Line 6 G30 here - actually probably better sound than with cable, definitely no sound quality loss. Batteries last two four-set gigs on mine.
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Ok what wireless set ups are you using.
- Thread starter shirtforbrains
- Start date
I use an XDR-95 I bought about 4 years years ago - other than a trans cable that needed to be replaced after about 100 gigs, it's been flawless... FWIW, Line6 replaced my original trans cable, free of charge... It sounds as good as any cable, and I've never had a dropout... I also bought a used XDS-PLUS from another TB'er, and it works great, too...
I think the regular XDS-95 *can* be prone to dropouts because it's single freq transmission, instead of dual freq transmission like the -PLUS or XDR-95 versions, but that's just a hunch... I've traveled atleast 200 feet or more with mine, and never had a dropout with either one...
The only negative I've seen with the X2 system is the expense of 9v batteries - however, I've countered that by buying rechargeable LI-ION 9v batteries by HiTech, from batterymart.com... IIRC, I figured I'd have to get 16 gigs out of my rechargeable to be at the "break even" point vs buying Duracells - I've probably got atleast 50 gigs on a HiTech, and it's still going strong...
All that being said, if/when my X2 stuff craps out, I'll be buying a G50 or G90 - one of my guitarists is using one, as are several other players in my area I'm friends with, and all are happy with them... When it comes to wireless, Line6 rules the roost, IMO...
- georgestrings
I think the regular XDS-95 *can* be prone to dropouts because it's single freq transmission, instead of dual freq transmission like the -PLUS or XDR-95 versions, but that's just a hunch... I've traveled atleast 200 feet or more with mine, and never had a dropout with either one...
The only negative I've seen with the X2 system is the expense of 9v batteries - however, I've countered that by buying rechargeable LI-ION 9v batteries by HiTech, from batterymart.com... IIRC, I figured I'd have to get 16 gigs out of my rechargeable to be at the "break even" point vs buying Duracells - I've probably got atleast 50 gigs on a HiTech, and it's still going strong...
All that being said, if/when my X2 stuff craps out, I'll be buying a G50 or G90 - one of my guitarists is using one, as are several other players in my area I'm friends with, and all are happy with them... When it comes to wireless, Line6 rules the roost, IMO...
- georgestrings
I'm using a Brace Audio unit. They're a fairly new American company. I had some issues with the first unit. The CEO called my personally to discuss and then sent me another one. It's fine. The price is quite attractive.
I could've sworn I read something recently about Brace going bankrupt - *if* that's the case, I wouldn't expect much in the way of future support...
Yeah, here it is:
http://www.facebook.com/BraceAudio
- georgestrings
The g30 is pretty sweet; great range and sounds clear. I would never play more than 4-5 hours on a set of batteries- just in case.
The only issue I ever had was if I forgot to take my phone out of my pocket it would cause the signal to cut out.
Understandable.
The only issue I ever had was if I forgot to take my phone out of my pocket it would cause the signal to cut out.
Understandable.
I got the x2 on close out. Works fine. It's the pedal model. It doesn't have massive range but I was expecting that because it's the pedal and the cheapest in the line.
What I wasn't expecting was the pitiful battery life. I think the pedal should come with a power supply. The receiver says 8 hrs but I'm lucky to get one gig. The transmitter can make it two.
I read several reviews but I didn't catch that. Most were singing it's praises. And other than that it does work fine.
It reminds me of when I got an iphone. I was having problems with most of the smartphones I tried. I asked people with iphones if they had problems and everyone said no. Then I got one and had some problems. I told the other people and they said "mine does that too". Thanks.
What I wasn't expecting was the pitiful battery life. I think the pedal should come with a power supply. The receiver says 8 hrs but I'm lucky to get one gig. The transmitter can make it two.
I read several reviews but I didn't catch that. Most were singing it's praises. And other than that it does work fine.
It reminds me of when I got an iphone. I was having problems with most of the smartphones I tried. I asked people with iphones if they had problems and everyone said no. Then I got one and had some problems. I told the other people and they said "mine does that too". Thanks.
Right here is the answer:
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Expensive *at first*, but will pay for themselves in short order... I was paying around $2.50 per Duracell, and going thru one nearly every show - I have atleast 50 gigs on one of these batteries, and it's still going strong... Oh, and buy a walwart for the receiver - and you'll be all set...
- georgestrings
Can anyone comment on the various incarnations of the G##? I'm looking at the G30/50/90. I like the 1U version just because I like having everything in my rack, but not so sure that it's "necessary", and cutting down to a 3U rack could be nice, if I can just hide the transmitter behind my pre
Can anyone comment on the various incarnations of the G##? I'm looking at the G30/50/90. I like the 1U version just because I like having everything in my rack, but not so sure that it's "necessary", and cutting down to a 3U rack could be nice, if I can just hide the transmitter behind my pre
Yeah, the G50 would probably work for you - it's receiver isn't very large, and could easily stow away inside of many racks... I know atleast 4 gigging guitarists in my area that have them, and really like them - including one in my own band... In fact, if/when my X2 stuff starts acting up, I'll probably go that route myself - although if the G90 has a DI like my XDR-95 does, I might spend the extra $$$ and stick with racked... The extra DI never hurts, and could really come in handy in the event of an amp failure - the one in my XDR-95 sounds good enough to record with, so it'll definitely cut it live...
- georgestrings
Great feature on G30, which is NOT present on G50/90 is the 1/4" jack input to the transmitter from the bass. It means you can make yourself any short patch cable with standard 1/4" jack on both sides, using quality cable (I have Sommer Audio). No mini-XLR bullsh*t or anything like this.
Another Line 6 G30 user here. Hands down I consider the new line of Line 6 wireless the best dollar per value out there for wireless bass solutions. I have been far enough from mine without any cut out but had such extreme latency from the distance that it made it hard to have it sound right.
Seriously I was in a massive ball room for a corporate gig and during sound checked I wandered out to the upper balcony which was about 150' away (at least) and had me up about 50' in the air. Since it was probably more like 170' away in the far corner poor man's trig in my head puts that at near 200'. Very noticeable latency from the time it took the sound to get to me but no cut out what so ever.
Ken
Seriously I was in a massive ball room for a corporate gig and during sound checked I wandered out to the upper balcony which was about 150' away (at least) and had me up about 50' in the air. Since it was probably more like 170' away in the far corner poor man's trig in my head puts that at near 200'. Very noticeable latency from the time it took the sound to get to me but no cut out what so ever.
Ken
I've been using a Nady UHF-10 for the past seven years & I've never had a single problem. There's no perceivable signal/tone loss that I can hear. There were two things I had to "fix" on it when I first got it. The instrument cable seemed to come loose from the transmitter too easily for my tastes, so I used just a touch of metal epoxy on the threads to keep it in place. I didn't like the spring they had on the instrument jack, it seemed rather flimsy to me, so I put some heat shrink tubing over the whole thing, just for extra support.
After those two mods, I've been living happily ever after. I've got it attached to the back of my strap with some of that super heavy duty plastic stuff that looks & acts like Velcro, but it isn't hook & loop, both sides are the same and just push together for a really tight fit. I'm sure there are better units out there, but I've gotten WAY more value out of mine than the $170 I originally spent on it seven years ago. The manual said I'd get 10 hours of life from each 9V batttery. I always put a new battery in to start each gig (four hours), and I get at least that gig and three 3-hour rehearsals out of each battery, so I'm somewhere around 15 hours out of each one. I've never had any line-of-sight or distance issues either. For a rather inexpensive unit, I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to lose the "muckity-muck" around their feet.
After those two mods, I've been living happily ever after. I've got it attached to the back of my strap with some of that super heavy duty plastic stuff that looks & acts like Velcro, but it isn't hook & loop, both sides are the same and just push together for a really tight fit. I'm sure there are better units out there, but I've gotten WAY more value out of mine than the $170 I originally spent on it seven years ago. The manual said I'd get 10 hours of life from each 9V batttery. I always put a new battery in to start each gig (four hours), and I get at least that gig and three 3-hour rehearsals out of each battery, so I'm somewhere around 15 hours out of each one. I've never had any line-of-sight or distance issues either. For a rather inexpensive unit, I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to lose the "muckity-muck" around their feet.
George:
Thank you for that input. I don't need the DI on the wireless... I already have two going to FOH... adding in a third would only end up adding confusion and so far, the SansAmp is proving very reliable, so I'm not worried about failure there (and, even if it does, I carry a spare outboard DI just in case). Glad to hear that the receiver is small... it looks pretty tiny, so that's good.
Nemo: I'm not sure if that's a plus or not. I guess it depends on the durability of the cables that Line6 provides with that mini-XLR. I like that idea, since it's locking and definitely won't come out, but I've been playing with "normal" 1/4" jacks for so many years and never accidentally pulled one out, so that's not a true concern.
Any other comments on G30 versus G50? If all else is more or less the same, I'll just get the cheaper one...
Thank you for that input. I don't need the DI on the wireless... I already have two going to FOH... adding in a third would only end up adding confusion and so far, the SansAmp is proving very reliable, so I'm not worried about failure there (and, even if it does, I carry a spare outboard DI just in case). Glad to hear that the receiver is small... it looks pretty tiny, so that's good.
Nemo: I'm not sure if that's a plus or not. I guess it depends on the durability of the cables that Line6 provides with that mini-XLR. I like that idea, since it's locking and definitely won't come out, but I've been playing with "normal" 1/4" jacks for so many years and never accidentally pulled one out, so that's not a true concern.
Any other comments on G30 versus G50? If all else is more or less the same, I'll just get the cheaper one...
*To me*, the cable difference is worth the extra 2-3x range the G50 and G90 offer... Those mini cables aren't that big a deal - after all, Shure wireless units have used them for years - just keep a spare on hand...
- georgestrings
Funny, the reason I chose the G30 was I was sick of those "custom" cables like my Shure wireless had. At the ranges I have been able to successfully test with the G30 I don't think I could ever use more range. I would be too far from the amp to deal with the latency of the sound getting to me.
And to explain, speed of sound is about 1126 feet per second, let us consider the wireless signal instant at all usable ranges. at around 100 feet you start hitting around 10 millisecond latency from the time it takes the sound to reach the amp from you. I mean who the heck needs to be more than that away from their amp in all but the largest of stadiums?
Funny thing is is that I don't leave the stage with the wireless while playing much at gigs. A bit for show but nothing much. I have wireless for a couple of reasons.
1. Soundcheck, so I can get out there with less hassle to hear what the audience will be hearing.
2. I hate cable clutter, and I especially dislike cables hanging off me while playing. I get "self-concious" about it and I don't move around as much, even in my personal stage space.
3. I am allergic to electricity, one of the greatest ways I have found to prevent electrocution of any sort on stage is to go wireless.
Ken
Line 6 X2 XDS-95 Digital Wireless Guitar System
EBay for $90.00 new. Love it. Transmits line sight 75 feet or one room.
Pros- Small no antennas, clips on like a pager.
Cons- Eats 9 volt batteries. Patch cord from transmitter drops to a threaded 1/8 in plug upgrade would have to be custom made.
Hope this helps.
EBay for $90.00 new. Love it. Transmits line sight 75 feet or one room.
Pros- Small no antennas, clips on like a pager.
Cons- Eats 9 volt batteries. Patch cord from transmitter drops to a threaded 1/8 in plug upgrade would have to be custom made.
Hope this helps.
I don't need the range - if you are not using IEM and run deep into the crowd, you will hear delayed sound from the stage/PA and play behind the drums anyway 
(bitter IME here..)
For free movement on even very large stages the G30 is enough.
I like to make my own cables and not pay like $40 for short patch. I soldered mini-XLR once - it was nightmare!
YMMV, of course.
(bitter IME here..)For free movement on even very large stages the G30 is enough.
I like to make my own cables and not pay like $40 for short patch. I soldered mini-XLR once - it was nightmare!
YMMV, of course.
I use IEM 
I don't have the very typical bar/weekend warrior gig, so I guess my situation is somewhat different. I do need very solid, no cutting out wireless though. I might only be about 40' away, but I need to know it's going to be reliable. Since my X2 is supposed to be reliable/fine, I'm very miffed and not so sure I want to go Line6 again. I keep hearing such good things about these G series, though. I need to find someone to let me borrow one so I can put it to the test.
I don't have the very typical bar/weekend warrior gig, so I guess my situation is somewhat different. I do need very solid, no cutting out wireless though. I might only be about 40' away, but I need to know it's going to be reliable. Since my X2 is supposed to be reliable/fine, I'm very miffed and not so sure I want to go Line6 again. I keep hearing such good things about these G series, though. I need to find someone to let me borrow one so I can put it to the test.Regarding range: IME, having twice as much "line of sight" range also seems to translate into more "actual stage conditions" range... Granted, there aren't many needs for 300' of range, but real world conditions often present obstructions that factor into "line of sight" ranges... I personally have seen people experience dropouts with the XDS-95 units that I didn't experience with my XDR-95 in the identical situation, that I can only attribute to my XDR-95's increased range( stronger trans signal)...
I love my wireless, but ONLY because it has been 100% reliable - if I had experienced dropouts, it would be long gone by now... I really do appreciate the ability to see how my band sounds in different parts of the venue - and being able to do so *seems* to make soundmen put forth their best effort for us, besides allowing me to have some input on my bass's sound thru the FOH...
- georgestrings
I love my wireless, but ONLY because it has been 100% reliable - if I had experienced dropouts, it would be long gone by now... I really do appreciate the ability to see how my band sounds in different parts of the venue - and being able to do so *seems* to make soundmen put forth their best effort for us, besides allowing me to have some input on my bass's sound thru the FOH...
- georgestrings
Keep in mind the G series uses 2.4 ghz frequencies, basically wifi frequencies. Wifi typically has great penetration through less dense solids (ie, people) however in the case of dense solids like brick walls and such not so much (but what does).
Ken
I use IEM
Ray - the only thing I can say is that your *used* X2 wireless has something wrong with it... I bought my XDR-95 new, and my XDS-PLUS used, and both have been 100% trouble free, except the one replaced trans cable I mentioned earlier... I just checked, and my receipt shows that I got my XDR-95 in Feb. of '08 - I average around 75 gigs per year, so that would be a little over 260 gigs with X2 wireless units...
In short, someone sold you a lemon...
- georgestrings
