Salvador Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 Hi guys! I've been thinking of going wireless, but I am not really sure where to start looking (I am not exactly a technology buff). Musician's friend has many models, but they don't inspire me....at least the reviews are not that inspiring. I usually play small to medium stages, but I'd like to have the liberty of moving around, instead on being stuck on one side where you can't hear everything and everyone. Thanks! Salvador Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMPires Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 Shure go and get Shure www.myspace.com/davidbassportugal "And then the magical unicorn will come prancing down the rainbow and we'll all join hands for a rousing chorus of Kumbaya." - by davio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxofunk Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 I know one very satisfied Shure user, even with a 5 string. Search the forum. The subject has been thoroughly covered in the past. - Matt W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred TBP Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 Try the AKG Guitarbug. I haven't used mine in awhile but it does the job well. It might affect your overall dymanic range but it does the job of a wireless well enough and it's under $300. I've heard there's a newer model specifically for bass but I can't recall where I've seen that. My harmonica player is a big fan of the Shures and has used them for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMPires Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 Shure has new model for 5-string bass, although not that cheap, will be worth it to have a look. Doesn't affect your dinamyc as much as the other ones for guitar, anyway, go and try them at a store. WATCH OUT FOR LATENCIES www.myspace.com/davidbassportugal "And then the magical unicorn will come prancing down the rainbow and we'll all join hands for a rousing chorus of Kumbaya." - by davio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 Originally posted by Salvador: I usually play small to medium stages, but I'd like to have the liberty of moving around, instead on being stuck on one side where you can't hear everything and everyone.Just buy a LONG lead - 30' should suffice. Better sound and far cheaper. Alex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenstrum Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 Originally posted by C. Alexander Claber: Just buy a LONG lead - 30' should suffice. Better sound and far cheaper. Alex I'd love to go wireless as well. I actually have two 30' monster cables. One from my amp to my pedals and the other from my pedals to my bass. Plenty of room to move around, but I end up stomping them to death and also end up getting them twisted all around. Tenstrum "Paranoid? Probably. But just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face." Harry Dresden, Storm Front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamy ALB Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 I use one of the samson bug units and in 3 years of gigging it hasn't let me down. Plus in some of the Bars where we play the wiring would sometimes be a little suspect and the wireless makes those gigs safer. http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Little-Bitter/185235472447 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvador Posted October 16, 2006 Author Share Posted October 16, 2006 Thanks for the info. I actually went to a music store close to my work and had a chance to see the AKG. The salesman convinced me.... but not the price. $400.00.... Ouch!. That's a little out of budget for me. What about buying an used one on Ebay? So far Ebay hasn't let me down..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 The holy grail of wireless units is the X-Wire. They aren't made anymore. Just ask Bumpcity. I've been looking on eBay...but they are pretty pricey. I have a crummy Nady unit which I will sell one of these days...but I probably shouldn't sell it to anyone I know. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Originally posted by jeremy c: The holy grail of wireless units is the X-Wire. They aren't made anymore. Just ask Bumpcity.Yep. I love mine when it's working. I've been having problems with the transmitter again. Time to buy Mister Miyagi's drummer a nice bottle of gin and have him replace the input jack (again). There is something about the solder point on the board that makes it susceptible to wear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvador Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 Got it. Nady units....bad. X-Wire... good... if you are willing to pay. By the way, seconded Tenstrum. I'll Keep looking. Thanks a lot guys! Salvador Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NV43345 Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by Salvador: Got it. Nady units....bad. X-Wire... good... if you are willing to pay. By the way, seconded Tenstrum. I'll Keep looking. Thanks a lot guys! Salvador Just because one poster said his Nady was crap, is no reason to think that. I have used Nady 101 and 201 wireless units since 1988 and never had one problem with them. I still gig with them to this day. I have gigged with guys that use Shure and the Guitar Bug and they were nice units also. Just shop around for a good deal. http://ebassist.com/photopost/data/2/Rack.jpg http://ebassist.com/photopost/data/2/Attitude.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
way2fat Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Originally posted by SeamyD: I use one of the samson bug units and in 3 years of gigging it hasn't let me down. Plus in some of the Bars where we play the wiring would sometimes be a little suspect and the wireless makes those gigs safer. Yeah, suspect wiring would be my reason for going wireless. www.ethertonswitch.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thabottomend Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 I have used a Boss WS100 for about 14 years. The only problem I ever had was when I dropped the transmitter on a concrete floor. Loosened something (I forget what) but a touch of solder fixed it completely and forever (so far). Was pricey but it's all I've ever had to buy besides batteries. Do not be deceived by, nor take lightly, this particular bit of musicianship one simply describes as "bass". - Lowell George "The music moves me, it just moves me ugly." William H. Macy in "Wild Hogs" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancindave2002 Posted October 21, 2006 Share Posted October 21, 2006 I have an X-Wire. It's been working pretty good for about 4 years now. Yes, I have had to replace the cord and jack to the transmitter. One time I replaced the jack and I've had to replace the cord twice besides the first one I got with the unit. Those cords are pretty flimsy and break easily. Before my X-Wire I had a Nady 201. It worked well for 5+ years. I could only get about half power on my signal with the Nady tho'. When my X-Wire is working correctly, and it usually is, it's definitely the best I've used. I tried some Shure, Samson and AKGs that weren't quite as good as the X-Wire. I hear the Shures are very good these days. Most pros are using the Shure units because of availability. I'll continue to use the X-Wire until it can't be fixed and then probably buy the newest Shure unit. Hope that helps... :^) dD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absolutpepper Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Avoid AKG, particularly the guitarbug. It will fall out while you play!!! I had an AKG setup but it created too much interference with my signal and one day I had an epiphany that I was sacrificing my tone just to look 'cool' on stage. I mean who can really argue that you need a wireless kit if you are playing anything smaller than an arena. Id recommend using the money to buys some high quality George L's or Zaolla cables (I prefer George L's IMHO). Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I have since sold my X-Wire (for more than I bought it for on Ebay 5 years ago) and I've been using an X2. The X2 uses the same technology as the original X-Wire, it sounds as good as the original X-Wire, and it's much smaller. I've used it on many gigs already and I'm very pleased with it's performance. Anyone who is considering going wireless should do themselves a favor and just get an X2 and be done with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absolutpepper Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Yeah in addition to my previous post. If you have to just get that wireless kit, dont scrimp on the price. Save up and get the best otherwise you will have serious interference problems. Particularly at gigs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yourlord Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 I have an audio-technica 1400 series UHF wireless. I don't recommend it. It works great except for when it switches between the 2 antenna on the unit, which it does A LOT. Each time it switches it generates a small pop/click sound in the line. If you're playing distorted guitar it's not noticeable at all, but on a nice clean bass it's very pronounced. It does lose some of the bottom end as well but truthfully it's not as bad as you would think in that regard. The popping is really what turns me off as it can literally switch several times a second and when you're playing solo bass it's unacceptable. The pops are buried when accompanying distorted guitars but I've gone back to a cord and all their annoyances due to that popping. Feel free to visit my band's site Delusional Mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thabottomend Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 That X2 looks intriguing. Is it only 9-volt powered or does it have an AC jack too? Do not be deceived by, nor take lightly, this particular bit of musicianship one simply describes as "bass". - Lowell George "The music moves me, it just moves me ugly." William H. Macy in "Wild Hogs" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Jew Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 I keep thinking I'll get a nice wireless at some point... But I never do. Something about replacing batteries in the transmitter just kind of galls me. It's like, "OK, you just spent $500 for a wireless... now spend another bajillion bucks on a new battery every time you play out." All for the admittedly lovely convenience of not needing to run a cable right to your bass.... which is definitely a nice thing when playing on a big stage. They make drum riser jumps more pleasant, for sure, and you don't worry about getting tangled up in someone else's cables if you decide to become adventurous... and the stage looks a lot cleaner. A clean stage is a happy stage, peeps. But, as with Spiderman's skillz, with great power comes great responsibility. And, as we know from another cinematic masterpiece, there's a fine line between clever and stupid. The power of a wireless easily allows one to step over the line. I fear that this kind of power will corrupt me, and I'm treading dangerously close to the line as it stands already. Consequently, I'm fine with my cables--they work 99% of the time, and when they don't, it's not a huge hassle to fix the problem. And I don't need the temptation to cross the line into the stupidity that can come from using a wireless. \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yourlord Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 I've gone out to my mailbox to get the mail playing bass the whole way through my rig in the basement.. Is that over the line? Feel free to visit my band's site Delusional Mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thabottomend Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Very true Erik, but if you have the maturity (or dead sexxaayness) to handle that responsibility then, as you say, the lack of cables simplifies and prettifies the stage. I have an old (bought back in 1989) Boss wireless that still functions as well as when new today. It has a range limitation in that once you get over 300 feet from the receiver there is a noticeable delay, but I haven't yet played on a stage where that becomes an issue. On a humorous note involving the dangers of going wireless......... I was playing an outdoor concert in a shopping center parking lot back in 1993 or so. We were doing our soundcheck after setting up. My wife had been dispatched to the nearest MickeyD's for grub. It was about a quarter mile down the road. She pulled up to the drive-through to order, and heard a very familiar bass line over the drive through speaker. I was thumping through the drive-through system from that distance. When she pulled up to the window, one of the drive-through employees was humming along with the bass line and dancing. She laughed and told them that that was her husband playing bass up in the parking lot and that she would have me switch to playing with cables. They told her not to bother because they needed some music to dance through. All that range from a 9v battery. Wow. Do not be deceived by, nor take lightly, this particular bit of musicianship one simply describes as "bass". - Lowell George "The music moves me, it just moves me ugly." William H. Macy in "Wild Hogs" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Jew Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Hmm.. going out to get the mail while playing wirelessly is just silly, not stupid. I think that's another direction altogether, like putting a hat on a dog. It's kind of ridiculous and rather goofy, but it's not embarrassing to anyone in particular... aside from the dog, I guess... but I am not sure how the dog fits in here. OK, so it's not a perfect metaphor. Cut me some slack, it's early. Anyway, yeah. Wireless! Yeah! Woo. \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 That X2 looks intriguing. Is it only 9-volt powered or does it have an AC jack too? The receiver has an AC jack as well. I didn't order the adapter so I can't address it's quality (I'm sure its fine). I just plugged mine into the Godlyke power supply that I'm running the rest of my pedal board off. Works great. Something about replacing batteries in the transmitter just kind of galls me. It's like, "OK, you just spent $500 for a wireless... now spend another bajillion bucks on a new battery every time you play out." One of my favorite things about the X2 is that it uses 9V batteries. The X-Wire used 4 AA batteries. So far I've got similar life out of the single 9V as I was getting out of 4 AA's previously. That makes us happy. I hit Home Depot every once in a while and buy two of the big ass 9V battery bricks. Each battery lasts for ~10 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 If you're looking for the ultimate in wireless reliability and performance, there's only one way to go (if you've got the $$ that is): Shure UHF Systems Shure UHF-R Systems I've never seen anything but these systems used in professional situations where wireless mics or instruments were required. They're the industry standard. They're also expensive as hell. Occasionally I've seen Sony wireless units as well...but Shure rules the pro audio wireless world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvador Posted March 15, 2007 Author Share Posted March 15, 2007 Well, since someone revived my old thread, I am happy to report that I now have a wireless unit that used to belong to Jeremy (. Pretty Cool!!The man takes good care of his gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvador Posted March 15, 2007 Author Share Posted March 15, 2007 For a description of Jeremy's wireless, please check his responses on this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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