Microphone 101: In basic terms there are two main types of microphones, dynamic and condenser, also three common mic plug types, the 4 pin XLR (large smile shaped) used in North American motorcoaches, 4 pin Din (small smile shaped) used in Euro Motorcoaches and 4 Pin GX 16 (pins in a square pattern) used in most mini buses. The next is the plug gender, male or female. The third variable is the “Pinout” or how the mic’s wires are connected to the pins on the mic plugs.
The PA circuitry design is determined by the decision to use either a dynamic or condenser mic and the bus manufacturer determines the type and gender of the mic plug and pin configuration. So unfortunately, there isn’t one magic mic that can be used on all vehicles and you can’t mix and match mics with different PA systems due to all these variables.
Dynamic: Dynamic mics were the first microphone design, they are mechanical and work like a speaker in reverse. The mic diaphragm vibrates then sends electrical pulses down the mic cord (wire) where the pulses are amplified and turned into sound at the speaker.
Remember the old crooners like Frank Sinatra and their big metal hand mics, those are the old dynamic mics. The problem is, you can only make them so small before they lose sound quality and mic sensitivity. Because of the size and performance limitations, the world left dynamic mics behind years ago except for recording industry and unfortunately the bus industry.
Condenser: Condenser mics are electronic, they’re better sounding for their smaller size, therefore are the mic choice in all electronics today from Bluetooth and computer headsets and cell phones…
Condenser mics follow the basic concept for all mics, they pick up sound to be amplified, but being electronic they require a power source to make them work. Often a small battery is required as phantom power, but with Ready2Talk condenser mics, our PAs feed power up the mic cable so no extra battery is needed. Another positive of condenser mics is, being today’s standard there are many more condenser mics to choose from, so we can offer more styles at a lower cost from hand mics to headsets, wired and wireless.
Headsets vs. handheld microphones: We’re sure you have an idea which mic style fits your needs. We generally suggest headsets as they allow you to keep both hands on the wheel, not to mention in most areas, it’s the law. Also with headsets, when a driver moves their head microphone stays in front of the mouth, so the commentary will always be heard.
For shuttles or transit where the driver can be constantly in and out of the vehicle, then a hand mic can still be the best option. But another solution is a gooseneck mic which is fixed to the vehicle, it’s turned on with a touch of a button, so it meets Distracted Driving Laws (DDL) requirements.
How many mics do you need? This topic has changed dramatically since Covid. In the past, everyone shared one mic per vehicle, although we’ve found when each driver has their own mic, there is less mic damage and (even pre-Covid) companies reported a big reduction in sick days! Something to consider.
We offer a discount for 10 packs of headsets, but as a low-cost alternative, we offer bags of 20 x replacement foam mic covers. But please keep in mind, condenser mics MUST have a foam sock or it will sound awful.
Spares are a must! Whether you have a couple of spare mics in your office or a replacement mic in every vehicle, spares are your friend. If you ever experience a problem a spare mic will bail you out, so your tour continues without missing a word.
Mic life expectancy: All Ready2Talk microphones are designed for daily commercial use and we offer a 1-year warranty to cover defects. Sometimes mic cables get pulled or stepped on, so how long should they last? On average 1 – 3 years depending on how much you look after it. Please think of mic replacement as part of your fleet maintenance. Just like you’re your tires, they don’t last forever and need replacement the more you use them. This is one reason why we keep mic our prices affordable.
PA 101: Like microphones, there are car stereo industry standards. All car stereos follow the same speaker wire colour codes and are designed to use 4 ohm impedance speakers, but will safely operate within a 4 – 8 ohm range.
The claimed wattage ratings for amps and speakers can often be confusing, sometimes even fictious. The peak power rating of an amp is the instantaneous maximum power output, where RMS is a constant power rating over a broad range of sound. Marketing can play the power game and is why you’ll see two power ratings, 50W (Peak-max) and 32W (RMS), bigger is better right? To put things in perspective, most factory car stereos offer 50W Peak and they are plenty loud enough, so there’s no need to get wrapped up in the power race.
All Ready2Talk amplified PA’s follow these standards, so if you’re wondering if your stereo and speakers in your van or bus will match with a Ready2Talk amplified PA; they will.
Speakers and amplifiers: In most cases your van or bus will come with speakers, but if buying speakers, the speaker’s impedance is important to know. All car speakers are 4 ohms and home and outdoor speakers are 8 ohms. For maximum efficiency, where possible it’s preferable to use 4 ohm speakers on a 4 ohm amplifier, but 8 ohm speakers will be fine, it’ll just be slightly lower volume. This is good to know, but don’t get wrapped up in it.
Although, when you’re connecting multiple speakers together, it is VERY important to keep the combined impedance within 4 – 8 ohms. Two 4 ohm speakers connected in parallel will half the impedance to 2 ohms and that can cause the amplifier to overheat. The same two speakers connected in series doubles the impedance to 8 ohms, which is inside the 4 – 8 ohm designed operating range.
If you need more than 4 speakers for your PA system, we have many wiring diagrams options in our PA 62 and PA 64 manuals showing how to safely connect multiple speakers together.
“How many watts should my speakers be?” is a common question. Since most car stereos are 50W Peak – 32 W RMS, the speakers should be rated between 30W to 100W. This will ensure efficiency and some protection room. Higher wattage ratings don’t make the speakers louder, in most cases it’ll just makes them less efficient.
Remember, when using a PA, you’re generally focusing on the vocal range between 90 and 300Hz so you don’t need a lot of power to be heard loudly, 30W to 50W is more than adequate for almost all PA applications.
However, if you have an open top or open sided bus, then you’ll need more power to overcome the increased ambient noise of a city. Think about how much louder it is standing on a city street compared to inside your van with the windows up. In this case it’s common to add a 100W amp to override the extra ambient noise. Ready2Talk PA systems will accept additional amps, but the amp must have the ability to accept “speaker level” input. If in question, please give us a call.
Speaker quantities and locations: In most cases the factory locations and number of speakers in vans, buses and motorcoaches are fine. But in specialty vehicles like, open top double deckers, animal safari trucks, off-road Jeep tours, or open sided vehicles, the number of speakers and their placement can change the guest experience from awful to great and visa-versa. Most importantly in open vehicles, your speaker placement can lead to noise bylaw infractions, even operation suspensions!
It’s common thought to install a couple speakers up high facing the customers, that way everyone will hear, right?” But here are a few things to consider.
1) If you have 50 – 100 Watts powering a speaker, the people sitting closest to it will get blasted while the ones further away won’t hear as well.
2) Adding more speakers doesn’t make the system louder, 50 watts is still 50 Watts, but distributing those 50W through more speakers will make it so everyone hears more evenly.
3) Where the speakers are placed is even more important. As mentioned above, speakers up high can often be offensive especially in open vehicles where the sound escapes outside.
A proven alternative is placing speakers under the seats. As long as you have the room, mounting a speaker alternating every 2 – 3 rows, starting on the left, then right, left, right from front to back, distributes the sound so everyone hears evenly. Also, being mounted low, the sound tends to stay inside, so there is less chance of upsetting animals or the residents causing noise bylaw complaints.
An additional benefit is, if you mount the speakers against and outer wall and the bottom of the seat or floor, you get the advantage of “Corner Loading” which boosts the speaker’s efficiency, basically making the speaker sound better than hanging it in an open space.
4) An alternative to the outside speaker noise issue is offering your guest individual headphones. Our HA 1 headphone boxes connect to your existing PA and comes with 2 x headphone sockets and separate volume controls. You still offer live guided tours but without speakers, so your bus travels through the neighborhood silently, other than the oohs and awes of your guests.
PA Systems: Since you’re looking at a PA system website, let’s talk a bit about PA differences. Almost all mini busses and motorcoaches worldwide are sold with old school PA systems that still use dynamic hand mics. Even though today’s customers’ needs have changed, since those PA manufactures originally adopted the dynamic mic platform, and condenser mics aren’t interchangeable, they’re married to the dynamic platform.
Technically there is nothing wrong with a dynamic PA other than limited mic choices and if you want to upgrade to a headset, we have few options. For factory installed motorcoach systems, we offer the direct connect HS 13FX dynamic headset.
As a plug and play upgrade, adding one of our MB 6 series microphone adaptor boxes will allow all our lower priced Ready2Talk condenser mics to seamlessly function with factory installed motorcoach and minibus dynamic PA systems. But remember, in order for the MB 6 to work, the factory PA system MUST be fully functioning.
For minibuses; although it may seem wasteful, when you change your old dynamic PA to a Ready2Talk PA, it will sound better and now you can use all our lower priced condenser mics from hand mics to headsets, wired and wireless.
To make things simple, we make installation T harnesses and upgrade kits so our PA’s are a plug and play replacement with your minibus’s existing wiring.
It’s important to understand your options and why changing your mics and PA can be so beneficial. Once you come over to Ready2Talk, then we can support every vehicle in your fleet; with one call.
Recapping is a good idea: The make of your PA determines if you need a dynamic or condenser mic and the vehicle manufacturer generally dictates that choice.
Dynamic and condenser mics are not interchangeable, so if you need to change from a hand mic to a headset or wireless and your current PA requires a dynamic hand mic, now is a good time to “stop the bus” and look at your alternatives, hopefully Ready2Talk. Your decision will set you down a path for all mics that you’ll buy for the life of that vehicle and for your ever-growing fleet.
The PA, speakers and mounting locations you choose, can take your tours from good to great and little PA education will get you to your best decision.
Ready2Talk offers you alternatives and we’re here to support you anyway you decide. Whether your fleet is 2 or 102 vehicles, with Ready2Talk now you can use one mic type throughout your fleet so everything is interchangeable, which is easier for staff training and offers a lower ongoing cost.
You choose your PA once, but you’ll be buying many replacement microphones over the years, so ask your bus dealer about installing a Ready2Talk so you set off on your best path, the first time.
We hope this information sheet helps explain a bit about PA’s and why it’s important to take a deep look into what may seem to be a simple topic?
If you have ANY questions, please give us a call at 1 888 724-5351.
