Wireless transmitter logistics

[gjsven]

Hi all,

I use a Shure UHF SLX24 wireless system with my bass rig. For my last band I was almost exclusively playing with a pick and rarely never needed to swap basses during a gig, so my wireless transmitter got gaffa-taped to my reasonably long strap.

My new band looks like being a bit more diverse and I anticipate needing to swap to a different bass with a much shorter strap for slapping/tapping etc. However with the transmitter gaffed on I'm unable to change the strap length so I can't just click the strap off one bass (I use straplocks) and onto another. My back pocket is out of the question as I'm fairly 'animated' with my bass .

So - I'm looking at buying/making some pouches to attach to all my straps so all I have to do is unplug the transmitter from one bass, pull it out of the pouch, put it in the pouch of the new bass and plug it in. Problem is, I've never seen anything of the sort, nor do I know where to start putting something together.

Any ideas/experiences/suggestions?

[BassmanDk]

maybe you could just buy an extra transmitter?

[gjsven]

I was hoping pouches would cost less.

[BassmanDk]

Yes they probably do.
But think of the live scenario where you first have to mute your signal, unplug the transmitter, take off the bass, take the transmitter out of the pouch, take the new bass, put the transmitter in the new bass' pouch, take the bass on, put the cable in the bass and then unmute your signal!
Instead of just muting, switching and unmuting!

[IanStephenson]

Neotech do wireless pouches (not tried them - just noticed they exist).

I'd persue the back pocket approach - maybe a pouch on a belt? multiple pouches seems a lot of hassle.

Ian

[MazeMouse]

And fixing a set of straplocks on your other bass is out of the question? Why? (I tend to have a thing about having straplocks on all my basses AND guitars)

[Jeff Martinez]

I've used a VERY cheap solution for years. I bought a pack of inexpensive black t-shirts WITH POCKETS. I used a seam ripper to carefully remove the pockets from the shirts (I hate shirts with pockets ayway). I then sewed the pocket material onto my straps. Since the t-shirt material is pretty elastic, I sewed the opening a little smaller than the transmitter. I have never had my transmitter fall out, and it's quick to swap it out.

Note: I have since simplified my life by just having straplocks on all of my basses and just using the same strap on all basses.

[gjsven]

Thanks for all the replies.

I do indeed have compatible straplocks on all my basses (and guitars) so swapping a strap to a different bass isn't the problem. The problem arises when I want to change from a bass with a long strap to a bass with a much shorter strap. For the tiny amount of extra convenience that a second transmitter would give over pouches, I don't think I can justify the AUD$500 expense (and to think one Australian Dollar is supposedly worth US$0.90 these days... ).

With the gaffa tape solution, I effectively have to fix the length of my strap by taping the transmitter just above or below the 'overlapped' part (unless I clip the strap on back-to-front, which looks a bit, well, n00b and puts the adjustment buckle in an uncomfortable position).

Even having one removable pouch would at least allow me to change the strap length, but I think putting a pouch on each of my three basses and just set an appropriate length for each would be a good solution.

Ian - thanks for the tip about Neotech, I'll check em out (although sounds like it might be an import job).

Cheers all.

[funkmuffin]

I use straps that have VERY long extensions on the "bridge end" of the strap so that I have 5 or 6 different lengths available at any time. I forget who makes them, but they're woven leather, and the length is adjustable. I bought both at Sam Ash.

EDIT: Here's the strap: http://www.samash.com/catalog/showit...subsearch=true

See the long, skinny part? It's got several holes. IIRC, the instructions describe removing "links" in the main part of the strap (which I've done with both straps), then cutting the skinny part to the desired length. That seemed a little silly, since I figured I could get the links adjusted so that I'd be using one of the holes in the middle. Then I could go up and down to suit my needs.

The Shure transmitter appears to have a belt clip. My AT wireless has one, and I always just clipped it to my belt/pocket. Why even bother with hooking it to the strap?

When switching out basses it was as simple as

1. turn off the transmitter
2. unplug the bass
3. switch basses (keep the strap with me)
4. plug in
5. transmitter on

done. 15 seconds at the outside.

If you can get a single strap that meets all your length needs, you can just swap basses, keep the strap on your shoulder, and not even have to worry about the wireless, except to plug it in.

[Esquillama]

In my old band the lead guitar player played my bass while I
went out with a wireless mic to sing in the audience.
He's quite a bit shorter than me, so instead of playing my bass
hanging down at his knees we just got an extra set of straplocks
and he only had to adjust the bottom end to fit.

If you get a strap with a few holes for adjustment and an extra
set of straplocks you should have a simple, quick, and not too
expensive solution. You could still tape your transmitter to
you're strap if you like, just make sure it's out of the way when
you are in "slap" position.

I don't think you really need an extra transmitter, or even
pouches, although if you decide to go that route here's a link:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...Kit?sku=469806

Good luck.