Review: Sennheiser EW-DP ENG
Sennie wireless has been the preferred ENG system for decades. Will this latest generation keep it at No.1?
18 October 2024
Review: Corey Hague
When I became a freelance videomaker, the very first thing I purchased was a Sennheiser EW ENG G3 kit. After years of working for a large broadcaster (and mostly using their gear) I knew that I needed my own audio kit, and that the Sennheiser G3 was simply the industry standard. There were a few different brands making promises about their own wireless kits and there were certainly cheaper options, but none seemed to be as solid, dependable and reassuring as the trusty ‘Sennie’. It always earned a place in the bag because it never let you down and the rest of the industry was already using it.
But that was a long time ago and these days the wireless microphone space is pretty crowded with brands and options. How then does the latest in the Sennheiser ENG range stack up compared to the competition?
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
When you first open the EW-DP ENG set you’re met with everything you could ask for out of a wireless setup – a bodypack transmitter, a mic transmitter, a lavalier mic, a receiver and enough cables, plates and batteries to get you working without delay. It’s a very neat box of goodies and Sennheiser deserves praise for using card and paper in its packaging instead of plastic bags and styrofoam.
Things continue favourably when you dive in and get your hands on the tech – both the transmitters and receiver have a solid weight to them and the brushed metal construction feels like it will resist becoming a wet bar of soap in the field. They exude professionalism and give the impression they’ll withstand the bumps and bruises that come with this type of device. (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched an interviewee drop a mic pack on the ground, usually after they’ve been carelessly swinging it around by the wired lav cable!)
Sennheiser has certainly updated the look and feel of the kit, but logical things such as threaded 3.5mm inputs, wire belt clips and recessed latches are all present and familiar. This is good news because they’ve been proven to work and don’t need to be altered for the sake of ‘progress’.
RECEIVER WISDOM
Where Sennheiser has taken a big departure is with the receiver module. Historically, the bodypack and receiver have been physically almost identical, but there’s no mistaking the receiver this time around. The EW-DP EK receiver is very obviously designed to be the nerve centre, with its larger form factor, dual antennas, extra buttons and widescreen LCD. While I won’t miss trying to figure out which pack to give to talent and which pack to plug into the camera, it’s not a small unit, especially once you factor-in the antennas and cables.
The additional bulk won’t phase anyone who’s already dealing with a bit of extra audio kit, or those already working with an ENG-type camera kit and have the usual rigging going on, but I could imagine people shooting on small mirrorless camera setups baulking at the size. It’s not enormous by any stretch, but it does harken back to the early days of camera audio solutions. To the designers credit, the magnetised cold shoe adapter is light years ahead of the old models which never seemed to stay where you wanted it to. This time around the mounting is based on a magnetised cheeseplate and cold shoe with plenty of rigging options. In fact, stacking two receivers on top of each other is not a problem and feels stable in most mounting configurations, especially using the cheeseplate on a camera cage.
NEED TO KNOW
Sennheiser EW-DP ENG
Wireless Microphone Kit
ON TRANSMIT
The final piece of the kit is the EW-DP SKP microphone plug-on transmitter. Arguably, this is the star of the show as it opens up options for capturing audio in the field from a variety of mics. It’s similar to previous models in that it’s a small cube that connects to an XLR input; provides phantom power; and transmits wirelessly. But where the SKP is different is that it also records to a microSD card and has a 3.5mm input for wired lavs. Neat.
The recording feature found in the SKP is a big win, so it begs the question – why doesn’t the bodypack transmitter provide the same functionality?] The short answer is because of patent laws, which in this case seem to have prevented Sennheiser from adding the feature to the bodypacks while simultaneously transmitting audio. It’s a shame, because separate recording is amazingly handy, especially for single shooters or those who really have to run ’n’ gun. Yes, you wind up with more data to deal with but it can be a lifesaver in challenging conditions where you don’t have time to make sure everything is perfectly suited to capturing clean audio.
To return to the SKP handheld plug-on transmitter… it’s a revelation: It records 24-bit or 32-bit float WAV while also transmitting, making it a very handy addition to the kit. You can format a fresh SD card on the unit itself without having to connect a computer or smartphone, which is much appreciated. Although, having said that, all of the units happily connect to the official EW-DSmart Assist app without any drama. They also, thankfully, come back online easily after units or Bluetooth have been turned off, which sounds simple but it isn’t always the case with these kinds of devices.
HIT RECORD
The first real-world test I had for the kit involved plenty of moving parts – an official launch of a new community space, complete with an outdoors ceremony, speeches inside and quick interviews in the crowd. I was working solo and was only supposed to be shooting photos, but I added the SKP, a microSD and a Sennheiser MKH416 shotgun mic to my camera kit, just in case. I basically pressed ‘record’ on the SKP and pointed it at whatever was happening while I shot photos and let an iPhone run on a tripod.
Treating it like a portable audio recorder with a great mic (my 416) attached was a pleasure in a genuine shooting scenario and it was far less hassle than using a traditional handheld recorder. It was also extremely handy when the next day a local TV station got in touch begging for something to run on a news report. I grabbed the usable iPhone footage, synced up the SKP audio and suddenly had a recording of the event good enough for a television segment. This wouldn’t have been the case using only the bodypack option, and I was grateful for the flexibility it provided.
That’s not to say the SKP transmitter is absolutely perfect. The ‘Record’ button is fairly small and to press it properly requires you to cover up the all important red LED. It’s not impossible to deal with, but it may take some time to get used to.
The other minor confusion was easy to sort out, but it’s worth noting – when you import the recorded 32-bit WAV files into your editing software, they’re blank. Not just quiet waveforms, but no waveforms at all. Relax, all you have to do is normalise the files and your recording magically appears, without any clipping (the magic of 32-bit!). The resulting audio is clean, clear and easy to work with, pushing and pulling levels without any issues. I’m a big fan of the SKP and can think of plenty of uses for it, from field recording and music performances to more elaborate interview setups.
BODYPACK HACK
Otherwise, the SK bodypack is a breeze to set up, sync and get good clean audio from. You can tweak settings from the receiver or the app and it’s always clear what you’re adjusting. Even with the minimalist buttons you can quickly navigate the settings and get everything set up correctly, while the display will always display all the vitals to feel confident you’ve got sync and signal. Auto-sync is fast and easy and the monitoring options cover all your bases.
When wireless technology works quickly and easily it’s indiscernible from magic, and the latest from Sennheiser is everything its famous for, but better. In the best possible way, it’s set ’n’ forget.
REAL WORLD
In a perfect world, the bodypacks would record and transmit audio, but the utility of the EW-DP kit makes the most sense when you consider the ‘ENG’ aspect of its name. This is the sort of kit that would be a seamless upgrade to an existing traditional ENG setup – it’s better in every way.
The EW-DP kit will have you covered in almost every ENG scenario and it feels professional and robust, without being esoteric or proprietary. Features, such as recording to microSD cards and the ability to use regular AA batteries, will prove useful for those in the field and Sennheiser should be applauded for not leaving its loyal users behind or press-ganging them into a new ecosystem. Sennheiser hasn’t chased vloggers or ‘casters or tubers at the expense of professionals, it has simply updated its industry standard kit to be better where it matters. It may not storm out of the gates with bells and whistles but it does stand out for being field-ready. It’s a reminder that industry standard devices aren’t always the sexiest or spec-filled, they’re the ones that always show up and don’t let you down.
RESPONSES