
It's about time: Sennheiser Spectera offers step change in digital wireless technology By Kevin Emmott
Monday, September 23, 2024 - 10:42
Print This Story
(L-R): Sennheiser's Vice President Sales EMEA Christophe Van Den Berghe, Category Market Manager Theresa Vondran and CEO Andreas Sennheiser at the Spectera launch event
It's been almost 70 years since Fritz Sennheiser invented the world's first ever wireless microphone in 1957, and wireless audio technology has worked pretty much the same way ever since. So, when Sennheiser unveiled a spectacular new way of managing wireless signals at a glitzy launch event at De Hallen Studio's in Amsterdam during IBC2024, you would be forgiven for thinking it's about time.
And you'd be right, in more ways than one.
Sennheiser says Spectera is the world's first wideband, bidirectional, digital wireless ecosystem and it is literally all about time. Not just the 11 years Sennheiser has been developing the idea of managing wireless signals with broadband technology, or the six years it has spent lobbying the FCC, or the 18 months of dedicated development since the company first announced its Wireless Multi-Channel Audio System (WMAS) technology in March 2023.
Time is Spectera's defining feature because it is central to its technology.
Introduced on stage by CEO Andreas Sennheiser, Spectera represents a step change in digital wireless technology. Using Sennheiser's WMAS technology, Spectera does a whole bunch of stuff. It reduces wireless system complexity, it increases capability, it simplifies setup, and it does all this with way less equipment. It delivers full remote control and monitoring (including permanent spectrum sensing); it is highly resistant to RF fading; and its compact bidirectional bodypacks deal with digital IEM/IFB and mic/line signals as well as control data simultaneously, and in the same wideband RF channel.
Oh, and its base station can handle up to 64 wireless audio links (32 in/32 out) in just 1U of space.
Challenges
It's a lot, so it's no surprise that Andreas Sennheiser admits that it was a challenging development.
There's not a single challenge there but a multitude of challenges that you have to overcome in order to create a system that's really compelling, he says. Whether that's working with the authorities on regulations for the use of the RF broadband spectrum, the development of a brand-new transmission scheme, or the software integration. There are so many moving parts that we had to totally rethink.
It's the first time in 65 years that we're not just transmitting on one carrier, and therefore it's right to say that this is a new era in wireless transmission, but from the beginning we had a system in mind that didn't operate like a transmitter and receiver; we envisioned a system that would make it simpler for the customer to do their job now and be able to evolve in the future to cater for future needs.
A different approach
At the centre of everything is Sennheiser's WMAS, a development which began in 2013 and took many years working alongside the authorities to get adopted. For decades, narrow-band microphones have always stipulated a maximum RF transmission bandwidth of 200kHz, but in 2017 Sennheiser's work with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) resulted in getting WMAS included in EN 300 422-1.
A year later the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) removed bandwidth limits from its own recommendations for wireless microphones, and Sennheiser filed a Petition for Rulemaking with the FCC to request a modification in their bandwidth specifications for wireless microphones. This led to the FCC permitting operation of WMAS in the US earlier this year.
Spectera was launched just a few months later.
It's the first time in 65 years that we're not just transmitting on one carrier, and therefore it's right to say that this is a new era in wireless transmission
Instead of using those individual 200kHz narrowband RF carrier frequencies, WMAS uses a single wideband RF channel for the bidirectional transmission of audio and control data; in fact, it uses a TV channel of 6 or 8MHz.
The system coordinates itself by organising every single audio link within this channel, whether it's a mic or an IEM, and every signal is assigned a specific time slot for transmitting its audio information. This makes it possible to have multiple IEMs and mics in the same TV channel instead of two channels separated by a guard band, which makes setup easier by massively simplifying frequency coordination, not to mention the reduction in the amount of kit required to do it, especially for larger productions.
In addition, as every audio link uses the full width of the RF channel when it is its turn to do so, it greatly reduces RF fading as well.
Four areas of development
The system is made up of four main components.
Spectera's Base Station squeezes 32 inputs and 32 outputs in a 1U footprint, and it can accommodate up to two RF wideband channels. It is frequency-agnostic, and activation of the respective local licence automatically loads the authorised frequency ranges. It is also extremely robust with two PSUs, primary and secondary Dante connections, two slots for optional redundant MADI connections, and four antenna ports. These ports not only allow for redundancy, but also for extended, synchronised antenna zone coverage or higher system capacity by using additional frequency ranges.
The system's bodypacks are just as hardworking, handling mic/line and IEM/IFB requirements at the same time; this means less equipment for the talent to carry, and less equipment for the sound crew to store, pack, test and fit. They feature a 3-pin connector for a lavalie
More from Sports Video Group
15/05/2026
Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...
15/05/2026
Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...
15/05/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...
15/05/2026
Netflix has announced an expanded NFL schedule for 2026 and beyond under a four-year partnership extension with the NFL through the 2029-30 season. Each season,...
15/05/2026
Ateme is supporting TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia) with a contribution and d...
15/05/2026
Concacaf has announced the launch of a new website and mobile app built on Deltatre's FORGE platform. Concacaf.com and the mobile app, available on iOS and ...
15/05/2026
Eutelsat has announced the launch of QBC Business Economic Channel by Qatar Media Corporation, broadcasting in 4K/UHD via Eutelsat's 7/8 West video neighbo...
15/05/2026
Major League Soccer has announced four original content series timed to the 2026...
15/05/2026
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has announced it will exhibit and present at InfoComm 2026, taking place June 13-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Cente...
15/05/2026
InfoComm 2026 will take place June 13-19 (exhibits June 17-19) at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show will include sessions and exhibits covering broadcas...
15/05/2026
Tracy McGrady's Ones Basketball League (OBL) and FuboTV Inc. have announced ...
15/05/2026
Disguise has partnered with Creative Technology (CT) to deliver visual playback ...
15/05/2026
Sony Electronics has announced two new products for professional imaging: the Alpha 7R VI full-frame mirrorless camera and the FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS super-te...
15/05/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
15/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
15/05/2026
For sports organizations, the most valuable assets are often the most sensitive:...
15/05/2026
The NFL's broadcast partners released their 2026 regular season schedules ye...
15/05/2026
When MMA icons Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano meet inside the Hexagon at Intuit Do...
14/05/2026
Sweetwater and Airstream have announced a custom-built Dolby Atmos mobile recording studio inside an Airstream trailer, set to tour music festivals, schools, tr...
14/05/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has announced a new par...
14/05/2026
ESPN has announced plans to transform Santa Monica Beach into a broadcast hub du...
14/05/2026
Amagi has announced a significant update to Amagi CLOUDPORT, its cloud-based broadcast playout platform. The update includes 250-plus features shipped in FY25-2...
14/05/2026
Clear-Com will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7005, June 17-19, Las Vegas Convention Center), introducing a new product that builds on Arcadia Central Station...
14/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit at BroadcastAsia 2026 (Stand 5D3-1, Singapore Expo, May 20-22), introducing two new viewfinders alongside its existing camera, control, and...
14/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside ...
14/05/2026
NAGRAVISION, a Kudelski Group company, has announced a partnership with the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) to launch Play Snooker,...
14/05/2026
Belden Inc. has announced a definitive agreement to acquire RUCKUS Networks from Vistance Networks for approximately $1.85 billion. The transaction has been app...
14/05/2026
NVIDIA has released the Content Localization Blueprint, a modular reference arch...
14/05/2026
Disney has announced that Disney will be the exclusive U.S. streaming home of the Banana Bowl, the Banana Ball league season championship, streaming live this ...
14/05/2026
Arkona technologies and technology partner manifold will demonstrate their production solutions on the Magna Systems and Engineering stand (Booth 5D1-1) at Broa...
14/05/2026
Haivision will host a webinar on Thursday, May 21 at 10 a.m. ET / 4 p.m. CET cov...
14/05/2026
The CW Network and ESPN have announced a sublicense broadcast agreement for The CW to televise ACC football and men's and women's college basketball gam...
14/05/2026
The agreement marks Scripps Sports' first NBA local rights deal...
14/05/2026
A new report from education-technology company Wiingy testing post-ChatGPT predictions against three years of real-world data has identified broadcasting as one...
14/05/2026
Global Citizen and FIFA have announced that Madonna, Shakira, and BTS will headl...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...