Wireless system...FREEDOM!

[Sundogue]

My guitarist, besides being an awesome musician, is really a nice guy.

Last night at practice he gave me one of his wireless systems (in return for fixing his computer). I'm a network admin and it was no big deal to redo his system and upgrade it for him. He didn't have to do that for me, but he has a few wireless systems and he also plays bass, and he had this one lying around unused (a Samson Airline UHF Bass wireless system).

How cool it was to be rid of my instrument cable! I am forever stepping on, or getting tangled in my cord onstage. Normally I have my cord plugged into my Zoom B2 pedal and can get about 20 feet out from the stage during soundchecks, or playing around with people in the crowd.

It's nice that we have our own PA and I can set my bass up the way I like it, but having the wireless will allow me so much more freedom to go out in the crowd on some songs, and to go further out during soundchecks to hear our sound in the entire room.

Most of all, the freedom of not being tethered to my amp is really cool. Not stepping on, or getting tangled in my cord anymore is something I'm really looking forward to. I used it at practice last night. Nice little unit. No unwanted noise, very clear and the bass sounds full, with no dropoff in the low end. No huge strap pack, just this tiny little receiver that plugs into my bass jack.

The best part was my guitarist just giving it to me for free when I would have gladly paid him for it. But he wanted to do that for me. That was really cool of him.

[Esquillama]

I also got a free Airline wireless system from my guitarist.
As my old band was ending, he got a leak in his van and the
reciever got some water in it. He thought it wasn't going to
work anymore, so he gave it to me(I thought I could get it fixed).
After a few weeks of it sitting and drying out, I borrowed the
transmitter from him and... Tada! It works perfectly.
He gave me the transmitter and power supply as well.
He had already bought a new replacement for himself, so he
was still covered. It's been a joy not to have the pack in my
strap anymore. I was already wireless for about 13 years, but
being able to just pop that little thing in the jack and be done
is great.

Also, I really like the reciever being foot-pedal sized. it works
great on my pedalboard.

Enjoy your new-found freedom. I will never go back to being
stuck to my amp (though I don't use one of those anymore either) again.

[MakiSupaStar]

I'm just jealous so I'm going to stick my tongue out at both of you.

[Sundogue]

Check this little thing out...

http://www.samsontech.com/products/p...1600&brandID=1

I'm mounting it to my pedalboard. The transmitter is really small.

The last gig I was on I stepped on my cord and yanked it so hard, that if I didn't run the cord over my strap before plugging into the jack, I would have snapped something off. As it was, I must have bent the positive jack plug in my jack enough to lose sound until I loosened my cord a bit.

My cords are forever getting tangled around my legs, or worse, I'm almost always stepping or standing on the cord. I'm not the most physically active bass player out there, but I get into the music and move around...walking around the stage or occasionally out into the audience.

I have gotten into the habit of swinging my cord out of the way so much, that last night at practice I kept trying to do it, even though there was no cord there!

[Johnny Crab]

Yep. Had 'em since NADY came out with the first ones. Those early units taught a valuable lesson:

ALWAYS KEEP A COILED 20 ft CORD ON OR NEAR YOUR AMP AND READY TO PLUG IN MID-SONG!

To this day that's done. Back then, you NEVER knew how long a 9 volt Duracell would last or when other things with those would crap out. Last week a Line 6 got water in it(wireless feeds it) putting it to sleep so I had to bypass my entire "preamp" and go directly into a BOSE PAS....
Never thought that would happen but glad the old cable habit was still there. Murphy shows up sometimes....

Line 6 dried out in a day and works fine...

[Sundogue]

Originally Posted by Johnny Crab

Yep. Had 'em since NADY came out with the first ones. Those early units taught a valuable lesson:

ALWAYS KEEP A COILED 20 ft CORD ON OR NEAR YOUR AMP AND READY TO PLUG IN MID-SONG!

To this day that's done. Back then, you NEVER knew how long a 9 volt Duracell would last or when other things with those would crap out. Last week a Line 6 got water in it(wireless feeds it) putting it to sleep so I had to bypass my entire "preamp" and go directly into a BOSE PAS....
Never thought that would happen but glad the old cable habit was still there. Murphy shows up sometimes....

Line 6 dried out in a day and works fine...

You bet I will always carry a cord with me. In the past 25+ years of playing, I've found that even if you haven't needed to use something over the last 1000 gigs, it's gig No.1001 that will get you!

That's why I only play passive basses now (but I still bring two basses with me anyway).

[QORC]

you know, I had a Nady UHF system for 2-3 years. And frankly, it couldn't seem to handle my 5-string Bongo well. I noticed a definite loss in sound quality. So I sold it. I miss the freedom of being untethered, but I'm convinced that I'd have to go to a higher quality and more expensive wireless system if I wanted that again.

[SixString]

Originally Posted by QORC

you know, I had a Nady UHF system for 2-3 years. And frankly, it couldn't seem to handle my 5-string Bongo well. I noticed a definite loss in sound quality. So I sold it. I miss the freedom of being untethered, but I'm convinced that I'd have to go to a higher quality and more expensive wireless system if I wanted that again.

+1 anyone really picky about their tone can usually hear the loss off quality from any wireless system its pretty much unavoidable :-( so a chord it is for me.

[Sundogue]

Originally Posted by SixString

+1 anyone really picky about their tone can usually hear the loss off quality from any wireless system its pretty much unavoidable :-( so a chord it is for me.

I'm pretty picky about my sound, and I don't notice a loss of anything, except the chain binding me to my amp. If you can hear the loss in sound quality from a wireless, in a band setting, you've got some great ears.

[driver800]

Originally Posted by Sundogue

I'm pretty picky about my sound, and I don't notice a loss of anything, except the chain binding me to my amp. If you can hear the loss in sound quality from a wireless, in a band setting, you've got some great ears.

Check out this thread about the X2 wireless - I've had one for a little over a month and am a HUGE fan of it:

X-Wire is Back!!!!!


http://www.x2digitalwireless.com/

[manicbassman]

Originally Posted by Sundogue

Check this little thing out...

http://www.samsontech.com/products/p...1600&brandID=1

I'm mounting it to my pedalboard. The transmitter is really small.

you'd think they'd have made it take 9 volts DC just like every other stompbox out there in the world...

[Sundogue]

Originally Posted by manicbassman

you'd think they'd have made it take 9 volts DC just like every other stompbox out there in the world...

The reciever take 9 volts DC. The transmitter takes AA, but that lasts forever. It also helps make the transmitter smaller, since it doesn't need to attach to your strap...just plugs right into your bass jack. It's a little bit smaller than a 12 volt cig lighter plug.

But it doesn't matter to me anyway. I got it for free with the AC adapter (I run my pedals off AC).

[QORC]

Originally Posted by Sundogue

I'm pretty picky about my sound, and I don't notice a loss of anything, except the chain binding me to my amp. If you can hear the loss in sound quality from a wireless, in a band setting, you've got some great ears.

do you use a 5-string? It was very noticeable to me when i switched from a passive 4-string (Rickenbacker) to an active 5-string (bongo). The quality, especially in my very low notes, was noticeably worse.

[QORC]

Originally Posted by driver800

Check out this thread about the X2 wireless - I've had one for a little over a month and am a HUGE fan of it:

X-Wire is Back!!!!!


http://www.x2digitalwireless.com/

yeah i agree! If I had THIS one, no problems! It's also $350!! the Nady was like $125. that's the difference

[KPJ]

I have been wireless for years and I love it as well. I was also always stepping on my cables. I enjoy the freedom of not worrying where the cable is and being able to walk across the stage to tell the fill-in guitarist what the next chord is or go out in the club to check the sound. I also have in-ears that have one channel dedicated to the bass so I hear what I want in my ear.

Different wireless units handle frequencies differently. I have a Shure PGX unit and I play a fretless 5-string. I have no discernible tone loss when using my wireless. Other units there may be some, but I am very happy with mine.

[KPJ]

Originally Posted by QORC

yeah i agree! If I had THIS one, no problems! It's also $350!! the Nady was like $125. that's the difference

If your tone is that important to you, why not spend the extra money? How much do you spend on bases, amps, effects, etc?

If going wireless is important to you and useful in your band, (it was a virtual requirement for me) make it an investment, or just stick with a cable. Don't just buy the cheapest thing out there, you are bound to be disappointed.

[QORC]

I guess it's not important ENOUGH for me. I don't mind a cable as compared to dropping $350 at this point. It was nice to be wireless, but honestly I have a 25 foot cable. How far do I need to go?

[driver800]

Originally Posted by KPJ

If your tone is that important to you, why not spend the extra money? How much do you spend on bases, amps, effects, etc?

If going wireless is important to you and useful in your band, (it was a virtual requirement for me) make it an investment, or just stick with a cable. Don't just buy the cheapest thing out there, you are bound to be disappointed.

The cool thing about the x2 is it uses no compressors/companders and transmits the entire frequency range. So you don't really give up anything with it. There's no sense in paying $600+ when you can get something just as good (or more better ) for less. Very few people have been disappointed with the X2.

[Sundogue]

Originally Posted by QORC

do you use a 5-string? It was very noticeable to me when i switched from a passive 4-string (Rickenbacker) to an active 5-string (bongo). The quality, especially in my very low notes, was noticeably worse.

I used to use a 5 string, but switched back to a four. Yes, I can understand your concerns with the low notes on a 5 string, but for a four, the one I just got does a great job without a loss in the low end (4 string), or any extraneous noise.

I have a 20 ft. cord, and it connects to my pedal up by my monitor. I can go out in the audience pretty far that way. But my main problem was the cord was always in my way, I was always getting tangled in it, or standing on it, or stepping over it, or moving it out of my way. If I just stood in one place I suppose having a cord would be no big deal to me. But going wireless is great for me. It is so nice to not even think of the cord any more.

[QORC]

hey, I'd LOVE an X2...but if I drop $350 on something else, my wife is going to cut my nuts off!