By Darhel Baker

Wireless microphone systems are expensive but cut back on dangerous stage clutter. Wireless microphone systems work using four components: the microphone, a battery, the transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter sends an audio signal over a designated frequency, and the receiver picks up the signal and directs it to a sound system.

Battery
Wireless microphone systems need a battery to work because they are not plugged directly to an electrical source and do not operate on phantom power. Wireless systems usually use AA and 9-volt types of batteries.

Microphone/Transmitter
The transmitter used to send the wireless signal usually appears either directly mounted to a microphone or as a separate pack that connects to an otherwise wired microphone. This transmitter sends the sound to a receiver via an electromagnetic VHF, UHF or IR radio signal.

Receiver
The receiver tunes in to the same electromagnetic signal as the microphone in order to pick up the sound, and plugs directly into a PA system or amplifier.