A wireless microphone is meant to make things easier. It gives users the freedom to perform and makes set-up times faster. But for many musicians who are their own technician, wireless microphones can be a nuisance or even intimidating. Sennheiser announces a product designed to bring simplicity to wireless – the Evolution Wireless Digital. The series introduces an app-based workflow designed to retain all the professionality, multi-channel capability and reliability associated with UHF and 1G8 microphones.
“We talked with dozens of bands prior to the development of Evolution Wireless Digital,” explains Oliver Schmitz, product manager for Evolution Wireless Digital. “Many band members are in fact multitasking, driving the gig bus, setting the wireless up, performing on stage, doing the accounting, the marketing, you name it. They do not want to become experts at RF, they do not want to scan a venue for open frequencies, they do not want to battle with settings. They just want something that works right away, so all they have to do is switch on and go.”
“This is why we came up with an app that does all the planning for you and guides you through the set-up,” adds Benny Franke, responsible for the software. “An app, where all the expertise is under the hood, and where you don’t have to be a mechanic to drive the car. There were many details that we sweated over so that you can keep your cool before, during and after the show.”
Smart Assist App
Designed to be a pocket engineer, the app guides users through the set-up. “If you can handle an app, you can handle the RF wireless set-up with ease,” says Benny Franke. An intelligent set-up automatically creates the wireless connections, so no wireless expertise is required. Users can name the channels to stay organized, and have access to all system settings. Bluetooth Low Energy allows for remote access to the system and makes sync’ing with the receiver convenient. The app also includes tutorial videos presented by Benny Franke to get started and provides the operating instructions of the systems all in one place.
Microphone transmitters
Evolution Wireless Digital transmitters have an input dynamic range of 134 dB, five times the usual 120 dB. They are designed to pick up everything from a very soft whisper to a jet engine at 50 yards’ distance – and eliminate the need for a sensitivity setting on the transmitter. The receiver has been set to a gain value covering most applications, which users can change if desired. A new user interface makes everything available at a glance with no complex sub-menus.
No frequency calculation
More and more RF is appearing on stage but Evolution Wireless Digital (EW-D) app will scan the environment to find open frequencies. EW-D has borrowed tech from Sennheiser’s Digital 6000 and Digital 9000 series and does not generate any significant intermodulation products. This makes for more room in a given frequency window and the app can set the wireless links at 600 kHz intervals without any frequency calculation and can fit in more frequencies than a standard mic system.
EW-D has a low latency of 1.9 milliseconds and a transmitter battery life of up to 12 hours with the BA 70 rechargeable battery pack. A bandwidth of 56 MHz with up to 90 channels per band handles the most crowded of RF environments.
As a digital system, EW-D does not use a compander eliminating the associated noise floor and artefacts.
The ADP UHF remote antenna features cut-outs to reduce wind load
Accessories include newly designed antennas to antenna splitters, boosters, charging sets to expand the system and accommodate larger multi-channel set-ups for in-person and streamed live shows.
EW-D handheld transmitters couple with any Sennheiser or Neumann wireless capsule. This includes the Neumann KK 205 and KK 204, the new Sennheiser MM 435 and MM 445 as well as the Digital 9000 capsules.
“Whether you are a singer/songwriter doing your first gigs and want to use your own microphone system, or a band tech who has mics, IEMs and a mixer in one convenient rack and uses a mixing app – Evolution Wireless Digital will perfectly fit into your preferred usage scenario, no matter whether you are planning an in-person or a streamed live gig,” concludes Oliver Schmitz.
Evolution Wireless Digital is available now, with a choice of handheld, instrument, lavalier, headmic, combo and base sets.
