Astral ARX8
4-, 6-, or 8-Channel Portable True-Diversity Wireless Receiver with SpectraBand.
- 4-channel ultra-high-performance, true-diversity receivers in a half-rack size (8.0” x 6.6” x 1.6” / 20.3cm x 16.8cm x 4.1cm).
- Expandable to 6 or 8 channels via Astral ARX8 2-Channel Expansion Licenses.
- 169 MHz – 1525 MHz tuning range via SpectraBand Technology.
- NexLink: integrated, long-distance remote control of all wireless transmitters, including group power on/off.
- AutoAssign: automatic deployment of clean frequencies in seconds.
- Integrated Real Time Spectrum Analyzer (RTSA) and scanning for intuitive frequency coordination.
- Flexible powering: via DC input, 8-Series, or AC mains (with optional adapter).
- DB-25 connector for 8 channels of mic, line, or AES outputs.
- Wide, 6.2” color OLED array with touch for control and monitoring.
- Astral-QuickDock allows docking and undocking in seconds from 8-Series mixer-recorders with no tools or additional hardware.
- Supports GainForward Architecture: No gain setting on the Astral transmitter. Adjust gain at the receiver or mixer.
- 100% digital long-range modulation delivers the longest transmission distance of any digital system on the market.
- RF SAW filters for excellent rejection of interference from nearby IFB or camera hop transmitters.
- Excellent audio quality, full 10 Hz – 20 kHz audio bandwidth.
- BNC timecode input for auto timecode sync of transmitters over NexLink.
- Front panel and rear panel BNC antenna inputs. Compatible with passive and bias-powered antennas
- Supports control of the Wisycom LFA smart antenna.
- Cascade out option on rear BNCs for cascading multiple Astral ARX8 units.
- USB-A port for thumb drives, keyboards, transmitter pairing, and timecode syncing. Supports USB hubs.
- On-the-fly audio output routing changes directly from the Astral HH and Astral TX. Ideal for talkback, guitar tuning etc.
- Ad-hoc handoff of transmitters’ Nexlink control between Astral receivers, ideal for large reality shows
- Flexible tone routing matrix
Ready
When you’re doing bag work, you need a high-quality, high-channel-count audio receiver that won’t weigh you down. The Astral ARX8 true diversity wireless receiver was made with portability in mind. It comes with four receiver channels, and can be expanded to six and eight channels via software license, without additional hardware. Need to transition to a rack or cart? The Astral ARX8 receiver’s half-unit size will save you space there, too. It’s ready for anything.
Set.
The Astral ARX8 receiver has an advanced set of features inherent in the Astral family of products, including:
SpectraBand
The Astral ARX8 receiver utilizes the unparalleled SpectraBand tuning range of 169 – 1525 MHz, allowing you the ability to find open spectrum, even in the busiest UHF TV band
GainForward
No more stopping the action on set. No more adjusting the transmitter gain on the talent. You can set your levels and make adjustments at your Astral ARX8 receiver and not at the transmitter with GainForward.
Go.
The Astral-ARX8 receiver is ready to go the distance, thanks to Sound Devices’ proprietary NexLink protocol.
NexLink
By utilizing the NexLink protocol, the Astral-ARX8 receiver has full long-range remote control of transmitters, even in the presence of on-set 2.4 GHz interference.
RTSA
With NexLink and the Astral-ARX8 receiver’s integrated RTSA (Real Time Spectrum Analyzer), you can visually monitor the changing RF environment without interrupting the audio or a shoot.
AutoAssign
Save time on set. The AutoAssign function automatically scans the current tuning band for clean frequencies and assigns them to multiple channels. The clean frequencies are then automatically pushed to transmitters linked to the NexLink protocol. This is all done with one button in mere seconds.