ShortScale.org

While browsing I came across this...

LEKATO Cordless Guitar System with 1/4" plug, rotatable wireless guitar transmitter receiver, available for most electric guitars, bass, electric-acoustic guitars, Most popular electric music instruments, electric Guitar, bass, Bakelite guitar and other musical instruments with pickup.

Bakelite guitar??

Probably a lapsteel?

Aha! You may well be right.

Anyway, I've ordered a 'Lekato 2.4Ghz Stereo Wireless Guitar System with 1/4” & 1/8” Plugs for Mono/Stereo Sound Instruments Rechargeable Guitar Wireless Transmitter Receiver Cordless Guiar Lead for Guitar Bass Keyboards' and I look forward to seeing how it creates stereo sound out of that Rhino practice amp I picked up last week, as per the pic below.

yeah, that's wild. it must something similar to the atmos and other 3D audio technologies gaining some steam right now? curious about your review of it.

Wonder what happens if you use a stereo signal and a stereo input...

I'd be surprised if it's actually transmitting stereo. Reckon it's stereo insofar as it as a TRS jack on it.

Well, I have a keyboard with stereo out and I believe my old Line 6 Flextone twin combo has a stereo effect return so I should be able to check that, though probably for an outdoor gig the weekend after next I should use a TRS-to-twin-TS adapter into the bassist's PA.

It arrived two days early. Pics: So, you can use it in stereo or mono mode. For example, I plugged the transmitter without any adapter into my laptop's 3.5 mm headphone jack and the receiver with the 6.35 mm stereo adapter into the "dub out" jack on our ancient Pioneer receiver, which also works as an input.
This evening at practice I used it with the mono adapters to connect guitar to pedalboard. The only issue I had was that the power switch on the transmitter seemed a bit iffy initially. No noticeable delay (they claim <12 ms) or significant noise. Charge certainly lasted 2 hours.

It was on offer at about £36 ("35% off")- it's now about £45 ("17% off"). Maybe I should have got a couple of sets but perhaps it's best to wait and see how they do in a gig environment.

Sounds good. Will be interesting to hear what you think in a while, after more use.

Even on the basis of one practice I find it freeing not to be dragging the cable around. Also:


OK, so it made for a fantastic show but it just shows even the pros can have trouble with cables. The pain is going to be making sure both transmitter and receiver are fully charged before doing anything seriously. They provide one micro USB charging cable and no charger because everyone's got a two-port charger and a spare cable, right? Maybe I need a socket strip with USB charging outlets.
Edit: the charging cable is double-headed so you can charge both receiver and transmitter simultaneously. You just need a USB charger and that keeps the cost down.

In the UK the version with the black transmitter is down to £29.99 with Amazon Prime, so I bought another set.

The system does have some background noise that you will notice with a high-gain setup (but less than a wah pedal ). The recommendation in the Youtube review is to use a noise gate, which is probably what a lot of people with high-gain set-ups use anyway. Other reviews are available (search Lekato WS-60).

On a clean-to-fuzz-face setup, or using it as a stereo wireless system with my laptop to ancient stereo receiver I don't notice any noise. On the first set I bought the power switch on the transmitter is a bit dodgy - it can be pushed too far - but once set it's been ok; I've used it for a couple of 2.5 hr practices with no trouble. The transmitter can pick up a bit of interference if close to other electronics but as a Fender user that's nothing new. I'm very tempted to buy a set for my son while they are still cheap. Someone has also suggested it can be used as the basis for a cheap in-ear monitor system using a female-to-female adapter at the receiver end, though he did also say it may run into problems if you have more than 3 systems on stage at a time, while the Lekato blurb claims up to 6 sets can be used simultaneously.

at that price point, it's tempting.

but then i think i should invest in in-ears first.

I spent something like £3.20 on a 3.6mm-to-3.5mm coupler and tried it with some ex-airline earbuds. It works; not sure whether it would be loud enough on stage.I'm not sure what the max input (and output) levels are.

What?

NickS wrote: ↑Wed Mar 27, 2024 5:25 pm I spent something like £3.20 on a 3.6mm-to-3.5mm coupler and tried it with some ex-airline earbuds. It works; not sure whether it would be loud enough on stage.I'm not sure what the max input (and output) levels are.