Wireless problems

[chris4001asat]

So my band finally convinced me to get a wireless. It's a Shure, "The Guitarists Diversity" Model I think it's called. I get to the soundcheck and hook it up, sounds pretty decent, no noticable loss in quality. But when I start moving aggresively, jumping, running, what have you, I start getting a crackle. The sound man even shut me off through the mains for fear of blowing something. Anyone have this problem before?

[Metallideth]

I've never bought a wireless just because it seems that you get what you pay for, so if you want a good unit, you wallet is going to be weeping silently

[chris4001asat]

bump

[mikezimmerman]

I'm not familiar with that specific unit, but if you're getting a crackle when you move around a lot, it's likely that you're not getting a good contact either at the bass's output jack or at the input for the wireless transmitter pack. That, or the something's wrong inside the transmitter itself. Jumping around shakes everything a bit, and if a contact is loose it will make a crackle.

Mike

[Eric Moesle]

My opinion: Never use a wireless unless you get one of the expensive, pro-level units ($$$). The cheaper ones are frought with various and numerous problems, from noises like you describe, to signal loss/tone sucking, to gain issues, to flakiness, to physical component failures. They are truly the weakest link in your chain.

I look at it this way. Why on earth be concerned with a great sounding bass, fresh and good-sounding strings, a great amp/preamp, good cabs, compression and/or effects, if a stupid cheap wireless is going to ruin all of the above?

[DWBass]

I wouldn't consider Shure cheap. I think it may be your jack as I had the same problem once. The 1/4" plugs most wireless units use are a micrometer smaller than a lot of instrument cables so you have to make sure your contacts are in place and your connection is a really tight one. I eventually replaced the jack and that solved my problem. I have an Audio Technica VHF system and a Samson VHF system and both work fine for me although the Samson drains batteries twice as fast. I own a high end AKG UHF receiver that I got for free and once I buy a transmitter pack, it will be my main system and I'll get rid of the others.