Audio Media - September 2008 - (Page 78) 09|08 AM the Sennheiser SR 350. Working in the dark, SIMON ALLEN finds a beacon of light in S tage monitoring has developed a long way. As we all know, one of the biggest worries for live sound engineers has always been whether or not the performers can actually hear themselves on stage. Technology has developed from nothing at all into some very elaborate methods to try and meet the needs of musicians and performers. Sennheiser, now well established in this field, has launched its second generation wireless monitoring solution that guarantees much greater range along with added flexibility. The SR fits into one unit of any standard -inch rack, and considering the weight of the module, Sennheiser has squeezed a lot in. First impressions are good, the unit is well built out of solid materials proving it to be ideal for the road. Being rack mountable and with each transmitter having its own network port for Sennheiser’s ‘net ’ set up, which allows multiple transmitters to be configured simultaneously, the SR is in my opinion more versatile than some other wireless monitoring solutions. O ver view away in minutes. There are items to choose from in the menu including; Bank, Channel, Tune, Sensitivity, Display, Name, Reset, LCD contrast, Mode, Lock, and Exit, which are all fairly self explanatory and what you would expect. Exiting the menu at any point is quick and easy – simply press the on/off switch. Tuning in the packs are also easy. You have the choice to do it manually or through the pre-assigned banks and channels. In total there are a massive , UHF frequencies available for interference-free transmission. Every transmitter has eight channel banks, each of which has twelve pre-sets, as well as a bank for user defined channels. Keeping tabs on which mix is going to which transmitter and to which receiver couldn’t be easier as you can apply a name to each one. You can choose what you have on the back-lit LCD displays, but the VU meters are clear and responsive. Should the input be peaking at any point, the transmitter screen changes to red and says ‘PEAK’ in capitals which I really like. This, along with back-lit buttons, makes this unit very easy to work on in the dark. SENNHEISER SR 350 IEM G2 UHF/Twin Transmitter For Wireless Monitoring The SR contains two independent stereo transmitters. On the front panel there are three menu buttons, an LCD screen and an on/off button for each transmitter. Both transmitters also have a headphone jack for monitoring the mix, each with a separate volume control knob. The colours and layout of the unit are very similar to Sennheiser’s previous units, which will be welcoming to engineers already used to Sennheiser equipment. On the rear there is a -pin IEC power socket with cable grip to prevent power loss during transmission. Each unit also has two balanced or unbalanced XLR inputs for stereo use, but like most audio equipment, the left input can be used for mono use. My only grumble here is that there isn’t the choice to have balanced or unbalanced jack inputs, which is surprising considering most applications will be used with a mixing desk that outputs from auxiliaries and matrixes on balanced jacks most of the time. There are also two BNC sockets to connect the antennae to. The antennae are nice and compact, and will easily fold away at the end of a show into the back of the unit. There is also a switch on the rear to change the RF emitting power. This is a new feature on the generation , switching the power from mW to mW making the SR ideal for stages of all sizes. Being able to switch the power setting allows the unit to be used anywhere and can prevent interference with other RF equipment. However, because it can emit mW of RF power, some places may require a licence from the respective authority for radio transmission. I kept one EK body pack for myself and gave another to the drummer in the band one night, at first I thought the sound was very thin but realised very quickly the EK receivers had EQ settings. You are able to add extra top, and it becomes clear why when trying to monitor the sound back with the band playing live to add clarity. I happened to have some other evolution receivers on at the time for wireless mics, so tuned in one of the receivers to monitor the transmitted sound back on some DT headphones and was pleasantly surprised. Even though I could tell it was a radio signal the noise level is considerably less than some other wireless monitoring solutions. At the end of the show I couldn’t help but notice how hot the unit had got, which must be a result of all that power it emits, so it is definitely something to place carefully in a rack. Sennheiser’s SR IEM G has some serious power to suit all applications and does the job effortlessly and efficiently. There is no fuss and yet the unit is still versatile. I already have some Sennheiser RF equipment and am very pleased with it. They have got their generation just right. It is a good, compact solution for monitor engineers, and painless enough for engineers looking after the whole operation on their own. ∫ Conclusion THE REVIEWER SIMON ALLEN is Stage and Studio Manager of High Barn. It didn’t take me long to have the unit out of the box, set up, and running with two EK IEM G receiver packs. The SR works with Sennheiser’s EK IEM G and EK monitor receivers. The menu on the SR is very intuitive and very easy to use. There are no unusual terms, and it follows on from earlier Sennheiser radio modules; and having previously used other modules myself, I was I n Use I N F O R MAT I O N £ GB£2,495.00 (exc.VAT) A Sennheiser UK Ltd., 3 Century Point, Halifax Road, High Wycombe, Bucks HP12 3SL T +44 (0) 1494 551551 F +44 (0) 1494 551550 W www.sennheiser.com 78 AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008 http://www.sennheiser.com
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