The V75-40V is the latest digital wireless microphone from Line 6. It transmits in the 2.4 GHz band and features an Earthworks WL40V hypercardioid capsule. It’s made to be used with Line 6’s 2.4 GHz receivers, the XD-V75, XD-V55 and XD-V35, running v2.0 firmware or later. The V75-40V equipped with the Earthworks WL40V capsule is sold a la carte and is not packaged with any particular wireless receiver system.
Out There in the Field
I took the V75-40V to try out at a holiday choral show I was mixing. A wireless mic would be needed for the various soloists that would be performing. I matched the mic up with Line 6’s XD-V75 receiver, which is solidly built and a thoroughly pro design. The V75-40V came up right away and I walked it all around to hall to make sure it had a consistently strong signal. The mic is rated for a range of 300 feet. At this particular show, the FOH position (where the XD-V75 receiver was placed) was about 100 feet from the performance area — well within line of sight, yet even at times where the soloists would turn their back while singing to face the choir or the band, the RF remained signal strong and dropouts were non-existent.
The metal mesh on the Earthworks capsule along with the metal body give the mic a solid feel and does a thorough job of handling any vocal pops or plosives. The plastic cover over the battery compartment is light enough to give the mic an even balance. The mic takes two AA batteries. I had a new set of batteries ready to swap out at intermission just in case, but the power signal stayed strong through the end of the show and beyond. It turns out the battery life is rated to last eight hours.
This particular performance was also being recorded for CD and DVD release, so I was hoping that the Earthworks capsule would not only sound good live but on the recording as well. As it turned out, it sounded great — both live and on the recording — and was ideally suited for both male and female vocals. The V75-40V even did an impressive job of holding off feedback when one of the soloists took it out into the audience on the inevitable unscheduled “walk out and sing in the crowd” segment.
Features, Functions
The V75-40V can transmit on up to 14 channels. It’s rated with a wide dynamic range of 118 dB and a frequency response of 30 Hz to 20k Hz. Other features include the backlit LCD screen. It’s easy to read and displays the channel information as well as battery level. The switches are recessed so to resist being pushed accidentally. There is a lockout switch located in the battery compartment to prevent changes during performance. Transmitters can be named for identification in a multi-system application. The mic comes in a sturdy hardshell case with molded foam inner padding.
While there are a lot of pluses, the downside is that this microphone is not cheap with a street price of $1,199. Although when you consider the price of the WL40V capsule by itself ($799 street), it seems to be make sense. On a side note, the Earthworks WL40V capsule can be used with other Line 6 handheld microphones that have been updated to firmware version 2.10. Just a mention too that while other Line 6 handhelds offer a mic modeling feature, that feature is not available when using the WL40V capsule.
This V75-40V shipped with a XD-V75 digital wireless manual, so to look up certain specs for this microphone I had to go to the Line 6 website. But the information on their site is easily found and their FAQ is pretty good.
The final analysis? The V75-40V with its combination of the Earthworks WL40V hypercardioid capsule and the Line 6 24-bit, 2.4 GHz digital format make a really good combo and sound great together. Anyone looking for that dependable “same as a cable” sound in a wireless rig should put this on their list.
At a Glance
Great Audio, Clear RF
The Line 6 V75-40V pairs the company’s digital wireless transmitter with Earthworks’ WL40V hypercardioid capsule in a tough, roadworthy package operating in the all-clear 2.4 GHz band.
Pros: High-end performance on both capsule and RF side; long battery life; high gain before feedback.
Cons: Earthworks capsule does not support Line 6’s Mic Modeling feature
Price: $1,199/street
More Info: www.line6.com
