Which wireless system?

[StuartV]

Oh, and one last thing, with the G30, it is fairly easy to close the battery door and think you got it closed all the way, only to have it pop open when you least want it to. But, my experience has been that as long as I pay attention when I'm changing batteries and make sure the latch slides all the way to the closed position, the door stays closed reliably.

 

[pbass6811]

If you want to keep your tone and never worry about your wireless going out get this Sennheiser:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/inst...nnheiser-ew-172-g3-instrument-wireless-system

Worth every penny. I never trust Line 6, their products are garbage.

Yeah, that's why, out of the 20+ posts on this thread so far, there's 13 recommendations for Line 6's "garbage" wireless systems. We all like using garbage...

I will say that the Sennheiser is a good, high-quality unit. I have a few Sennheiser products and I like them all(especially my e835 min and my HD-280 Pro phones). But the ew 172 isn't digital, it has a compander, you hafta pick a channel when you get one, AND it's more expensive than the G50 & the G55. If it was that much better than the Line 6 stuff, we'd all probably be using that one. I'd guess, after Line 6, that the next most highly rated wireless units would probably be from Shure.

Line 6 may not be great a everything, but their wireless systems ROCK!

 

[Sid Fang]

Yeah, that's why, out of the 20+ posts on this thread so far, there's 13 recommendations for Line 6's "garbage" wireless systems. We all like using garbage...
...

Line 6 may not be great a everything, but their wireless systems ROCK!

Nobody has spelled this out yet (including me, in my earlier post), but Line6-o-phobes should understand that the G-series wireless units were designed by the X2 engineers before Line 6 acquired X2 and renamed the product. Line 6 management has been astute enough to not spoil a good thing. And to be acquired by Yamaha, so soon I suppose they'll be Yamaha Relay G-series units, and we'll have to pay a bit more for them.

 

[Misty Mountain]

Love my G50, one of the very best musical equipment buys I have ever made.

 

[4StringsEnough]

Aren't there issues with the Line 6 units where there is a wifi network (which is most places these days)? Maybe they fixed it. I just got me a Samson Concert 88. Cheap and absolutely brilliant tone. Can be rackmounted too (mounting kit included).

 

[vbchaos]

Aren't there issues with the Line 6 units where there is a wifi network (which is most places these days)? Maybe they fixed it. I just got me a Samson Concert 88. Cheap and absolutely brilliant tone. Can be rackmounted too (mounting kit included).

Running it in an environment with 3 active 2,4GHz wireless networks and have no problems

 

[Red_Label]

Couple of points:

- You could potentially get 2 G30 units for what one of the G50 or other units costs. I know I paid $200 for mine, from Sweetwater. I think it was a "second", but I couldn't tell that by looking at it.

- The G30 uses a standard 1/4" connector (i.e. a regular instrument cable) to connect the guitar to the transmitter. I don't think any of their other units do that. They require special cables.

- If you use any kind of pedals (effects, tuner, etc.) you might want to get a G30 or G50 and not one of the rackmount units. I have 1 rack rig and several non-rack rigs. Having the G30 lets me use my wireless easily with any of my rigs. With my rack rig, the receiver plugs into the rack power condition and sits on top of the rack.

- I also take advantage of the non-rack receiver because I can take my wireless anywhere I go and use it with any rig. E.g. have a rig at a practice space and another rig at home and just carry the wireless unit back and forth with me to use it at both places. The G30 uses AA batteries and I have a supply of rechargeables I use, so I have no concerns about the number of batteries I'd chew through by using the wireless all the time.

- to respond to another poster, I think I read on the Line 6 website that all the Relay units are compatible with each other - as long as you're using a channel that both units have. So, I THINK you can use, for example, a G30 transmitter, with a G50 or G55 or G90 receiver, and so forth.

Lots of great points there. Will consider them carefully. Thanks!

 

[tbirdsp]

I have the G30 and agree with everything Stu said above

 

[vbchaos]

Couple of points:

- You could potentially get 2 G30 units for what one of the G50 or other units costs. I know I paid $200 for mine, from Sweetwater. I think it was a "second", but I couldn't tell that by looking at it.

At least not over here in EU - The G30 is 230 euros, the G50 is 350 euros

- to respond to another poster, I think I read on the Line 6 website that all the Relay units are compatible with each other - as long as you're using a channel that both units have. So, I THINK you can use, for example, a G30 transmitter, with a G50 or G55 or G90 receiver, and so forth.

I'd try that before buying! The Line6 website states that it should indeed be possible, but I came across several websites that state the opposite.

Since several people are scared of the 2,4 GHz transmission frequency in combination with Wireless hotspots/units I did some testing yesterday.

We rehearse in an old cold war bunker (1 meter concrete to each side, 3 meters above), so there was nothing else able to transmit in our room beside our WLAN hotspots (2) and our cell phones. I have no troubles with any channel on my G55.
I accidentally left my cell phone (with WLAN active) ON my G55 receiver, and that is something that won't work. The transmission got lost every now and then (about 3-4 minutes cycle). With 20-30 cm in between cell phone and receiver, it is no problem

So well-meant advise: Keep your WLAN units with a certain distance to your wireless system

 

[HMZ]

The Line 6 G50 works and sounds great but the battery door is a bad design. After a while it doesn't close tight and the batteries don't make contact. I just use a couple of rubber bands round it to keep it tight.

 

[paulears]

I love it when people cite a product as garbage, yet the overwhelming comment is good. Just goes to show how a bad experience, or believing internet hype colours your opinions. I've been running Line 6 mic versions for a fair while now, which use very similar technology, and I'm a happy user - I've got 6 at the moment. The Line 6 digital radio systems seem almost immune from interference, although they are not very kind to local wi-fi systems - they don't get interfered with by wi-fi, but they do cause it! In the latest versions, Line 6 modified the software to use less destructive to wi-fi traffic frequencies, but in the UK, opinion seems to be that this does occasionally limit performance, so most users in the know, adjust their system to use the full band, and not the 'friendly' frequencies.

The only slight downside to Line 6 is that the kit is built using a bit too much plastic, needing just a bit too much care my users. If it's your own kit, you look after it - I occasionally get handed back a mic, and the user says, er, it broke. They mean of course, they broke it. Somebody tried to fit a battery, and instead of removing the battery sleeve, unscrewed the join between body and electronics, wrenching out all the cables! In the UK, Line 6 service is less good than in the US, but Don at Line 6 mailed me some spares direct from the US, which is pretty good service. I must admit that I'm going to buy a couple of transmitters so I can use the system with guitars.

Line 6, because of their digital technology, have pretty transparent audio performance which is great. I've got quite a bit of Line 6 kit - radios, guitars, floor boards and rack processors. I'm very happy with the standard - and oddly, the guitar plays the nicest of all of my collection.

 

[chienmort]

I did some work on digital mic systems some years ago and the big problem was latency. The original X10 systems used a massive chunk of bandwidth and no compression/compansion as I remember it.

Obviously the 2.4 gig band is quite small and at one time the 5GHz band was reserved for Digital mics.

So to the nub of the matter is what is the latency and how does it affect the sound and playing.

 

[Gearhead17]

If there is any latency on my Line 6 G 50, I cannot hear it and have NEVER noticed it.

 

[stratovani]

I've owned the Line 6's predecessor, the X2 wireless system for a couple of years now, and it's never let me down. It's got plenty or range, and it sounds just as good as an instrument cable.

 

[StuartV]

My experience with Line 6 Support is that they are virtually non-existent. I tried to get something done about the belt clip having broken off my G30 transmitter and it was like talking to the French knight in MP's Holy Grail.

On the plus side, the Relay stuff is inexpensive enough to almost treat it like commodity consumer electronics. If it breaks, you just buy another one.

On the 2.4GHz interference thing, I can say that my unit definitely caused a problem for me. Using mine in my home office would cause my laptop to completely lose connection to my wireless access point. My bass never had any dropouts or other signs of interference - just the laptop couldn't get online (until I changed it over to using a 5GHz AP).

 

[StuartV]

At least not over here in EU - The G30 is 230 euros, the G50 is 350 euros

As I stated earlier, I got my G30 as a "second" from Sweetwater. It was roughly 30% off regular price, I think. It appeared to simply be an Open Box unit (i.e. probably a customer return) with absolutely nothing wrong with it or any signs of use.

If you took 30% off 230 euros, you COULD get 2 for the price of one G50 - and have some change to spare.

 

[Baker69]

I've had a Line 6 G50 Relay for a couple of years now and it has been faultless, definitely equal (or better) than a cable, no latency issues to my ears. Tried a Sennheiser before I bought the G50 it sucked all the tone out my bass!

The G50 has very good battery life too, on most stages Economy mode is sufficient and you can get up to 10 hours out of a set of AA batteries in that mode.

Good quality metal construction, (better than the G30).

Like a lot of users though I bought a higher grade cable with a noiseless jack plug however I never had any problems with the supplied cable.

As others have said, Line 6 doesn't always get the best of reviews but their Wireless systems are first rate!

Go for it!

 

[Bulldawg82]

I have had my Sennheiser FP72-B freeport for over 3 years now and I love it.

 

[bandbdad]

I've had my G50 for a few years now and have experienced really short dropouts. Only for half a second, almost like it's resetting connection. My guitarist (I'm on bass) uses a G50 on a diff channel and has no problems. Anyone experience these sort of dropouts? Wifi is there, but nowhere near the receiver. As I said, he has no issues.

Today it pretty much died completely. My voodoo power supply works for my other pedals, but the G50 receiver wasn't getting enough juice to relay signal.

Considering switching to Sure due to the dropouts, but wonder if it may just be a mfg defect? Thoughts??

 

[Baker69]

I've had my G50 for a few years now and have experienced really short dropouts. Only for half a second, almost like it's resetting connection. My guitarist (I'm on bass) uses a G50 on a diff channel and has no problems. Anyone experience these sort of dropouts? Wifi is there, but nowhere near the receiver. As I said, he has no issues.

Today it pretty much died completely. My voodoo power supply works for my other pedals, but the G50 receiver wasn't getting enough juice to relay signal.

Considering switching to Sure due to the dropouts, but wonder if it may just be a mfg defect? Thoughts??

Sounds like a fault IMHO.

Have you tried swapping transmitter / receiver / power supply with your guitarist to see if you can identify exactly which is the faulty item?