Wireless Audio for Education

When setting up audio solutions for an educational setting, wireless microphones should be part of the conversation. In most classrooms, be they grade school or university spaces, the number of seats and desks in the room make running cables at minimum a pain and at worst an outright safety hazard. On top of that, teachers might still require the use of their hands for demonstrations in areas like the arts and sciences, which wireless microphone systems help facilitate. But what types of wireless microphones make the most sense in an educational context?

USB Wireless

USB Wireless systems such as Samson’s XPD USB Wireless product line are extremely versatile in educational spaces. They easily plug right into classroom laptops and computers to pass into the same sound systems set up for the space, providing instant freedom of movement. They’re also useful for remote learning, be that people tuning into a lecture remotely, or dealing with students one-on-one via video conference software.

The XPD USB Wireless systems also have the added bonus of being compatible with many of Samson’s existing audio solutions, plugging right into the Expedition Rechargeable PA systems, as well as the MediaTrack mixer (itself a versatile audio hub in classroom settings) for instant wireless capability.

The XPD2 Lavalier and XPD2 Headset systems both feature a bodypack setup that leaves the teacher’s hands open for writing notes on the board, or other demonstrations, making them excellent choices in a classroom context. There’s also a more traditional microphone option in the XPD2 Handheld, for more formal settings and assemblies.

The AirLine XD is a USB version of the AirLine XDm Wireless Headset, featuring a fully-contained transmitter that doesn’t require a bodypack, making it even easier to manage between classes and presentations.

Compatible PA Systems

Choosing the right type of sound amplification for classroom wireless systems is important, so that you can best compliment your wireless options. The vast majority of Samson’s PA systems are compatible with the XPD USB Wireless systems, but for fully cordless operation, the Expedition Rechargeable line of battery-powered speakers allow for instructors to be truly untethered from cables and cords.

These systems provide Bluetooth streaming capability and wireless operation in spaces that would otherwise be a hassle to set up in, such as outdoors spaces or in gymnasiums. They also provide much more power and significantly clearer sound than personalized belt-worn voice amplifiers used in the education space. The ability to simply plug in a USB receiver, turn the speaker on, and have multiple hours of wireless operation makes setup a non-issue, and means teachers can spend less time troubleshooting their audio and more time actually teaching.

The Expedition XP312w and XP310w are both all-in-one rechargeable PA systems that come with handheld wireless microphones and can be expanded on with the Concert 88a wireless module or any XPD2 USB Wireless system, making them optimal for outdoors instruction.

The XP208w and XP106w are much more compact battery-powered speakers that come with the XPD2 Handheld system included, making both of these excellent systems for indoors right out of the box. The XP106wDE and XP106wLM are also options that switch out the handheld microphone for the XPD2 Headset and XPD2 Lavalier wireless systems instead, to match the needs of your instructors.

Tabletop Wireless Receivers

Samson’s XPDm wireless lineup are another form of easy wireless that is more conducive to educational contexts. These systems feature a tabletop receiver instead of a rackmount one putting the controls front and center for teachers to adjust more easily and generally making them more compact to fit into a crowded classroom. They also feature three separate connections, with a 1/8" output joining the standard XLR and 1/4" outputs to connect to more common installation systems that might feature a 1/8" Auxiliary input.

The XPDm Headset and XPDm Lavalier systems are both good options for most classrooms, but the XPD2m Presentation features two channels of audio for larger spaces that might use more than one instructor or presenter, such as auditoriums or gymnasiums.

Wireless Headsets and Earsets

The last thing to note is how useful wireless headsets can be in educational contexts. Certain instructors, especially in the areas of the arts and sciences, require the use of both hands, making handheld wireless microphones an issue. However, lavalier microphones can be a hassle to take off between classes. Many wireless headsets and earsets mostly solve this issue, but they still have the issue of a thin cable running to a bodypack, which the teachers need to be mindful of.

The Airline 99m and Airline Micro ESm both feature fully self-contained systems in a headset and earset respectively, with no bodypack, making them easy to put on, easy to take off, and still leaving the instructors with their hands free for any classroom demonstrations.