Active Band Man Chats - Wireless Edition

Alright, today’s theme is wireless!

Wireless… wireless… less…?

Not the headless you like, Horry.

I know (laughs). When we first started the band, wireless gear was something I really admired.

That’s right! It was like a dream because it was gear that you could only see in magazines or catalogs!

Back when I was in high school, it was EX-PRO, Lexar, or maybe MAXON… I think?

Yeah, in terms of brands.

Those were pretty pricey for a high schooler.

Seriously.

But even so, when I was in high school, MAXON came out with a more affordable wireless system. I looked it up just now… it’s probably the SR-22 model. I also remember an SR-2 model, but it’s probably the SR-22.

I don’t know that one.

Oh, really? Maybe it was only produced for a short time?

I don’t know. I probably just ignored it, thinking that gear was way out of my reach.

Ignored it (laughs). I think it was around 30,000 yen… Still, that was a big expense for a high schooler. Since we weren’t allowed to get part-time jobs, we had to manage with our allowances.

If it’s that much, you could probably manage by carrying over your New Year’s money for a year…

Carry over (laughs). I’m digressing a bit, but nowadays high schoolers are using Fender USA or Gibson guitars. Honestly, I’m just plain jealous.

I wonder how many years of allowance that would take to carry over?

(ignoring) Back then, it was gear you only saw in catalogs… Local music stores didn’t even carry USA models.

When I was in high school, I used to look at Fender Japan catalogs. For Gibson-type guitars, it was Orville or Burny.

Exactly. I used to collect catalogs too (laughs). Getting back on topic, I used that MAXON wireless when I was in high school.

That’s pretty sophisticated for a high schooler!

Of course, I’m sure the sound got a bit thin, but back then, I had no idea… I used it even though I wasn’t moving around much (laughs).

Ah, that’s so prideful—you just want to use it, right?

Nobody around me was using it either, so I ended up lending it out quite a bit. “Hey, that guy’s got a wireless system” (laughs).

That’s totally relatable.

When I went to university and started playing at live houses in Osaka, I switched to a Lexar wireless. It was just under 100,000 yen, I think? By then, I could actually work part-time jobs (laughs).

So Bold! You went pro?!

I used that wireless up until around the time I was using a rack, which I mentioned in the previous column. I had the wireless, a BBE Sonic Maximizer, and a half-rack tuner all in a 3U rack. BBE / 882i Sonic Maximizer

Half-rack! Yeah, once you get that far, you just want a rack-mounted tuner too.

Back then, there weren’t tuners with mute functions like today. I did have a car at the time, so it was doable. Now, there’s no chance. I haven’t had a car since moving to Tokyo (laughs), so I stopped using it.

Ah, right. Gear choices really depend on your transportation.

Exactly. Since then, I’ve been wired all the way.

Not that you move around much anyway (laughs).

Exactly! (laughs) I stay in one spot.

I went through pretty much the same period and was always seeing wireless gear out of the corner of my eye but just ignoring it.

But you do use wireless microphones, right?

Yeah! I got a wireless microphone before I got a guitar wireless.

Naturally. You are a singer, after all.

As for a guitar wireless, I figured I’d wait until the day I could run down a long runway at the Rock’n’Roll Olympics while playing a solo.

How nostalgic! That was a festival from the dawn of Japanese rock festivals. Oh right, that one was held in Tohoku.

Exactly. By the way, the first guitar wireless I ever used was the LINE6 G30. Line 6 / Relay G30 Guitar Wireless

LINE6 really covers a lot of ground.

Yeah! But at the first rehearsal, I moved a bit and the battery case popped open with AA batteries flying out of it…

That’s rough…

After that, I taped the battery case down with gaffer tape.

Of course you did.

The G30 itself only had a tiny bracket to hook onto a belt or strap…

Oh?

When I Googled it, I found lots of people had the same problem, and I discovered a vendor making dedicated leather cases (easy to attach to a strap) for those in need and I bought it immediately!

Oh, so it improved?

Yep! But during The Captains’ live shows, I used it for a while, and considering my range of movement as the lead vocal guitarist, I realized a coiled cable was more than enough.

Stationary (laughs).

In the early days of The Showers, I also used a coiled cable. Nowadays, I use Xvive’s guitar wireless. Horry, you use it too, right? It’s so convenient.

Yeah. It feels like affordable wireless systems have started becoming more common around when LINE6 released their entry-level wireless. I was interested and considered buying something like a LINE6. But now I mostly stick to the back of the stage, so I don’t really need it (laughs).

Exactly…

Nowadays, I use the Xvive XV-U2 myself. Being able to buy it for 10,000 yen was so amazing, considering it was back then. Xvive / XV-U2/BK Guitar Wireless System

Back then… it was two or three hundred thousand yen, right…

For high-end models, maybe that much… But at first, I was a bit skeptical. I thought, “Cheap means bad, right?”

Ah, yeah. Especially if you remember those days.

But quite a few bands we played with were using them, and watching them, it didn’t seem to be a problem at all… so I ended up buying one too. Sure, sometimes you can notice a slight drop in the highs, but honestly, I just factor that into my tone… so far, no issues.

Me too?

For people who really craft their sound meticulously, I wouldn’t exactly recommend it. But for anyone who can accept that trade-off, it’s great. Especially since it’s only around 10,000 yen… trying it out may not be such a bad idea.

Yeah! Since it’s rechargeable, I worried about it suddenly dying or forgetting to charge it, but so far, it’s been great.

(Kizuhiko might mess up someday…) Yeah, there’s always that worry, but I charge it at home before rehearsal, and then charge it once more between rehearsal and the show, so no problems.

Impressive. Well prepared.

I do worry about battery deterioration in the future… but it’s only around 10,000 yen, so… (laughs).

Right. Replacing it isn’t such a big hurdle.

I’m not using it to move around on stage—it’s mainly to free myself from the hassle of a cable. Sometimes the space I occupy on stage is pretty tight, and even if I don’t move much, cables can get in the way… things get cluttered at my feet. That’s my main reason to reduce one worry on stage.

That… really sounds like you, Horry (laughs).

Speaking of which, with this Xvive and other recent affordable wireless systems, the transmitter isn’t the type that attaches to a strap and then plugs into the jack via a cable—it plugs directly into the jack.

True! That type has definitely become more common.

It’s convenient, but I worry that it might come loose during a live show, so I fix it in place each time with masking tape.

Oh, that’s thorough!

Masking tape is quick and easy to use. So lately, I always carry wireless gear and masking tape together.

Ah, that’s why my birthday present was masking tape too—thank you!

You’re welcome.

And that wraps up the wireless episode! Older gear may have more sound degradation, but these days it’s affordable and the quality is solid, so it’s worth giving it a try. So, everything is?

For each other’s love!