Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1469840
C A S Q U A R T E R L Y I S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 59 feature "Direct Mode," which in certain configurations can allow the user direct control of synced transmitters right from the receiver front panel. It also has a very different user interface, designed for the location sound and broadcast user. Because it has fewer buttons, the user interface had to be designed to offer the best user experience for the application. From initial research to launch, a couple of years have passed. The feature set of the ADX5D is very well thought out—even down to an ambient light sensor to automatically adjust the display brightness in the varying light conditions. Did your consultations with field audio professionals help to guide the development path of the ADX5D? At Shure, we don't design anything without first developing an in-depth understanding of what our customers expect from the product. Location sound and broadcast engineers have different approaches and expectations about the product features, depending on where they are in the world. We have conducted research worldwide to make certain our roadmap aligns with our customers' expectations. Some features, like the ambient light sensor you mentioned, come from our rack mount receivers, while others are unique to portable applications. How big was the development team that made the ADX5D? As you can understand, a project like this demands advanced knowledge of different disciplines like mechanical, RF, DSP, analog audio, and software engineering. Our engineers are always involved in multiple projects at the same time. This is why it is very difficult to estimate the number of people involved in the project. After including compliance, production engineering, procurement, etc. … many ... many people have contributed to the project ShowLink adds bidirectional communication to the receiver that allows the user to change the settings on a transmitter remotely. Having this feature in a portable receiver seems like a highly valuable tool to a whole host of location mixers, live sports broadcasts, live music, Houses of Worship, and theatre productions. How did the idea of ShowLink come about and how critical was it that the ADX5D keep that function despite its small size? ShowLink was part of the original Axient development and a crucial piece of the "Interference Avoidance" feature set, first introduced on this product line more than 10 years ago. Based on our research with customers who rely on our products every day, we have identified that ShowLink would be an important feature of this new portable receiver and the response we have had since the launch confirms our research. Knowing that the usable RF spectrum is getting more crowded and location sound pros feel that pinch—even more so in large urban centers with high levels of RF traffic—how has Shure designed the Axient line to deal with tough RF locations? How does the interference management work inside the receiver and "talk" to the linked transmitters? The Axient Digital line uses the same approach first introduced on the original Axient line, where a "Spectrum Manager" can be used to scan the environment, calculate main and backup frequencies, deploy the main frequencies, and constantly monitor the backup frequencies. When interference is identified by the receiver, the Spectrum Manager will pick the cleanest backup frequency and make it