Now shipping: Sennheiser Spectera SKM handheld transmitter

Words by Mixdown

Spectera SKM completes the core elements of the Spectera wideband wireless ecosystem.

Live sound and broadcast engineers running Sennheiser’s Spectera system now have the handheld piece to go with it, with the Spectera SKM transmitter shipping this week and completing the core lineup announced alongside the SEK bodypack and Base Station. Built for live sound, theatre, broadcast and houses of worship work, the SKM brings Sennheiser’s handheld microphone quality to a platform built around bidirectional, wideband RF.

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Where a conventional wireless rig needs a dedicated receiver channel and its own coordinated frequency for every handheld added to a show, the SKM works differently. Running on Sennheiser’s WMAS approach, it joins the existing Spectera wideband RF environment as another device rather than a separate signal to plan around, which cuts down on RF coordination and gives engineers more headroom in spectrum-constrained venues.

Audio and control data travel over the same wideband channel, so there’s no separate network to manage. The SKM stays in constant two-way contact with the Base Station, so engineers can watch battery level, RF performance, audio levels, signal strength and link quality as a show runs, and adjust gain and low-cut remotely without touching the handheld itself.

The transmitter is built from metal, includes AES-256 encryption and reads out on an OLED display, and it takes the same BA 70 or BA 70 2.2 rechargeable battery as the Spectera SEK bodypack, so touring rigs can standardise on one battery type across the board. Capsule support spans Sennheiser and Neumann’s range, including the newly announced Neumann KK 104 A and KK 105 A heads, putting a wide spread of tonal options on one handheld body.

“We are excited to have started shipping the SKM handheld, completing the core elements of our Spectera system,” says Bernd Neubauer, Product Manager at Sennheiser. “At the same time, we will continue evolving the ecosystem based on industry feedback, needs and ideas. Over time, Spectera will be expanded with new software features, hardware devices and services.”

With the SKM in production, Spectera’s launch lineup is complete, though Neubauer’s comments point to more hardware and software on the way.

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