Line 6 Relay G50

[Aaron Smith]

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RelayG50/

Anyone familiar with this particular guitar wireless system? I'm casually in the market for a good system, as I haven't used my old AKG in years, and would like to stop using a cable live at some point in the near future.

The "Cable Tone Simulator" feature sounds like an absolute joke to me, but other than that minor stupid detail, this technology was actually developed by an entirely different specialized company (X2), which Line 6 bought, so I definitely feel better knowing that, than just thinking that Line 6 tried to design a wireless system all on their own.

Any thoughts? Otherwise my main idea so far has been this one:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EW172G3-A/

 

[aortizjr]

I have the X2/Line 6 version the XDS-95 Plus. Same concept with the dual antennae.

It is the best wireless I have ever used and I have gone through a bunch of them. From Sennheiser to Shure on high priced side, AKG, Samson, on the cheap side. All sucked tone bigtime, compressed the signal so I lost dynamics, or lost my volume knob control, all sorts of badness.

For years I gave up after loosing lots of money and just dealt with a cable.

The X2 changed that. The X2 also has a "Cable Tone Simulator", but you have to solder new connections in order to activate it. Basically it just rolls of the highs a bit as if you had a 20-25 foot cable. I leave it on personally since playing with a 1ft cable sounds bad to me.

Anyway it really sounds just like a cable. I have all my dynamics, volume knob control, and no immediately noticeable tone loss. At least no more than a decent cable. Ultimate tone snobs that run golden clad directional cables might notice.

Downside with mine, eats 9-volts like a mofo. Only get about 6 hours at most. And since it is too risky at a show, I go through batteries, so I run rechargeables. The stock cable is pretty junky and went bad pretty quick, so I bought the upgraded Canare cable with Neutrik ends. The clip bends easy and is weird, read the manual on how to properly attach it.

Assuming Line6 didn't ruin it too much, it should be just as good if not better. I read somewhere that the change was more for legality reasons in EU since the band the X2 ones use are illegal in EU but fine in the US.

 

[JonWormwood]

I just got the XDS plus as well. Fuck it's badass.

 

[ttrentt]

I have the G30. Its a badass little unit. I also had an XDS Plus and sold it for the G30. The new units are better quality and have a better "feel" to them, but its basically the same thing. The G30 goes far beyond 100ft also.

 

[ttrentt]

I have the G30. Its a badass little unit. I also had an XDS Plus and sold it for the G30. The new units are better quality and have a better "feel" to them, but its basically the same thing. The G30 goes far beyond 100ft also.

I forgot to mention...the XDS units eat 9Vs. This thing uses AA which is much nicer.

 

[nwright]

I use an X2 system and love it, as does our bass player. Our vocalist uses the rackmount vocal wireless and the mic is much like an SM58, with even better (perhaps) feedback rejection.

The technology is great. I've been mulling over the idea of getting rid of the 9volt X2 in favor of the AA relays, but I can get 3-5 shows out of a battery, so I'm not complaining too much.

 

[Ola Englund]

I'm using the G30 live... works well and has never failed me...

 

[Kazrog]

Gave it a try in the store. The best wireless unit I've ever tried, and I've tried a lot. That said, I hate all wireless units and will never use one. It still sucks tone noticeably, just not as badly as the others. In a blindfold test I'm sure most of us could still tell the difference between it and a cable, with any amp or sound.

These units are only as good as the ADC and DAC in them (likely outsourced to the lowest bidder), and the only info Line 6 is forthcoming about is that it's "24 bit." (at least it's not 16, lawl.) Your sound is digital once it's transmitted wirelessly with these.

If I was FORCED to use a wireless unit, I would pick one of these - no more channel surfing or tuning in radio broadcasts through your amp.

 

[JonWormwood]

Too picky. Rock out with wireless. Get pussy. Win.

 

[nwright]

Gave it a try in the store. The best wireless unit I've ever tried, and I've tried a lot. That said, I hate all wireless units and will never use one. It still sucks tone noticeably, just not as badly as the others. In a blindfold test I'm sure most of us could still tell the difference between it and a cable, with any amp or sound.

These units are only as good as the ADC and DAC in them (likely outsourced to the lowest bidder), and the only info Line 6 is forthcoming about is that it's "24 bit." (at least it's not 16, lawl.) Your sound is digital once it's transmitted wirelessly with these.

If I was FORCED to use a wireless unit, I would pick one of these - no more channel surfing or tuning in radio broadcasts through your amp.

I would wholeheartedly disagree with this. If you heard a difference between cable and wireless, I'd wager it was the cable capacitance lending a hand in the tone.

Which one is perceived as being less "good" or "right" is subjective. Sounds like you fall to the side of the cable.

I find my wireless signal to sound better than using a cable. Not to a huge degree, but it's there. I hear more highs coming through the wireless. To some, I think you could say they would think the tone suffers because of the additional highs which could make the tone "thin" (which would be due to a cables capacitance killing the highs in the first place). But, since the cable is the "standard", by comparison the wireless has an undesirable effect. For me, it's been the opposite. I've found that the detriments in the cables are shown by using the wireless.

But meh, to each his own. IMO the advantages of a wireless on ANY stage outweighs the need to use a cable.

A lot of dudes will always say that the only people who need wirelesses are "rockstars", but as a local band dude, I've found them to be much more valuable on cramped dive venue stages than I have playing on the big stages with nationals. On a small stage with a lot less room, getting tangled up is a bitch (assuming you move on stage).

 

[JonWormwood]

Plus you can jump over the floor monitors, over a few people in the front row and join the pit.

At least our bassist does with his 100 dollar wireless unit.

 

[Kazrog]

To be fair, I do use wireless in-ear monitors, so it's one more thing to worry about. Plus, I am the singer/guitarist in my band, and if I wander too far from my mic, sometimes I forget to make it back in time to sing after a solo or an instrumental section.

Like I said, I'd recommend this wireless unit over any other I've tried, some costing much more. Go for it if you want wireless.