AKG WMS400

Set up is pretty easy, you can plug in right out of the box or, god forbid, read the manual to properly tweak it out. Once you get the hang of the menue you can switch channels, IR link the transmiter and set the warning lights, basicly customise it for you.

One gripe: I use this for bass, all my basses are active so setting the little input pot on the transmitter can be a little touchy. Too much and it clips, not enough and duh, not enough sound.

Sense this unit isn't totally plug and play, I'll give it a 9.

Get this straight, I'm talking for bass here. The sound is exactly like my sound with the cable minus a very small amount of low end (easy to compensate for). I shopped around for quite some time to find a unit that didn't suck the life out of my basses. The only other units that didn't were the higher end sure's which were a touch more money.

Normal stage setup:
Bass (Spector Euro5-EMG's BQCpre, Ibanez SR500-EMG's BQCpre)
WMS400 wireless (upgraded cable)
Sabine RT7100 rack tuner
Hartke 7000 dBx compressor in the fx loop
All in shock mounted rack
Harke 215bxl, 2.5xl cabinets

My rig used to be a little muddy with the Ibanez (Bass's fault not the rig) Kind of funny, but the slight low end roll off makes the bass sound better. Don't notice much difference with the Spector. The Ibanez is strung up C,F,A#,D# basicly lower 4 of a 5 string tuned up half a step to make my life easier matching up with the guitarist's tunings.

Like I mentioned earlier, setting the gain on an active instrument is touchy, but I am running 18v pre's a 9v might not be an issue.

Few points off for the low end roll-off.

I have had the unit about a year, gigged consistantly with it. NEVER had a problem with it that wasn't my own fault.

Handy tips:
*Make a heavier cable, you can find the mini XLR's (tln4 or something) through TREW AUDIO. get the ProCo mini mic cable. Keep the old chinsey molded POS as a backup, it's too damn long anyway.

*Use the little red terminal plug to lock the transmitter in the on position if you run around and jump off shit like I do. It saves some embarrasment.

Unit is very reliable if reciever is racked and you don't stomp on the transmitter.

If you use a wireless and don't bring a cable for a backup, please give your gear to someone that can use it and shoot yourself in the head, you must not use your brain much anyway.

Never dealt with them. I'm an electronics tech by trade specificly RF communication devices. Still I pray I never have to open this thing up, I don't think the service manual is in english (ha ha german company, ok, I'll shut up now)

Over all, this is a damn good unit. NEVER had a drop out. NEVER had it break. I play in a heavy almost metal rock band. I am extremely physical on and off stage (known to get in the pit while playing). Aside from my own arm kicking the transmitter off while playing (use the lock plug, it works) this thing has never let me down.

Best of all, no freaking cable to trip on! If some idiot stole this I would probably try one of the Sure units just for grins, but might end up buying another WMS400 in the end. By the way, if they stole it, they'd probably have my whole damn rack which would really suck!

Overall damn good unit, if you like it, buy it!

Just plug and play here......thats it! The manual looks pretty intimidating.....I started reading it and said "F-this, lets rock!"
It has alot of really cool features to explore and am looking forward to seeing what all it can really do. Bottom line here is this......I plugged in and it was virtually noiseless!

I'm running a Pedal-Pad MPSXL. A Soldano HR50+ into the patch bay. From the wireless into an Arion Stage tuner, Fulltone CLYDE Deluxe, Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive, Fulltone ChoralFlange, Boss DD6, and into a Boss Noise Suppressor (which I really don't need). I don't run any of these thru the effects loop, cause I simply don't have to! I play a Les Paul Classic, Fender Telecaster Plus, Steinberger GL4T (all graphite), and a Jackson Soloist with ZW EMG's. I swear it's as quite as my good Planet Waves guitar cables. This unit is noiseless! All of my effects sounded awesome. Walked down the street (it was dark) to see it's range, had to turn back half a block away as I realized I was in my boxers. Incredible sound!

I'd gig without a backup, no question. But anyone who wouldn't bring along a great cable as an emergency backup to a wireless shouldn't be gigging to begin with! The reciever is a solid, well made unit, and the transmitter is a very rugged, hard plastic that looks and feels very durable. I had a WMS 40 Guitar Bug that I gave to my son for X-mas. It was a cool unit, but can't compare to this!

Through both units, I've not ever had to call AKG customer service. Very well made, dependable products. I almost bought a Sennheiser EW172-G2, but decided against it due to alot of bad feedback I've read on their customer service. I'm sure the quality of that unit is similar, but I tend to stick with what I know works, and that be AKG! Like their products, I'm sure their customer service rocks, but I will rate this "No Opinion" due to the fact that I've not dealt with them.

I play blues-based rock for the most part. But I enjoy hard rock as well....I've been playing a long time, but really was inactive for many years due to a real-job. I'm exiting Corporate-America to open my own Winery and going to try to start gigging as my playing comes back. You get a little rusty raising 2 sets of kids, 2 BIG dogs, 2 wives (ouch) and a career (20 years advertising sales). If lost or stolen would definatley get another after I got out of prison for killing the poor f*cker that stole my stuff! Check this unit out and make sure it's on your comparison list if shopping in this price range. Sounds steep, but you get what you pay for....