Having used quite a few of AKG's wireless mics, and in particular the WMS 400 series, I was excited to get a look at the WMS 470, which was introduced last year. I've always been impressed with the audio quality of the 400 series, and presuming that AKG would have made improvements not only in terms of audio quality but in other domains as well, I was encouraged to spend some time with the system.
I received two distinct mic systems for evaluation, a WMS 470 Vocal Set D5 and a WMS 470 Presenter Set. The vocal set consists of an HT 470 handheld transmitter, an SR 470 diversity receiver, and a D5 dynamic mic element (capsule). AKG makes a condenser element available as well, the C5, and I've always had great experiences with AKG's condenser mics (my favorite mic for my own vocal is the C414) but their dynamic mics are also very good. The presenter set consists of a PT 470 bodypack transmitter, an SR 470 diversity receiver, a C 555 L headworn mic, and a CK 99 L clip-on mic. AKG has aimed all along with the WMS 400 series to thread the needle—to find the perfect compromise between a quality wireless system and simplicity in terms of operation. I presumed that this is what I would find with the new variant.
Step by step
I unboxed the handheld first and found the mic with its D5 element attached, the receiver, the antennae, the power supply, a battery, and a mic clip. I installed the battery and applied power into the receiver. The power cord connects with a screw-on type coaxial plug that prevents a loss of power due to the plug being yanked out. This is a big deal to me. I have wireless transmitters and receivers at my church that lose power for this reason all too frequently, requiring me to troubleshoot through the system and crawl around to get it reconnected.
I always like when manufacturers hear what their customers have to say, and incorporate the suggestions.
I connected the antenna, and then the output to my mixer. Upon powering up both ends of the system, the receiver immediately started looking for available channels. Once it found the available channels, it locked on to the signal from the handheld. I reprogrammed the handheld with the frequency of the receiver with AKG's infrared communications system—a very simple process—and I dialed up a clear frequency and put the receiver into IR programming mode. I then pointed the IR sensor toward the receiver at a distance of about four inches and pressed the input button. The receiver programmed the transmitter via IR to its same frequency. This can be quickly and easily done with each transmitter/receiver pair in your system, but I'm also very fond of the “auto” function in a multichannel system that finds and selects available frequencies for all transmitter/receiver pairs.
The front panel of the half rack-space SR 470 receiver is simple—just four pushbuttons, on/off, and three navigation/select buttons—and normally, navigating through menus with just a couple of buttons is worrisome for me because buttons that have multiple functions can get confusing. Luckily the menu structure of this receiver is quite simple, with no complex menu-diving. There's also an output level knob that recesses into the front panel or pops out for adjustment with successive “button pushes” of it.
The backlit LCD displays in segmented bar-graph fashion the RF strength of the carrier to which it's tuned, as well as audio level, on the left and right sides of the display, respectively. The center of the display is focused on frequency, group number, channel, and menu navigation information. It also indicates which parameter is being adjusted during editing, and the mode of the system. There is a dedicated lock indicator, and display of available channels as well. I like the soft backlight—the display doesn't poke me in the eye in a darkened environment.
The rear panel features BNC connectors for the antennae on either end, a ¼-inch unbalanced audio output, an XLR balanced audio output, a 30-dB pad switch, and a power connector for the system's wall-wart power supply. This system operates in the UHF band, with frequencies ranging from 500 MHz up to 864 MHz.
Transmitter notes
The HT 470 handheld transmitter is very simple and straightforward. From the performer's standpoint, there's very little to consider—just a single slider switch with three positions: off, mute/program, and on. It has an LCD display to indicate frequency and other programming-oriented information.
Its dynamic capsule sounds very good, and since most performers are accustomed to using dynamic mics, the proximity effect of this mic is familiar to them. The mic grants a round, full representation of the vocalist's voice. I had several people, male and female, do both spoken and sung vocals, and I was very pleased with the results. This is nothing new, though—I've always been very happy with the sound of AKG wireless mics.
Headworn and lav considerations
I unboxed the presenter set and spent some time with the headworn C555L and lavalier CK99L mics. Both sounded great—these are condenser mics in a cardioid pattern to provide a lot more gain-before-feedback than their omnidirectional counterparts would. These would typically be used by a pastor, and both work well in that role. I'm not a big fan of a lavalier mic on the pastor; my own pastor being a perfect example of why not. He's very animated, and when turning one's head from side to side or looking up, the signal is attenuated and the high end rolled off, since the mouth is not located where it was likely located when level check was performed. All the dynamics processing in the world simply cannot compensate for this attenuation, so I prefer putting a headworn on my pastor. I know some pastors are not fond of this type of mic, but the AKG C555L is quite comfortable with its round-the-back-of-the-head, dual-ear-clip platform, which fixes the mic's element in position better than any other headworn mic I've ever seen. It also does not require a lot of monkeying around to get it adjusted properly. Both the C555L and CK99L offer more “air” to the sound than the D5 handheld. Being condenser mics, and the CK99L even boosts the output deliberately above 10 kHz to give some of that air.
Both the bodypack and the handheld transmitters are powered by AA batteries, including rechargeables, and AKG offers the CU400 charging stand, as well, so batteries can be charged right inside the mics without the need [to remove] them. This feature is perfect for most churches—pastors and performers simply return their mics to an audio tech, who drops them into the charger base so they're guaranteed to be fully charged and ready to go for the next service.
It's safe to say that AKG has once again delivered what they set out to accomplish with the WMS470: a good-quality wireless mic system that is not as sophisticated or complex as high-end systems, but provides excellent audio quality nevertheless. Both the dynamic handheld and the condenser headworn/lavalier combo really do sound very good, and they're also very easy to use. In my mind, the pricing is surprisingly low, considering the quality and ease of use. These mics are spot on for church use, and well worth a look if you're in the market.
