Sound Devices Astral ARX32

Sound Devices Astral ARX32 — 1U rackmount wireless receiver built for large-scale productions. The ARX32 ships with 16 channels of true-diversity reception and expands to 24 or 32 channels via software license, all within the same 19″ rack unit. Each channel supports HexVersity, Sound Devices’ proprietary antenna diversity system that allows 2 to 6 simultaneous antenna inputs per channel. Three independent tuning bands provide approximately 72 MHz of total operating bandwidth at once. SpectraBand technology delivers the same worldwide 169 to 1525 MHz tuning range found across the Astral family. RF Mirror Mode enables fully redundant operation for productions where losing a channel is not an option.

The ARX32 (formerly known as the A20-SuperNexus) outputs audio via native Dante, MADI, AES, and analog connections. A wide 12.4″ color OLED touchscreen array handles channel monitoring and control, with an integrated real-time spectrum analyzer. NexLink handles remote control, monitoring, and timecode sync of all paired Astral transmitters directly from the receiver. GainForward architecture removes gain adjustment from the transmitter, letting the mixer control levels remotely from the receiver. The optional Astral Opto expansion box adds native Optocore audio I/O and redundant power supplies for broadcast and touring rack builds. The ARX32 also works with Sound Devices’ 8-Series mixer/recorders and supports AstralComm for DiGiCo console macro triggering.

Features

• • 16 channels of HexVersity true-diversity reception (2 to 6 antennas per channel), expandable to 32 channels via software license
  • SpectraBand worldwide tuning range: 169 to 1525 MHz, with 3 independent tuning bands providing approximately 72 MHz of simultaneous usable spectrum
  • Expandable to 32 channels (all with HexVersity) in the same rack space via Software Licenses
  • RF Mirror Mode for full redundant operation
  • Native Dante, MADI, AES, and analog audio outputs
  • NexLink remote control, monitoring, and timecode sync of all paired Astral transmitters
  • GainForward architecture: gain staging handled at the receiver or downstream mixer, no transmitter access needed
  • 12.4″ color OLED touchscreen array with integrated real-time spectrum analyzer (RTSA)
  • Optional Astral Opto expansion box for native Optocore I/O and redundant power supplies
  • AstralComm protocol support for DiGiCo console macro integration
  • PoE+ output for powering external devices including the Astral Outpost remote NexLink antenna unit
  • Simple 1-minute operation to change countries for entire system
  • Integrated Real Time Spectrum Analyzer (RTSA) and scanner for intuitive frequency coordination
  • AutoAssign: automatic deployment of multiple clean frequencies in seconds
  • Built-in 6-to-2 RF combiner for multizone events
  • 6 network ports (2 x RJ45, 4 x SFP) configurable for Dante, Dante Redundancy, and Control
  • Web App control from browser on any computer, smartphone, or tablet
  • Bridging between MADI, Dante, AES, Optocore, and Analog
  • Wide, 12.4” color OLED array with touch for control and monitoring
  • Optical Fiber Ethernet option via two SFP slots.
  • 100% digital long-range modulation delivers the longest transmission distance of any digital system on the market
  • RF SAW filters for excellent rejection of interference transmitters
  • Excellent audio quality; full 10 Hz – 20 kHz audio bandwidth
  • BNC timecode input for auto timecode sync of transmitters over NexLink
  • Three BNC antenna input pairs, each compatible with passive, bias-powered, and smart antennas. Configurable for HexVersity or combiner modes
  • Cascade out option on rear BNCs for cascading to other receivers
  • Automatic Antenna zero loss loop through in the event of power loss for redundant operation
  • Front-panel 3.5 mm and ¼” headphone outputs
  • USB-A and USB-C ports for thumb drives, keyboards, transmitter pairing, and timecode syncing Support for USB hubs