It seems like there are so many wireless mics available today that it's bound to confuse a great many churches. However, by specifying in great detail what you wish to accomplish with the microphone, you can narrow down your choices. But at the end of the day, there will likely still be a wide range of choices at similar prices and levels of quality. At that point, it becomes appropriate to determine if any of the mics have extra bells and whistles that may make them a bit more attractive than the others. Obviously, it makes sense to show preference for a wireless system that is reliable, foolproof, stable, and that sounds good and plays nice with other wireless devices in your environment. Once the mic has those things covered, we look to what is special about it. The Line 6 XD-V70 system meets these requirements, and does indeed have one particular extra feature that makes it stand out.
The clincher
The XD-V70 is, in a word, ultra-simple. On the left of the front panel are LED meters indicating battery and RF levels, along with transmitter on/off status, muting, and audio level as well. In the middle of the front panel is an alphanumeric LCD display, indicating channel, transmit status, antenna signal strength, lock, and estimated remaining battery. Further right are controls—a data entry knob, setup and exit buttons, and a power switch. On the rear panel are BNC inputs and outputs for both A and B antennas, TRS unbalanced and XLR balanced audio outputs, and the unit's DC power inlet, with a strain relief—once again, very simple. The half-rack unit in which it resides is made of metal, feels very solid, and also features dovetail grooves on top, bottom and sides. The included dovetail keys facilitate stacking or side-by-side attachment of multiple units.
The THH12 handheld microphone is slender, hefty, and looks nice. It features a substantial, silvery grille, which can be removed to expose the mic's capsule. Additional capsules are available, making the system more flexible. The lower third of the mic's metal shell screws off for replacement of the AA batteries and access to the “lock” switch—a switch that has the effect of disabling the mic's main controls, with the notion of preventing an accidental power-down or changing of parameters by the vocalist using the mic. The controls on the midsection of the mic consist of an LCD display and two pushbutton switches, both of which are recessed, again, to reduce the likelihood of a calamitous change in mode in the middle of a vocal.
The special feature that distinguishes the mic from others is its capacity to offer the sound of six popular mics from other manufacturers via modeling. The available models approximate the Shure SM58, Shure Beta SM58A, Sennheiser e835, Audio-Technica AE-4100, Audix OM5, and Electro-Voice N/D767a. Line 6 has developed a reputation for its modeling products, including its Pod processors, amps and stomp-boxes. There are purists who correctly point out that the modeled versions of the original products do not deliver precisely the same tone, but it's a matter of economics. Most churches and the professionals who provide audio and musical services to them must live within a budget, some larger than others. In particular, arriving at an exacting knock-off of a certain guitar tone is a great example of where the economics become obvious. To precisely reproduce a tone heard on a favorite recording, for example, a guitarist would need to have the exact guitar, amp(s), stomp-boxes, microphones, DI box, acoustical environment, and the proper recording medium and console and any other outboard signal processing. And to get it absolutely perfect may even require hiring the engineer that originally made the recording. I'm obviously exaggerating a bit here to make my point, but it's easy to see that to get the “exact” tone that the pedantic purists desire would involve a huge outlay of money.
The alternative is to accept the slightly imperfect mock-up offered by the modeling software, at a substantially lower cost. If you can get 90% of the way there at 10% of the cost, you've truly accomplished something amazing. The popularity of modeling software is a testament to the obvious cost/benefit choice made by most professionals, and the XD-V70 system is an excellent example of this acceptable trade-off.
The reviewer's take …
The mic models made available by the system actually do strongly resemble the original mics. I did not A/B compare the modeled version with the actual mic, but based on my experience, they largely have it right. As a matter of fact, lacking the benefit of an A/B comparison, I would submit that the average listener would not be able to identify the modeled version as not being the original. I would even submit that some professionals would not be able to distinguish. In terms of our standard of “getting 90% of the way there at 10% of the cost,” this is a success.
The XD-V70 system uses no companding of the signal [because] it's digital—and that translates into a much higher quality signal. It's reliable, because it uses a four-frequency diversity system—the signal is sent on four frequencies simultaneously so the receiver has access to redundant clean signals under all circumstances. In addition, it works in the 2.4 GHz range, and as the manufacturer claims, is not adversely affected by BlueTooth or WiFi devices (although the converse is not true). The XD-V70 also features a built-in antenna management system, with paddle antennas also available. And it offers 12 channels, a dynamic range of over 115 dB, a published frequency range from 10 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Its transmission range is 300 feet, and its latency is less than 4 ms. My only tiny complaint is the burnished metal of the handheld—a surface with a firmer grip than this smooth metal would save more than a few dropped mics.
I test-drove the mic with a handful of people, including one of the more infamous former American Idol contestants, and vocalists are very pleased with it. When you look at the system as a whole, it does indeed provide reliable, solid, good quality wireless at a reasonable price. The mic modeling is icing on the cake, and works as advertised. It's definitely worth a look.
Editor's Note: In January, 2011, Line 6
expanded the XD-V line of digital wireless microphone systems to include the
XD-V30HS and XD-V70HS, two new beltpack units that ship with headset microphones.
