A highlight of this year's products will be Sennheiser's flagship Digital 9000 Series. Launched at IBC 2012, Digital 9000 is a digital wireless system that can transmit completely uncompressed audio, artefact-free and with superb dynamics. Targeting broadcasting professionals, (musical) theatres and high-profile live audio events; Digital 9000 sets a new benchmark in digital wireless transmission. The system, which includes the EM 9046 receiver, SKM 9000 handheld and SK 9000 bodypack transmitters, and a comprehensive suite of accessories, has been meticulously designed for the highest channel counts in today's increasingly dense frequency environment.
Meanwhile, Sennheiser Solutions UK - an engineering offshoot of Sennheiser UK - has introduced two new products which are designed to enable remote receiving aerials for radio microphones to be placed at much greater distances than previously possible. On show for the first time, the FO-TX2-EC Fibre Optical Transmitter and FO-RX2-EC Fibre Optical Receiver are compact units that allow radio mic receiving aerials to be placed at up to 25km from their associated receivers. By allowing the antennas to be placed at much greater distances from the receivers than would be possible using any type of coaxial cable, they are ideal for coverage of events which are spread over large sites - for example golf courses, tennis clubs, horse and motor racing circuits.
Built into a weatherproof 1200 Peli Case, the FO-TX2-EC transmitter is designed to convert the UHF radio signals from two receiving antenna feeds and transmit them down two cores of single mode optical fibre. Powered locally by 240V AC, 12V DC or a Vlock battery housed inside the case, the unit measures just 260 x 246 x 124 mm, with a 3/8" Whitworth thread adaptor provided to allow for flexible mounting solutions.
The FO-RX2-EC receiver converts the signal from the FO-TX2-EC transmitter back to two RF outputs. Powered by a supplied adaptor, the half-rack unit is designed to be mounted alongside a Sennheiser ASA-1 Active RF Distribution unit for additional distribution of wireless signals.
Other notable products on show will be the new MKE 600 shotgun mic and MKH 8090 wide cardioid condenser microphone, as well as the new KH 310 studio monitor from sister company, Neumann.
(Jim Evans)
