Performing Wireless

[thehappypm]

I went wireless after seeing a video of myself playing at an open mic. I was so concerned about moving my head away from the mic that I stood there like a statue. I was planning to play at a senior's home and DID NOT want to stand there like a statue, as I would be performing some very lively tunes. I rented some gear - cost me $50 for a week (in Canada, from Long & McQuade) I wanted to be comfortable playing with it. I rented a high end Shure wireless headset and high end xViv transmitter/receiver for my ukulele, both going into my mixer, then the speaker. It was very very liberating. I got to dance and sway with the music. I have since picked up my own inexpensive wireless gear (check out Scott Uhl on Youtube first, he is wireless obsessed and a great source of technical knowledge). If anyone in the US can offer where you can rent gear, it is an inexpensive option if you only need it occasionally and especially if you are playing for pay. FYI I did bring my mic and stand and all my cables in case there was any interference at the home causing the wireless gear to fail. Always a good idea.

 

[baconsalad]

I got the LEKATO uhf wireless set from Amazon canada for under 100 cana pesos. It works really well

 

[KohanMike]

Good on ya. I've gone wireless for a good while now with my bass ukes using a Lekato 5.8GHz instrument pod system, and amps; Phil Jones Double Four has a laptop battery, or my Carvin MB15 amp with a Powkey powerbank. For my uke group of a bout 40, I have 6 Shure gooseneck condenser mics spread around with XVive 2.4 GHz phantom power wireless mic pods going to receivers in a battery Zoom L-8 mixer/recorder, and a Lekato dynamic 5.8GHz wireless instrument pods going to the amp.

Our leader uses the Lekato 5.8GHz instrument pods for her uke, and a wireless headset mic with a little pod receiver going to her Fishman Artist amp. For our next in person gathering, she asked about using her iPhone drum app to her amp, so I'm setting her up with a Bluetooth receiver for the aux in on her amp, and an AirTurn Bluetooth foot pedal.

 

[thehappypm]

Good on ya. I've gone wireless for a good while now with my bass ukes using a Lekato 5.8GHz instrument pod system, and amps; Phil Jones Double Four has a laptop battery, or my Carvin MB15 amp with a Powkey powerbank. For my uke group of a bout 40, I have 6 Shure gooseneck condenser mics spread around with XVive 2.4 GHz phantom power wireless mic pods going to receivers in a battery Zoom L-8 mixer/recorder, and a Lekato dynamic 5.8GHz wireless instrument pods going to the amp.

Our leader uses the Lekato 5.8GHz instrument pods for her uke, and a wireless headset mic with a little pod receiver going to her Fishman Artist amp. For our next in person gathering, she asked about using her iPhone drum app to her amp, so I'm setting her up with a Bluetooth receiver for the aux in on her amp, and an AirTurn Bluetooth foot pedal.

Great info on how to wire up a large group for sound! 👏👏👏

 

[RafterGirl]

I will have a chance to try out an XVive wireless at a gig today. My ukes all have MiSi active pick-ups. Will this be a problem with the XVive system. I saw on Amazon that they aren't compatible with active pick-ups, and you need the strap holder and patch cord???

Also, I use a tuner pedal as my "mute" switch at church while plugged into the PA sound system. If I can't plug the XVive directly into my MiSi pick-up, would it work to plug the XVive into the output of the tuner pedal and then plug my uke into the input on the pedal?

 

[thehappypm]

I will have a chance to try out an XVive wireless at a gig today. My ukes all have MiSi active pick-ups. Will this be a problem with the XVive system. I saw on Amazon that they aren't compatible with active pick-ups, and you need the strap holder and patch cord???

Also, I use a tuner pedal as my "mute" switch at church while plugged into the PA sound system. If I can't plug the XVive directly into my MiSi pick-up, would it work to plug the XVive into the output of the tuner pedal and then plug my uke into the input on the pedal?

I can only speak to my setup that worked very well for me:

• stick on piezo disc pickup just below the bridge, with a trailing female plug
• XViv transmitter plugged into female plug
• XViv receiver plugged into an active DI box which is plugged into a mixer

Your thought to plug the XViv transmitter into the output of the tuner pedal might work - a creative thought 👏

 

[RafterGirl]

I can only speak to my setup that worked very well for me:

• stick on piezo disc pickup just below the bridge, with a trailing female plug
• XViv transmitter plugged into female plug
• XViv receiver plugged into an active DI box which is plugged into a mixer

Your thought to plug the XViv transmitter into the output of the tuner pedal might work - a creative thought 👏

The Misi pick-ups I have in my ukes are active, so no DI box needed. I think maybe the newer model XVive transmitters are good for active or passive pick-ups, just not positive. Maybe I'll bring along my tuner pedal & some cables to the gig today.....just in case. I'd like to experiment with the set-up a little bit.

 

[thehappypm]

The Misi pick-ups I have in my ukes are active, so no DI box needed. I think maybe the newer model XVive transmitters are good for active or passive pick-ups, just not positive. Maybe I'll bring along my tuner pedal & some cables to the gig today.....just in case. I'd like to experiment with the set-up a little bit.

Hope it all works out for you. 🤞 Let us know what you learn.

 

[RafterGirl]

Our group did a gig at a senior living center today. The wireless system was a Lekato WS-90, 5.8GHz, not an XVivie. Worked great with my uke (Misi active pick-up) and the other soloist's battery operated active pick-up. Our group leader is going to get another one, so that we can have multiple soloists without having to switch back and forth. Switching was no problem though. We sat next to each other, and handed it back and forth as needed. Just have to remember to switch it off before unplugging, and switch on to play. The Lekato WS-90 has 4 channels, so we can have several folks plugged in. A lot less expensive than the XVive system, so we'll see how it holds up to group use.

 

[VintageGibson]

I will have a chance to try out an XVive wireless at a gig today. My ukes all have MiSi active pick-ups. Will this be a problem with the XVive system. I saw on Amazon that they aren't compatible with active pick-ups, and you need the strap holder and patch cord???

Also, I use a tuner pedal as my "mute" switch at church while plugged into the PA sound system. If I can't plug the XVive directly into my MiSi pick-up, would it work to plug the XVive into the output of the tuner pedal and then plug my uke into the input on the pedal?

I have Xvive and Lekato systems, both used on acoustic guitars, banjos, ukes and mandolins.
I have had the Xvive for about 6 years and when I bought it there was a warning about possible incompatibility with active pre-amp systems.
On passive pick-ups like K&K discs, no problem. On some active systems there is a faint high pitched whine from the amp or PA. When I say faint, usually I hear it because I am aware that it can occur, but often my colleagues only hear it when I point it out, generally it is faint enough to be lost in the mix. I don't know why, but some active systems seem to be immune from this issue, maybe in these the frequency is so high that only dogs will hear it!
Generally I will use an effects pedal connected by cable to the amp, with the wireless link from the instrument to the pedal.
Hope this helps
Vintage

 

[ampeep]

For years, I'd been using a 20 foot long instrument cable. Had to tape it down or use some sort of cover to keep people from tripping over it. Always felt limited by this constraint.

Last year, I picked up an inexpensive wireless system, which works great! I can wander all around - am no longer stuck in one spot. Can even check sound levels from the audience's viewpoint. One of the best things I have bought in the last 20 years.

 

[thehappypm]

Our group did a gig at a senior living center today. The wireless system was a Lekato WS-90, 5.8GHz, not an XVivie. Worked great with my uke (Misi active pick-up) and the other soloist's battery operated active pick-up. Our group leader is going to get another one, so that we can have multiple soloists without having to switch back and forth. Switching was no problem though. We sat next to each other, and handed it back and forth as needed. Just have to remember to switch it off before unplugging, and switch on to play. The Lekato WS-90 has 4 channels, so we can have several folks plugged in. A lot less expensive than the XVive system, so we'll see how it holds up to group use.

Good to know it worked out! Thanks for the update.

 

[RafterGirl]

Generally I will use an effects pedal connected by cable to the amp, with the wireless link from the instrument to the pedal.
Hope this helps
Vintage

Thanks Vintage. That sounds like the way I'd use it at church. Tuner pedal out to the church PA sound system, wireless plugged into my uke and the input on the tuner pedal/mute. That would eliminate one cable that I manage to trip on from time to time.

 

[RafterGirl]

Wireless update......lessons learned.
My group has another performance coming up. Myself and one other person are doing solos during some songs. Last week at practice, I used my wireless set between my mute pedal and my amp. I used a cable from my uke into the pedal. Worked great. Tap/unmute the pedal to do the mid-song solo, other wise stay muted. Worked so well that I bought a second set. Now I have one set from uke to mute pedal input, and second set from pedal output to amp. Eliminated the cable entirely. What I learned the hard way is that each set needs to be on a different channel for this set-up to work. I also learned that you can't have two ukes turned on to the same channel into the wireless receiver at the same time. My group has a third set of the Lekato WS-90, so both of us doing solos can still be on one channel into the pedal receiver, we just need to remember to switch off our transmitters when we aren't the one doing the solo.
I'll see how this set-up works at this week's practice session and report back.

 

[RafterGirl]

Post performance wireless update....... two thumbs up!
My group performed Tuesday night. Community clubhouse with an enthusiastic audience of about 50 people. We have a small sound board, multiple mics, and speakers. Myself and one other person had mid-song solos. I used one wireless set between my uke and my mute pedal, and a second wireless transmitter from my pedal to the wireless receiver on the sound board. The other person used a wireless transmitter from her uke to the wireless sound board receiver. My uke to pedal wireless set was set to one channel. My pedal to wireless sound board receiver and the other person's uke to wireless sound board receiver were all on the same channel. I would unmute using my pedal when I needed to solo, then mute again. The other person would turn her wireless transmitter on her uke on & off as needed. My solos were early in the set, hers were latter in the set. When my solos were finished, I turned my pedal to sound board transmitter off entirely to free up that channel for the other person. This set-up worked perfectly. It was very helpful to have the wireless system, because our group was packed into a corner of the clubhouse with limited space. The wireless eliminated additional cables in an already cramped space.