The update covers push-to-talk and push-to-mute across live sound, broadcast and places of worship, backed by near-global certification.
Sennheiser has rolled out a sizeable update to its Spectera wideband wireless system, pairing firmware version 1.4 with a new Command Button that hands performers and speakers direct control over their own audio.
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The Command Button sits between the SEK bodypack and the microphone, giving the person wearing it a quick way to mute their own signal or open a talkback channel the audience never hears. It works as a latched or momentary switch to suit the operator, and an integrated clip keeps it within reach on clothing.
“The mute function is typically used as a cough button, or when an artist or speaker is offstage,” explains Bernd Neubauer, Product Manager Professional Audio at Sennheiser. The talkback channel runs the other way, letting broadcast hosts check back with production or performers speak to engineers and crew without any of it reaching the audience.
Firmware 1.4 adds more detailed monitoring through the Spectera WebUI, with operators able to keep an eye on received signal strength, link quality, battery levels and interference status, along with peak and rms audio levels for both mics and in-ear monitors. Command functionality arrives in the same update, programming the audio outs on the Base Station and the button itself.
Spectera can now be run entirely through SoundBase, the brand-agnostic RF planning and management app, following full integration between the two. It’s the first RF management app built for both narrowband and wideband systems across different manufacturers, with monitoring and control in one place. The free SE version handles large Spectera setups on its own, while operators juggling multiple brands are pointed towards the PRO version.
Spectera has also rolled out almost worldwide, with the only countries still working through open regulatory actions being Mainland China, South Korea and Japan. “Many countries follow an ‘innovation first, regulation follows’ approach, and have directly certified Spectera without changing the regulation,” says Andreas Wilzeck, Sennheiser’s head of Spectrum Policy and Standards.
Sennheiser’s narrowband SK 9000 and SK 6000 bodypacks work with the button too, where the firmware supports the same mute and talkback functions. Firmware 1.4 can be downloaded now from the Base Station product page, and the Command Button is available to order under Cat. No. 701014, with a Spectera training series up on the Sennheiser SoundAcademy YouTube channel for anyone still getting to grips with the system.
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