Lectrosonics, long a staple of the broadcast, film and theater industries, has introduced the SSM (Super Slight Micro) UHF beltpack transmitter. To say this thing is small is an understatement. It measures 2.52 by 1.48 by 0.57 inches and weighs only 2.3 ounces. And even referring to this a beltpack transmitter is somewhat of a misnomer, as it could easily be placed in hats, costumes or a performer’s wig. It’s the ideal solution in many film and theater applications — essentially, wherever you need to conceal that you are wearing a transmitter.
Enter the SSM
A part of the company’s landmark Digital Hybrid Wireless Series, the SSM is made to work with receivers that include Lectrosonics’ UCR411A, SR Series, L Series and Venue Series. It also has a compatibility mode for use with analog receivers. For my test, I used the SSM with Venue Series VRM, a single rackspace unit that accepts up to six plug-in receiver modules enabling the use of up to six transmitters simultaneously, each has an individual XLR audio output. Each module offers diversity reception and 256 user-selectable frequencies. My test unit was a Wideband Low model that covers blocks from 470.100 MHz to 691.100 MHz, mounted with VRT tracking filtered modules.
The SSM tunes across three standard Lectrosonics frequency blocks, or about 76 MHz, depending on the specific band. Three bands are available. RF power is selectable at 25 mW or 50 mW for flexibility to suit various applications.
Transmitter powering is provided by a rechargeable NP-50, 3.7-volt Lithium-ion battery that provides about six hours of operation per charge. Not only are the NP-50 batteries compact (about the size of a Compact Flash card), but these are also used in an assortment of consumer digital cameras, and the batteries are widely available and inexpensive.
Operations
The face of the SSM features an LCD screen (actually fairly easy to read considering how small it is), along with input LEDs indicating -20 and -10 levels, a battery condition LED and five buttons for setting power, audio parameters, frequency and two up/down (increment/decrement) buttons.
When powering up, you must hold the power button on for several seconds. A count from 1 to 3 will appear on the LCD. Briefly pushing the power button will turn the unit on, but will not turn the RF on. Likewise, powering down, you must hold the button to the completion of the countdown before the unit switches off — a nice touch to avoid accidental power-downs if the unit is touched or jostled by an actor during a performance.
There is a slight learning curve to know how to get into the various menus. Luckily, there is a quick-start guide. There is also a helpful cheat sheet sticker under the battery compartment door that provides a useful reminder for accessing functions. Lectrosonics’ online resources are very good too. An online full manual and data sheet are clear, well written and most informative.
To access the Down button menu, hold the down button while powering up. You can then use the Audio button to scroll through the settings in this menu. Once you’ve selected a setting you can use the up /down buttons to change your settings. The settings available in this menu are remote control operation on/off, power back on after a power loss, and back light duration for LCD display.
To access the Up button menu, start by holding down the Up button while powering up the unit. Again, you can use the Audio button to scroll through the various settings and make you selection with the up and down buttons. The settings available in this menu are compatibility mode so you can set the receiver model or type and RF power output (you can select 25 mW or 50 mW).
In the Field
Other settings in the Up button menu include input configuration. I was pleased to find not only mic/line level, but presets for some specific mics that would be commonly used with a wireless system like this. You can also manually set the bias voltage, the impedance and the phase. Also in the Up menu you can set the Frequency and Audio Gain. Setting the gain can be accomplished by monitoring the input gain LEDs on the face of the unit. A chart in the quick start guide shows what the LEDs need to look like to get optimum performance. It is best to adjust your input gain in standby mode (remember that “power on but no RF” setting.) This way you don’t get any surprises coming through your mains during setup.
Once you’ve set up compatibility and found an open frequency in your receiver, you can quickly set up the transmitter by matching it through an infrared signal. The SSM is equipped with an infrared port and can receive information from the receiver, provided it is also infrared-equipped. In this case, the Venue receiver I was using was. Just hold the ports facing each other, and the transmitter will display a message that says “IR Snc” when the transfer is successful.
Listening Time
I tested the system using a DPA d:screet 4063 omnidirectional microphone. The 4063 connects to the SSM with a Lemo 00 Series 3-pin connector — it’s not my favorite beltpack connector (nearly impossible to repair in the field), but is rugged, reliable and extremely compact.
The Venue receiver came with frequency block 19 installed. So, I tested the system at mostly around 499 MHz. The SSM transmitter tunes across a range of over 76 MHz. This tuning range covers three standard Lectrosonics frequency blocks: A1, 470.1 MHz to 537.5 MHz; B1, 537.6 MHz to 614.3 MHz; and C1, 614.4 MHz to 691.1 MHz. This provides a total of 3,072 possible frequencies to choose from.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is the unit worked flawlessly. I couldn’t get it to fail. Clear signal. No dropouts, breathing or weird artifacts. Clearly, Lectrosonics made no audio compromises in creating the ultra-compact design of the SSM. And the unit delivers audio performance with a clarity that equals or exceeds that of most full-sized bodypack transmitters.
But then, let’s face it. This is not your nephew’s garage band wireless. This is a serious tool for those who depend on serious wireless to get the job done.
At a Glance
Small Unit, Huge Performance
With the SSM (Super Slight Micro), Lectrosonics offer a wireless transmitter with superior performance, yet in a ultra-compact body that’s ideal for applications where the RF unit must be discreetly sized and easy to hide in a performer.
Lectrosonics SSM
PROS: Great sound. Highly reliable. Backwards compatible with older receivers. Rechargeable NP-50 batteries are long lasting and easily available.
CONS: Accessing the menus can be a little troublesome to start with.
Price: $1,998
Manufacturer: Lectrosonics
More Info: www.lectrosonics.com
JJ Jenkins, a studio and live sound engineer, is based in the San Francisco Bay area.
