Trouble with my S1 Pro?

Portable PA
1

When this happened for the second time, I figured I need to troubleshoot and that means coming to our forum to seek advice.

 

My last two gigs (outdoor) ran into trouble -- after an hour of trouble-free playing, I began to get scratchy audio that faded in and out intermittently. I think it's from Ch.2 on my S1 Pro.

 

Has anyone else experienced this?

 

Here's my setup:

SM58/Beta58A -> Xvive transmitter -> Xvive receiver -> Ch.1 (S1)

Guitar (Takamine 12 string/Godin A6 Ultra) -> 1/4" cable to BeatBuddy Mini (drum pedal) -> Xvive transmitter -> Xvive receiver -> Ch.2 (S1) (Note: BeatBuddy uses power from a Jackery 240 battery)

 

Both times that I used this setup the first hour went off without a hitch. 

 

After that, the intermittent problem began.

 

The S1 has a full battery (I keep it plugged in to power when not used for a gig). Checked that when I got back (four flashes on the power switch LED).

 

The Xvive's are full charged before setting out for a gig. However, I have no way of testing the battery levels before/during/after a gig (the LED on them shows when they are charging/fully charged). One of them (the one on Ch.2) is brand-new. Used twice.

 

The BeatBuddy Mini draws very little power from the Jackery - when I got back today, the Jackery was at 96% of capacity.

 

The first time this happened, I came home and changed the battery on my Takamine. Today when it happened again, I was using my Godin A6. When I got home I checked the (9v) battery and it was still good.

 

I really don't want this to happen during another gig so I think I will use cables (XLR and 1/4") for my mic/guitar the next time around.

 

What I'm looking for is suggestions/ideas from other S1 users (a) if they have ever experienced this, and/or (b) any ideas on how to troubleshoot this to figure out what's causing the problem.

 

Right now I'm out of ideas (besides eliminating the Xvives - which have served me well so far) ...

 

Over to you guys.

 

Thanks in advance.

2

Hi oldmachead!

Am I right in saying that the system performs as expected when you are not using the Xvive wireless system? If so, what distance do you typically have between the receiver and transmitter? I wonder whether this could be a wireless interference issue.

3

Thanks  

 

The distance between transmitters/receivers was around 5' ... no more than 6'. Direct line of sight. Both receivers were plugged into the S1 which was a couple of feet away from me on a stick at a 5' height. The guitar transmitter (off my BeatBuddy Mini) was on the floor below my mic stand. The mic transmitter was on the mic stand (connected to my SM58).

 

I haven't tried the setup without the Xvive's for over an hour. So that is something that I need to test out. Typical practice sessions are for <1 hour and I don't use the Xvive's when practicing. The two gigs were for 2-1/2 hours each ... and the issues began after the first hour (so 1 set and a break).

 

Cheers!

4

Hello oldmachead,

 

I have been interested in the Xvive units ever since they came out, but when reading reviews (which have overall been great) the most common complaints seem to be:

  • The battery life gets progressively shorter the longer you own them (i.e., they won't hold a charge as long.)  The result was a fuzzy signal after 90 minutes or so.  Since the units are small and don't have a user-replaceable Li-ion battery, this was a deal-breaker for me (i.e., once they stop holding a charge, they're a paperweight.)
  • Some users have experienced drop-outs due to the oversaturation of the 2.4 Ghz WiFi band.

I have never personally use the Xvive units, so I'm only relaying information I've seen since it seems to fit your situation.  I still might get one to try, since my performances are usually less than an hour at a time.  Every wireless solution, regardless of manufacturer, is going to have some sort of problem at some time during its lifespan.

 

Does that help?

5

 Thanks for taking the time to respond with some helpful notes. Yes, it does help and I thank you for your input.

 

Just by way of info ...

 

I got my Xvive's (U2 and U3) back in Nov 2019 based on what I'd read on this forum (in its previous form - which was so much better than the current form, but I digress).

 

Before I got to use them much, the pandemic hit and live music shut down. I kept them charged but barely used them. A few months ago I decided to get them going again but found that the U2 (guitar set) wasn't holding the charge too long.

 

As I had an extended warranty, I took the set back and while the store (Long & McQuade - great chain of stores in Canada) checks them out, they gave me a brand-new U2 set as a loaner.

 

All this is to say that I'm using a brand-new U2 and having this drop-out issue. Both times I was performing out in the open ... so I'm guessing the 2.4Ghz bandwidth is not the issue there.

 

And I should add that until these two instances, the Xvive's have been a wonderful part of my performances in that I had no wires - just a mic, my guitar, and my S1 Pro (in fact I've had several people come to me and ask how on earth I was doing this with no cables!). 

 

However, after the drop-outs that I experienced, I'm having second thoughts about using the Xvive's. I do try to do my best at any performances and when there are drop-outs, that's not my best.

 

Using cables is not a big deal - but using wireless just seemed to make things easier. Less to carry and setup and the setup looked cleaner and nicer in my opinion.

 

I'd still like to use wireless, but perhaps not until I get to the bottom of the issue that I've faced. 

 

Thanks again for your input. It is very much appreciated.