46 l May 2014
www.psneurope.com
livefeature
Wireless: the next generation
Cost-effective and easy to deploy, a fresh generation of licence-free wireless audio systems is providing a convenient new approach to small- and medium-sized applications, writes David Davies
PINPOINTING THE exact moment when a new trend emerges can often be easier said that done, but in the case of what we might loosely term “the new wireless”, August 2013 looks like a pretty sound bet – for that was when Neutrik introduced its Xirium digital wireless system for operation in the licence-exempt 5GHz frequency band.
Along with 2.4GHz, 5GHz is one of the two spectrum bands commonly used for Wi-Fi operation. Pro audio’s relationship with licensed operation has always been – to put it mildly – somewhat problematic, but in the post- auction era where PMSE (programme-making and special events) access to spectrum is at a greater premium than ever, it is surely no surprise that demand for solutions able to operate sans licence has intensifi ed. Security of the signal is obviously paramount, but it’s apparent that Neutrik and Harman’s AKG – another fl ag-waver for the new wireless
It might be relatively early days for Neutrik’s Xirium digital wireless audio solution, but the system – which operates without licence in the 5GHz spectrum range – has already garnered some notable references at trade shows and summits, live concerts and other applications. At the recent Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, event product company POOLgroup deployed a system at the Samsung booth comprising one NX4TRX, two NX1TX, two NX1RX and two NXA-10- 60-55 transmitted line signals – two mono channels for the way there, and one mono channel for the way back. The system is said to have “worked
with its DMSTetrad digital wireless microphone system – have gone to great lengths to ensure integrity. And although these two systems in particular might be signifi cant, it’s clear that there are plenty of other manufacturers thinking creatively about wireless audio and its potential trickle-down to smaller applications…
HOPE YOU LIKE OUR NEW DIRECTION Lichtenstein-based Neutrik should require little introduction as an eminent supplier of professional audio, video, fi bre-optic and industrial connectors and interconnect systems. But by the ready admission of Neutrik UK sales executive John Perry, it is not exactly known for its wireless solutions.
“People don’t perceive Neutrik as a wireless
manufacturer, and it does take time to get a few reference projects,” he admits. But already the signs look promising for Xirium, which is designed
perfectly” in a challenging environment characterised by much activity on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. In the UK, Stage Electrics has lately utilised a Xirium system for its client Center Parcs. Comprising one NX4TRX, two NX1RX-T, one NX1TX and four NXA-14-40-35, the system delivers audio during a fi reworks show held twice a week at Center Parcs’ Lake District resort. Operating over a distance of 350m, with three connections around the lake connected wirelessly, the system’s performance is said to have “amazed” the Stage Electrics team.
And lastly (for now), Xirium has been racking up some notable live
“[With Xirium] you can get four channels of uncompressed audio on one Wi-Fi channel … for a lot of events
where mobile and quick setup are important, it is going to be very attractive”
to suit a variety of line-of-sight wireless applications, including HoWs, museums, hotels, colleges and conferences. Perry expands upon the
CASE STUDY: XIRIUM ACCELERATES INTO PRO-AUDIO
touring experience. For the latest European tour by veteran singer- songwriter trio Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN), Xirium has replaced the cables between FOH and the various measuring microphones in the concert hall, which are used to level and calibrate the main PA systems. Transmission of the uncompressed audio measuring signals was achieved with fi xed, sample-accurate latency of 3ms over distances up to 150m.
“Measurements have been sped up drastically and the Xirium system has been very dependable and robust for our purposes,” remarks CSN mix engineer Kevin Madigan.
John Perry, Neutrik
operating principles of the system: “We are really looking at those [environments] where it can be diffi cult to run analogue cables. For example, I recently did an application for Sony at the Brits aftershow where they wanted two Meyer Sound line arrays connected at the other end of a room along a 30m-long marble fl oor,” he says. It wouldn’t really have been practical to run cables and what’s more, “the client certainly did not want to see any.”
Operating in the licence- exempt 5GHz frequency band, Xirium can send or receive up to eight channels of fully uncompressed 24-bit, 48kHz audio with only 3.4 milliseconds of latency per circuit. Xirium also makes use of Neutrik’s in-house designed DIWA (Digital Wireless Audio)
transmit and receive protocol, along with patented FED forward error-correction. To maximise RF coverage, the diversity antenna system can be augmented with optional directional antennas.
The result, claims Neutrik, is robust, noise-free operation, even in heavy local RF traffi c conditions. “With a lot of Wi-Fi protocol you have downtime which means people can hop on the channel, whereas [with DIWA] we are constantly broadcasting to the pack,” explains Perry. Comprising fi ve primary components – the NX4TRX 4ch Base Station, the NX1TX Remote Transmitter TX, the NX1RX Remote Receiver RX, the NX1XT-T Touring Transmitter TX and the NX1RX-T Touring Receiver RX – the Xirium system has already received some notable project credits, including a tour with stalwart rockers Crosby, Stills & Nash (see box). But with an increased channel count on the cards and a radar-detector card set to be added – the latter in line with 2015 regulatory changes – Perry believes that the system has only begun to realise its potential.
“You can get four channels of uncompressed audio on one Wi-Fi channel,” he says, “so
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