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Topic: Wireless |
Garry Pugh
From:
Nashville Indiana
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Posted 6 Feb 2004 2:49 am |
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I have job that, while I don't have to move my steel from location to location, I do have to move it on and off stage for other acts, which can be a pain at times.
I was thinking it would be nice if I had a wireless set-up backstage and sent the signal to the soundboard. In that way I would only have to move my steel and seat.
Does anyone have experience with a wireless and could you recommend a brand an model?[This message was edited by Garry Pugh on 06 February 2004 at 02:51 AM.] |
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T. C. Furlong
From:
Lake County, Illinois, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2004 6:37 am
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I assume that you are talking about a wireless link between your steel and a direct in to a mixer and that monitoring will be handled by someone else. You should think about whether or not unplugging one 1/4" cable is any more of a hassle than maintaining a wireless transmitter. Batteries are a concern, antenna position, unknown interference from outside sources (TV transmitters, public safety transmission) and other wireless transmitters being used by other performers.
If you decide that wireless is for you, Shure and Sennheiser both have just released an inexpensive model that is pretty cool. Sennheiser is Evolution G2, Shure is SLX. I own over 100 wireless systems in my company's rental stock and have sold thousands of systems This has provided me with the opportunity to learn a ton about various brands and different technology. Also, when purchasing you should only deal with a company that understands wireless. There are a bunch of questions that need to be answered to make a good choice. With the advent of digital TV clogging up the RF spectrum, you need to be very careful about selecting a model that will serve you now and in the future. Good luck! |
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Bill Crook
From:
Goodlettsville, TN , Spending my kid's inheritance
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2004 7:10 am
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Garry,
I just bought a Nady cordless unit from Musicians Friend for $79.00. I am going to give it a try. I play some lap steel and I thought it would really look neat to just sit up there and play with no chords or anything hanging off my guitar.
Erv |
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John Floyd
From:
R.I.P.
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Posted 6 Feb 2004 2:23 pm
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| If you are going wireless, do not spare the expense and get a cheap system, you will regret it. If you use a $79 rig You will have a $79 sound. Expect to pay between $300 - $400. The biggest pain in the A$$ is the battery thing with the transmitters, about 1 gig per battery. Most transmitters are very similar, the big difference is in the receivers and The best way to go is UHF not VHF. The best way to do this is to keep the receiver on Stage and send the output of the receiver thru the PA Snake to keep the time delay as short as possible(shorter distance between Transmitter and receiver), Also UHF will have a shorter time delay than VHF. There are disadvantages to all wireless systems,The Cheaper VHF units having more of them. [This message was edited by John Floyd on 06 February 2004 at 02:29 PM.] |
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T. C. Furlong
From:
Lake County, Illinois, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2004 6:34 pm
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John,
I saw your post and was wondering what type of wireless you experienced a time delay with. The only one I can think of might be a digital system originally made by X-Wire and eventually sold under the Sennheiser brand. In those, the analog to digital converters might introduce a bit of latency. In analog units that are much more common, RF (radio signals) travel at 2/3 the speed of light which is not detectable by instrumentation or ear.
Anyway, I agree with you about spending enough for a good quality wireless. The cheap units will degrade your sound to the point that you may not want to use it. Not to mention the hassle of dropouts and interference. |
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Rainer Hackstaette
From:
Bohmte, Germany
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Posted 7 Feb 2004 4:48 am
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T.C.,
the Audio Technica ATW-R19 UHF true diversity receiver has a latency that becomes noticible at distances beyond a hundred feet and gets progressively worse. I once tried to use this unit in an open air horse show where a rider wanted to address the audience from horseback. To him, it sounded like a short slap-back echo with the dry signal cut off. Quite irritating!
On a stage of normal dimensions this wireless system performs flawlessly. In fact, I still use it with my headset when playing steel or guitar where the distance rarely exceeds 30 feet.
Rainer
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Remington D-10 8+7, Sierra Crown D-10 gearless 8+8, Sierra Session S-14 gearless 8+5, '77 Emmons D-10 8+4, Sho~Bud Pro-I 3+5, Fender Artist D-10 8+4, Peavey Session 400 LTD, Peavey Vegas 400
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T. C. Furlong
From:
Lake County, Illinois, USA
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Posted 7 Feb 2004 5:19 am
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Rainer,
It is likely that the delay you experienced was a result of the distance between the loudspeaker and the person using microphone. I can see how 100 feet would be annoying. Because sound travels at about 1130 feet(300 meters)per second through the air, that translates to about 1/10th of a second of delay which is noticable. And of course, the farther you walk away from the loudspeaker with the microphone, the worse it gets. Wireless mics allow us to travel farther from the loudspeaker than a cable so the delay through the air is very apparent. It's a matter of the difference between the wireless transmission being instantaneous and the air slowing down the sound.
The user would have experienced the same lag if a wired microphone was being used with a really long cable. I am not trying to be a know-it-all type. It's just good to understand what causes problems so that we can accept them as the way it's got to be or fix them. |
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R. E. Klaus
From:
Montana, USA
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Posted 7 Feb 2004 10:24 pm
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I have used both Nady and Sampson in medium sized multi-purpose venues with good results.
R.E. |
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Rainer Hackstaette
From:
Bohmte, Germany
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Posted 8 Feb 2004 3:11 pm
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T.C., your explanation makes perfect sense to me. I hadn't thought of that.  Thanks! I never would have tried to cover that distance with a mike on a cable, so I really didn't have any comparison. Next time I'll try to think before I post. 
Thanks again,
Rainer
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