There two main types of guitars available in the market; acoustic guitars and electric guitars. Acoustic guitars are the first type to be made. These guitars have a hollow body that is used for sound amplification. Electric guitars on the other hand have guitar pickups which transform vibrations from the cords into electric signals. These signals are then fed into a guitar amplifier for amplification.
For a long time, electric power cables have been used to transfer electric signals from the guitar pickup to an amplifier. Though power cords have been excellent in transmitting signal from a guitar to an amplifier, they have been faced with several limitations.
The cables used to connect the electric guitar to the amplifier systems limit an individual’s mobility. A guitarist is therefore limited to the length of the cable they use. Using very long power cables for signal transmission has also been known to interfere with the quality of the signal. As the signal travels through a longer distance, it tends to be weak. There is also the risk of accidentally pulling out cables from instruments by guitarist as they move around.
Wireless guitar systems were created to address such major challenges experienced when using cables for signal transmission. While these wireless guitar systems have freed guitarists from the bonds of using cords, they have on the other hand created an array of headaches for the sound crew.
Getting a wireless guitar system to behave predictably is challenging to both professionals and the novice alike. There is no wireless guitar system that is immune to interferences. The main secret of dealing with such interferences is knowing what causes them and ways in which an individual can avoid them.
One of the main causes of signal interference in a wireless guitar system is signal blockage. This is mainly caused by physical objects such as people and structures. A guitarist must therefore maintain a clear line-of-sight between a transmitter and the receiver. Metal objects, large number of people and even structures should be avoided as they contribute to signal blockage.
When an individual cups their hands around an external antennae of a hand-held transmitter, the effective output signal is reduced by at least fifty percent. Coiling or folding wires on a bodypack transmitter also interferes with signal transmission.
Another major cause of interference on wireless systems is incorrect positioning of the receiver antennae. Choosing the wrong receiver, placing it in unsuitable place or wrong cabling can result to signal loss or frequent signal dropouts.
Modern receivers with duo antennae perform better than single antennae receivers. To ensure that there is no signal dropout during a performance, the two antennae should be put apart by at least five inches. The best positioning of receiver antennae is in a V-configuration. This position provides a better signal pick-up by the two receiver antennae.
Signal dropout in a wireless guitar system can also be caused by poor battery management. Most of the wireless system device manufactures specify certain types of batteries for use in their devices. Alkaline and lithium based batteries are commonly used as they have a stable output voltage throughout their life.