19Jul Shure FP Wireless UHF system
Shure is a well known name in the music community. Microphones like the Shure sm58 and sm57 can be found on thousands of stages and countless studios, but honestly their wireless microphones have been horrible. Large plastic peaces of hardly working junk is what I would say if you asked me about a sure wireless system a few years ago, but it appears they are trying to clean up their act.
The new Shure FP wireless unit takes a page out of the Sennheiser G3 design profile by hiding the controls under the flip out battery lid. But unlike Sennheiser, Shure also includes a camera shoe mount adapter as well as an XLR to 1/8 inch adapter. At a list price of $499 I was expecting these units to be made out of metal, instead Shure used what they call a “lightweight rugged plastic housing”. For only $65 more you can buy the Sony UWP wireless unit that has a solid mostly metal case. Not really shure (pun intended) why they made that design choice.
Another strange design choice was to use a 4 pin TA4F connector on the lav mic. That type of connector is a bit on the bulky side and isn’t nearly as common as some of the other options they could have gone with. I haven’t seen it up close but it also looks like the included lav mic is much larger then microphones included with other systems. On the positive side, Shure does give you easy to access volume control knobs on the side of both the transmitter and receiver which is a big plus when compared to Sennheiser’s odd ball menu system.
I’d be interested to hear how the unit sounds, but overall the design of the new Shure FP wireless unit doesn’t seem to keep up with the competition. If you are in the market for a wireless system, you might want to start by reading this earlier post. It covers several of the unit’s I’ve used over the years. You might also want to check out the Airline Micro, if you’re on a tight budget (at least it’s made out of metal).
July 19th, 2012 at 6:23 pm
Good find. I saw this at nab. I plan on comparing it to the G3 in the fall.
July 19th, 2012 at 6:43 pm
I’m very surprised they made them out of plastic. When you spend that much money It seems as though it should be made of something a little more solid.
July 20th, 2012 at 10:04 am
Hey DeeJay,
Love your reviews on stuff like that, they are kinda hard to find elsewhere.
I’m still interested in the Airline Micro, or something similar sized.
Are you still using it? Did you find a good alternative?
Major flaw is the volume adjustment, but at the price point I guess it’s worth dealing with it… didn’t sound too bad on the test too.
Thanks and keep ’em coming! 😀
July 21st, 2012 at 3:08 am
Considering that wireless tech that these systems use isn’t that new or innovative, I’m surprised that nobody has come up with a decent affordable UHF wireless kit for less that $600. I’ve never used the Sony system but I’ve heard it’s not near as good as the G3 and not much cheaper either. I use the G3 but would prefer to wire lavs wherever I can since you’re assured better quality that way.
July 21st, 2012 at 3:57 pm
I’ve had good luck with the New Sony UWP-V1, but their older version was what earned them a bad reputation. The G2 and G3 units have always worked great, but the price is a big downside for many people.
July 21st, 2012 at 8:24 pm
Yeah, it is pricey. But, aside from the Sony, there doesn’t seem to be anything cheaper that works reliably. I do appreciate your ongoing search for better options on here. Yours is one of the few blogs that tests other wireless options and that’s great. Would be interesting to hear how these Shure mics work.