Xvive Review- Make Any Microphone Wireless

For the last several months I have been playing all my gigs using this new Xvive Wireless microphone system. My best clip on saxophone mic is this new Neumann MCM 114. I love the sound and its amazing build quality. I wanted a simple solution for making it wireless though. Quick thank you to the sponsor of this video, Sweetwater, which is my favorite place to get all this stuff.

I’ve already reviewed a few wireless sax mics on this channel and some of those were truly wireless meaning, you don’t even have to plug in the receiver to a power outlet. Wouldn’t it be great to turn a professional level mic like the Neumann into a super convenient wireless setup? With the Xvive we can do just that, let me show you.

Features of the Xvive:

Transmitter and Receiver

There are 2 parts to this thing, the transmitter and the receiver. This model is the one for condenser mics like the Neumann or DPA. These are mics that need phantom power. The transmitter provides this phantom power to the mic and you can choose between 48v and 12v depending on what you need.

The transmitter also has an on off switch which acts like a mute so on stage you can safely turn it off to mute the mic and turn it back on without any unwanted noise or interference. This transmitter plugs into the xlr cable of my mic and then I can either put the whole thing in my pocket or clip it to my belt. The receiver plugs straight into the mixing desk like any other mic cable would.

You turn the power on for both and that’s it, you’re wireless. I’ve used it on a bunch of gigs and it’s worked flawlessly every time.

The XVive uses the 2.4 Ghz band. I know a lot of people have concerns about that, but I have not encountered any interference at all since I’ve been using it. There is this selector switch to change the channel of your unit, this way you can use up to 6 of these at the same time.

Battery Life & Backup Solutions

It comes with a single cable that can charge both units at the same time via mini usb. Now because this provides phantom power, the battery life is not as long as other similar units. They say it gets 3-7 hours of battery life depending on which phantom power setting you use. For the Neumann I need it set to 48v.

I rarely do gigs that would require more than 2 hours of battery but if I needed more, I would probably plug it in during the breaks to be on the safe side. If you’re doing really long gigs, you will want to take the battery life into consideration.

It’s a good idea to always have a backup solution when working with anything wireless or battery powered. Like I said, I have not encountered any interference with this device yet, but it could happen. I could also forget to charge the thing and wind up in trouble. So having a regular xlr cable on hand covers my back just in case. I love that my whole setup is super compact now, I put it all together like this and I’m out the door with just this little case and my saxophone.

Range and Performance

It says the range on this thing is up to 90 feet. So on any normal stage that’s going to be plenty. But if you are playing wirelessly with a DJ and wandering around all over the place, you may need to be careful with that. If range is really important you, you will probably want a more robust system. These things are designed to work without any objects between the transmitter and receiver, so if you were in a crowd of people dancing, it may block the signal. The stuff that is normally on stage like a few other musicians, their instruments and amps, are fine, but you will want to have a clear line of sight between the receiver and the transmitter for best results.

I normally have the receiver plugged into an xlr cable at my feet. This way I get it all setup at sound check, turn it off to save the battery, and then when the show starts, I just turn both units on, and I’m ready to play. If there is a set break, I will turn them both off before leaving the stage.

Get yours at Sweetwater

Right now this unit is on sale over at Sweetwater, so get yours here before that’s over. The normal price at the time of this recording is $219 which I think is pretty solid value considering how well it works and the extra convenience you get with the system.

Sweetwater is my number 1 choice for all my music gear purchases, especially since they started carrying Band and Orchestra instruments a little over a year ago. I’ve been to their campus in Fort Wayne IN, and the whole operation is incredibly impressive. From the army of sales engineers ready to get on the phone with you to help with any purchase decision, to their ridiculously fast shipping department, Sweetwater takes the stress out of shopping for music gear. Every month they give away tons of stuff to their customers, this month it’s an $8000 pa system up for grabs.

For me personally, the best part about Sweetwater is their customer service. Not for me and my purchases, but for everyone who has been buying the BetterSax saxophones and mouthpieces from them. I know that our customers who order on Sweetwater are getting the very best customer service in the industry, fast same day shipping, a Free 2-year warranty and easy financing options for large purchases.

Go check out my Sweetwater gear recommendations here, and check out my review of the Neumann MCM 114 clip on mic here.