Wireless is meant to make things easier. It gives freedom to move. It makes set-up times faster. But for many, setting up wireless microphones can be very intimidating. Because of this, Sennheiser decided to create Evolution Wireless Digital, a new series of wireless microphone transmitters complemented with an app-based guiding systems. The new series is still a reliable and robust, professional wireless microphone solution, that just makes wireless easy – whether in corporations or schools.
“We talked with many users prior to the development of Evolution Wireless Digital,” explains Oliver Schmitz, product manager for Evolution Wireless Digital. “It turned out that in the run-up to a corporate or school event, the media admins do not have the time to do extensive frequency scans, they do not want to battle with settings – in brief: they do not want to be forced to become an RF expert to run a wireless microphone. All they want is a mic system that works right away and is reliable, so all they have to do is switch on and go.”
“This is why we came up with an app that does all the planning and guides users through the set-up,” adds Benny Franke, responsible for the software. “An app, where all the expertise is under the hood, and where you don’t have to be a mechanic to drive the car. There were many details that we sweated over so that users can keep their cool before, during and after the event.”
The Smart Assist App guides users through the set-up of their wireless microphone system, in easy steps. “If someone can handle an app, they can handle the RF wireless set-up with ease,” says Benny Franke. An intelligent set-up automatically creates reliable wireless connections, no wireless expertise is required. The app gives access to all system settings, and channels can be named to keep the system organized for the user. At the same time, Bluetooth Low Energy is used only for remote access to the system and making sync’ing with the receiver convenient. The app also includes tutorial videos to get started and provides the operating instructions of the systems all in one place.
Evolution Wireless Digital transmitters have an input dynamic range of 134 dB, five times more than the usual 120 dB. This means that they can pick up everything from a very soft whisper to a jet engine at 50 yards’ distance – and this eliminates the need for a sensitivity setting on the transmitter entirely. The receiver has been set to a gain value covering most applications, which can easily be changed if required. A new user interface makes this an easy task – no complex sub-menus, everything is available at a glance.
As the RF spectrum is increasingly busy in venues, Evolution Wireless Digital (EW-D) takes on the complexity of managing frequencies and helping users have a system working. The app will scan the environment to find open frequencies, and as the EW-D receiver has borrowed technology from Sennheiser’s top Digital 6000 and Digital 9000 series, the wireless microphone systems do not generate any significant intermodulation products. This not only makes for more room in a given frequency window, but the app can also simply set the wireless links at 600kHz intervals without any frequency calculations and is therefore able to fit in more frequencies than a standard mic system would be able to.
As with standard Sennheiser wireless professional audio systems, the new EW-D has a low latency of 1.9 milliseconds and a transmitter battery life of up to 12 hours with the BA 70 rechargeable battery pack, lasting all the way from rehearsing and soundcheck through to the event. A bandwidth of 56MHz with up to 90 channels per band makes it easy to find space even in the most crowded of RF environments.
As a digital system, EW-D does not use a compander and not causing the associated noise floor and artefacts, which makes the Evolution Wireless Digital system perfect for music and performance applications. The system will sound like it’s plugged in with a cable. And for the most demanding applications, the systems can be fitted with newly designed antennas, antenna splitters, boosters, and charging sets. A complete system that will grow with the demands to also accommodate larger multichannel set-ups.
“Whether you are looking for a wireless microphone solution for corporations or for schools, Evolution Wireless Digital will deliver reliable audio. Evolution wireless systems have been praised as allrounders for music and speech. Using them has become easier than ever before, no matter if they support the school’s band, transmit a CEO speech or are used for web streaming live content,” concludes Oliver Schmitz.
Evolution Wireless Digital systems are available now, with a choice of handheld, instrument, lavalier, headmic, combo and base sets. That is the only part that requires the intervention of audio professionals to select the best package for any given application.
www.sennheiser.com/ew-d-business
