Any of Azden’s microphones with a 3.5mm mini-jack output can be made to work with a smartphone or tablet using the HX-Mi TRRS Mic/Headphone Cable. Compatible Azden microphones include EX-503, EX-503L, EX-505U, EX-50L, ECM-44, HS-9, HS-11, HS12, CM-20D, SGM-990, SMX-15 and SMX-30 (mono mode). Azden’s stereo microphones can work with the HX-Mi but only in mono, since mobile devices do not have stereo microphone inputs. These microphones include SMX-30 (stereo mode), SMX-10 and SMX-5. Also available is the SGM-990+i which comes complete with an adapter cable to make it compatible with mobile devices.

i-Coustics® is a sub-brand of Azden products designed to work with smartphones and tablets. Learn more at www.azden.com/i-coustics.

Popular mobile devices such as the iPhone®, iPad®, Samsung Galaxy S®, Galaxy Tab® and most other Android™ devices are all compatible with i-Coustics® products. You can see a full list of compatible devices here.

Not necessarily. Any mobile device with a TRRS microphone/headphone jack will be compatible with i-Coustics™ products. An easy way to figure out if you’re device is compatible: check to see if the earbuds that came with your device have a microphone on them to allow you to make hands-free calls or video chat. If they do, then Azden’s i-Coustics® products will most likely work with your device. If your mobile device did not come with earbuds, check the owner’s manual and see if it has the capability to accept an external microphone. If it does, it is most likely incorporated into the headphone jack with the standard TRRS connection, which will work with i-Coustics™ products.

Technically you can use an HX-Mi TRRS Mic/Headphone Cable to record to a mobile device with an Azden mixer. However, it is important to note that you will not be able to mix in stereo using this cable into a smartphone or tablet. For best results, on the FMX-42a/42u pan your mixer’s channels hard left. For the FMX-32a/22 make sure your channel’s pan switch is set to L (left). On the FMX-DSLR, you will be limited to using the MIC 1 input.

Yes. You can make your current single channel PRO, 105 or 310 Series system compatible with a mobile device by using the HX-Mi TRRS Mic/Headphone Cable. Technically, a dual-channel PRO Series or a 330 Series system will work too, BUT in order to use both channels you’ll need an additional adapter to sum the stereo output to mono. In this case, however, you will not have the 2 channels of the receiver separated on the left and right channels of your audio/video recording.

No. At least not with out using an additional adapter. If you connect the stereo output cable from your dual-channel receiver to the HX-Mi cable, you will be able to record audio using channel 1 only. This is because mobile devices, and thus the HX-Mi cable, only accept a mono microphone input. However, you can get around this by using a 3.5mm stereo female to 3.5mm mono male adapter between the stereo output cable and the HX-Mi. This will sum the 2 channels of the receiver to 1 mono signal.

No. Mobile devices, and thus the HX-Mi cable, only accept a mono microphone input. You can still record into your mobile device using a stereo microphone (SMX-20/10/5) and the HX-Mi cable but the recording will be mono.

For video, the standard video recording app included with iOS and Android devices works seamlessly with i-Coustics® products. Most third party video recording apps should work just fine as well.

 
For audio alone, just about any recording app should work when using i-Coustics® products. Here are some that we have tried and like. For iOS devices: Apple’s Voice Memos App, SoundCloud App and GarageBand. For Android devices: Smart Voice Recorder, HD Audio Recorder and the Soundcloud App.

The short answer is NO. We’ve had this question asked a lot and we’ve really tried thinking of creative ways to do this using mixers, y-cables, you name it. However, if you need to record with 2 microphones at the same time, your best option is the WR32-PRO, 2-channel receiver. It will work with any two PRO transmitters simultaneously.

Wireless microphones use two segments of the FM radio band, known as very high frequency (VHF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF). VHF is divided into a low band starting at 49 MHz and a high band starting at 169 MHz. UHF frequencies begin at 470 MHz. The physical length of these radio waves, and limitations imposed by the FCC, account for many of the differences in how VHF and UHF wireless microphones perform.

UHF Microphones
UHF frequencies don't transmit as well as VHF frequencies, so the FCC allows UHF wireless devices to use more transmitting power. This gives them better range than VHF microphones. The radio waves are physically shorter, allowing UHF devices to use shorter antennas. However, they work best when there's a direct line of sight between the microphone and the receiver unit. Professional-quality UHF microphone systems can support large numbers of devices and scan thousands of frequencies to find free channels, making them a good choice for complex and variable configurations. UHF microphones also have significantly better audio quality than VHF, making them better suited to musical use.

VHF Microphones
VHF microphones have a few advantages of their own. They're much less costly to manufacture than UHF microphones, so they're more economical to purchase. Since they transmit at lower power, their battery life is significantly better and their operating costs are correspondingly lower. They're also less dependent on a line of sight between the microphone and receiver, so they're useful when large open areas aren't available. Low-priced VHF microphones are often built with a single fixed frequency and will be unusable if there's interference on that channel. More sophisticated models have multiple channels like their UHF counterparts.

Assessing Your Needs
Historically, the UHF band has been less crowded and less susceptible to interference. Although that advantage is fading, UHF microphones remain more likely to have multiple channels and be able to work well even around sources of interference. UHF is also the best choice where audio quality is important, as with onstage music. VHF is a stronger in spoken-word situations such as seminars, trade shows and presentations, where battery life and line-of-sight considerations are more important than dynamic range and audio quality. Complex situations such as a stage musical might require a combination of both UHF and VHF microphones, utilizing different frequencies.

Yes you can. Azden’s wireless microphone systems are designed for use with cameras, but the output of the wireless receiver is microphone level and can be plugged into any input for a microphone. However, in the case of hooking up to a PA system, you’ll likely have to convert the output connection from the mini-plug jack to either an XLR or ¼” TS or TRS connection. For XLR connections into a microphone level input, you may use Azden's MX-1 Mini to XLR Adapter Cable.

Yes. Azden’s i-Coustics® sub-brand is designed specifically for this purpose. You will be able to use any of the products labeled as "i-Coustics®" with your smartphone or tablet (see the compatibility list).

You can make your current PRO system compatible with a mobile device by using the HX-Mi TRRS Mic/Headphone Cable.

Yes we can. See the Service And Warranty page for details. We recommend you give us a call first to see if we can troubleshoot your problem over the phone.

PRO series transmitters and receivers all work on the same two transmission frequencies (169.445MHz and 170.245MHz). Both frequencies transmit audio equally well. The only time you might prefer to use one frequency over another is when you are getting interference. Interference can be caused by a variety of things, and could manifest as pops, static, drop outs, buzz or other noise.

To make sure you're not getting interference on a given frequency, with the receiver and transmitter units turned on, listen to the receiver's "ear" output with either the earpiece provided or a pair of earbuds or headphones. If you can hear your subject speaking clearly then you should be good to begin recording.

If you are hearing interference, then switch your PRO units to the other frequency. (Unfortunately, this won't be an option if you're intending on using both frequencies simultaneously with a 2 channel WR32-PRO.) If both frequencies are experiencing interference, then you may have no choice but to change your location before recording. Our VHF PRO Series wireless systems are limited in their capacity to circumvent interference issues. If you need a more reliable solution, our UHF wireless systems offer more options.

1) Double check that both batteries in each component of your PRO system are new and oriented correctly in the battery compartment.

2) Make sure your transmitter and receiver are set to the same frequency (F1) or (F2) if set to the the same frequency the WR-PRO receiver's light should turn GREEN. (Note: a RED light on the WM-PRO transmitter is NOT an indication of a bad connection with the receiver. This light simply indicates that the battery is providing voltage.)

3) Check the cable going from the receiver into the camera. The connector with the single BLACK BAND should be connected to the receiver. The connector with the two BLACK BANDS should be connected to the camera.

4) Check to see if your camera is set to auto or manual audio record mode. If the camera is set to manual adjust the audio input level control until satisfactory sound levels are achieved.

5) Lastly, make sure the lapel microphone wire is fully extended, as the cable also doubles as the antenna.

Yes. Azden’s WM-PRO body pack transmitters have a 3.5mm mini-jack, mono microphone input. As long as your microphone has the matching output, it will be compatible with the WM-PRO. If your lavalier mic requires a DC voltage, Azden's WM-PRO transmitters do provide that. If your mic requires phantom power and you're trying to connect it with an adapter cable (XLR to 3,5mm jack) it will likely not work.

Yes you can. Technically, there is no limit to the number of receivers you use with a single transmitter.

All PRO Series units sold in North & South America use the same two frequencies: 169.445MHz and 170.245MHz. Other territories are as follows.

Europe (CE): 173.990MHz & 174.700MHz

Asia: 187.550MHz & 187.900MHz

China: 203.000MHz & 203.300MHz

We recommend using standard alkaline batteries. We do not recommend using rechargeable batteries with any of our VHF and UHF wireless units, mixers or microphones. In general, rechargeables will not last as long as standard alkaline batteries.

If you are using the a WR-PRO receiver with a hardwired output cable, this is normal. The reason is that the output cable is mono and going into a camera with a stereo input, it will only make contact with the left channel. This can be easily fixed in most video editing software.

If you are using a WR-PRO with a detachable output cable (latest versions), it uses a mono to stereo output cable. If you are only getting audio on the left side with this unit, the most likely reason is that you have the output cable connected backwards. Make sure the stereo end (two black rings) is plugged into the camera input. When connected correctly these receivers will output audio on both left and right channels.

For the WR32-PRO: This model is a 2 channel receiver designed to accept two audio sources simultaneously. The audio of F1 is output on the left and the audio of F2 is output on the right. This is done In order to keep these audio sources separate. Thus when using F1 alone, you will only get audio on the left side of your camera’s input. Again, this can be changed in post production using video editing software.

No. The light on a PRO Series transmitters is simply a power indicator. It will ALWAYS show a red light when turned on, unless the battery is dead or missing. This light WILL NOT change color when the transmitter is picked up by the receiver.

The light on a PRO Series receiver, however, will change from red to green when a signal is detected on the selected frequency. If this light does not illuminate at all, it means the battery is either dead or missing.

When most people hear noise in their video recordings, they assume it must be the fault of the connected audio equipment. While this is entirely possible, it is not often the case. The most likely culprit is actually your camera’s low quality microphone pre-amp.
 
Why is your camera’s pre-amp not so good? Camera manufacturers tend to put their development dollars into the functions related to photography. Sound is usually an afterthought and unfortunately the mic inputs on most DSLR cameras are designed to be good enough to work, but are far from being a professional audio input.
 
Why is the pre-amp adding noise? A microphone pre-amp adds gain (volume) to a connected microphone. And all pre-amps have an inherent noisiness, called a noise-floor. Low quality pre-amps tend to have a higher noise floor and when gain is utilized to increase the volume of the microphone, it also increases the level of the noise floor. This usually manifests as a hiss or white noise being audible in the soundtrack of your video.
 
What’s the solution? The best options for getting better sound quality are to use an audio adapter/mixer (like the FMX-DSLR) or to use an separate portable recording device.
 
In both cases, these devices use better, higher quality microphone pre-amps and should reduce any inherent noise present in your video recordings.