Members ggm1960 Posted December 22, 2007 Members Share Posted December 22, 2007 Anyone else using the AKG "bug" wireless system? I really like it as it makes changing guitars much easier than the beltpack systems and as AKG goes, the D880 mics are my favorite live mics. After having trouble at the last gig though I've just discovered that the AKG unit was causing my main problem. The output is weak and there is clipping/distortion from the unit. I just got the unit back in january to replace a Samson wireless I'd used for many years (I smoked it one night by plugging the Korg keyboards AC adapter into it by accident). The AKG unit has a 2 year warranty but of course it's difficult to get the ball rolling this time of year and I'll have to wait till wednesday before I can get an RA to send the unit in. I hope it's an isolated incident but that's the reason for this post.......anyone using these units? Any problems? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hamer_Time Posted December 23, 2007 Members Share Posted December 23, 2007 Our bass player used to use one and he had all kinds of problems. And to make it worse, the problem was a insanely loud screech that occurred at random times so there was not way to figure out what was wrong with any certainty. I would try and acquire something a little bit better. IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted December 23, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 23, 2007 Well mine had worked just fine up until recently. I hadn't really gotten that much use out it. I didn't really use it with the band I had been in but had been using it at practice and the couple gigs my new band has done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members axepilot Posted December 23, 2007 Members Share Posted December 23, 2007 I used an AKG Guitar Bug for several years with no problems at all, but it would start sounding nasty when the battery voltage was low. Have you swapped the battery? I always made sure I had a fresh battery for every gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members corbind Posted December 24, 2007 Members Share Posted December 24, 2007 I bought a Guitar Bug a couple of years ago and it had very audible "ssssss" so I got rid of it thinking all wireless systems suck. A couple years later I bought this one http://www.samedaymusic.com/product--SHUSLX14 And there is ZERO noise. Sounds as good as a guitar cable and have been very pleased with it. It's costly, but you get what you play for. Besides, after a few gigs it'll be paid off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted December 24, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 24, 2007 I used an AKG Guitar Bug for several years with no problems at all, but it would start sounding nasty when the battery voltage was low. Have you swapped the battery? I always made sure I had a fresh battery for every gig. I tried different batteries. I have an overly complex rig with the wireless output running into a Behringer DI800 direct box to split the signal between my Digitech RP2000, Tech 21 amp and Hercules FW interface (for the PC tuner app). Actually the wireless unit was the last thing I'd suspected as the problem but I took it out of the rack and isolated it from the rest of my system to confirm the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted December 24, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 24, 2007 I bought a Guitar Bug a couple of years ago and it had very audible "ssssss" so I got rid of it thinking all wireless systems suck.A couple years later I bought this onehttp://www.samedaymusic.com/product--SHUSLX14And there is ZERO noise. Sounds as good as a guitar cable and have been very pleased with it. It's costly, but you get what you play for. Besides, after a few gigs it'll be paid off. Hell, I wish I still had the old VHF Samson model I destroyed. I'd used it for 10 years and if I hadn't fried it I'd probably have used it for 10 more, however, I've never had hiss problems that were cause by wireless systems. I've had ground loop/hiss problems but have always isolated them to other parts of my system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gorgon90 Posted December 24, 2007 Members Share Posted December 24, 2007 I have the belt pack version of the AKG system. Only time I had a problem like you describe is when I'd turned up the squelch control on the back of the unit as an experiment and forgot to set it back afterwards. I then went to a gig and got exactly the symptoms you describe. If the receiver is used with a vocal mic then the squelch might be useful but as a guitar wireless it reduces your level and effective range of the wireless system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted December 24, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 24, 2007 I have the belt pack version of the AKG system. Only time I had a problem like you describe is when I'd turned up the squelch control on the back of the unit as an experiment and forgot to set it back afterwards. I then went to a gig and got exactly the symptoms you describe. If the receiver is used with a vocal mic then the squelch might be useful but as a guitar wireless it reduces your level and effective range of the wireless system. Hmmm...I never messed with that but maybe I should just to see what effect there might be. I suppose it's unlikely to be the problem but why leave a stone unturned? Since I'm planning to send the unit in anyway why not go for the remote long shot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members axepilot Posted December 25, 2007 Members Share Posted December 25, 2007 Interesting problem....................... Please post your fix if you find it. Be good to know what your fix was to file away for future reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twostone Posted December 25, 2007 Members Share Posted December 25, 2007 Well hope you know the the FCC is selling off the freq. range your wireless runs at and hopefully they'll have a solution by Feb.2009 but FWIW I've owned Telex Pro star with heavey use for over 15 years without a problem whats so ever even though it's the old belt pack transmitter it been rock solid I've drop the transmitter some many times and never broke. Only down side on the Telex unit I own that it eats batteries pretty quick after 4 hours t I lose the signal. Check eBay they usually sell pretty cheap for the Pro Star series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted December 25, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 25, 2007 Interesting problem.......................Please post your fix if you find it. Be good to know what your fix was to file away for future reference. As it stands now I'll (hopefully) be sending the unit in for warranty repair when I can get ahold of them wednesday. I'll get along just fine without it while it's gone. Now that I'm the band "leader" and do most the singing I can't leave the stage and wander like I used to and the wireless unit really only helps to reduce my stage clutter. It's also the reason why there's little point in investing in a new or second one at this time. I tried to fix the Samson unit I had after I fried it but the unit was so old I could no longer get the schematic from the company. I'd identified one IC that was shorted and we'd replaced it but it did not fix the unit. I don't have the time or inclination anymore to reverse engineer these low priced circuits.Once I'd replaced the antenna with an off the shelf Radio Shack one after the receiver had blown off the amp at an outdoor fair gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted December 26, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 26, 2007 Interesting problem.......................Please post your fix if you find it. Be good to know what your fix was to file away for future reference. Ok a good laugh, the guy at AKG returned my e-mail today: "Hello Mr. Greg, Now just a quick question, is this the whole unit that is not working or just the bug?" Now, I only have one transmitter and one receiver so exactly how would I identify which is causing the problem??!! So.....I wrote him back: "Well as I only have the single system I don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted December 26, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 26, 2007 Well hope you know the the FCC is selling off the freq. range your wireless runs at and hopefully they'll have a solution by Feb.2009 I'm not gonna concern myself with that. If necessary we'll spank that donkey when it strolls by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members coyote-1 Posted December 26, 2007 Members Share Posted December 26, 2007 Did you say wireless problems?? [YOUTUBE]I8JiQCIzCZA[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted December 26, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 26, 2007 Did you say wireless problems?? Gotta admire Nigel's ability to handle the situation properly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kurtisqpublic Posted December 26, 2007 Members Share Posted December 26, 2007 Our rhythm player has a bug that squeals uncontrollably if he plugs it into his acoustic. Doesn't matter what EQ settings are used, effects or no effects, just a super high pitched squeal... Works well with his electric tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guitar Centaur Posted December 26, 2007 Members Share Posted December 26, 2007 The output is weak and there is clipping/distortion from the unit. Had the exact same thing happen with my Shure wireless system halfway through Saturday's gig, even though I religiously change batteries before each gig, whether they need it or not. I'm done with wireless systems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted December 27, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 27, 2007 Our rhythm player has a bug that squeals uncontrollably if he plugs it into his acoustic. Doesn't matter what EQ settings are used, effects or no effects, just a super high pitched squeal... Works well with his electric tho Hmmm....I've never tried that. I wonder if it's due to the high impedance of piezo transducers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Facejackets Posted December 27, 2007 Members Share Posted December 27, 2007 Try an X2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted December 28, 2007 Author Members Share Posted December 28, 2007 The AKG guys really seem to be on the ball as far as supporting the product. He replied to my e-mails quickly, in real time actually. I got the SA and sent the unit in on wednesday.On thursday he was catching up on his phone messages and I got a phone call from him ready to give me an SA. I said I sent it in yesterday via the e-mail correspondence. He didn't realize I was the same guy but that's fine 'cause it shows they're serious about getting things done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted January 11, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 11, 2008 I'm happy to report that the wireless unit returned today. They of course never notified me about it (no place ever does). It came back in the same box I'd sent it in with, even the same newspaper packing material. I recognized the box but it took a moment to register what it was. Anyway, they replaced the receiver. Yep, the receiver was brand new in an unopened box. It's under warranty so there was no charge (I, of course, paid to ship it in). I'm pretty certain the guitar "bug" itself was the same one. The unit works like a new one so I've just re-installed it back in my rack and I'll be using it at tomorrows gig. AKG is A OK with me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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