Wireless with Effects

adam on bass · #1 03-25-2006, 10:06 AM

I cannot think clearly about this for some reason. How would I use a wireless with my pedalboard? I have a huge pedalboard and I am going on a tour with a big stage and I want to be able to move around a bit.

Eric Cameron · #2 03-25-2006, 10:17 AM

There are two ways you can do this:

1) Go from your wireless directly into the pedal board, then run a cable to the input on your amp. This is the simplest way, but it puts your wireless on the ground where your feet are. Feet and wireless are a bad combination.

2) Go from your wireless directly into your amp, then run your pedal board through your effects loop. You need a bit more cable for this, but you can control your wireless much better this way. Just make sure that the antenna are far apart, and no where near an amp or speaker cab.

Rock on
Eric

Dragonlord · #3 03-25-2006, 10:19 AM

bass>wireless receiver>pedaboard>amp.
You'll go with wire from the wireless to your pedalboard and then back to the amp with wire. You'll be free to move around, will just have to return to your pedalboard whenever you need to stomp on something.
Only way to do it. edit: lol ok eric has two ways, but i meant the wireless/pedalboard order

Dragonlord · #4 03-25-2006, 10:23 AM

Ok, just noticed that my way is different than eric's #1 way too. Why should the wireless be at your feet this way? If you can wire the pedalboard to your amp (way #2), surely you can do the same with your wireless when it's top of the amp, no?

Eric Cameron · #5 03-25-2006, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dragonlord

Ok, just noticed that my way is different than eric's #1 way too. Why should the wireless be at your feet this way? If you can wire the pedalboard to your amp (way #2), surely you can do the same with your wireless when it's top of the amp, no?

Umm, don't put the wireless on top of your amp. Amps put off lots of electro-magnetic interference, and you could get distortion or drop-outs. Place your reciever off to the side about 6 feet or so.

What kind of wireless is it? If it has removeable antennas, go down to your local sporting good store and pick up a couple of those long-range antennas that you can get for walkie-talkies. Makes a HUGE difference.

Rock on
Eric

Dragonlord · #6 03-25-2006, 10:30 AM

Wow, first time I've heard about that, and I've read almost all topics there are on TB about wireless.. I've seen quite a few rackmounted above the amps, dunno..

Eric Cameron · #7 03-25-2006, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dragonlord

Wow, first time I've heard about that, and I've read almost all topics there are on TB about wireless.. I've seen quite a few rackmounted above the amps, dunno..

Well, it's not guarenteed that you'll go all crackly, but it can happen. And it's simply easier to put the wireless off to the side before anything begins, than trying to figure out why you sound like a 1930's PA during a show.

Rock on
Eric

adam on bass · #8 03-25-2006, 12:05 PM

I don't have a Wireless yet. I was waiting to see what my options are.

FriscoBassAce · #9 03-25-2006, 05:14 PM

I was reading some posts about wireless recently, and one of the recommendations that came up a few times was the Samson Airline system. This has a little "pedal" box with antennas that sits with your floor pedals, and then you have one of those little guitar bug things to go into your bass. You can read about it at Musicians Friend.com.

I don't have personal experience, but the idea is intrigueing.

**SoComSurfing** · #10 03-25-2006, 05:25 PM

One of my old guitar players used the Airline. He had the receiver mounted out of the way on his pedal board. I've never had a problem with interference while racking my wireless, so I always just ran cables from my rack to pedal board, then back again.

Eric Cameron · #11 03-25-2006, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FriscoBassAce

I was reading some posts about wireless recently, and one of the recommendations that came up a few times was the Samson Airline system. This has a little "pedal" box with antennas that sits with your floor pedals, and then you have one of those little guitar bug things to go into your bass. You can read about it at Musicians Friend.com.

I don't have personal experience, but the idea is intrigueing.

Meh, the antennas are much too close together. If they aren't at least a foot apart, then it isn't true diversity. Now granted, on smaller stages this isn't a big issue. But if you are playing in a big city with lots of digital cable and high power transmission lines, then you could run into all sorts of problems.

Man, I've got to stop selling wireless. It's all I think about now!!

Rock on
Eric

Bennito · #12 03-26-2006, 01:34 AM

Alright, so I get the point about not having your wireless in your rack or on top of the amp. Well, I've got a half rack wireless receiver (a Sennheiser somethingsomething) and I don't have a pedal board or anything at my feet except a mute switch.

So the question is, where do I put the receiver where it is safe, within reasonable distance to my amp so the cable will actually reach it, and so that the signal is still clear, while keeping it far enough from my amp so as not to pick up any noise from it?

Bob Clayton · #13 03-26-2006, 06:04 PM

i go bass > wireless receiver > pedal board > effects

i just have them all off to the side so the area right infront of me is free to do whatever i want

Eric Cameron · #14 03-26-2006, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bennito

Alright, so I get the point about not having your wireless in your rack or on top of the amp. Well, I've got a half rack wireless receiver (a Sennheiser somethingsomething) and I don't have a pedal board or anything at my feet except a mute switch.

So the question is, where do I put the receiver where it is safe, within reasonable distance to my amp so the cable will actually reach it, and so that the signal is still clear, while keeping it far enough from my amp so as not to pick up any noise from it?

Um, well, it all depends on how much room you have on stage. If you've got a rack that you can use, just shove it over by the drum set, and run a short cable, say 10 feet or less.

That Senny, is it one of the Evolution series, or is it that weird 1092 quad diversity thing?

Rock on
Eric

Bennito · #15 03-26-2006, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Cameron

Um, well, it all depends on how much room you have on stage. If you've got a rack that you can use, just shove it over by the drum set, and run a short cable, say 10 feet or less.

That Senny, is it one of the Evolution series, or is it that weird 1092 quad diversity thing?

Rock on
Eric

It's actually one of the older D1000 or D2000. I don't remember right now and it's all packed up. But it is one of those two.