Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1010948
34 S U M M E R 2 0 1 8 C A S Q U A R T E R L Y lack an external antenna. The antenna of Lectrosonics HMAs are integrated into the chassis of the unit somehow (my typical non-engineer assessment), but I know from practical experience, they seem to lack range when clipped to the boom operator's body/water sack/RF sucker. A new and innovative solution to this problem is a trending technique among production mixers to rig the plug-on transmitter to the microphone end of the boom pole. This solves two major issues: first, the RF issue. The transmitter is now in the most ideal space you could ask for in an RF system. High up in free air and unobstructed by the human body. And second, the issue of internal boom cable noise. Coiled cables are the worst and straight cables aren't much better. So there you go! Problems solved right? Not so fast! The extra weight at that end of the boom pole can be a problem for boom operators. Many production mixers just impose this as policy as the answer for that conflict. I've debated doing just that but, honestly, boom operators are the knights in shining armor in the production sound world. They literally put that microphone in the sweet spot that production mixers get to take credit for. So, what I did when I implemented this plug-on wireless boom into my workflow was I gave each and every one of my boom operators the choice to either use this system or not. Scott LaRue, given that option, switched back to his straight-cabled boom pole one day when he had to fly the heavy Rycote zeppelin outside. Fine, lighten your pole weight and switch to having the plug-on transmitter on your belt today. Two shots later, he switched back to my system citing how he missed the ease of the non-cabled boom pole. So with all of this practical on-set experience, I'm here to tell you that microphone end mounted wireless boom technology is in demand and here to stay. UNBOXING Enter the Audio Ltd. A10 Digital Wireless System that features a lightweight yet robust transmitter with RF power settings of 50 mW and 100 mW, a high-quality mic preamp, 48 volt phantom power, and a smooth limiter. This system also features a two-channel slot-mounted receiver featuring super wideband UHF tuning with a range of more than 224 MHz (470 MHz-694 MHz, 470 MHz- 608 MHz for the US market). This style receiver is very popular for its small form factor, camera slot design, and Sound Devices SuperSlot design. Sound Devices/ Audio Ltd. is also releasing a four-slot (eight-channel) single- space rack mount unit that integrates analog or AES signals from any slot receiver to either analog XLR outputs, AES outputs, or its Dante stream! Huge leap forward! I'm literally designing my next sound cart around this innovation/revelation! Let's dive into my tests. As I unboxed the transmitter and mounted it onto the boom bracket, I noticed that it's very well designed with a 3/8-inch hole to mount to the mic end of the boom pole, a rubber pad to keep from scratching the finish on the transmitter, and locking tabs for the clip to ensure the transmitter's security to its mounting position. Very well thought out and engineered accessory. I noticed the transmitter is mounted upside down with the antenna pointed down the pole and the display oriented opposite how you would view it if rigged as a bodypack. I already had my first note prepared: "You should make the display orientation Recording with the MixPre-6 A10-RX receiver with XLR and power connections adapter Using the A10 remote app