# Cables vs Wireless



## Blue1970Cutlass (Jan 30, 2014)

Just wondering what wireless units you guys are using that don't suck the tone out of the signal

Alternately, does anyone still use cables on stage (y'know... old skool)


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## Enselmis (Jan 30, 2014)

I use cables! I like cables! Cables are cheap to build!


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## ke7mix (Jan 30, 2014)

Suprisingly my Line 6 G30 sounds almost passive in terms of tone difference and its never failed on me. I just wish i had the Rack G90.


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## Tyler (Jan 30, 2014)

I use a G90 and it works like a charm. I can do anything I want live and dont have to worry about tripping over my cord. The Relays done take away any tone either. If they do its so minimal that I cant hear it what so ever


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## GunpointMetal (Jan 30, 2014)

I use cords, but I'm eyeing that G90...never had the opportunity to use digital wireless, but every other one I've tried is very susceptible to interference from lights, other gear, I had a cheap Sennheiser set one time that was actually affected by my drummer at the time's cymbals! He'd hit his crash and I could hear an oscillation through my wireless!


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jan 30, 2014)

ke7mix said:


> Suprisingly my Line 6 G30 sounds almost passive in terms of tone difference and its never failed on me. I just wish i had the Rack G90.



There's a rackmount version of the G50 called the G55.


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## robare99 (Jan 30, 2014)

G50 here. I chose it over the G30 because of the all metal construction.


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## Orgalmer (Jan 30, 2014)

I have an old analog Shure PGX and that thing seems to do quite well. I notice pretty big changes to my sound compared to a cable though. The tone sounds pretty much the same but the PGX has some kind of gate on the sound, so when nothing is being played my rig is completely silent. With a cable I tend to get much more noise.

I'm frothing over that G55 though, I wonder when they'll hit AU?


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## JohnIce (Jan 30, 2014)

Another relay user here, G50! Top marks all around for that thing.


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## MBMoreno (Jan 30, 2014)

I was in the anti-wireless squad until I was forced to get one.
I got the Line 6 G90. I am now a believer in digital wirelesses. Especially since I got it new, half the price


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## WhiteWalls (Jan 30, 2014)

I have never noticed any difference in sound between my G30 and cables. Since digital wireless sends 0s and 1s it's pretty much impossible to "suck out the tone" in the way an analog wireless would, it either works or it doesn't. The A/D conversion can alter the tone, but it seems very transparent in this case.
Cheap plastic construction, and the clip will fall off after seconds of use, but if you're ok with duct taping it to your strap it's an amazing unit for the price. It also has a weird advantage over the G50 and G90 in that the transmitter works with regular 1/4 cables, so they're easy to replace or to get custom built to your preferences.

I will always keep a cable around however because sometimes venues can have interferences and you can't do much about it.


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## Wings of Obsidian (Jan 31, 2014)

Line X2 and Line 6 G90 have not affected the tone AT ALL. 
100% pure, clean, with no pop or fizzle and TONS of reach/range (so you can travel around stage) guaranteed.


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## Blue1970Cutlass (Jan 31, 2014)

So it seems as far as wireless goes, the Line-6 digital relay is the way to go...

So, basically what is the difference between the G50, G55 and G90 other than the physical structure? (rack, half-rack, stomp box)

Would the G55 and G90 mostly be for use in a studio being that they are rack units?

The Line-6 website doesn't seem to have a ton of info


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## WarMachine (Jan 31, 2014)

It wouldn't matter where you are man, they deliver every time. I was a little skeptical myself using it for studio work, but believe me dude, i record RELIGIOUSLY and there is absolutely ZERO difference in tone at all. L6 says the Hz is the same for each unit so the only thing i would figure to be different other than appearance and receivers would be that im pretty sure the ground versions dont have an on off switch lol, the 90 does (thats what i have).


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## ghostred7 (Jan 31, 2014)

Old wireless systems used UHF or VHF frequency bands. Those bands are constantly subject to interference. For us older folks...surely you remember the "TV channel bleed/ghosting." Same thing can happen to UHF/VHF airwaves.

The new wireless units, while still subject to interference, use 2.4GHz ISM bands and are much more resilient to interference. Also, because of the technology, more data can be transmitted between the parts. More data usually means better signal. Almost analogous to 44.1 vs. 96 when setting up/recording in DAWs.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Feb 3, 2014)

Another G50 user here. Aside from the cack peripheral cable that came stock, it's amazing and can withstand even the most harsh conditions on the road. 

Though I still like a good cable and it takes less space on my pedalboard.


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## Vzmike (Feb 4, 2014)

Blue1970Cutlass said:


> So, basically what is the difference between the G50, G55 and G90 other than the physical structure? (rack, half-rack, stomp box)


The main difference is range and features, the sound fidelity is the same on all three. I've heard the relay on the g30 isn't quite on the level of the g50/55/90, but you have to be an absolute nazi to notice that pube-hair of a change in tone, and honestly the chord emulator feature would change that in a second! 



> Would the G55 and G90 mostly be for use in a studio being that they are rack units?


Not at all. I mean it would be awkward looking to have a rack unit without an actual rack, but that doesn't mean it's any less usable live. When it comes to whether or not you want to go rack or pedal-like (lol?) it comes down to accommodation. 

Take me and the other guitarist in my band. I have my simple amp head->g50->noise suppressor setup. I just put the receiver right on top of the head, tweak it how I like and forget about it. He bought the rack unit since he actually has no amp head and puts it right in his rack (again, lol). It fits for what he has, and the same goes for me because I guarantee the only thing I'll ever really do is expand the pedal collection and use a pedalboard live, to which the g50 unit could easily fit on.


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## f2f4 (Feb 5, 2014)

I swore by cables until a started playing live regularly. I move around a lot on stage, throw my guitar around, etc. Cables just weren't cutting it anymore... I broke several of them in a very short span of time. I dropped a whopping $100 on an AKG Mini 40 WMS wireless and never looked back. I'm not going to claim it's the greatest wireless out there, but the benefits of going wireless are so totally worth it IMO.


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## Leuchty (Feb 5, 2014)

A had a G50 with a Lava Cable. Worked fantastic.

When I go back to doing live stuff I will be getting another.


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## asmegin_slayer (Feb 6, 2014)

My experience with the G30:

Pros:
-Plastic housing is pretty sturdy and seems to take a beating very well
-Signal strength is fantastic and i have yet to take advantage of its full distant capability
-Double a batteries last for a long time, lithium ion last even longer!

Now for the Cons:
-My G30 is 2-3 years old, but the clip at that time sucked BALLS! Took that crap off
-Don't leave your wireless pack with the batteries inside, in a hot bag, for a long time. The metal contact of where the battery meets the g30's spring got gunk built up and eventually would not turn on. Fortunately I managed to clean it and its been working ever since.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 6, 2014)

asmegin_slayer said:


> -Don't leave your wireless pack with the batteries inside, in a hot bag, for a long time. The metal contact of where the battery meets the g30's spring got gunk built up and eventually would not turn on. Fortunately I managed to clean it and its been working ever since.



That's pretty much the case for almost _all_ battery-powered electronics.


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## larry (Feb 6, 2014)

I've been using a shure UT1 system since 1999. only tone difference I've noticed, is the ability to control the gain of my input signal. I could drive the shit out of my preamp, if so desired. otherwise, I find it superior to using a cable. don't play in a band anymore and even though I play in my living room, I still use it. 

with the surge of digital wireless, I've been eyeing shure's glxd14 system. the transmitter chassis is roughly the same size as the UT1, much more robust and the battery/charging system is super handy.


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## WhiteWalls (Feb 6, 2014)

asmegin_slayer said:


> My experience with the G30:
> 
> Pros:
> -Plastic housing is pretty sturdy and seems to take a beating very well
> ...


Agreed, to be honest line 6 should just ship the unit with a roll of duct tape instead of the useless clip, because that's what you will end up using anyway


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## Steve_U1S (Feb 6, 2014)

Another vote for L6 Relay G50 - and I use Levy's wireless holder pouch on my strap (though I added a 'shield' of leather to the face for added protection - those Relay metal transmitters are heavy, and you don't want that knocking against your guitar's finish by accident and such)...

Incredible wireless tech - they did well bringing that into the company and expanding upon the technology.


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## Alcoholocaust (Feb 6, 2014)

The line 6 G series wireless all the way. NO tone difference between a cable, i've a/b'd it!


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## Thanatopsis (Feb 16, 2014)

I've to consider some of these Line 6 options. For home practice and rehearsals I'll be all cable but for gigs. I'd love to not step over my cable endless times. If you are even remotely mobile when you play I can't imagine a cable not getting in the way.


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## lorguitarist (Feb 23, 2014)

I have to chime in and make sure my Sennheiser gets some love. Been using their 172 G2 system for over 7 years. Never failed and zero difference in tone. If you have the extra money, I highly recommend Sennheiser. Gotta hand it to those Germans.


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## WarMachine (Feb 24, 2014)

Thanatopsis said:


> I've to consider some of these Line 6 options. For home practice and rehearsals I'll be all cable but for gigs. I'd love to not step over my cable endless times. If you are even remotely mobile when you play I can't imagine a cable not getting in the way.


Dude they are the way to go! You get wireless freedom an _*zero tone loss*_. Ive said it countless times here that im confident enough using it to record at home with. its that good man


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## SeductionS (Feb 24, 2014)

And another Line 6 G90 user here.
Got 2 transmitters just in case my rechargeable batteries die on me (the battery indicator works rather well with normal batteries, but my rechargeable batteries tend to die faster when they're near the end).

Only con I've encountered is the patch-cable quality, replaced them with some higher end shure ones and haven't had any problems at all...


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## robare99 (Feb 25, 2014)

The only reason I didn't go with the G90 is this. I have a pedal board instead of a rack. No point having a 2 space rack then going to my pedal board and then back
To the amp. 

I like that the transmitter is metal on the G50 and the receiver sits next to my pedalboard.


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## Albek (Mar 1, 2014)

I've always used cables but I'm planning to go with g50 or g55 in the next future to be free during the shows


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## exarchangel (Mar 10, 2014)

I recommend the G50 if you use a pedalboard to avoid running multiple cables back and forth from your amp to your pedalboard at the front of the stage, which is what you'd have to do with a rack unit. the G30 is good too, it's just plastic and I break alot of shit, so you might too


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## Ckackley (Mar 10, 2014)

AKG user here. Sounds great, and even lived on my pedal board for a bit before I went to a rack. Had it for a good 4 years. No problems.


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