Using 2 Wireless Guitar Systems in Close Proximity

[Dudlow]

Using 2 Wireless Guitar Systems in Close Proximity

I use two unblended pickups on my bottleneck Dobros. Their two output jack boxes (where the wireless transmitters would go) are only 3 inches apart. Due to their close proximity to each other I understand they would electronically interfere with each other at their outputs if both had wireless transmitters inserted, even though they should connect to different bandwidth channels at the amplifier input end.

Using one regular guitar cable and one wireless transmitter would avoid interference problems, but using two separate wireless systems would be preferable, with no guitar cables to stumble over.

That said, if one system operated at 2.4 GHz and the other at 5.8 GHz, would there still be an electrical interference problem due to their close 3" proximity?

Instead of two separate output transmitters feeding into one receiver (and one channel) at the amplifier I want each transmitter sent to separate channels on my amplifier because each channel has its own low/mid/high/volume and effects for maximum tone control. I don’t want the two signals blended at either the pickup output or the amp input.

So my technical question is: If one wireless system operated at 2.4 GHz and the other at 5.8 GHz, would there still be an electrical interference problem due to their close proximity? Thanks.

 

[Blix]

Don't think it will be a problem at all. Billy Sheehan has been running two wireless transmitters on his strap for his dual-output basses for decades without issues.

 

[gearJunkie]

The only issue I foresee is a potential phase issue if both are used at the same time due to slightly different latencies.

If you are not blending the outputs, there will not be any phase issues.

 

[aflynt]

The biggest issue I could foresee (other than latency mentioned before) would be the two transmitter antenna interfering with each other. You could probably just have one transmitter on each side of your belt or if you have to mount both of them to your strap try to keep some distance between them. I don't think having two different frequency ranges would help all that much with that particular issue, though it would probably give you more frequencies to choose from in a crowded RF space. Two higher end systems of the same make / model with a large usable simultaneous channel count would probably be better since you would likely have the same latency and avoid phasing while still having a better chance of finding clear channels.

-Aaron

 

[Dudlow]

The biggest issue I could foresee (other than latency mentioned before) would be the two transmitter antenna interfering with each other. You could probably just have one transmitter on each side of your belt or if you have to mount both of them to your strap try to keep some distance between them. I don't think having two different frequency ranges would help all that much with that particular issue, though it would probably give you more frequencies to choose from in a crowded RF space. Two higher end systems of the same make / model with a large usable simultaneous channel count would probably be better since you would likely have the same latency and avoid phasing while still having a better chance of finding clear channels.

-Aaron

Thanks for your reply. The Fender Telepath system I have been using only has 1/4" phone jack transmitter and receiver inserts with no other units or boxes to put on a belt. It functions strictly as a jack-to-jack unit, which I prefer because there are no other parts to clutter things up. Because I was warned by Fender that the close proximity of two of their side-by-side 5.8GHz transmitter jacks would be problematic, I wondered if two different bandwidth systems at 2.4GHz. and 5.8 GHz might work.

 

[ucnick]

Shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Dudlow]

Thanks for everyone's input. I just received a second response from Fender, suggesting that the close proximity problem of the two transmitters would be greatly reduced, if not eliminated, by using two different bandwidth systems. So I've opted to try a 2.4 GHz transmitter on the magnetic pickup and Fender's 5.8 GHz transmitter on the condenser microphone. Fingers crossed!