G50 Low Volume Output

[showngo2000]

Just got a brand new G50 kit. Plugged in my acoustic Collings with a LR Baggs Anthem pickup in it. The volume is about half of what it is with a cable. What would cause this?

[joecozzi]

Hi showngo2000,

 

"The Anthem is a Low Impedance pickup (about 650 Ohms), but it does also have a lower output than a lot of other active pickup systems."

 

Source:

http://www.lrbaggs.com/forum/showthread.php?265-Anthem-Impedance&highlight=anthem+impedance

 

What kind of amp are you plugging the receiver into?

[showngo2000]

I'm plugging the G50 into a Baggs Venue DI.  Then directly out to the sound system.  Is there something else I should be doing?

[joecozzi]

Have you tried any other instruments with your Relay G50? Trying to determine if it's your unique pickup or a Relay hardware issue.

[sdevino]

Which output are you using from the Baggs DI?  The G50 is unity gain from the transmitter to the output, that means the G50 receiver output puts out the same level your guitar puts into it.   The Baggs uses a transformer to isolate the XLR output and that output is not controlled by the gain setting on the DI. The 1/4 inch out is line level and is adjustable via the gain setting so you may have better luck with that.

[showngo2000]

Which output are you using from the Baggs DI?  The G50 is unity gain from the transmitter to the output, that means the G50 receiver output puts out the same level your guitar puts into it.   The Baggs uses a transformer to isolate the XLR output and that output is not controlled by the gain setting on the DI. The 1/4 inch out is line level and is adjustable via the gain setting so you may have better luck with that.

I'm using the XLR output. I'll try switching outputs and see what happens. It was just strange to me that my previous Shure wireless until was SUPER hot as far as signal and the G50 is quite the opposite. Thanks for the suggestions.

[joecozzi]

By any chance, do you have the Cable Tone modeling engaged? If it's inadvertently set to a long cable length with a low-impedance signal that would definitely interfere with the output.

[showngo2000]

Unfortunately it's off. That's good thinking, though.

[joecozzi]

Have you tried both outputs, the tuner and the Main out, to see if there's any difference?

 

If it's possible, please try another instrument through the system. It would help determine a hardware problem, if one exists. Even a mixer line out or a keyboard would work to test.

[showngo2000]

Thanks, joe. I'll give it a shot tomorrow.

[dboomer]

hey show

You are making two different claims that are not necessarily related. That's not to say that you can't have both ... they are probably just have different reasons.  In one you are saying that the G50 has a different output level than using a straight cable alone and in the other you are comparing the output of the G50 to the output of another wireless.

The second one is easy to explain. The G50 is a unity gain device. You simply get the level out of the receiver the same level as what you put into the transmitter (assuming that you don't have a hardware issue ... Which still needs to be proven out). It was designed to just replace the cord and nothing else. Other wireless units provide gain and there is no easy way usually, without measuring equipment, to know how much gain you are getting. So it is very likely that when you compare the two wireless units there will be a difference in level between them. So in this case there is noting wrong, just a difference in how the units operate.

Now if you are getting a difference between using a cable and using a wireless into the same amp ( with no changes made) then that needs looking at. First we need to understand how much difference there is. We also need to understand whether this is happening with only one instrument or with every input to the transmitter. It it is with every instrument then we need to explore hardware issues. If it is with only one instrument then we need to understand the difference between how the transmitter accepts that signal and how the amp accepts that signal.

Human ears aren't very good at hearing small level changes so it is best to measure if possible. The best thing would be to play a test tone from a phone or iPod into the wireless and then into the amp. Even better would be to run them into a recording device that could be metered. So if you play that tone and adjust the level to about midway on the meter and then plug that same tone (without adjusting anything) through the wireless and then into that meter it should be very close to the same level. It should be within 1 dB. As Joe mentioned above you should try both the main and tuner outputs. Since they should be the same if we see any difference then there is probably some hardware issue.

Once we know all that we can probably give you an answer.