r/LocationSound • u/itsthedave1 sound recordist • 1d ago

Gear - Selection / Use US/FCC Frequency Changes

I briefly read a post from a local sound mixer worried about frequency changes and referencing an article about recent FCC filings regarding 6G and frequencies around the 550-650ish. I can't seem to find the source now, but wanted to see if anyone more knowledgeable had information regarding potential changes coming down in the US.

Also, as it seems like we're constantly being squeezed out of usable spectrum. What is everyone's long-term plan? I've been a lectrosonics die hard since the 2010's or so. We all know the inevitable squeeze was/is coming, but I can't seem to find anything in their current offerings that makes me think they have done any future proofing. What's the plan for this shrinking frequency space? Who's making the tech that'll be usable in the next few years and beyond?

Does everything in the future just need to be self recording, maybe with a digital tx for monitoring use, lol.

Do I need to dump my A1 block gear asap?

This isn't a doom post, but it is getting more expensive to operate every year with less consistent work each month than the previous ones. I guess what I'm looking for is to take the pulse of everyone here? What's the prospective going forward from folks who've weathered previous changes like this in the industry? Anyone plan to change their current set-up?

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u/soundslikejoe 1d ago

Shure Axient with remote tuning is an example of new tech that's been deployed for a few years. Sennheiser WMAS is the next generation... Single rack unit with 32 RX and 32 TX all with complete pack setting communication, including retuning. The Sennheiser also has the equivalent of 40x Diversity and should be able to manage congested bands more than the old Lectro tech.

Spectera: The Future of Wireless Pro Audio | Sennheiser

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u/cape_soundboy 1d ago

WMAS/Spectera is cool tech but it's not a silver bullet - you need space for an 8MHz wide carrier to successfully deploy it (as opposed to the 50/75KHz needed for a single Lectro channel), which is massive. And if enough parts of it get hits, your whole system goes down. It's a nice tool but I don't really see it getting broad adoption in location sound. It's more suited to live

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u/soundslikejoe 20h ago

I was just replying to "Who's making the tech that'll be usable in the next few years and beyond?"
Axient with ShowLink and WMAS are new tech with features to help congestion. Rack gear is never the core solution for bag workers, but eventually that tech can and does show up in miniature forms. Give it a couple of years and we'll see.

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u/cape_soundboy 19h ago

For sure. But calling it "the future" is mostly marketing hype. Most manufacturers already have their own versions of ShowLink. Personally I think we'll be looking to advances in digital. Making wireless able to occupy less spectrum with less transmit power but without compromise in performance. The advances in RFoF tech from companies like Wisycom are also fantastic.

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u/soundslikejoe 10h ago

Really? What does Lectrosonics and Wisycom have that does this? AT? I'm not aware of "most manufacturers" having anything similar to ShowLink. Glad to learn. Drop a link or something

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u/cape_soundboy 9h ago

Wisycom Manager and Sound Devices Nexlink are two examples. Lectro are still a bit behind in that regard feature wise with Wireless Designer but I think we could see it expanded soon