NAB 2017: Shure Introduces Axient Digital Wireless System

Shure (Booth C2218) is featuring its new Axient Digital wireless system. As the new premier wireless solution in Shure’s successful portfolio, Axient Digital builds on the benefits of the company’s UHF-R, ULX-D, and Axient wireless systems to create an advanced wireless platform suited for all professional productions and situations. Catering to evolving customer needs — especially in an environment of continued RF-spectrum pressure — Axient Digital provides high-performance RF, exceptional audio quality, command and control, and hardware scalability.

Axient Digital features a receiver that is compatible with the company’s two transmitter offerings, the AD Series and ADX Series. Axient Digital with AD Series transmitters delivers such core product benefits as exceptional RF performance, digital audio, and networking.

Axient Digital ADX Series transmitters incorporate ShowLink, which provides real-time control of all transmitter parameters with interference detection and avoidance. The ADX Series also includes the first micro-bodypack with an integrated self-tuning antenna, enabling greater concealment and comfort.

Shure Axient Digital

“For years, Shure has been at the forefront of the ongoing spectrum conversation, working alongside professional wireless users to deliver first-class solutions that support seamless, interference-free productions,” says Nick Wood, category director, wireless products, Shure. “Given the increasing challenges of RF spectrum, it’s more essential than ever that users have access to a system that can deliver the critical audio inputs of a production reliably over the air. With unparalleled RF stability and spectral efficiency, Axient Digital offers users the flexibility to work in the available spectrum, whether the number of channels required is great or small.”

Suited for a variety of users and applications, Axient Digital offers numerous user-friendly features and benefits:

• High-Performance RF: Incorporating all the capabilities that professional productions demand, Axient Digital is designed for maximum signal stability. It features true digital diversity with Quadversity receiver technology, significantly mitigating the potential for signal fades or interference that can cause dropouts. Quadversity mode allows users to place sets of diversity antennas in different zones or double the number of antennas in a single zone to improve RF signal-to-noise in challenging environments. High-density mode increases the maximum simultaneous system channel count from 17 to 47 per 6 MHz TV band (from 23 to 63 per 8 MHz TV band), while maintaining exceptional audio quality.
• Audio Quality: Featuring pristine digital audio via Dante and AES3, Axient Digital has a 20-Hz to 20-kHz range with a flat frequency response and accurate transient response. Axient Digital also boasts wide dynamic range, AES-256 encryption, and an industry-leading 2-ms latency from the mic transducer to the analog output.
• Command and Control: Axient Digital is compatible with Wireless Workbench and the ShurePlus Channels App for efficient control and configuration, optimal spectrum management, and frequency monitoring. The system’s Dante Cue and Dante Browse features enable high-fidelity headphone monitoring of audio output from any Dante-enabled connected device. Additionally, Axient Digital provides networked charging via a suite of smart, high-performance batteries and chargers.
• Hardware and Scalability: Axient Digital’s wide tuning range of up to 184 MHz for all transmitters and receivers covers an extended range of spectrum and simplifies inventory. Dual and quad receiver options, combined with a common receiver platform supporting AD and ADX transmitters maximize user flexibility and scalability.

Axient Digital is compatible with the Shure Battery Rack Charger (SBRC), which supports up to eight rechargeable batteries in a single, compact rack space. Providing a seamless, tour-ready battery charging and storage solution, the SBRC features an easy-to-read front panel that displays critical battery parameters, including charge status, time-to-full, and battery-health indicators. When connected to a network, Shure Wireless Workbench and ShurePlus Channels software provide remote monitoring of the SBRC to track battery status.

“Axient Digital has been designed from the ground up to overcome the challenges users encounter in a wide variety of applications, including pro touring, theater production, and television broadcasting,” says Michael Johns, product manager, Shure. “Including unique designs such as a frequency diversity handheld microphone (ADX2FD) and a unique micro-bodypack with a self-tuning internal antenna (ADX1M), Axient Digital will allow both engineers and talent alike to confidently rely on pristine digital audio in the midst of even the most challenging of environments.”

The AD Series will be available in late summer 2017, and the ADX Series will be available in early 2018.

More details on Axient Digital are available at the Shure booth or website.