The transition to digital wireless is inevitable. Advances in high-quality digital converters in smaller packages with reduced power consumption brings the move to an all-digital wireless environment, especially given the increasingly dense spectral landscape of today’s RF environment. So last month, Sennheiser’s unveiling of its new Digital 9000 wireless system wasn’t entirely unexpected.
The culmination of a 10-year effort, and the largest R&D project in the company’s history, Digital 9000 is an all-digital wireless system that can transmit completely uncompressed audio, artifact-free and with superb dynamics. The Digital 9000 system includes the EM 9046 receiver, SKM 9000 handheld and SK 9000 bodypack transmitters and a comprehensive suite of accessories. But what’s also important is that Digital 9000 is designed for high channel counts, with 24-bit audio clarity at 44.1/48/88.2/96 kHz sampling rates.
Inside the Digital 9000 System
This all-digital wireless system features two transmission modes to suit any need and environment. The High Definition (HD) mode will transmit entirely uncompressed, artifact-free audio as if a high-quality cabled microphone were used. A Long Range (LR) mode is also available and is designed to handle difficult transmission environments with many sources of interference. This LR mode ensures maximum range with a proprietary Sennheiser digital audio codec.
In addition to IR synchronization between receivers and transmitters and a convenient antenna loop-through for creating larger receiving systems, Digital 9000 offers a number of unique features. First and foremost, the system does not generate any intermodulation products: The high linearity of the entire system, from transmitters to antennas and receivers and a special transmitter design, make laborious intermod calculations a thing of the past. Transmission frequencies can simply be set in an equally-spaced grid.
The EM 9046 Receiver
The new EM 9046 receiver is housed in a sturdy 4-rackspace mainframe chassis. A large central TFT color LCD screen displays parameters, operations and system status, monitoring and control of eight digital wireless channels. Navigation is fast and intuitive, thanks to the 15 hardware softkeys surrounding the screen and a large data entry wheel. The system is modular and expandable, with a single EM 4096 having the capacity to house up to eight receiver module cards. Besides offering powering to the individual modules and parameter control/monitoring, the EM4096 also offers the ability to measure the attenuation of the antenna feed line (RF cable loss between the receiver and the booster) and can automatically handle amplifier gain in real-time to compensate for the changes. Channels can be monitored via the headphone output — either individually or summed in any combination of channels.
The receiver system covers the UHF range from 470 to 798 MHz (328 MHz bandwidth). To easily integrate the system into an existing infrastructure, the user can choose between transformer-balanced analog or digital AES3 audio output modules, or a mix of both. Both analog and digital output connectors are on individual XLRs as well as D25-sub multicores. LAN connectivity and BNC word clock in/out are also standard.
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System set-up is facilitated by a built-in graphical spectrum analyzer that scans the RF landscape, and an RF level recorder for checking reception and optimizing antenna positions. The receiver will also suggest the best transmission mode for the environment being worked in, and will automatically set an appropriate gain to counteract RF cable losses. The system’s antenna boosters can be controlled via the receiver, which is helpful for installations with remote antenna positions.
The receiver stores up to 10 complete system configurations so that setups can easily be recalled and repeated. As a user-defined option, the multichannel receiver and the transmitters can also use encrypted data transmission, with proprietary keys generated randomly. This will protect a radio link against hijacking and tapping.
The Handhelds
The SKM 9000 handheld transmitter features interchangeable mic capsules. Users can choose from four dedicated 9000 Series microphone heads, plus all evolution wireless G3 and 2000 Series capsules offer plenty of variety for the SKM 9000, as well as two more from Neumann (the KK204 and KK205) — essentially anything that works with existing 2000 Series handheld transmitters.
The SKM 9000 comes with an 88 MHz switching bandwidth and is available in black and nickel finishes. Command-switch versions for easy communication between broadcast units or artists and their crews are also available. The handheld transmits digitally, and does not employ a compander, ensuring a cable-like purity of sound.
The SK 9000 Bodypack
The SK 9000 is easy to hide and easy to attach; it features a magnesium housing that combines a robust build quality with low weight. The transmitter can support a wide range of inputs ranging from lavaliers and headset mics with a 3-pin Lemo connector and has a line input for guitars or other instruments. The SK 9000 is available in four different frequency ranges (88 MHz switching bandwidth); a command switch for communication between crews and artists/reporters is available as an accessory.
Accessorize!
To protect Digital 9000 against unwanted frequencies and interference, the AB 9000 antenna booster has been fitted with eight highly selective filters to allow just a specific frequency window to pass. Unwanted signals are thus blocked out before the first active component, adding to the overall excellent reliability of the system. The filter can be set manually on the booster or remotely via the antenna cable on the receiver.
The AB 9000 provides a maximum gain of 17 dB and is available as a stand-alone booster or integrated into the A 9000 omnidirectional antenna and the AD 9000 directional paddle antenna. Two booster versions (470 to 638 MHz and 630 to 798 MHz) cover the receiver’s UHF range.
Power, Power, Power
The transmitters of the 9000 Series operate on environmentally friendly lithium-ion rechargeable battery packs, with a precise remaining operating time indicated on the handheld and the bodypack transmitter as well as on the receiver. The SKM 9000 is powered via the BA 60 rechargeable battery pack, which powers the transmitter for 5.5 hours. The SK 9000 bodypack is powered by the BA 61, which lasts 6.5 hours. Operation on standard batteries is possible too.
The L 60 charger will recharge two BA 60 or BA 61 in any combination. It reaches 70% of charge in an hour and full charge after three hours, with the charging status being indicated by 3-color LEDs. Up to four chargers can be daisy-chained and powered via a single power supply unit.
Coming Soon
While Digital 9000 marks Sennheiser’s official entry into digital wireless, the company is no newcomer to high-end mainframe wireless systems. In fact, the pricing of the EM 9046 receiver is said to be comparable to the existing EM 1046 analog mainframe, making Digital 9000 a serious contender for discriminating wireless users and applications. Check it out for yourself at booth #823 at the AES show (aes.org) Oct. 27 to 29, 2012 in San Francisco.
For more details, visit sennheiserusa.com.
