Wireless

[Mr. Supertron]

I am playing a gig next week and am thinking of renting a wireless unit. How much do wireless units cut down on sound?

[Big Bad Bill]

I've always wondered this too. Wireless systems always had a reputation of being 'tone-sapping' in the past but I wonder if they're better now. It'd be nice to be unencumbered with a lead.

[Derek]

I use a wireless at any show with a stage large enough to allow me to move past the singer to the other side, any difference caused by tone-sapping is small enough that I can't notice it. I do tend to use a fresh battery per show in fear of an older battery dying mid-show, but that doesn't really amount to much cash, and I'm going to try a rechargable and see if it will work.

We played at all of the pre-game festivities for the local football team last season, I did learn that I was limited on just how far offstage I could wander before the signal got degraded, but anything within about 20 yards was fine, and I have yet to hit a stage that allows me to get more than 60 feet from my amp.

For tiny clubs where we just do a 45 minute showcase or something like that, I'm usually still wired in, based mostly on my laziness more than anything else. I just hate that cable from the guitar getting underfoot more than anything else.

D

[Big Bad Bill]

I use a wireless........

Which make and model do you use?

[Derek]

I've sent your question to my bass player - it was previously his, and I honestly can't even remember who made it, let alone a model number. I'm doing good to remember my name these days, equipment is something I never remember.

[Jeries]

why rent a wireless?
nady makes some only about $50

you can get good wirelesses for about $120-199

however the best ones are in the $350-800 range

whatever you get make sure its a UHF
not VHF

[Mr. Supertron]

Do the receiver ends of the wirless units have 1/4 inch output jacks? And why UHF over VHF

[Jeries]

the units have 1/4'' outputs for pluging in guitars

VHF means very high freq
and UHF means ultra high freq
it referes to the freq the signals operate on

simply speaking... there are less things on UHF freq's so you wont get noise from radios or other electronics and it works at a much high frequency so its cleaner

[Derek]

I've found out that my unit is a Sennheiser EM1090 SK1093... looking through musiciansfriend I didn't see anything with EM, only EW models, so that one must not be available anymore, but something comparable probably is.

Hope that helps with your question.

[Mr. Supertron]

The wireless I rented was a shure, it worked awesome great sound quality, definitely recommend it. Connected with ease

[ibzguitarist]

Shure and Sennheiser make great sound-quality products. As far as the tone problem, it is a lot better now 'a days. Steve used a wireless system for the Astoria DVD and it was still one of the better tones I've heard. Wired is still better than wireless obviously though, and those with wireless internet connections will agree with me too.

[scottinomaha]

Most wirelesses compress your signal and send it to the receiver resulting in signal loss. Now the have relatively cheap wirelesses taht dont compress your signal and I couldn't really tell the diff. SO look for the non compressing versions.