Shure has announced some new additions to the Shure SLX-D wireless microphone system (buy here). Operating on UHF, the SLX-D avoids the interference often found in other systems. It’s nowhere near the 2.4GHz frequencies that WiFi, Bluetooth, and so many other devices use today.
The new devices are the SLXD5 Portable Digital Wireless Receiver (buy here), which plugs into your camera or audio recorder and the SLXD3 Plug-on Digital Wireless Transmitter (buy here).
It’s still digital, not analogue
Despite operating at UHF frequencies instead of the usual 2.4GHz, it’s still a digital system. Usually, UHF frequencies are used for analogue microphone systems. But Shure’s implemented it in a range of frequencies less susceptible to interference.
There are three frequency range variants of the Shure SLX-D system. G58 is from 470-514MHz. H55 is from 514-558MHz, and J52 is from 558-602MHz and 614-616MHz. Be sure to check which frequencies you need for where you are before buying!
The world is filled to the gills with 2.4GHz signals from WiFi, Bluetooth, smartphones, and various other “smart” devices. Not to mention almost everybody else’s microphone systems and even wireless video transmission systems.
So, avoiding 2.4GHz can be a wonderful thing. I can tell you from experience, however, that different parts of the world and even different parts of the same country can differ. Certain frequencies can be heavily flooded in some areas while almost completely inactive in others.
Shure SLXD5 Portable Digital Wireless Receiver
The Shure SLXD5 wireless receiver is the core of the system – at least for filmmakers. It lives on your camera or connected to your audio recorder, receiving signals from the various microphones in the SLX-D ecosystem.
It’s a fairly wide system now, too, covering everything from filmmaker tools to live on-stage presentation gear. For filmmakers, that mostly means things like the SLXD1 wireless lav belt packs (buy here) or the SLXD3 XLR transmitters (that’s further down the page).
On the other hand, if you want to get the crowd pumped, there’s a mic in the SLX-D system for that, too.
Shure SLXD3 Plug-on Digital Wireless Transmitter
XLR transmitters are always the most useful types of wireless transmitters for me personally. They’re not that common in most systems, but they can be the most valuable. On location, where it’s difficult or impossible to lay a cable – or just when you have to move a lot and don’t want a wire to be a tripping hazard – wireless XLR transmitters can save the day.
It works with both dynamic mics as well as condenser microphones. This means that it doesn’t matter whether your microphone needs phantom power or not. Both types will be just fine.
Filmmakers will probably find this most useful for shotgun microphones. But you could equally pair it up with a Shure SM58 (buy here) for a wireless handheld interview microphone.
Price and Availability
The Shure SLXD5 wireless receiver is available to buy now for $379. The Shure SLXD3 XLR wireless transmitter is also available to buy now for $349.
