instruments mid-performance. The mic attached to the wireless transmitter or beltpack preamp via a proprietary cable, to be discussed later.
Next, the wireless transmitter (1B). The transmitter is very small and light, and it mounts to the mic via friction fit... between that and the battery door, I do worry about about the potential for breakage (plastic parts). It's powered by a single AA battery. It has a power button, an on-board mute switch, and a blue led (solid=on, flashing=low battery). It attaches to the mic using a proprietary cable.
The wireless receiver (2) extremely small and light. It can run off 2 AA batteries or a standard 9V power adapter (12V is published on the website and in the user manual, but it is in fact 9V). This is actually pretty important and convenient. Shure and Samson systems all run on 12-18V supplies, which makes mounting them on powered pedal boards difficult. This receiver can run on a standard pedal board power supply (like OneSpot, CIOKS, Fuel Tank, etc.), but be sure to use a polarity reversal cable. The receiver operates in the 900 mhz range, and offers up to 99 frequency options. It's not digital, so after selecting your frequency, you need to use the IR button to pair it with the transmitter. By contrast, Shure digital systems stay paired even when you change frequencies. There is an output volume knob, and the output jack is a standard 1/4 TS line, which especially great if you use any guitar effects pedals - oddly, there is no XLR output, but adding one would require increasing the size of the casing. I connect it to a Radial SB-2 passive DI to enable XLR output. The receiver is well-made but it is plastic, so breakage is a concern, especially the battery door.
Other things: the BP45 preamp (C) and the opt. mini-xlr cable (D). The BP45 is a beltpack-style preamp that is required in order to use the P808 mic in wired mode. It can use phantom power or a single AA battery, and has mute and EQ functions (only useable on battery power). The mini-xlr cable is used to attach the mic to the beltpack, or to any Shure beltpack transmitter. I like that it's removable/replaceable - the first thing that will break on any mic system is the cable!
OK, so fancy specs and features are good to know, but how does it actually perform on a gig? The most noticeable difference between this AMT system and my previous Shure & Samson systems is in the SOUND. The AMT P808 mic is definitely capturing my sound in a more accurate, detailed way than the other mics did. It's hard to describe, but to my ears, the Shure & Samson systems reproduce a good, if somewhat tinny and generic trombone sound. The AMT, in turn, reproduces MY sound. The improved low end is especially noticeable... I found that notes below around
tend to disappear a bit when using other clip-on mics. The AMT is solid and clear right down through the pedal range. The wireless transmitter has very good battery life - I seem to get around 10-12 hours playing time out of a single AA battery. I have experienced absolutely no issues with wireless dropouts or interference so far.To conclude, I think that this latest offering from AMT is far and away the best-designed and best-sounding solution on the market for working trombonists who need to use a wireless system on a regular basis. The price tag is definitely on the higher side, but IMHO the results are worth it if live music is your bread and butter.
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Mods - please do not confuse this for an advertisement for AMT. I'm just endeavoring to share my detailed experience with this product, which may help other players make more informed decisions and purchases.