Sound Devices Astral TX Digital Wireless Transmitter
Sound Devices Astral TX — Digital wireless transmitter that works with any microphone, including digital and phantom. Can be used on a boom, anywhere on a person’s body, attached to a guitar, and more.
$3,855.00 CAD
In Stock
Sound Devices Astral TX
Sound Devices Astral TX — Digital wireless transmitter that works with any microphone, including digital and phantom. Can be used on a boom, anywhere on a person’s body, attached to a guitar, and more.
Features
- Worldwide VHF and UHF tuning range from 169 MHz-1525 MHz.
- Up to 12 hours battery runtime.
- Eco-friendly operation from rechargeable Lithium batteries or from standard AA batteries.
- Built-in battery charger via USB-C.
- Full remote control of the Astral TX via Astral Remote companion app and from Astral ARX16 and Astral ARX8 via long-range NexLink.
- State-of-the-art 100% digital long-range modulation delivers the longest transmission distance of any system on the market.
- RF Power output from 2 mW to 40 mW.
- Lemo input supports 2-wire or 3-wire mono lav, balanced mic, switchable 12, 48V phantom, balanced line-level, AES3, AES42 (compatible with Schoeps SuperCMIT), and guitar (w/ optional Smart Guitar Cable).
- GainForward Architecture – no gain control to worry about on the Astral TX.
- Full 10 Hz – 20 kHz audio bandwidth.
- 8-Series, fully balanced mic preamp built in (140 dB dynamic range).
- Ultra-quiet lavalier mic preamp (130+ dB dynamic range).
- Built-in 32-bit float, 48 kHz recorder with removable micro-SD card.
- Ultra-stable timecode built in, auto jammed via wireless NexLink.
- Sunlight-readable e-Paper screen for control and display. Display persists when powered off.
- USB-C for pairing with the Astral ARX16, file offload, charging, and timecode jamming.
- Astral Switch: Optional user-programmable bayonet switch, magnetically sensed and physically removable.
Specifications
A20-TX Specifications
Specifications are subject to change without prior notice. For the latest information available on all Sound Devices products, visit: www.sounddevices.com.
Frequency Range
- 169 to 1525 MHz
- Transmitter tunable in 25 kHz steps
- Available frequencies are dependent on region
RF Output Power
- Off, Low – 2 mW, Normal – 10 mW, High – 20 mW, Extra High -40 mW
Modulation Mode
- Proprietary, 100% digital RF modulation
- Standard or Long Range, selectable
Antennas
- UHF RF: SMA connector, removable antenna
- 2.4 GHz built-in, bottom of unit
Audio Frequency Response
- 10 Hz – 20 kHz, +/- 1 dB re 1 kHz
Audio Input
- Lavalier Microphone
- 2-wire or 3-wire type lavalier mics supported
- Auto-selected when lavalier mic connected to Lemo input
- Dynamic range: 134 dB min, A-weighted
- Input clip level: 5V p-p (limited by lavalier microphone)
- Lemo pin 1 = ground; Lemo pin 2 = 5V bias power; Lemo pin 3 = audio/bias (8k to 5V internal)
- Auto unit power on/off with connection/removal of lavalier microphone (menu selectable)
- Balanced Mic
- True, fully balanced, Sound Devices 8-Series mic preamp
- Dynamic range: 140 dB min, A-weighted
- Menu selectable with connection of XL-BALXLR-4 cable to Lemo input
- Phantom power: 12V or 48V, full 10mA available per IEC 61938
- XLR pin 1 = ground; XLR pin 2 = +; XLR pin 3 = –
- Line Input
- True, fully balanced line-level input (no external resistors required)
- Input clip level: +26 dBu
- Menu selectable with connection of XL-BALXLR-4 cable to Lemo input
- XLR pin 1 = ground; XLR pin 2 = +; XLR pin 3 = –
- AES42
- AES digital input with common mode power for Digital mics such as Schoeps SuperCMIT
- 250mA current available
- Selectable audio channel 1 or 2 via menu
- Menu selectable with connection of XL-BALXLR-4 cable to Lemo input
- XLR pin 1 = ground; XLR pin 2 = +; XLR pin 3 = –
- AES3
- AES digital input without common mode power
- Selectable audio channel 1 or 2 via menu
- Menu selectable with connection of XL-BALXLR-4 cable to Lemo input
- XLR pin 1 = ground; XLR pin 2 = +; XLR pin 3 = –
- Guitar
- Auto-selected when connected with A20-TX Smart Guitar Cable
- ¼” tip = + ¼” sleeve = ground
- 18V p-p max input level
- Input impedance: 100k, 1M, 10M (menu selectable)
- Cable capacitance: 0 pF – 3000 pF in 50 pF steps (menu selectable)
- Balanced connection from ¼” plug to Lemo for low-noise susceptibility
Menu and Controls
- e-Paper screen highly visible in direct sunlight
- e-Paper screen keeps display even with no batteries
- Power/Pair button and three navigation buttons protected inside battery compartment
- Optional user-programmable bayonet switch for top of transmitter (A20-TX Switch)
Remote Control
- A20-Remote Android, iOS, and iPad app via Bluetooth 5.2 LE
- A20-Nexus, A20-Nexus Go receivers via super-long-range NexLink
Recording Media
- Micro SD card
Recording File Format
- 32 Bit Float, 48 kHz, Monophonic
- Broadcast WAV (<4 GB), RF64 WAV (>4 GB)
(Simultaneous Record and Transmit mode when using lavalier mic input is not available on A20-TX units sold or operated in the United States of America.)
Timecode
- Input via XL-TC-USBC-LEMO, XL-TC-USBC-BNC, USB-A to USB-C (from 8-Series) or wirelessly over NexLink (from A20-Nexus/A20-Nexus Go)
- LTC: 0.3 V – 3 V p-p (–17 dBu to +3 dBu), 20k ohm impedance
- LTC Output via XL-TC-USBC-LEMO: 3 V p-p, 400 ohm impedance
Timecode Clock
- 0.2 ppm accuracy
- Holds accurate clock for four hours while powered down with batteries inserted, holds for one hour without batteries via internal supercapacitor
- Auto Jams timecode via USB-C connector or wirelessly via NexLink.
Timecode Frame Rates
- 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97 DF, 29.97 ND, 30 DF, 30 ND (Frame rates are auto-detected from incoming source)
USB-C
- Mass Storage (USB-C): USB 2.0 high speed for file transfer
- Charges Li-ion and LiFePO4 batteries inserted in A20-TX
- Pairing to Sound Devices A20-Nexus, A20-Nexus Go receivers
- Timecode I/O
Powering
- “1.5V” Alkaline, Lithium primary, NiMH AA batteries; 3 for operation
- “3.7V” Rechargeable Lithium-Ion, Rechargeable LiFePO4 AA batteries; 1, 2, of 3 for operation
- Energizer Ultimate AA primary cells recommended for longest runtime
Battery Charging
- Built-in charging of Lithium-Ion and LiFePO4 batteries via USB-C
Battery Runtime
- Up to 12 hours (depending on battery chemistry, number of batteries, RF power, input type, mode)
- Unit can be completely powered off remotely via app or via NexLink to extend battery runtime
Environmental
- Operating: -10° C to 38° C
- Storage: -40° C to 85° C
- 0 to 90% relative humidity (non-condensing)
Dimensions (H x W x D)
- 3.3 x 2.5 x 0.71 in
- 8.5 x 6.4 x 1.81 cm
Weight
- 0.2lbs (without batteries)
- 98g (without batteries)
