Why Stage Presence Is Vital To Gaining New Fans: Go Wireless

It has now been proven by research that live visual performance is unconsciously more import to the audience than the musical audio performance.

After a massive study from The Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

They concluded that non-musicians unconsciously judge a band more on the visual performance rather than the music when hearing the music for the first time (potential fans)

In a way, it’s proven by research; Stage performance is vital to gaining new fans.

See the Academy of Sciences of the united states of America study

Visual Over Audio: For Live Performance

This study is not in any way shape or form saying that you can do nonstop backflips on stage, miss 70% of your notes, then expect to get more fans. The study isn’t saying that if your music is “3 of 10” stars and your band’s stage presence is a “10 of 10” means your going to gain fans. I am only stating that stage presence plays a much more significant factor in gaining fans than what we musicians thought.

According to The Academy of Sciences of the United States of America’s study, musicians are not only the first to emphatically deny that visual is more important to the crowd than the music but also do not unconsciously judge a live performance based on visual over audio when the non-musicians do. Simply put, when a musician watches a live show they don’t view visuals as necessary as the music, non-musicians are Vice Versa. Nashville stage coaches typically claim, the visual performance makes up 55% of the show where audio 45%. 

Psychology Behind The Importance Of Stage Performance

Synaesthesia? A neurological trait or condition that results in a joining or merging of senses that aren’t commonly connected. The stimulation of one sense causes an involuntary reaction in one or more of the other senses. For example, someone with synaesthesia may hear color or see sound. 

While music itself is specifically organized from sound, its intrinsic meaning is genuine human feeling. 

To enjoy music one must understand, appreciate and share the feelings expressed in it. This, however, is equivalent to understanding, appreciating and sharing the feelings of its performer, since it is he who expresses his own feelings in the music he performs

Ervin Laszlo

What music has became to most of us musicians is more of the theory behind the songs, harmonies, guitar licks, bass and drum pocket, how many notes we can fit in a second, time signature, etc.
But in its core, I think many of us, including me for a while, forgot what music truly is. Music is what feelings sound like.

Music Is An Art Of Sound

Not all, but many experts agree that we all have a bit of synaesthesia to a degree. Both elements of audio and visual of a live performance are of great aesthetic value.

For those who resonate with a high-energy band whether it being blues/rock/reggae/alternative/metal etc., then they are resonating with the auditory element of the music. However, if the band’s performance lacks high energy visually, then there will be a significant lack of aesthetic value and thus will undermine synaesthesia. I firmly believe that high energy audio is strongly complemented by high energy visual. 

Music is an art of sound

The two elements—the auditory and the visual—fuse into a synaesthetic unity for the listener. By this I mean that kind of unity of sensation in which the experience of one sense-impression conjures up that of another 

Ervin Laszlo

The First Step To Substantially Increasing Your Live Performance For Guitarists and Bassists

For guitarist’s and bassist’s that want to advance there music career, it is important to invest in a quality wireless guitar system.
Believe me, though; I have been there. I could’ve won a Grammy for
“Excuse Maker Of The Year To Not Get A Wireless Guitar System” 
We will dive into my past limiting beliefs and general myths about wireless guitar systems a bit later.

The Reasons Why Wireless Guitar Systems Help Increase Stage Performance and Overall Visual Of Show

If you have never performed live with a wireless guitar system, than your a dog that has never experienced the freedom and true potential without his leash.

Saiyan

It’s true; I never knew how much more of a difference it made until I finally grew some balls, got out of my old paradigm and purchased my 1st wireless guitar system. People never really think about this, but when your subconscious mind knows your attached to a leash (cable), it alters your ability to perform. However, I never realized that until I went wireless for the very first time.

List Of Reasons Why Going Wireless Helped My Stage Performance (Pics, Videos)

1. Unlocked my true potential of performing:
   you’ll know it once you go wireless

2. The consistent thought of “Am I going to trip on my cable and unplug it from my amp?” was gone.

3. Able to add spin moves:
The video shows what I mean at roughly 15 seconds in.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhpqfQcHQKm/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

4. Increases overall visual of the stage: Spaghetti all over the floor looks tacky. Even If you’re playing a festival where its set up with cables across the floor for other reasons behind the scenes, going wireless makes a big difference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTjDggqZSC0&feature=youtu.be

5. Able to do “Behind The Back Solos” significantly easier with more congruence.

6. Able to go out in the crowd and perform solos:
The truth is, the majority of us musicians think this is lame. We must realize that non-musicians/potential fans look at a live performance way different than us. They, for the most part, love it when a musician steps in the crowd for the solo and typically don’t forget it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJq9iePQYUw

All of the above created a cleaner conscious once I stepped on the stage. A cleaner conscious is vital for a live performance. More congruence in a performance rather than the fear of tripping the cable.

My Past Limiting Beliefs Of Getting A Wireless.

• It will hurt my Tone
• It’s expensive
• It will break, and I’ll lose money
• It will be a pain to set the whole thing up before every show
• It will cut out while playing live
• It’s costly and annoying to buy batteries continually
• It will fall off my strap while playing
• It wouldn’t work with my active pickups 
• It will be hard to switch instruments with a wireless 
• I perform just fine with my cable
• It’s not worth the money and hassle

To be honest, I had a long and miserable journey in my first few years of going wireless. Many of these myths and limiting beliefs were half-truths. But it was the fact that I was unwilling to purchase a system above $300.

It took me five wireless units to find my perfect fit, and it was because I decided to invest in a quality wireless unit, the Shure GLXD-16. Believe it or not, I also had a problem with my wireless units breaking from water damage (My Sweat). I fixed this issue by purchasing the Neotech Wireless Pouch, which was an incredible 15 dollar investment.

You might be asking why did I insist on staying wireless if I had such a difficult time at first with my lower quality systems? The truth is, you will never go back to a cable once you finally feel what it’s like to perform without one.

Now for those who play like stick figure and you prefer to remain playing like stick figure, please reconsider. Again, that's only if you care to gain any fans. I'm not saying randomly headbang and do random spin moves on the verses (unless you play metal ;). I'm saying to feel the music, and allow the music to move you. Suddenly -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------God Of Music Apollo takes control of your body and channels rock star mode into your band. The place starts to go insane. -----------------------------------------------not exactly but, something like that.

Higher energy audio calls for higher energy visual in order to fuse into a synaesthetic unity for the listener

Busting Each Limited Belief/Myth with A Quality Wireless System

With a quality wireless guitar system, every single limited beliefs/half-truth, I used to have dissipated entirely.

• It will hurt my Tone
  (Myth Bust)
  Although My Tone was affected by some of my cheaper wireless systems, it is not affected at all with my current system, not to mention the majority of Digital wireless guitar systems above $300 DO NOT change the tone.

• It’s expensive
  The Shure GLXD-16 was slightly expensive at $449 but WELL WORTH IT.

• It will break and I’ll lose money
  (Myth Bust)
  Many of my older/cheaper wireless guitar system did break from multiple factors. It is crucial to get a wireless guitar system with a metal transmitter and to use the Neotech wireless pouch for extra protection. I have had no problems at all in any way since owning my system made of metal attached to a wireless pouch.

• It will be a pain to set the whole thing up before every show
  (Myth Bust)
  Convenience is an important factor when purchasing a wireless guitar system. It is not inconvenient in any way shape or form if you get a unit that attaches to and powered by your pedalboard. It is also significantly more convenient and less expensive if the system’s transmitter (part connected to guitar) uses rechargeable rather than using disposable batteries. Most systems are charged by USB that I hook to my power supply on the pedalboard. Some give you the option to charge the transmitter’s rechargeable battery by a charging port in the receiver for some. If you prefer to get a wireless system that is rack-mounted, you can do that as well.

• It will cut out while playing live 
  (Myth Bust)
  Many of my older/cheaper wireless systems used to have many dropouts while performing live. It was the worst part of owning an inexpensive system. The wireless instrument systems that have little to no dropouts are typically Shure products above $350. Like I mentioned earlier, my Shure GLXD 16 has never had a single dropout in the 19 months I have had it.

• It’s costly and annoying to buy batteries continually
  (Myth Bust)
  For many of my older wireless guitar systems, consistently changing the batteries got pretty annoying, along with increasing the annual budget. Most of the higher grade Shure wireless guitar systems come with rechargeable batteries, including my current system. It’s effortless for me to charge mine USB before gigs.

• It will fall off my strap while playing
  (Myth Bust)
  Any wireless transmitter is susceptible to falling off your strap while playing, some tape it like I used to, but trust me to save yourself a massive amount of hassle, get the Neotech Wireless Pouch again it was the best $15 investment of my life. 

• It wouldn’t work with my active pickups 
  (Myth Bust)
  To make it simple, the majority of wireless systems above $200 work with active pickups. Here is a list of the wireless systems that we are 100% positive work well with active pickups.
       -Line 6 G30, G50, G55, G70, G90
       -Shure GLXD series
       -Shure QLXD series
       -Shure ULXS series
       -Shure PGXD series 
       -Shure BLX series 
       -Donner DWS series
       -Audio Technica System ATW-1101/G 
       -Sennheiser EW 100 G4 CI 
       -Sennheiser EW 500 G4-CI1

• It will be hard to switch instruments with a wireless 
  (Myth Bust)
  Changing instruments with a wireless transmitter can be complicated. However, if you have a separate transmitter for each instrument, or you swap the transmitter with a Neotech Wireless Pouch that’s attached to each instrument, switching instruments can be just as easy as a cable. The cheaper route is attaching a Neotech pouch to each strap, swapping the transmitter from one to the other.

• I perform just fine with my cable
  (Myth Bust)
  I thought that I performed just fine at first until I was unleashed on stage for the first time. My stage presence continuously increased after every single show since using a wireless guitar system. I was dead wrong when I initially thought this myth.

• It’s not worth the money and hassle
  (Myth Bust)
  The only wireless system that I am 99% positive you will be 100% satisfied with is the Shure GLXD-16. It is well worth each and every dime and more. This system is not a hassle in the slightest considering you attach the receiver to your pedalboard as it never has to be set up again. Although there are many great wireless systems, I can only guarantee this one since I have never been so happy while using this system.

Wireless Guitar Systems That Will Not Fail You

Below is a list of wireless systems that,

1. Will not hurt your tone
2. Have very high signal reliability (little to no dropouts recorded)
3. Made of a metal casing for durability
4. Compatible with Active and Passive Pickups
5. Use Rechargeable batteries for more convenience and lower annual cost
6. The convenience of choice whether you prefer to attach it to your rackmount, or pedalboard.
7. Must add a Neotech Wireless Pouch for more convenience, no falling off the strap, more durability, protection from sweat/water/climate

Pedal Board Attachable-

Shure GLXD 16– This system gives you the ability not only to attach the receiver to the pedalboard, but the receiver acts as a tuner as well. When I purchased this system, I realized how well/accurate the tuner worked, then put the receiver in my old tuner’s place on my pedalboard. I ended up returning my old tuner for cash.

Table Top (set up the receiver on top of an amp)

Shure GLXD 14– Unlike GLXD-16 This system gives you the option to charge your transmitter battery directly into the charging port on the receiver. 

Rackmountable

Shure GLXD 14R– This system is rack-mountable, meaning you can attach this system to your rackmount if you typically use one on top of your amp for other purposes. Like the Shure GLXD 14, you can also charge your battery into the charging port of the receiver if you prefer that over USB charge.

Other Quality Wireless Instrument Systems To Consider

The difference between this list and the last list is, these wireless systems need disposable batteries. Unfortunately, the only other systems that are rechargeable typically fall in the beginner realm that I do not recommend for serious musicians.

Why Many Big Name Brands Are Not On Our Lists

You may be thinking we are sponsored by Shure, we are not. If that changes, I will come back to edit this.

Line 6 –

Although multiple musicians rave about the Line 6 series, the truth for me is the line 6 units I have been an owner of in the past (G10, G30, G50) were terrific in many ways, Yet, I have not had the perfect luck with any of them in terms of signal reliability. Although they may have been rare, (some more than others), dropouts sometimes occur due to signal interference while performing live.

I have heard many stories of musicians that used Line 6 and never had a single dropout, but since that was not the case for me, I was not going to recommend a wireless instrument system that dropped out with me.

Xvive Audio U2-

The Xvive Audio U2 may be an excellent wireless system for the price of $154, but it is not up to par compared to pro-grade wireless equipment. In terms of Reliability, Signal Strength, Tonality, Range, and Durability, wireless systems below $300 are not recommended for serious musicians. There are multiple reasons behind this, but we will save that for another article. For serious musicians of any sort that are looking to make a one-time investment for a wireless that will keep you satisfied for years, the Xvive Audio U2 is not recommended.

Now if you’re a mid-pro level musician that plays out often but stuck on getting a cheaper system, you are more than welcome. I fear that you end up needing to buy another system, to another system, to another system, to finally finding the perfect system. After all, that was my way of finding the ideal wireless system, which was my 5th choice. Including the extra transmitters for each system, I blew roughly $2000 over the course of 4 years.

Why I Typically Recommend Digital Rather Than Analog-

Although there may be some good analog wireless systems in the market, I am very biased leaning towards only digital use for wireless guitar systems considering many factors.

Analog systems need to compress the dynamic range of the audio before being carried on a radio wave, which in turn hurts/colors your tone, and even worse for bassists. The analog systems that don’t hurt the sound of your instrument tend to be much more expensive.

If you travel to certain countries with your analog system you need a “Roaming Licence” that you will need to pay annually.

The signal being a radio wave can be profoundly affected by other radio waves causing a buzz or hum.

Why I Use And Strongly Recommend The Shure GLXD-16

The Shure GLXD-16 is, in my opinion, the best wireless choice to go for all mid/high-level musicians. Adding the Neotech Wireless Pouch to your strap makes the perfect combo. The List below is about my personal experience with the Shure GLXD-16.

1. The Tone Is Flawless- I tested it between my Mogami cable and the wireless, no difference for me.
2. Durability– Most units I owned died by sweat damage or parts of the transmitter broke from either impact or touring conditions. The Transmitter comes in Metal casing, add the Neotech Wireless Pouch to protect it from moisture/more impact.
3. Signal Strength/Reliability- ZERO DROPOUTS. For the year I have had it, big stage, small stage, high stage, bar, brick, etc. ZERO DROPOUTS.
   (If that changes on any of my upcoming shows I will come back to correct this) It has continuous interference monitoring and automatic frequency switching that eliminates signal interruption.
4. Convenience- Attaches perfectly to the pedalboard the GLXD 16 is a tuner as well. When I bought this, I ended up resell my $97 Poly Tune tuner — works just as good as it, a 2 in one deal.
5. Battery life- Tied in the top 3 wireless guitar systems for longest battery life. 16 hours of battery life per full charge, and 1.5 hours of continuous playing after 15 minutes of charge in case of an emergency.
6. Range- The range is 200 feet radius which is excellent for a digital wireless unit. Me and the guitarist have a part in our show where we do a solo battle in the crowd. There have been many times with the other units I had would cut out when I reach a certain point; it has not happened yet with the GLXD 16.
7. Rare Combination/Competitive Price – Usually mid-high level grade wireless units lack 1 or 2 of the following, especially for the price.

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