Sennheiser is shipping its Spectera wideband wireless ecosystem, a bidirectional system designed to deliver ease of use for RF managers and audio teams.
Spectera puts the power of a multichannel system into a single 1U rack unit and accommodates wireless mics, IEMs, and control data in the same RF channel and a single bodypack.
Hardware includes the Base Station, the bidirectional SEK bodypack, in versions for the TV-UHF and 1.4 GHz bands, the DAD transceiving antennas (also in TV-UHF and 1.4 GHz versions), MADI cards and various accessories. The software for the ecosystem includes the LinkDesk software and the browser-based Spectera WebUI.
Spectera’s small footprint offers gains for warehousing, transport and backstage. It coordinates all mobile devices in the 6 or 8 MHz wide RF channel assigned to it and set up time can be reduced because the extensive frequency calculation and RF cabling of narrowband systems, as well as the complex calculation of power levels for multichannel IEMs, are no longer required.
Spectera allows operators to put both IEMs and mics in the same TV channel. With Spectera offering permanent two-way communication, engineers have full remote control of the wireless system for settings and monitoring, including permanent spectrum sensing, also on the RF channel used by Spectera itself. Thanks to the ecosystem’s low spectral density, it is easier to reuse frequencies than with narrowband wireless, for example between neighbouring theatres.
Productions can choose between various Audio Link Modes to determine the ideal audio quality, latency, channel count, and operating range for every audio link. Mics and IEMs can be added during a show, and thanks to the RF components being part of the DAD transceiving antennas (and not the Base Station), the system does not require any boosters, splitters or combiners.
The new LinkDesk desktop application unlocks the Base Station with the correct, region-specific license, and turns a Mac or PC into a centralised remote control and monitoring centre, with an intuitive workflow for multiple Spectera Base Stations. The software gives the operator comprehensive configuration capabilities, routing and zoning features, such as a choice of Audio Link Modes with varying levels of audio quality, latency, possible audio links and range.
While LinkDesk is the recommended tool for any larger Spectera setup, an individual Base Station can also be monitored and controlled via the browser-based Spectera WebUI. Designed as a streamlined web interface, Spectera WebUI allows system access to the Base Station from any device – phone, tablet, or computer – for setup, configuration, monitoring, and firmware updates.
In future, Spectera will also be integrated into the brand-neutral SoundBase RF planning tool, allowing the coordination of both wideband and narrowband wireless in one software. A mode planner is already available via SoundBase Tools.
Spectera has obtained full regulatory approval and product certification in the EU-27 countries, the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Greenland, Qatar, the UAE, the USA, Canada, Australia (indoor use, outdoor pending), Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and New Zealand (510-606 MHz). Regulatory approval has been granted in South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria, Mexico, Taiwan and Bhutan, with certification still pending. Certification is also pending in India, where a regulatory ruling is not in place.