Specifications
The SpectraPulse system supports the use of up to 14 channels in one location, which is more than enough for most conferences. It appears to be designed around two seven-channel blocks, in that the aci707 supports seven channels.
Audio frequency response is 100 Hz – 12 kHz, plenty for speech applications but not optimum for full-range program material.
But again, the system is designed for conference applications rather than for theater or live music, and by eliminating the need for a compander, audio quality is comparable to traditional FM systems.
Range is quoted as up to 75 feet, which is more than enough in this application.
Here’s an interesting specification: the average RF output from the transmitters is 40 nanowatts. This is several orders of magnitude less than the typical analog FM or even digital modulation systems that have outputs in the range of 10 to 100 milliwatts.
Part of the key to understanding the A-T spec is that this is the average of a pulsed system. The peak output of any pulse is undoubtedly much higher than this but only for a very short duration (2 ns).
A/D and D/A conversion are 16 bit, and overall latency is an impressively low 1.1 ms. Normally, this would indicate a high sample rate, but in this case, the sample rate is 24 kHz, thus the audio frequency response extending “only” to 12 kHz.
The link between transmitters and receiver is bi-directional, allowing for muting if synch is lost, and reacquisition occurs in only 3 ms after sync loss.
Data encryption is offered as an optional feature by adding the sep128 software package. AES – Level 3 standard 128-bit encryption gives this system the edge over some other digital wireless products. If you need data security, this is a very robust way to go.
Cost
I found that the mtu101 transmitter has a street price of about $890, which is right in there with what AKG and Lectrosonics offer for digital transmitters. The drm141 antenna/receiver seems to have a street price of about $8,600, which seems expensive until you consider that it can work with up to 14 channels – about $615 per channel.
The aci707 carries a price of about $4,600 and handles up to seven channels, or about $660 per channel. All in all, if you were to purchase a complete 14-channel system, this works out to about $2,100 per channel. This is not inexpensive, but there are several systems that cost significantly more.
Conclusions
All in all, this is a very impressive piece of technology and shows that Audio-Technica has vision and was willing to take a substantial risk with large R&D project outside the “normal” realm of wireless microphones.
The result really shows promise, particularly for installed applications where very long range is not needed, but data security, ease of setup and basically invisible operation are required.
It will be interesting to see if A-T is able to refine this technology even further to provide products applicable for use in touring, theater, and other types of productions.
Signing off for now…
Mike Wireless
Mike Wireless is the nom de plume of a long-time RF geek devoted to better entertainment wireless system practices the world over.
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