Shure Announces Axient Digital Wireless WMAS In Ear Monitoring System

It didn’t take long for Shure to make its own WMAS (Wireless Multichannel Audio System) product announcement, leveraging the superior RF performance and audio quality associated with the multichannel wideband technology that significantly increases spectral efficiency. The new Shure Digital PSM wireless in ear monitor system is powered with WMAS innovation, and will be available early 2025. A solution that offers unmatched flexibility and scalability for monitor engineers, RF engineers, and rental houses.

Following a few intense days in the extremely warm and dry environment in Berlin, attending IFA 2024 - the Big CE Supermarket as I called it in my 2015 report - it felt great to move on to Amsterdam and attend the vibrant International Broadcasting Convention (IBC). Great, if it wasn't for the sudden change in weather with unexpected rain and a sudden drastic drop in temperature. IBC 2024 was a vibrant show with historical announcements from Sennheiser and Genelec, but our report also highlights the impressive expansion of Dante audio networking in this important industry segment. And many other reasons why everyone was happy to be at IBC.

At IBC 2024, Sennheiser unveiled Spectera, the world's first wideband, bidirectional, digital wireless ecosystem for microphones and monitoring. A major breakthrough for the company, the announcement follows the gradual global regulatory approval for the use of Wireless Multi-Channel Audio Systems (WMAS) technology. Designed to meet the challenges of highly demanding live performance and studio applications, Sennheiser is first-to market with this advanced wireless technology.

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) approved a change in its regulation that now permits operation of Wireless Multichannel Audio Systems (WMAS) in the United States. WMAS is an advanced wireless microphone technology designed to meet the challenges of highly demanding live performance and studio applications. Sennheiser started development work on WMAS over ten years ago and, in August 2018, the company filed a Petition for Rulemaking with the FCC requesting a modification in the bandwidth limit specified for wireless microphones.

WMAS is the not-very-imaginative acronym for Wireless Multi-Channel Audio Systems, a technology and system approach that Sennheiser has been developing for over 10 years. The German company is currently having meetings with regulatory bodies, and promoting demonstrations to high-profile wireless users and decision-makers. Reasons enough for Sennheiser to decide to unveil details about the upcoming new type of wireless audio transmission technology.