Line 6 Relay G30 Digital Wireless Guitar System

zZounds' Take on Line 6 Relay G30 Digital Wireless Guitar System

If you've ever seen a movie like Spinal Tap you're bound to remember the scene where they're playing at an airport hangar with a wireless guitar system that has air traffic control signals pouring in full bore. Most if not all musicians learned many lessons from that movie, one of the most important lessons is just how flakey traditional analog over-the-air wireless systems are. How do you solve this issue... with the Line 6 Relay G30 Digital Wireless Guitar System a wireless system that removes the analog and trades it in for the modern digital a substantially more reliable transmission mechanism.

VWT Virtual Wire Transmission

Guitarists who eschew wires normally do so because they both love the idea of rocking out without tripping over themselves or because it allows them to travel further from their amp or pedals without feeling tied to them like an umbilical cord. Normally, though what they miss by going wireless is the great tone you definitively always get while being plugged in with analog instrument cable. Older analog VHF or UHF-style wireless systems no matter how reliable you can make them always will sound less dynamic and exact as an audio cable. Why? because of an issue with having to compress audio signals to fit into the wireless frequency they are transmitting to a receiver (this is called companding). This issue no matter what you'll find present in most analog wireless systems. The Line 6 Relay G30 Digital Wireless Guitar System solves this by going digital.

The Line 6 Relay G30 Digital Wireless Guitar System digital transmission technology named VWT (Virtual Wire Transmission) is chock full of features that serve to preserve your tone. First of all any digital transmission signal is more reliable due to the logic used to receive such signals. Digital transmission of audio signals is an ingenious idea; what you get is a receiver instantly trapping all those digital 1s and 0s that the transmitter created by converting that analog sound into a digital sound. The digital receiver present on the Line 6 Relay G30 Digital Wireless Guitar System instantly recreates every single audio wave and ignores any 1s and 0s that couldn't make the trip. This translates to you hearing your guitar exactly as if you were plugged into the amp itself, and if something was missed because of interference none of that interference coming through other than a miniscule pause where the tone would have been.

Just to dispel an incorrect notion unlike wireless cell phones or similar devices that use digital signals to transmit audio, the Line 6 Relay G30 digital signal never has to go through a low-banwidth audio signal path (like phones do) so every audio sound gets received at full high-quality 24-bit 10Hz-20kHz fidelity. Not having companding lets you maintain a very low noise level with up to a 120dB dynamic range, which as you know means the higher the dynamic range the less noise and better the transparency of the guitar signal is. Even if you still have cables attached separately to your amp along side the Line 6 Relay G30 you can use its built-in cable tone simulator to simulate whatever length of cable you want to "wirelessly" use.

Lock In Your Sound

If you're going wireless your best bet from now on until the future is to go digital. Rather than suffer through FCC rulings which shift devices around in the analog realm making one interfere with another go digital where as of today no such changes are occurring. The Line 6 Relay G30 uses exclusive DCL (Digital Channel Lock) technology which uses digital hand-shake technology to make the connection from receiver to transmitter. Now you don't have to worry about picking up the a sitcom rerun or the local public radio station as you play.

DCL encodes securely your audio signal so that only that specific receiver can receiver and transmitter transmit it and no one else. Transmitting at 2.4GHz also allows the Line 6 Relay G30 to avoid current FCC guidelines that make a lot of analog signals interfere with each other since they're stuck fighting over the few frequencies available for them. A nice side effect of using digital wireless signals as well is the ability to be up to 100 feet away from the receiver for even more rocking movement.

The Guitarists' Wireless System

How easy is it to transport the Line 6 Relay G30? Just take the receiver out and place it next to your guitar pedals, it's that small. All the salient controls are all present right in front of your feet rather than in some huge rack somewhere else and your transmitter itself has many of the tools you need to change things up. The Line 6 Relay G30 is made out hard polycarbonate material making it more than road worthy, and uses two AA batteries (not include) which provide up to 8 hours of battery life.

Manufacturer's Description for Line 6 Relay G30 Digital Wireless Guitar System

Line 6 Relay G30 Digital Wireless Guitar System; Wireless Freedom through Superior Sound, Pro Dependability and Refreshing Simplicity! Redefining wireless for bass and guitarists, Line 6's Relay G30 quite simply offers more than you can get from other wireless systems. Front-lining the wireless revolution Line 6 proudly ushers in a better-sounding and more dependable era of wireless guitar systems. Inspiring you to explore new areas of your music and the stage.

Line 6 Relay G30 Features

- 100-foot range, 6 User Selectable
- Broad 10Hz-20kHz frequency response
- Superior 118 dB dynamic range
- 8 hours of battery life (AA alkaline batteries)
- Lightweight, low-profile and easy to use
- Bright LEDs display power, status and battery life
- Tone presets match the sounds of guitar cables
- 2.4GHz band is optimal for guitar wireless
- Encrypted data stream for added signal protection
- Simultaneous broadcasting on six channels
- Rugged polycarbonate shell
- Includes transmitter, receiver cable, power supply and batteries

Line 6 Relay G30: Superior Sound

Relay G30 provides a pure signal. Its clarity rivals that of the highest-quality guitar cables. Guitars get a beautiful high-end sparkle and basses get a thunderous low-end punch, even at distances of up to 30 meters. Traditional wireless systems compromise their sound by rolling-off crucial high- and low-end frequencies and compressing their signals. Relay G30 offers superior sound with full bandwidth and zero compression.

- 30-meter range, line-of-sight
- Broad 10Hz-20kHz frequency response
- Superior 118 dB dynamic range

Line 6 Relay G30: Professional Dependability

Relay G30 broadcasts its robust signal over the 2.4GHz band. This keeps the signal free from many kinds of interference. For added security, Relay G30 employs exclusive signal protection technology: it broadcasts an encrypted data stream on six channels simultaneously.

Traditional wireless systems, on the other hand, are susceptible to dropouts, static and many other kinds of interference. Broadcasting over congested UHF bands, their signals may be affected by interference generated as far away as 160 kilometers, or more.

- The 2.4GHz band is optimal for guitar wireless
- Encrypted data stream for added signal protection
- Simultaneous broadcasts on six channels

Line 6 Relay G30: Refreshing Simplicity

Relay G30 is a low-profile system that's easy to use. The lightweight transmitter remains out of the way of your performance, and the rugged receiver can sit on top of your amp or be added to your pedal board. The receiver offers bright and easy-to-read LEDs that display power, status and battery life. And the standard 1/4-inch ins and outs deliver real convenience.

The system comes complete with transmitter, receiver and all necessary accessories including cable, power supply and batteries.

- Lightweight, low-profile and easy to use
- LEDs display power, status and battery life
- 8 hours of battery life

Line 6 Relay G30: Attached to Your Guitar Cable?

For players attached to cables, adopting a wireless system introduces many questions: What will it feel like? Will it change my sound? Relay G30 sounds just like a cable, but it also sounds just like your cable. Relay G30 features two EQ settings that match the frequency responses of typical guitar cables. Different players use different cables, but all players can use Relay G30.

- EQ switch provides guitar cable frequency response

Consumer Alert

Most users do not need a license to operate this wireless microphone system. Nevertheless, operating this microphone system without a license is subject to certain restrictions: the system may not cause harmful interference; it must operate at a low power level (not in excess of 50 milliwatts); and it has no protection from interference received from any other device. Purchasers should also be aware that the FCC is currently evaluating use of wireless microphone systems, and these rules are subject to change. For more information, call the FCC at 1-888-CALL-FCC (TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC) or visit the FCC's wireless microphone website at www.fcc.gov/cgb/wirelessmicrophones

NOTE:None of the wireless systems we carry are capable of violating the FCC guidelines stated above. We are presenting this information as a matter of legally required disclosure.

zZounds Expert Line 6 Relay G30 Digital Wireless Guitar System Review

I do most of my guitar/bass playing in the Chicagoland area, and have had mixed results with analog wireless gear. Wireless freedom is nice, but not at the expense of static, radio interference, and tone-suck. So, I was eager to see how Line 6's Relay system stacked up in this wireless-saturated area.

I really liked the compact design of the G30 system. The RXS06 receiver was roughly the same size as (slightly larger than) a standard stompbox pedal, and fit right into my pedalboard. The system includes a 9V wall wart power supply, but I was able to daisy chain it into my pedalboard power with no trouble. The plastic chassis and controls seemed a little frail; I feel like I'd have to baby it a bit out on the road. The TBP06 Transmitter was also compact and lightweight, though I wasn't super happy with the clip. I use a thin 2-inch nylon strap, and the transmitter wouldn't stay put. It clipped onto my belt just fine, but I prefer to mount on the strap because it allows greater freedom of movement. It's a minor quibble though, as I'm sure I could make it work on the strap with a little ingenuity (and gaffer's tape).

Just as Line 6 promises, the setup couldn't be easier. The control layout is very basic (in a good way) and intuitive, with six-position channel selectors on both the transmitter and receiver. Connect the transmitter to your guitar or bass, the receiver to your amp (direct or via pedalboard), choose the same channel on both pieces, and you're all set.

I first tried it out at my rehearsal space. This was a good test because the room is big enough to roam around a bit and also because we've got an old 2.4 GHz wireless router in there for Internet access. Since the G30 runs on 2.4 GHz as well, I was curious to see if the router would interfere. No problems there, though. Line 6 uses unique addressing and encoding, and the G30 didn't even hiccup when I put the receiver right up by the router. I used it for a few hours, and the only problem I had was when I stepped out of the room to see how far away I could get. Line 6's literature says the operating range is 100 feet with a "line of sight" between the transmitter and receiver, and performance was spotty when the components couldn't "see" each other. Unlike analog wireless that tends to fade as you reach the limits of its range, this digital system is either on or off. One second, I had sound coming out of my amp, the next second, silence. The good news is, it comes back online just as fast.

I was comfortable enough with the reliability at the rehearsal space to use the G30 out at a downtown venue, and got the same rock-solid performance. No dropouts, and no static. It wasn't all smooth sailing, though. The connection from the guitar to the transmitter is 1/4-inch on both ends and the cable popped out of the transmitter a few times. I had wrapped the cable around my strap to keep it from popping out of the guitar, but with the transmitter clipped to my waist and some mild stage antics, the opposite end easily pulled free. I would have preferred some sort of locking connection at the transmitter end; a threaded collar over the 1/4-inch plug, or a mini-XLR perhaps. I put a little more slack in the cable and cut back on the tomfoolery, and made it through the rest of the show without a problem.

Is "Too Good" Good?

Reliability is super important to me, but I'm not going to rock an always-on wireless if it sucks all the tone out of my instrument. Analog systems typically use some sort of companding technology; compressing the signal at the transmitter, then expanding it back at the receiver. This tends to squash the dynamics and suck the energy out of your tone. Since the G30 is digital, it's only transmitting 1's and 0's, so there's no need for companding. The digital conversion is 24-bit, with 128x oversampling, so you're passing full range signal from one side of the system to the other. It's like using a cable. Well, almost.

Since you don't have cable run between the guitar and amplifier, you don't get the resulting impedance that comes with that cable run. The tone through the G30 was very full and dynamic; maybe a little too full and dynamic. I found myself dialing back the treble more than normal on a single-coil Strat to mellow it out. The receiver has a "Cable Tone" switch that simulates the characteristics of the missing cable (it just wouldn't be Line 6 without some modeling in the mix). You can turn it off, or select a virtual 15-foot or 30-foot cable. Using this switch did help control the bite somewhat, but the tone still seemed a little too present, if that makes sense. I felt like I had to "re-learn" how to EQ my rig to compensate for the G30, but it's a small price to pay for the freedom of movement.

As with any wireless rig, there's going to be a little bit of latency as the signal is converted to digital, sent to the receiver, then unpacked to your amp, but we're talking milliseconds. I noticed it when I first started noodling, but it wasn't enough of a delay to really be distracting. A few minutes into the demo, and I forgot about it altogether.

Still Up In The Air?

Bottom line, the G30 system is a very nice wireless system at a great price. I would have no qualms about adding this to my rig, with the exception of the guitar-to-transmitter connection issue I mentioned. If I could secure the transmitter to my strap, I'm almost positive it would become a non-issue, though I'd still feel more comfortable with a locking connection of some sort. That said, if I planned to use wireless regularly, I'd probably step up to the G50 system, which offers a metal chassis on the receiver, twelve channels instead of six, double the operating range (200 feet), and locking mini-XLR transmitter connection. It's more expensive, though, and the G30 is very capable for the budget minded.

zZounds is an authorized dealer of Line 6 products.

Polycarbonate Stompbox-style System
- Transmission Format: Line 6 proprietary digital audio transmission
- Frequency Response: 10Hz - 20kHz
- Dynamic Range: 118 dB
- RF Carrier Frequency: 2.4GHz
- Compatible Channels: 6
- Transmission Range: 100 feet line-of-sight (may vary due to local conditions)
- FCC Approval: Part 15 approved, no user-license required

TBP06 Transmitter
- A/D Conversion: 24-bit Delta Sigma, 128 times oversampling
- Input Impedance: 1.3 M-Ohm
- Connectors: 1/4-inch unbalanced input
- Controls: Power On/Off, Channel Select
- LEDs Display: Power, Audio Status
- Battery Life: Approx. 8 hours (2x AA alkaline batteries)

RXS06 Receiver
- D/A Conversion: 24-bit Delta Sigma, 128 times oversampling
- Connections: 1/4-inch output
- LEDs Display: Power On, Data Link, Audio Status

Controls:
- Power On/Off
- Channel Select
- Cable Tone Simulator

Power Requirements: DC-1g power supply (9VDC)

Dimensions and Weight in Packaging

Shipping Weight: 4 lbs

Shipping Dimensions: 10 x 12 x 3 in