wireless issue

[Fragle]

hi guys

for live shows i`m using the old wireless of my lead guitar player, and i really like it. much more convenient than a cable, especially if you move around a lot. i can`t remember the exact model, but i think it`s a samson rack wireless....kinda cheapo, i guess

now, the problem is that it works normally, but then all of a sudden cuts out for 1 or 2 seconds and then starts working again....over and over and over. when doing soundcheck this doesn`t happen. but as soon as we get on stage and start playing, it will give me trouble. it also happens only sometimes, i`d say at 80% of the gigs it works just fine.

my setup is like this: guitar>wireless transmitter>rack wireless>tuner>amp

i already tried replacing the battery of the beltpack transmitter, but that didn`t change anything.

any suggestions?
i really like the convenience a wireless gives me, but don`t want to spend 400 euro on a wireless unit, and i`m afraid that the lower end models will also give me trouble.

fragle

[Zerberus]

Re: wireless issue

If it´s not a diversity system, what you´re describing are simple dropouts... upgrading to a True Diversity Reciever should solve them [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Fragle]

Re: wireless issue

well i just checked the samson homepage, and i'm very sure it's a concert IV model. according to the website, it is a true diversity system.

[Zerberus]

Re: wireless issue

Then it´s strange and shouldn´t happen... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Fragle]

Re: wireless issue

yeah, it definitely shouldn't happen [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
well, the thing is, i'm not even standing far away from the reciever....last time there were dropouts i was like 2 meters away from the rack. maybe it's because it is VHF instead of UHF

well, if i wanted to get another (read: my own [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] ) wireless system, what should i keep in mind? i don't want to spend a lot of money....like 200 euro or something. after all, i'm replacing a 30 euro piece of cable [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
from what i know, it should be uhf and true diversity.
any recommendations?

[Zerberus]

Re: wireless issue

UHF + True Diversity + SOmething decent = 350€+ for the most part, I think the Shure EUT14 is one of the cheapest really good ones around... I need to pick up a new one soon as well (Samson Armored Cables are enough for the Studio and at home), that´s one of the ones that looks good...

[Inearthed]

Re: wireless issue

Out of curiousity do you have a cellphone or do any members of your band have a cellphone that you keep with yourself on stage? This might be interfering with your wireless or with your amp itself... Just a thought. We can always tell at practice if someone has a cellphone because their amp will start making really messed up noises (like it is possessed or something.

[Fragle]

Re: wireless issue

no, i don't think so. maybe our drummer, but then again, why does this only happen once the whole band is playing? my lead guitar player as well as the bassist are on uhf, and i think our singer is, too. maybe some of the lights are messing up my signal?? another thing is that on both gigs the stage was shaking quite a lot, so the antennas were constantly moving. could this cause dropouts?

[Fragle]

Re: wireless issue

by the way, the price for the Shure EUT14 is 298 euro.

[Zerberus]

Re: wireless issue

[ QUOTE ]
Out of curiousity do you have a cellphone or do any members of your band have a cellphone that you keep with yourself on stage? This might be interfering with your wireless or with your amp itself... Just a thought. We can always tell at practice if someone has a cellphone because their amp will start making really messed up noises (like it is possessed or something.

[/ QUOTE ]

Cells and WIrelesses should be on totally different frequency bands, the noises you describe are usually the "ping" signals and the "shake hands" of a call being picked up by the cable and amplified though the rig [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[ QUOTE ]
by the way, the price for the Shure EUT14 is 298 euro.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, but a second transmitter also costs about 100-150€, and without 2+ transmitters it´s useless live IMO.. Then I might as well stay with a cable if I have to plug in changing guitars [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[ QUOTE ]
no, i don't think so. maybe our drummer, but then again, why does this only happen once the whole band is playing? my lead guitar player as well as the bassist are on uhf, and i think our singer is, too. maybe some of the lights are messing up my signal?? another thing is that on both gigs the stage was shaking quite a lot, so the antennas were constantly moving. could this cause dropouts?

[/ QUOTE ]
The shaking stage shouldn´t cause problems, but you may want to check to make sure that the other guitarist and vocalist aren´t on neighboring frequencies to yours (in the sense of He´s on "1", you´re on "2" and the Vocals are on "3").. this can cause them to "gang up" impairing your performance by stealing bandwidth from your signal... but normally it´s never so bad as to cause dropouts w/ a diversity system....

[Newc]

Re: wireless issue

Could be a loose connection inside the receiver, or a heat issue from being near anything else in the rack (even separated by one space).

If it works fine when you're doing a soundcheck but only drops out once the show starts, it might very well be cellphone interference if you're doing a soundcheck without a full crowd (personally I think soundchecks should be done in an empty venue before the crowd is allowed in, but that's another discussion entirely [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] )

Best thing to get is a cellphone scrambler so they don't work within 50 yards of your show - if only they made something like that [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Fragle]

Re: wireless issue

well, i mean line check when i'm talking about soundcheck.i think the last time we had a proper soundcheck was around 3-4 months ago [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] so the crowd is there.

"
The shaking stage shouldn´t cause problems, but you may want to check to make sure that the other guitarist and vocalist aren´t on neighboring frequencies to yours (in the sense of He´s on "1", you´re on "2" and the Vocals are on "3").. this can cause them to "gang up" impairing your performance by stealing bandwidth from your signal... but normally it´s never so bad as to cause dropouts w/ a diversity system....
"

well, how could they possibly steal bandwith from me if i`m on vhf and they are on uhf? shouldn`t that be a totally different range?

"
Yes, but a second transmitter also costs about 100-150€, and without 2+ transmitters it´s useless live IMO.. Then I might as well stay with a cable if I have to plug in changing guitars "

umm....yeah. imo one transmitter is totally sufficient. i normally use only one guitar anyway. besides, i'm not using a wireless so that i don`t have to unplug anything when switching guitars in a case a string breaks, but because i walk around a LOT.

[Zerberus]

Re: wireless issue

[ QUOTE ]
well, how could they possibly steal bandwith from me if i`m on vhf and they are on uhf? shouldn`t that be a totally different range?

[/ QUOTE ]
SOrry, I missed that, you´re absolutely correct, non issue.

[ QUOTE ]
umm....yeah. imo one transmitter is totally sufficient. i normally use only one guitar anyway. besides, i'm not using a wireless so that i don`t have to unplug anything when switching guitars in a case a string breaks, but because i walk around a LOT.

[/ QUOTE ]
Same here, my shortest cable (other than the patches in my rack, of course) is 10M (30ft) [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

But I also have to switch tunings live, so I´ll have a total of four axes with me at any IE Gig... with a second and third transmitter I can have the backup and the next Tuning handy. Only have to mute the Tx, take off the guitar, pick up and put on the next one, turn on the Tx, ready to go. The tranny switch between what I just took off and the backup for the new tuning can easily be handled by Occide when he´s got the first loops running... So I always factor a minimum of one extra TX in, usually 2 [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Fragle]

Re: wireless issue

yeah...i was already thinking about it..why not just get a LONG cable. ìt`s just that the whole band switched to wireless some time ago, and if i`m the only guy whos going cable it`s rather sucky [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] if the damned thing didn`t give me trouble like it does i`d also be a huge wireless fan, but well...

[shadowcat]

Re: wireless issue

Well if you're the only one with a long cable it's not so bad... it's when everybody in the band walks around with his cable that the problems occur. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Last time I saw Finntroll they needed a break of three minutes to clear the cable chaos after half their set.

I'm using an old DB Technologies SW 202S wireless system that I got used for 130 EURO, it is VHF with diversity and hasn't given me any problems yet. The greatest thing is that the transmitter works over 12 hours with one 9V block battery!
These units seem to be really rare though... the store got if from some touring musician who couldn't pay and thus left it there. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]