Over the past few months, I’ve visited more than a dozen event venues—hotels, museums, and corporate spaces—to offer free, on-site reviews of their wireless microphone systems.
Each space had its unique setup, but a handful of issues kept showing up again and again. These problems are easy to overlook—until they cause issues during a live event.
Here are the most common issues I’ve encountered—and what can be done to prevent them:
1. Frequencies Not Selected from a Coordinated Group
Most wireless systems come with channel groups—groups of frequencies that are designed to work well together. However, at many venues, I’ve found that mics are added over time without using these pre-coordinated groups, which can easily lead to improper channel spacing and intermodulation problems.
Fix: Select all frequencies from a single channel group. It’s the easiest way to ensure your mics don’t interfere with each other.
2. Default Frequencies Left Unchanged
Factory defaults are quick to set up—but if your gear is still using them, likely, someone else’s is too. Radio frequencies can also become "noisy," causing audio issues and dropouts.
Fix: Scan and assign custom frequencies. It’s a simple step that avoids accidental collisions.
3. Antenna “Farming” in Stacks & Racks
Many venues stack receivers with their short antennas right next to each other, or worse—behind metal panels. Lots of those little antennas close together will interfere with each other. And placing them behind metal panels weakens performance and increases the chance of interference.
Fix: If you have more than two receivers, consider using an antenna distribution system to combine two antennas and mount the antennas outside the rack within line-of-sight to the stage.
4. No Reserved Frequencies for Outside Clients
Guest presenters or AV teams often bring their wireless systems and scan for open frequencies—which can easily clash with your in-house setup.
Fix: Depending on your receiver, you may be able to scan for additional channels for use by outside clients. Most receivers will automatically select the best channel and will not show you additional channel options. In this case, I can provide venues with additional, interference-free channels explicitly reserved for outside users.
5. The “If It Ain’t Broke...” Fallacy
Many setups are built up over time, and once it's working, no one dares touch it! But working Radio Frequencies are of frequently changing. So while everything seems to work now, then all of a sudden, when the pressure’s on, and you’re chasing a dropout mid-event.
Fix: Proactive RF coordination ensures your system is solid, even under pressure.
Bonus Issue: "Is this thing on?"
This isn't a Radio Frequency issue, but something I noticed often and felt was worth mentioning. Some venues found it challenging to get a clean, loud volume from their system, even when the volume was set to max. Often, they had plug mic-level outputs from wireless receivers into mixer channels designed for line-level inputs. The result? Weak signal, maxed-out gain, and audio that barely cuts through room noise.
Fix: Match your outputs to the appropriate mixer input level. Many wireless mic receivers have options for either Mic level or Line Level (instrument level). If you're using Mic level and struggling to achieve good volume from your system without maxing out the gain and trim on your mixer, switch your receiver from mic level to line level. This may involve switching or choosing a different connection on the back of the receiver. WARNING - turn your system down before doing this. Line level will be MUCH louder than mic level.
Let’s Get Ahead of These Issues
If you're a venue manager, tech lead, or just someone responsible for keeping events running smoothly, I’d love to help you get ahead of these problems.
I’m offering a complimentary, 1-hour on-site RF coordination visit to assess your setup, provide recommendations for improvements, and reserve four clean channels for guest use.
No cost. No obligation. Just a chance to improve reliability and reduce stress during events.
Interested? Just hit me up using the Contact Us form.