Sound Devices has introduced the A20-HH digital wireless handheld microphone, billing it as ‘unlike any mic the industry has seen before’.
One of the standout features of the A20-HH mic is its customisation, including its reversible A20-HH CD1 Capsule Collar, which accepts multiple manufacturers’ capsules that use Shure or Sennheiser thread, as well as Sound Devices’ own CD1 Cardioid Capsule – the first fully calibrated, dynamic vocal microphone with a dual-engine design.
With the A20-HH Capsule Collar, changing capsules involves removing three screws and flipping the collar. The A20-HH Control Ring is similarly easy to swap, and offers 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, truly customize a microphone, you need to be able to match its design to a costume,’ says Sound Devices Vice President of Sales, Andy ‘Baggy’ Robinson, ‘The A20-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 A20-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.’
The A20-HH uses global SpectraBand tuning range of 470-1,525MHz, which allows use 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 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,’ says Sound Devices CEO, Matt Anderson, of the A20-HH’s use of the company’s proprietary wideband RocketAntenna. ‘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 A20-HH is water resistant, can survive many drops, and is powered by a standard XL-B18650 lithium-ion battery that can run more than ten hours when the microphone is set at 10mW output.
‘The A20-HH is the first truly global handheld as well as the missing transmitter of the Sound Devices master plan,’ says James Gordon, CEO of parent company Audiotonix. ‘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 A20-HH is setting a new standard in audio.’
More: www.sounddevices.com