Back in 2016, Line 6 claimed its Relay G10 was the easiest wireless guitar system to use. A year later, Boss joined in with its own plug and play system for a new portable Katana amplifier called the Air. Now the Roland-owned music gear maker has launched a new line of wireless systems called the WL Series, which includes an intriguing pedalboard unit.
Built for bedroom noodlers, band rehearsals or life on the road, Boss says that it's developed new 2.4 GHz wireless technology for the WL Series, which is promised to be lightning fast with "ultra-low latency and rock-solid stability" for a range of 50 ft (15 m). The wireless connection channel is automatically set when the transmitter is docked into the receiver. And up to 14 WL setups can be used simultaneously in one space.
Unlike the G10 from Line 6, the WL-20 receiver just plugs straight into an amplifier's input jack and includes a cable tone emulator that reproduces the capacitive effect of a 10 ft (3 m) cable. The transmitter plugs into the output jack on the instrument, a wireless connection established and the player is ready to rock.
The battery in the receiver is said to be good for around 10 hours, while the one in the transmitter should last for up to 12 hours of continuous use between top-ups over USB.
If you don't need the cable tone emulator, the WL-20L system is going to be your system of choice here, which is pitched as being good for electric/acoustic guitars with a built-in pre-amp or active pickups. This system can also be used with line-level instruments like Roland's Aerophone.
Players who daisy chain stomps on a pedalboard will likely aim for the WL-50 flavor, with a receiver dock that can be placed on the board and powered by two AA-sized batteries or a PSA-series adapter. On adapter power, the receiver dock can share juice with other pedals.
Finally, the WL Series includes the US$99 WL-T – a spare transmitter that can be used in a $179 WL-20/WL-20L or $199 WL-50 setup, or with the Katana Air. The Series is introduced in the video below.
Product page: Boss WL Series