Tag: NexLink

User-customizable Astral HH with global RF tuning range sets new standard for wireless handheld microphones 

Sound Devices, an Audiotonix company, has launched many disruptive technologies over the years, and it is once again changing the game with the introduction of the Astral HH digital wireless handheld microphone. The Astral HH not only combines the best audio and RF performance in the industry, but it makes customization far easier than ever before. The Astral HH handheld microphone features Sound Devices Astral^® functionality, such as a 470-1525MHz global tuning range, as well as the impeccable sound quality Sound Devices products are known for. The Astral HH wireless microphone is unlike any mic the industry has seen before, but one audio professionals will want for their gigs.  

One of the standout features of the Astral HH handheld microphone is its customization. That starts with its reversible Astral HH Capsule Collar, which accepts multiple manufacturers’ capsules that utilize Shure or Sennheiser thread, as well as Sound Devices’ own CD1 Cardioid Capsule, the world’s first fully calibrated, dynamic vocal microphone with a patented dual-engine design. With the Astral HH Capsule Collar, changing capsules is as simple as removing three screws and flipping the collar over. The Astral HH Control Ring is just as easy to swap out and gives the user optional external controls – one or three buttons or a slide switch – while the base unit has no controls on the outside to prevent accidental button pushes.  

“As any performer knows,” says Sound Devices Vice President of Sales Andy “Baggy” Robinson, “to truly customize a microphone, you need to be able to match its design to a costume. The Astral HH makes that so easy. Instead of having to prep a mic and then sending an expensive microphone out to be painted – risking damage or loss of the mic in shipping or during the painting process – you can just slide off the body shell from the Astral HH and have it painted, decorated, or covered in jewels. Or with the economical cost of the body shells – keep multiples on hand in different colors and styles and change them out during a show.”  

There is also no need to keep multiple Astral HH microphones in stock for an international tour, thanks to the global SpectraBand™ tuning range of 470-1525MHz, which allows the Astral HH microphone to be used worldwide. In addition, it uses the Sound Devices Astral family’s NexLink^® ultra-long-range remote control and GainForward™ architecture that allows users to control gain and trim at the front of house trim instead of on the microphone. It also includes an e-Paper display that shows mic and battery status, even in full sunlight and while powered down.  

One of the most unique features of the Astral HH microphone is the patented wideband RocketAntenna design. “One of the problems other wireless mics suffer from is that they lose signal if the talent grabs the mic around the antenna at the base of the mic,” explains Sound Devices CEO Matt Anderson. “Our patent-pending antenna design isn’t affected by that, so talent can grip the mic anywhere without the attenuation inherent in other designs.”  

The Astral HH handheld microphone’s durable structure is designed for the rigors of daily use. It is water resistant, can survive many drops, and is powered by a standard XL-B18650 lithium-ion battery that can run more than 10 hours when the microphone is set at 10mW output.  

“The Astral HH is the first truly global handheld as well as the missing transmitter of the Sound Devices master plan,” describes Audiotonix CEO James Gordon. “The way the Sound Devices team have thought out every aspect of this microphone is nothing short of revolutionary. They have thought of every detail important to sound professionals. The Astral HH is setting a new standard in audio.”