New WMAS Standard Promises More-Flexible, Protected Wireless Operations Shure, Sennheiser establish early beachheads in what could be a game-changer By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Wednesday, November 6, 2024 - 7:00 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The lengthy narrative around the arrival of Wireless Multichannel Audio Systems is seemingly at its end. In October, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) conferred its bureaucratic blessing on the RF technology that allows significantly denser multiplexing of audio channels onto a single wideband RF carrier. Referred to by the only slightly less unwieldy acronym WMAS, the new standard promises an easier and more flexible wireless workflow and greater protection for other services sharing the same frequency band. It is widely considered a game-changer for managing wireless signals in a narrower, denser spectral environment in the wake of multiple spectrum reductions over the past two decades.
The approval has also opened a new front in the wireless-microphone competition, one in which two of the sector's largest brands, Sennheiser and Shure, have quickly staked substantial claims.
Sennheiser's Joe Ciaudelli: With WMAS, you're using the same RF channel and the same amount of bandwidth for [multiple mics] as for one.
It is definitely the start of a new era of wireless-microphone technology, says Joe Ciaudelli, director, spectrum and innovation, Sennheiser. Noting the nearly six years the FCC spent considering the technology and the eight months, from February to October, it took to publish its finding in the Federal Register, he adds, We expect the competition to be rigorous.
Shure Senior Director, Product Management, Nick Wood puts the arrival of WMAS into broad context: Any change in the UHF TV bands is a really big deal given the changes that have happened over the past 20 years, most of which affected access to spectrum. This one is a great development because it changes what we can do with it, and Shure has been determined to push the envelope with spectrum efficiency. What can be done with the spectrum that we have and the WMAS regulations unlock a new innovation space for us. We want to use that to let the people who produce these events, including broadcast sports, to be able to do more with the spectrum they have that day and be able to say yes to one more wireless microphone.
Two Competitive Fronts Sennheiser's flagship WMAS offering is the Spectera line, introduced at IBC in September (the technology is already an ETSI standard in Europe) and demonstrated at the Americas Spectrum Management Conference in Washington, DC, last month. It features wideband, bidirectional bodypacks and a central unit that can handle up to 32 I/O. Its bidirectional wireless ecosystem supports data and audio control in a single RF carrier for all components and for such parameters as IEM volume, audio level and settings, RF health, and battery status. Sennheiser asserts that it is able to accommodate an entire production in a single wideband (6- or 8-MHz) RF carrier.
Shure's entry takes the form of a new iteration of the company's Axient wireless series: Axient Digital PSM combines its first digital wireless in-ear monitoring solution with its first WMAS-enabled product. It was announced Oct. 22 (although it had been selectively previewed privately two weeks earlier during the AES/NAB expo in New York, at which Sennheiser did not exhibit). Stereo capability enables Axient Digital PSM to operate as two discrete channels, allowing a stereo audio channel to function effectively as two mono IFB channels. Additionally, the capability to send Dante signals to the Audio Digital Transmission Exchange (ADTX) simplifies routing. The WMAS wideband implementation supports up to 28 channels per 6 MHz in the U.S. and 40 channels per 8 MHz in Europe; a narrowband mode provides access to more RF output power per channel while maintaining spectral efficiency at 17 channels per 6 MHz.
Changing the Game The new FCC rules will allow WMAS to operate in the broadcast-TV bands and in the 600 MHz duplex gap on both a licensed and an unlicensed basis and in other Part 74 LPAS (low-power auxiliary stations) frequency bands on a licensed basis. Power restrictions are 50 mW in the VHF-TV bands, 250 mW conducted power in the UHF band, 20 mW in the 600 MHz duplex gap (653-657 MHz), 250 mW conducted power in the 1435-1525 MHz band, and 1 W conducted power in all other bands, according to the FCC's website. WMAS will enable more wireless microphones to operate in the available spectrum (more microphones per megahertz of spectrum), providing additional options when more microphones are needed.
The WMAS rules do not alter existing spectrum rights or expectations regarding spectrum access and availability related to other authorized users' sharing the frequency bands with wireless-microphone operations (including, for example, broadcast licensees, Wi-Fi, and white-space-device users).
Sennheiser's Take For broadcast-sports applications, Ciaudelli - who contends that Spectera is the most innovative product the nearly 80-year-old company has ever produced - notes a broadcaster's typical complement of one transmitter for a microphone and one receiver for an IFB. That, he says, can be condensed into a single transceiver using Spectra WMAS. There's a similar benefit for large-scale events, such as the Olympics, in which various echelons of wireless mics are in either active or on standby status as a production unfolds.
With WMAS, he explains, you could give the vast majority of the spectral resources to the mics that are currently on-air. The mics that are, let's say, on deck' you give just enough resources to make sure that they remain linked to the base station in a ready mode. You're using the
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
01/07/2026
Chyron Launches the All-New Chyron Academy: A Reimagined, Hands-On Learning Expe...
01/07/2026
Amplium Captures Kawasaki Brave Thunders Game with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersiv...
01/07/2026
Boris FX Optics Expands Plugin Support to Apple Photos, Capture One, and Affinit...
01/07/2026
UKTV has today announced the appointment of Matt Berry to the newly created role of General Manager - Marketing, effective 1 July.
Matt will take on this senio...
01/07/2026
Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign featuring Deborah Meaden challenges consumers to rethink everyday bathroom wasteWednesday 1 July 2026
Fussy asks Bri...
01/07/2026
Constituency-level analysis reveals where girls miss out most on sport - and where targeted action could unlock more than £640 million in economic and health be...
01/07/2026
Wuppertal July 1, 2026
Riedel and SKAARHOJ Expand Collaboration With SimplyLive IntegrationRiedel Communications today announced an expanded collaboration wit...
01/07/2026
Apple today introduced power-packed updates to Apple Creator Studio, a groundbre...
New WMAS Standard Promises More-Flexible, Protected Wireless Operations Shure, Sennheiser establish early beachheads in what could be a game-changer By Dan Daley, Audio Editor 
