Sennheiser Offers Entry-Level Wireless Mic
At the 2009 NAB Show, Sennheiser introduced the 2000 Series, a professional, entry-level wireless microphone system. Handheld and body-pack transmitters with single or twin receivers are available for stage, broadcasting, and installed sound applications.
This week at the 2009 NAB Show in Las Vegas, Sennheiser has introduced the 2000 Series, a professional, entry-level wireless microphone system. Handheld and body-pack transmitters with single or twin receivers are available for stage, broadcasting, and installed sound applications. For monitors, users can combine the diversity receivers of the series with single or twin monitor transmitters.
“The [important] features of the 2000 Series are a high-level of frequency flexibility and multichannel capability with professional control via the Wireless Systems Manager software, delivering a well-thought-out menu structure and superb audio quality,” said Dawn Birr, product manager for professional wireless systems. “In addition, the 2000 Series is backwards compatible with all generations of evolution wireless products and the familiar professional accessories of our 3000 and 5000 Series, including clip-on microphones, antennas, boosters, and combiners.”
According to the company, the 2000 Series makes multichannel setup fast and simple. Depending on the UHF range, the units have a switching bandwidth of up to 72 MHz in the United States, in which up to 64 compatible frequency presets are available for microphones and up to 32 for monitoring systems. The rack-mount units can transmit their frequency data, name, sensitivity, low cut, and more to the corresponding portable transmitters or receivers via an IR interface.
An antenna loop-through socket and an integrated active splitter allow up to eight rack receivers to be daisy-chained. The systems can be conveniently monitored and controlled by a PC, and all rack-mount transmitters and receivers are equipped with an Ethernet socket. The Wireless Systems Manager provides a range of functions and is currently the only software available that can monitor and control semi-professional and professional microphone and monitoring systems of different generations at the same time, according to the company.
In order to focus either on maximum operational reliability for multichannel applications or on a greater range, depending on the application, the transmitter output power can be switched between 10, 30, 50, and 100 mW.
The 2000 Series has an audio frequency response of 25 or 80 Hz to 20,000 Hz. For the SKM 2000 handheld transmitter, all capsules from the Evolution Series can be used. From July onwards, the microphone head of the 965 true condenser microphone will also be available for the handheld transmitter. The body-pack transmitter is equipped with a special three-pole plug and can be used with all professional clip-on microphones from Sennheiser.
The monitoring system features a compact diversity receiver with metal housing. In addition to mono and stereo settings, the EK 2000 IEM also has Focus mode, which allows users to set their personal mix of their own voice or instrument and the band. At the monitor transmitters with five-band graphic equalizer, the audio signal can be looped through to further transmitters, meaning that the band signal needs only be picked up once at the mixing console before being made available to all band members.
All portable transmitters and receivers can be powered either by standard batteries or by rechargeable accupacks, and have external charging contacts (except fort the plug-on transmitter). When turned off, the portable units have very low power consumption, the company says, so the accupacks remain charged even during long periods without use.
The 2000 Series handheld transmitter, body-pack transmitter, and receiver will be available next month, while the monitoring system is scheduled to be available in June.
