idea for dirt cheap wireless monitoring

> > > idea for dirt cheap wireless monitoring

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www.dorian-music.co.uk
Member Since: Apr 04, 2008

hello,

just thought I would share this idea as I think it is (add octave pitch shift and vibrato) - AWESOME!

Our drummer started to HATE having the responsbility of keeping in time with the click track and counting out every single beat on the high hat for the rest of the band when he wasnt playing so said we either get rid of the click completely, or we all get it.

I like to play along with backing tracks as I feel it adds a lot more to the music, so I thought I would look at a way of wireless in ear monitoring and soon realised that we are talking upwards of £500 for a system to do the whole band. Then it suddenly came to me - why not use an iTrip/FM transmitter!? with each one of us having a portable radio on our belt!

At first I was rather sceptical, but on trying it I think its the best thing in the world. I got a Belkin Tunecast 6 off amazon for £15, and 3 portable wireless radios for £15 each, giving a total of £60 - totally worth it compared to the £500 professional ones. Though I guess I am not including headphones in that cost, but we all had them already anyway for personal use.

I tested out the distance and without any walls, this thing will transmit our backing track and click track at least 8-9 meters without interference - which is ample for the gigs that we do, and the best thing about it is that there is no latency at all (compared to other digital means such as bluetooth).

Most FM transmitters should do a similar job to the one I mentioned, but with that particular model (i got that one as it was the newest) it was hardwired to a cigarette lighter socket for use in the car, so I had to take it off and wire it onto a 12v adaptor (no biggy though).

We have yet to use it in a gig situation but have tested it in various rehearsal rooms and it has totally been fine.

We have a mixer which we use for the drummer to get his click track (headphones plugged straight in as he isnt going anywhere!) and we have the transmitter plugged into one of the monitor mixes out - he gets just the backing and click, where the other monitor mix includes a signal from my guitar just so I can hear it in my headphones.

Job done! Its so nice to hear everything you need to on stage for a change, and so nice to actually have silence in songs from the drum kit when there is supposed to be and not a constant tssh, tssh, tssh from the hi hat! And for that price, its probably the best thing we have ever bought for the band!

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Typo Szar
Member
Since: Jul 04, 2002

Jul 28, 2011 12:20 pm

cool idea, probably will have to wait to see it in actual action but if it works ur a genius

Id only worry about interference from other radio signals in the area, interfering with ur own amps n such and losing the signal if u move around a ton. Also, durability. But if it checks off on all those u might have saved alot of ppl, alot of money.

Czar of Turd Polish
Member
Since: Jun 20, 2006

Jul 29, 2011 01:58 pm

For gigging I could see this working, I tried a similar solution for tracking and it turned to crap real fast. I think summing 8 channels vs. just a stereo mix was the culprit.

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002

Jul 29, 2011 02:06 pm

I smell a spinal tap moment coming





go to the last 1/4 of the video or so...

why do you need a click track for gigging? Seems kind of mechanical for a live show, unless you have some unreal choreography with electronic devices, pyrotechnics or something...gigs are supposed to be "felt"...or, well, that's how I am always...ummmm...felt.

www.dorian-music.co.uk
Member
Since: Apr 04, 2008

Aug 01, 2011 04:44 am

hopefully we wont get a spinal tap moment such as that, but using it in the rehearsal room (VERY small room with lots of amps and a crap PA) hasnt caused any bother with interference or whatever. I would be more concerned about a neighbouring venue picking up our click track over the radio station they have on! But I doubt the signal would stretch.

Also the fm transmitter has a function that looks for the best signal to use at a venue, that doesnt have many radio stations around it which will be handy. I figure if we ever play an open air show in a large city, we probably have the money by then to afford a proper system!

We use a click track because I have a lot of random sounds and backing tracks (synths, harmonies with effects etc) that I think add a lot to the show. I dont see the point in adding another band member to do this as they would get very bored! and plus it means having yet another person's time to organise for practices (its hard enough with 4!) It would also be a lot of bother to make individual samples for every noise or whatever and line it up correctly so that the drummer could trigger it or something. Most bands around my area are just guitars, maybe a keyboard if they are lucky, so I feel it adds a little extra that might make us stand out a little more. Plus an added bonus is that it keeps us really tight!

I got the impression that quite a few modern, professional bands use them these days? Muse for example

Typo Szar
Member
Since: Jul 04, 2002

Aug 01, 2011 07:39 am

im under the impression that all bands to some extent have click guides, at the very least for special taped performances. Like i said, if ur system works then ur gonna be the envy of many a person who dropped the 500 or so dollars it took for a dedicated set up, keep us updated

> > > idea for dirt cheap wireless monitoring

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