Play Uke to Bluetooth Speaker
- Thread starter cmkuke
- Start date
unless your uke has bluetooth audio built-in to it's pickup (and you actually have a pickup), you are going to need at the very least an iOS or Android device and the right apps
as such also there will be a delay in the sound called LATENCY and BlueTooth is not exactly a hi-fi connection, so you might want to set your expectations accordingly
what equipment do you have already? does your uke have a pickup and preamp installed? that is the first hurdle.
once that is satisfied you can think of how to get the BlueTooth to the speaker. If you want to build it yourself you can get a BT Audio circuit and such from either adafruit.com or sparkfun.com, otherwise you will need to take the output of your uke's pickup and go into your iOS or Android device and for that you need some kind of interface, like the Apogee JAM or Line6 VX-Port (either is ~$100), and then an app that will allow you to transmit the audio from said interface to the bluetooth speaker...
seems like a long way around when you can get a UHF wireless guitar bug transmitter and receiver pair for $100-$150 or less from Samson, Nady or Gemini, and bypass the use of an iOS or Android device, and also be able to use any normal acoustic amp.
Such purpose-built wireless systems will not have latency and are designed to transmit audio with a higher fidelity than bluetooth.
I have not tried this...
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/musical-i...dium-bluetooth-adapter-for-guitar-amp/888123/
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/musical-i...dium-bluetooth-adapter-for-guitar-amp/888123/
UkeStuff
Well-known member
Looking at the video, that JB Hifi is meant to plug into the Amp so you can send bluetooth audio from your phone to an amp, and then there is an adapter on the plug to still let you plug in a 1/4" instrument cable.
My guess is that there would be too much latency to go from instrument to adapter to bluetooth speaker.
I am curious about Booli's statement about having Bluetooth built into a uke. Is there such a beast? I know you can buy a Bugsgear with a Bluetooth speaker, but that speaker is to play other audio through the instrument.
My guess is that there would be too much latency to go from instrument to adapter to bluetooth speaker.
I am curious about Booli's statement about having Bluetooth built into a uke. Is there such a beast? I know you can buy a Bugsgear with a Bluetooth speaker, but that speaker is to play other audio through the instrument.
UkeStuff
Well-known member
Okay. Just heard back from the specialist (truly, this guy is the world's foremost expert on guitars and bluetooth technology--he works in the industry, and I know him thanks to my hobby at techinmusiced.com).
From the expert:
There aren't any Bluetooth audio transmitters I know of that connect to a 1/4" phone jack and transmit audio for the reason you detail - the Bluetooth audio spec requires a ton of samples in its' buffer (somewhere around 50ms +/- worth I believe) and the play experience would be pretty terrible.
There is this from Joyo JOYO JW-01 Rechargeable 2.4Ghz Audio Wireless Digital Guitar Transmitter Receiver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VDDAK6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_QeizybZTJ3RCJ
I found the JOYO doing a simple web search too, and was pretty sure this was the case with Bluetooth audio--nice to be right.
Any way you can rig the JOYO to work for you?
From the expert:
There aren't any Bluetooth audio transmitters I know of that connect to a 1/4" phone jack and transmit audio for the reason you detail - the Bluetooth audio spec requires a ton of samples in its' buffer (somewhere around 50ms +/- worth I believe) and the play experience would be pretty terrible.
There is this from Joyo JOYO JW-01 Rechargeable 2.4Ghz Audio Wireless Digital Guitar Transmitter Receiver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VDDAK6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_QeizybZTJ3RCJ
I found the JOYO doing a simple web search too, and was pretty sure this was the case with Bluetooth audio--nice to be right.
Any way you can rig the JOYO to work for you?
Good on you for following up and finding a solution.
The 'buffering' of 50ms is what I was talking about regarding 'latency'.
The second problem is the RF intereference you will likely have from any Police/Fire radios, Wi-Fi, home cordless phones and microwave ovens that operate in the 2.4gHz frequency range...
For a little more money ($69) you can get a single-channel UHF guitar wireless TX/RX kit that has a similar form factor:
https://www.amazon.com/Nady-DKW-8U-Instrument-setup-Electric-instruments/dp/B01C4PDTBA/
for $89, a 16-channel system:
https://www.amazon.com/Nady-WS-16U-channel-wireless-guitar/dp/B01M1VA8QD/
and for $120, a 100-channel system:
https://www.amazon.com/Nady-U-1100-GT-100-Channel-Instrument/dp/B013AVGMXY/
Having the ability to switch channels lets you deal with RF interference, as well as have multiple units in use at the same time with different players using them, each on a discrete channel.
Also, since these UHF systems typically do not have the buffering/latency issues of BlueTooth audio (which requires an analog to digital conversion in the transmitter or ADC, and then an opposite digital to analog converter in the receiver or DAC), and are designed for live performance to act and sound like a cabled-connection, you are going to have better sound fidelity as well.
These prices for the Nady units are the starting of the range for these devices and if money was no object it is possible to spend $$$$$$ for something fancier or with more features, and maybe NOT made in an Asian factory by slaves.
It I needed wireless for myself, I'd try to save up enough for either a Sennheiser, Shure or Electro-Voice system and just skip all the cheaper options.
