Niles, IL (April 24, 2017) – Today, at the 2017 NAB Show in Las Vegas, Shure debuted its Axient® Digital Wireless System. As the new premier wireless solution in Shure’s successful portfolio, Axient Digital builds on the superior benefits of the Company’s UHF-R®, ULX-D®, and Axient wireless systems to create the most advanced wireless platform to date, suited for all professional productions and situations. Catering to evolving customer needs—especially in an environment of continued RF spectrum pressure—Axient Digital provides high-performance RF, exceptional audio quality, command and control, and hardware scalability.

Axient Digital features a receiver that is compatible with its two transmitter offerings, the AD Series and ADX Series. Axient Digital with AD Series transmitters delivers a tremendous level of core product benefits, including exceptional RF performance, digital audio, and networking. Axient Digital ADX Series transmitters incorporate ShowLink, which provides real-time control of all transmitter parameters with interference detection and avoidance. The ADX Series also includes the first micro-bodypack with an integrated self-tuning antenna, enabling greater concealment and comfort.

“For years, Shure has been at the forefront of the ongoing spectrum conversation, working alongside professional wireless users to deliver first-class solutions that support seamless, interference-free productions,” said Nick Wood, Category Director for Wireless Products at Shure. “Given the increasing challenges of RF spectrum, it’s more essential than ever that users have access to a system that can deliver the critical audio inputs of a production reliably over the air. With unparalleled RF stability and spectral efficiency, Axient Digital offers users the flexibility to work in the available spectrum, whether the number of channels required is great or small.”

Ideal for a variety of users and applications, Axient Digital features numerous user-friendly features and benefits:

High-Performance RF—Incorporating all of the capabilities that professional productions demand, Axient Digital is designed for maximum signal stability. It features true digital diversity with Quadversity™ receiver technology, significantly mitigating the potential for signal fades or interference that can cause dropouts. Quadversity mode allows users to place sets of diversity antennas in different zones, or double the number of antennas in a single zone, to improve RF signal-to-noise in challenging environments. High Density mode increases the maximum simultaneous system channel count from 17 to 47 per 6-MHz TV band (from 23 to 63 per 8-MHz TV band), while maintaining exceptional audio quality.

Audio Quality—Featuring pristine digital audio via Dante and AES3, Axient Digital has a 20Hz to 20 kHz range with a flat frequency response and accurate transient response. Axient Digital also boasts wide dynamic range, AES-256 encryption, and an industry leading 2ms latency from the mic transducer to the analog output.

Command and Control—Axient Digital is compatible with Wireless Workbench® as well as the ShurePlus™ Channels App for efficient control and configuration, optimal spectrum management and frequency monitoring. The system’s Dante Cue and Dante Browse features enable high fidelity headphone monitoring of audio output from any Dante-enabled connected device. Additionally, Axient Digital provides networked charging via a suite of smart, high-performance batteries and chargers.

Hardware and Scalability—Axient Digital’s wide tuning range of up to 184 MHz for all transmitters and receivers covers an extended range of spectrum and simplifies inventory. Dual and quad receiver options, combined with a common receiver platform supporting AD and ADX transmitters maximize user flexibility and scalability.

Axient Digital is compatible with the Shure Battery Rack Charger (SBRC), which supports up to eight rechargeable batteries in a single, compact rack space. Providing a seamless, tour-ready battery charging and storage solution, the SBRC features an easy-to-read front panel that displays critical battery parameters, including charge status, time-to-full, and battery health indicators. When connected to a network, Shure Wireless Workbench and ShurePlus Channels software provide remote monitoring of the SBRC to track battery status.

“Axient Digital has been designed from the ground up to overcome the challenges users encounter in a wide variety of applications—including pro touring, theater production and television broadcasting,” said Michael Johns, Product Manager at Shure. “Including unique designs such as a frequency diversity handheld microphone (ADX2FD), and a unique micro-bodypack with a self-tuning internal antenna (ADX1M), Axient Digital will allow both engineers and talent alike to confidently rely on pristine digital audio in the midst of even the most challenging of environments.”

The AD Series will be available in late summer 2017, and the ADX Series will be available in early 2018.

Rio Rancho, NM (April 19, 2017) — Lectrosonics announces the introduction of a new digital wireless monitor (IEM) system, the Duet. The new system consists of the M2T dual-stereo half-rack transmitter and M2R diversity belt pack receiver. The Duet covers the UHF frequencies of 470-608 MHz in a single range, uses digital modulation for transmission, and can accept analog or Dante digital inputs. The new system is designed and developed with professional touring, installation, theater, filmmaking and broadcast customers in mind.

The M2T half-rack transmitter houses two independent stereo transmitters allowing for up to four stereo or dual-mono transmissions in a single rack space. The audio inputs can be individually configured to be analog or Dante compatible. The analog input connectors are full size XLR/TRS combo types for balanced line level analog signals while the input preamp circuits use a special balanced amplifier with very high common mode rejection to minimize hum and noise. A Dante Ultimo™ interface via dual RJ45 connectors accepts Dante networked audio inputs and can cascade the digital stream to additional units via CAT6 cables. An additional RJ45 jack provides an Ethernet connection for programming and control via Wireless Designer™ software and a USB jack on the front panel allows for firmware updates. The transmitter features a full color, backlit LCD for high visibility in any environment, while the chassis is all-metal and can be racked singly or in pairs using included rack mount hardware.

The M2R bodypack receiver employs advanced antenna diversity switching during digital packet headers for seamless audio. The 24 bit digital audio stream guarantees high resolution sound quality with wide dynamic range, low noise floor, and rock-solid stereo image. The headphone jack is fed from a high-quality stereo amplifier with 250 mW available to drive headphones or earphones to sufficient levels for stage performance or other noisy environments. A high-resolution, color LCD allows for a wide range of menu options, including precise limiter settings, using detailed graphics. The M2R runs on two AA batteries for an operating time of over 4 hours with alkaline cells.

Both the M2R and M2T units have 2-way IR sync, so scan data from the receiver can be sent to the transmitter and thus onto the Ethernet network for use by Wireless Designer™ software for frequency planning and coordination purposes. Additionally, the system includes a FlexList™ mode, where a number of names and associated frequencies can be stored in the receiver. This way, a monitor engineer can quickly find and listen to any of the performers’ mixes on the stage.

“The Duet wireless monitor system is a significant step forward for touring performers and other professionals requiring high definition audio in their ears” states Karl Winkler, vice president of sales & service at Lectrosonics. “With 24 bit digital audio, low latency, Dante inputs and a compact, lightweight, diversity bodypack unit, the Duet system should please even the most demanding users, both on and behind the stage.”

The first public showing of the Duet IEM system will be April 24-27 at the NAB show, booth C3322, Central Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center.

MAP:
M2T-DANTE, $2,335
M2T, $2,150
M2R, $1,080

Availability: Q3, 2017

Front view of Aaton Digital’s new Cantar Mini 16 track digital recorder/mixer with swivelling display open.

Paris, France (January 24, 2017) – Aaton Digital will unveil the new Cantar Mini 16-track digital portable mixer-sound recorder at next month’s BSC Expo 2017 in London.

The Cantar Mini is based on the renowned Cantar X3, winner of many awards and now widely recognized by the sound community as the ultimate digital 24-track location sound recorder, with many delivered and in daily use worldwide.

The Cantar Mini is in no way a reduced performance or reduced quality product but retains the full sound quality, uses the same preamps and components and manufacturing quality, and the same design quality as the Cantar X3 but with 16 tracks instead of 24, a reduced number of inputs and outputs, resulting in a considerably smaller size and a more lightweight unit – just 2.8 Kg (6.17 lb) with 2 batteries on board – almost half the weight of the X3. Of course, most of the software comes across also from the well developed Cantar X3 software.

Like the X3, the Mini also has the indispensable tilting display, it uses the same batteries, and is compatible with the add-on mixer panel Cantarem 2.

At 7600 Euros, the Cantar Mini will be a more affordable option to the world’s sound recordists. Jacques Delacoux, CEO of Aaton Digital and Transvideo said, “Research tells us that the Cantar Mini will be a desirable product for those professionals who already have one or two Cantar X3s and want to have an additional, more lightweight recorder for particular tasks, perhaps with a boom, or to work with the recorder shoulder-mounted.”

“We also address the up and coming sound recordists who have learned of the Cantar X3 but are looking for a more affordable alternative. We address the rental houses, who want to stock a recorder of the same quality and durability as the X3, but at a lower cost. We address other markets such as the USA and India where many desire a Cantar—the Mini, with its very practical specifications, presents a more affordable route.”

Aaton Digital will take orders at the BSC Expo and will deliver 8 weeks thereafter.