Has anyone gone full wireless (bass, mic, monitors) for live use?

[DirtDog]

If so, what's your setup look like?

I've gone wireless for bass, about to go wireless for monitors and thinking I may as well go wireless for mic. I was thinking if I could put all this stuff in one 4-6 U rack/gator case type thing, my gigging life would be much easier (I supply PA for the band as well). Any advice from those that have done it?

I'd even consider racking up my bass head (PF500) and/or using my SansAmp RBI and dispense with bringing a bass rig! Kind of like this:

 

[DWBass]

Mic and bass only. I'm really not interested in in-ear monitors. My band plays softly enough and is well balanced. No problem with stage monitors. Nothing is racked so not much to show.

 

[FuturePrimitive]

Bass and monitors. (No mic though, I don't/can't sing) I wouldn't have it any other way, I can't stand tripping and standing on cables and IEMs have significantly changed how much I enjoy gigs. It's so much more fun to play when you are able to hear everyone (especially myself) clearly! I'm using a Relay G70 on my pedal board for bass and Senn G3 + 64 Audio IEMs for monitors. The G3 isn't racked yet, still deciding if it even needs to be. I do have a Gator rack bag for it though. My new band is using my XR18 mixer and if the only things that need to be racked are my G3 and the mixer it actually doesn't save any space to rack them. The XR18 works better as a stage box anyway.

 

[Medford Bassman]

I have. I use Shure wireless for bass, Shure wireless IEM system and Line 6 wireless for microphone. I love it. Stage is so clean and I get such clean sound in my ears are decent volume..

 

[s0c9]

Yep.. been in that mode for about 3 yrs now.. Bass (Senn D1) and IEM (Senn G3, 1964 A8's).
My mic is still wired however.. not yet considered moving that to wireless.
Lead vocalist is wireless mic Senn G3 w/ E837 (and IEM - G3, 1964 A12's)

 

[bikeplate]

Yep. About 17 years ago was in a dance band in SoCal. Lots of fun

 

[DirtDog]

Thanks everyone so far. Do you have any pictures of these setups?

I'm interested to see how these units with antennae on the rear work in a rack unit (e.g., Shure P3T transmitter).

 

[s0c9]

Here's our IEM rack..
ALL the Senn G3's have the rack-mount kit (GA4?) added, The kit includes the antenna extension cables and front plate mount for the antenna - as the G3 is rear mount antenna like many units.
We did NOT go the more expensive route - combiner and paddle antenna.

The X32 rack pictured is ONLY used for IEM mixes.. NOT SHOWN is the snake splitter behind it. In this pic, you can see some of the House splitter feed lines (cream colored) to the left of the top IEM unit.

 

[FutureTense]

We are wireless except for mics. I also hadn't even considered getting wireless there. Shots below are of my bass rack (which includes the bass wireless, antennae aren't on the front right now, but are getting added this week) and the mixer/IEM rack.

 

[DirtDog]

Thanks @s0c9 and @FutureTense - hadn't considered racking my XAir as sometimes I use my Presonus SL1642 depending on the venue.

@FutureTense - how does your bass wireless work out with the antennae on the back? What's the work around putting the antenna on the front?

Also, How do the half rack units work when you have different brands/models? Is there a standard mounting bracket?

 

[mikeyjm2]

Line 6 G30 wireless for the bass and a Shure PSM 300 IEM system for the monitor. The IEMs we just added recently so we're all still adapting to it. I'm actually really liking the IEM thing now that I have a few gigs behind me using it. Our lead singer has a wireless mic set up but the rest of us are still using wired mics.

 

[FutureTense]

@DirtDog I used to have the wireless just set on top of my head and it worked fine. I'm currently in the process of moving it over to a rack, so I picked up a GA3 + AM2 (iirc) adapter (which is the rack adapter + the antenna extension cables) so it'll have front-mounted antennae by later this week.

The IEMs that are shown are 1 Sennheiser G3 (rack mounted by itself) and 2 Audio Technica M2s (rackmounted together). I don't have any mix-and-match between them, so I could just pick up the flat panel that screws 2 of the AT units together (I don't remember the name of them off the top of my head). The drummer has a Rolls wired IEM since he doesn't move anywhere.

 

[RyanKW]

Bass and in ears. Nothing racked. I will go wireless with the mics when I can afford it.

 

[s0c9]

Also, How do the half rack units work when you have different brands/models? Is there a standard mounting bracket?

Most units I know of have rack mount capability.. some standalone - as you can see from my pic above - and some that let you rack 2 units side-by-side. Either choice is usually an "accessory" add-on and will run around $40.
As far as different vendors housed together, it should make no difference, as long as each one is on a different frequency (same as you would if all were from same vendor).
At one point we had Carvin, Shure, Senn and Galaxy all mounted in the same rack (before we all upgraded to Senn). No issues there.

Most wireless I have experience with have rear-mounted antennae. I believe this is for ease of rack mounting and wiring to an active "combiner" with paddle-style antenna !

 

[DirtDog]

Line 6 G30 wireless for the bass and a Shure PSM 300 IEM system for the monitor. The IEMs we just added recently so we're all still adapting to it. I'm actually really liking the IEM thing now that I have a few gigs behind me using it. Our lead singer has a wireless mic set up but the rest of us are still using wired mics.

This is exact gear I have right now. Racking the G30 is not looking likely so may have to go another route.

 

[DirtDog]

@DirtDog I used to have the wireless just set on top of my head and it worked fine. I'm currently in the process of moving it over to a rack, so I picked up a GA3 + AM2 (iirc) adapter (which is the rack adapter + the antenna extension cables) so it'll have front-mounted antennae by later this week.

The IEMs that are shown are 1 Sennheiser G3 (rack mounted by itself) and 2 Audio Technica M2s (rackmounted together). I don't have any mix-and-match between them, so I could just pick up the flat panel that screws 2 of the AT units together (I don't remember the name of them off the top of my head). The drummer has a Rolls wired IEM since he doesn't move anywhere.

Thanks FT!

 

[DirtDog]

Most units I know of have rack mount capability.. some standalone - as you can see from my pic above - and some that let you rack 2 units side-by-side. Either choice is usually an "accessory" add-on and will run around $40.
As far as different vendors housed together, it should make no difference, as long as each one is on a different frequency (same as you would if all were from same vendor).
At one point we had Carvin, Shure, Senn and Galaxy all mounted in the same rack (before we all upgraded to Senn). No issues there.

Most wireless I have experience with have rear-mounted antennae. I believe this is for ease of rack mounting and wiring to an active "combiner" with paddle-style antenna !

Thanks s0c9!

 

[mikeyjm2]

Racking the G30 is not looking likely

Yeah, guess I should have pointed that out in my post: nothing at all I have is racked. I'm using a Mesa D 800 head and to the best of my knowledge there is nothing available to rack mount it. I'm actually not even using it with a cab most of the time - bass and everything else goes straight to FOH via DI. I'm considering just picking up the subway DI since that's all I'm using most of the time, but I'd keep the amp anyway for those odd gigs that do come up where I get to use a cab.

 

[baxter_x]

I'm considering using IEM. But I also want to hear my amp on stage. Is it possible to combine both?
Like, the band and voices in IEM and my sound from my amp and cab?
Once you have tried IEM is it possible to go back to wedges? Is it possible to feel uncomfortable with IEM?

 

[NickFromNY]

I have a Line 6 wireless system for my bass, a shure wireless SM58 for vocals, but a wired in-ear system... i tried both Sennhesiser and Carvin wireless in ears but was never satisfied with the tone. Was constantly getting interference here in NYC. Started using a Rolls PM351 with a long headphone cable and shure se215s and it sounds great. I don't move around on stage anyway