Sennheiser, a renowned leader in audio technology, showcased various audio solutions at Broadcasting India 2024, a top infotainment technology event. The biggest highlight of Sennheiser’s product was the newly launched Spectera, the world’s first bidirectional wideband solution.
Spectera leverages groundbreaking WMAS (Wireless Multichannel Audio Systems) technology to reduce the complexity of wireless systems while enhancing capabilities, streamlining workflows, and offering comprehensive remote control and monitoring. Instead of many individual 200 kHz narrowband RF carrier frequencies, we use a single wideband RF channel for audio transmission – bidirectional transmission of audio and control data, to be more exact.
Over 700+ attendees at Sennheiser’s booth explored the Spectera ecosystem, engaging in hands-on demonstrations with the engineering team. The ecosystem addresses common challenges faced by users of wireless audio systems, simplifying frequency coordination, rack cabling, and system footprint and replacing multiple wireless mic receivers and IEM transmitters with a single Base Station, which, in a single rack unit with 32 inputs and 32 outputs, replaces a rack-full of wireless mic receivers and IEM transmitters. An entire production could be accommodated in a single wideband RF channel (6 or 8 MHz). The lower footprint continues to the bodypacks, which simultaneously handle mic/line and IEM/IFB requirements. Additionally, it offers comprehensive remote control and monitoring capabilities, including audio adjustments, IEM and mic level control, RF health monitoring, and more.
Spectera represents a total shift in control and monitoring: It doesn’t just offer a back channel but continuous two-way communication throughout for truly complete remote control. Via the permanent control data stream, audio settings can be adjusted, IEM and mic levels adapted, RF health and battery status monitoring, and more.
Spectera delivers signature Sennheiser digital audio quality for mics, instruments, and IEMs. It employs different application-optimised audio codecs, which are all internally processed with 32-bit-float precision. Eleven Audio Link Modes allow for selectable control of audio quality, latency, channel count, and operating range for every audio link flexibly throughout production. The operator can always use the RF channel to the maximum by giving fewer high-quality audio links or by allowing more links and reducing the quality accordingly.
Spectera’s wideband solution is ideal for large productions in the touring, broadcasting, or theatre fields, or in any other area that requires multichannel audio setups. It satisfies the customers’ key desires and needs regarding ease of use, operational reliability and flexibility. It minimal hardware significantly reduces frequency coordination, redundancy, and the flexibility of an ecosystem that grows with your needs.
Vipin Pulgania, Sales Director – Pro Audio & Country Manager at Sennheiser India, said, “We are thrilled with the overwhelming response to our Spectera at Broadcasting India,”. He further added, “This innovative solution offers exceptional ease of use, reliability, and flexibility, making it ideal for large-scale productions across various industries. With Spectera, we’re providing a powerful tool that simplifies wireless audio workflows and opens up new creative possibilities, such as immersive 3D audio. We plan to continuously expand the Spectera ecosystem with new hardware, software features, and services.”
Sennheiser’s participation in Broadcasting India 2024 also included offerings like D6K, EW-DX, Shotgun microphones, Broadcast headsets, Profile USB microphones and the recently launched MD421 Kompakt microphone. These innovative products, designed to deliver unparalleled immersive experiences, solidified the company’s position as a leader in the audio industry.
