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It is with great sadness that we tell of the passing yesterday of John Arasim, former President and Chairman of the Board for Lectrosonics. He was in the company of his family. His two passions were his family and his work. It was under John’s guidance that Lectrosonics became a standard of motion picture, television, news and reality programming. His impact on ENG, television and motion picture production encompassed 3 decades. During his tenure, the lexicon for production was expanded to include terms such as "camera mount receiver, "plug-on transmitter", "bag system", “camera hop” and "quad box". Always innovative, his first diversity receivers featured hand-made 6 pole helical resonators machined from pipe couplings. John’s previous work included many years at Sparton Industries where he ran the New Mexico operations. He kept a sample of his work, the mechanical UHF tuner for the F-105 Starfighter, in his desk and would happily show it off to those who inquired. Other accomplishments include developing the first directional sono-buoy and designing high reliability failsafes. His tireless efforts to build a company where everything that could possibly be made internally was a testament to his commitment to American jobs and the concept of "Made in the USA". His philosophy of manufacturing and engineering demanded the best and rewarded the result with good pay, good benefits and great place to work. He was always on the lookout for engineering talent, seeking the best available. “We are an engineering driven company” was his mantra. He had three rules of business. "We build the best product we know how to build. We don't do business with the government. We have fun." We will miss him and will continue to honor him through the continuation of his principles. God Speed, John. We do not yet have word of plans for his memorial but will post more information as it becomes available per the requests of the family. Gordon

Good morning! Our latest transmitter, shipping soon! (As soon as the certification process is complete) 3-block tuning, IR port for quick sync, USB port for firmware updates in the field. http://www.lectrosonics.com/US/introducing-the-hma-digital-hybrid-wireless-plug-on-transmitter.html

In case you didn't plow through all the previous posts in the HMa announcement thread that started in January, HMA is shipping now and due to popular demand, responds to the RM tone controls. No Sleep or Unsleep (the hardware is not on the board for that) but you can exert the other commands (freq, level, LF rolloff etc). Because the levels cover a wider range, New Endian has been notified of the change so they can add the additional level commands. Not sure when or if there is a new version available. But you can always use the incremental adjustment until then.

Hey all, I've had some strange behaviour lately with my Wideband Mid Venue. Yesterday I lost half the screen when powered up and lost audio at the same time. This has happened before. 6 months ago I lost the screen on both sides upon powering up. Simple reboot fixed the issue but makes me nervous. I have contacted Lectrosonics and I am sending in for service. Just seeing if anyone else has had the issue, and maybe how it was solved. The unit is just over a year old. It's powered by Meon Life. Thanks in advance. B

DPA Microphones, K-Tek, Lectrosonics and Sound Devices are teaming up to host the next Sound Summit. The event will be located at Full Sail University on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 9. Registration is free! We hope to see you there. http://thesoundsummit.org/orlando/

Possible upcoming shoot in Hawaii - any known wireless issues / conflicts would be helpful - thanks! I'm using 19, 21 & 26

I started a new thread on this since the earlier one was straying off on tangents. We took a long look at the HMa and it looks like we can add dweedle tone controls for frequency, mic levels and maybe roll off. We cannot mute or enable a Sleep mode, the circuits are not there to support those functions. Adding those circuits at this time would mean huge delays and additional, very costly approvals testing since we are already 99% finished with those tests at the lab (and have paid heavily to do so). So, we have "pulled the trigger" on writing the code. It remains to be seen if the new code will be immediately available when we begin shipping but the HMa has a nice little USB port, so you can update anytime we come up with the new firmware. Fair warning - we may yet encounter some other technical problem but we are committing to the change as of this morning. Thanks for all the input - great ideas!

Has anyone bought SMDB's and what's the main difference between them and smqv's and smv's. I know from the lectrosonics website smdb's are sold in the UK and Europe? I was wondering if there would be any problems operating them in the US and is any one has or is currently using them in the US? Thanks

Hey guys, Avid reader and new to the production sound scene. I've doing location sound for about a year now with good success doing corporate, 2 features and a bunch of shorts. Upgraded to my first nice indoor mic (neumann km150). So here's the deal: got my first gig that's got me pretty nervous. I've been asked to do sound for an interview with Martin Scorcese. My first thought was that I have to upgrade to a sound devices and some lectros or zaxcom lavs along with my indoor boom. I've been getting by with a tascam 680 and sennheiser g3's with a cos-11 mic. I know it's prosumer and I"m saving up for the next round of upgrades (I can rent too) but just not there yet. I'm confident that I can deliver clean, balanced tracks using my gear to it's full potential. What I'm kinda scared of is showing up on set with my gear and getting looks from Scorcese and the production crew like, 'who invited this guy?' Am I right to be nervous about my gear or is this a case of 'it's not the arrows but the archer'. Your thoughts and opinions would be much appreciated.

Hi there, This is my first post so thanks in advance for being gracious with me. I'm beginning to build my audio kit and, because i'd like to buy a COS-11D lavalier mic, i reached out to Sanken with a question. But, after their reply, it seems clear to me it simply wasn't understood. Here's what i asked: And here was the response from Sanken: Am i missing something obvious? Was this their way of saying, "No, what you want to do is simply not possible." Or were they instead just saying, "We'd really prefer you buy two microphones. That always works out better for us." Any advice and nudges in the right direction would be deeply appreciated. Many thanks.

You guys seem to be my de facto sounding board... I am nearing completion of the first version of the FreqFinder app for iPhone and Android. It keeps track of all of your transmitter channels in use and then calculates the intermodulation products between them and tells you if any channels are being affected by intermodulation products. It is meant to be a replacement for the Lectrosonics intermod chart. It will also test all of a transmitter's options against the channels in use and provide a list of usable channels for when the need arrises to change frequencies. An add-on will provide a comparison against the fcc tv station database for users located in the US. First supported transmitters will be Lectrosonics and Comtek, but more will be added over time. The price will be $30 for the base app and $15 for the US TV add-on. Also, current front runner for the name is FreqFinder, but TXCentral is also an option.

I have a project coming up where talent will need in ear monitoring with an earwig. I know that different discussions on this topic have been discussed before, but I'm not finding my answer. Can I use a Phonak with a Lectrosonics R1a using some kind of neck loop? I'm thinking that the R1a will give me a better range than the Comtek. Have any of you used an earwig in this way before? Or is there another way to get good range with the Phonak? Any advice would be much appreciated!

Free exhibits-only registration extended through tonight at midnight! https://secure.aes.org/events/139/registration.cfm?type=vip&vip=1298 We'll have the Venue 2, SSM, L Series, the latest version of Wireless Designer software, and of course friendly conversation and cool swag. Booth # 343.

Hi guys, I'm based in Pakistan and am curious as to how one decides what Block to choose for their wireless while purchasing. I found a list of Pakistan Frequency Allocations online, but am not sure how to make sense of it. http://www.pta.gov.pk/media/Pakistan_Table_of_Frequency_Allocations.pdf What do blocks of frequencies we're entitled to come listed as in a list like this? Is it obvious which blocks are useful for Location Audio wireless in this list? Do the ones that we're not allowed to use just show up as unavailable while scanning? Thanks for any insight/info folks! Faiz Z

We've done LA, Chicago, Atlanta, and now New York! This ought to be the biggest one yet. The event takes place at NYU Tisch School for the Arts, between 3:00 and 8:00 PM on Wednesday, October 28. Co-hosts are DPA Microphones, Lectrosonics, and Sound Devices. The idea is to promote networking within our profession along with discussions about technology and technique including "best practices". Registration is free, and we look forward to seeing you there! http://www.thesoundsummit.org/newyork/

Hi, i m in need of advice. My Lectro system (UCR 210d and UM 200b) is giving me some hard time. Everything works perfect until past the half hour or so, i get a distortion in the singal. It sounds very similar to when you are going out of battery but keeps working with the distortion. After a few minutes the distortion goes away and everything goes back to normal. Always using rechargeable batteries on both Tx and Rx. Its hard to test it at home because it starts the distortion randomly and past the 30 minutes or so of use. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Hi all, Anyone have an idea of what's wrong with these um200c ? I'm too far from Lectrosonics inc. to send these unit The shipping price will be expensive and close to the price of an used one I'm from Uruguay South America maybe a technician can repair it here? Sorry for my English Thanks

Do the new Lectrosonics LMb Transmitters have the same power output as the previous discontinued LMa Transmitters? There has been discussion that the older LMa were rated at 50mw but have a power output closer to 70mw. Maybe Larry Fisher can chime in on this one. Do they have the same power unit? or completely different, Thanks, in advance Ted Kinney / Soundman Portland, OR

Sound Summit Atlanta coming up in less than 2 weeks! If you're in the Atlanta area, please join DPA, Lectrosonics and Sound Devices for this collaborative gathering. Register here for free: http://www.thesoundsummit.org/atlanta/ Hope to see you there!

Just a quick note that we have opened the books today to accept orders for the new SSM transmitter and will begin shipping units out tomorrow. As you can imagine, there are far more orders that what we can ship from this first batch (about a 3:1 ratio, actually), so we will be allocating the "hot" orders first by working closely with the dealers. The next batch should be ready in 4-6 weeks. Cheers!

Hi guys, Anyone know which blocks are clean in Georgia, Tbilisi? Best regards, Nir

Hey guys, I may have a show starting later this year for which mobility and range will be paramount. Shooting in rivers, sand dunes, up trees, etc. So I've been dreaming up ways to solve the puzzle. Please excuse and forgive me if I touch upon a topic that's probably already discussed on here, but my searches haven't led me to this specific issue. I'm using an ORCA bag and harness with a 788 and a PSC Multi SMA. Talent Wireless is on blocks 24 and 26 (Sydney, Australia). I'm thinking of somehow mounting a small boom pole to the back of my harness and attaching a Lectro ALP650 to it, so that it hovers above my head. Is that ridiculous? What do you guys think? Has anybody attempted something like that on here? Any help would be appreciated! Cheers, pinky

Okay... my eyes (and brain) are glazing over. I just read an old thread where a member says he wired 40 people in ONE block! Wow... maybe I'm over-thinking my new bag(s). The gist is... I have a little trepidation about putting so much into SRb... with the LR/LT now available (only because of the difference in 1 block vs. 3 blocks)... HOWEVER... I still think the SRb is the defacto bag choice (or Wisy, etc.)... basically, that form-factor wins IMO... and, I fully understand Rado's obsession with weight-reduction. Anyway... so... choosing blocks! From what I've read, and experienced, here in STL... 19 is a good choice here. The common logic I get over and over from other soundies is go as low as you can on new purchases. 19 has been working well in STL... so... 2 SRb down in 19 (Thank you DVestore, for the great service)... and 1x 21 for hops to news cams. With the SL6 eminent... I'll definitely have 3 in there... and probably stack a couple more on top in a dashboard. These 5 SRb will alternate between the big reality 688 rig... and 2 at a time will go down into the little 633 (with dashboard) news/efp/small-gig-rig. Right now I'm trying to decide between 3x 19, and 2x 470... or 2x 19 and 3x 470... while still keeping them a full block away from the hops on 21. Thoughts so far? From what I've read on the archives here... and on the Lectro pages I think I'm heading in a solid direction. I feel like Lectro should have a clear, "pre-sales page" which sort of insures these choices, but so far I can't find it, if it exists, which is why I'm posting here. I've also got some G3 units that I use as both DSLR (or other economy hops)... and IFB. Bottom line on that is people aren't getting SRb hops if they're not paying for it, or unless the overall gig pays so well that it's covered... i.e. magazine shows and/or other high-end production... THAT'S when the G3 is handy. They're good enough for scratch hops (too good almost)... and pretty good at IFB... all from a single TX. My G3 TX is "A"... so here is the kit(s): Talent: 4x470 (or 6x470) 473.300 - 485.700 (470 can be tuned into block 19 manually, almost half-way at 495.500... does this increase the value of 470 enough to get 2 extra 470 and 2 less 19s?) 6x19 (or 4 x 19) 486.900 - 511.100 Cheap HOP and IFB Block "A" 515.000 - 558.000 SRb Hops Block 21 538.100 - 562.500 So... if you care to comment. I feel like this is a pretty good plan. Which, based on experience and reading Lectro charts for here, and other cities... should be good, but I'm wondering if it's a poor choice to have 10 wires (and likely 12 eventually) in only two blocks, 470-19... or if I'm right on the money? Needless to say... some major burning on the CC... I was hoping to find something on Lectro's site to reassure my plan... and from there, the archives here. My current bag is a hodge-podge of blocks... and models, 411, 211s, 210d, and 201s in blocks 21, 22, 24, and 25. I've done well with this kit, but there are days where it makes me work harder than I think I should have to (getting all the blocks to play nice through the numerous talent, IFB, and hop TX. I'm really hoping that my current plan will streamline all of this... and take some of the coordination stress out of reality gigs. Typical max on reality (for me anyway) is 8 wires... but if they're willing to pay for each wire after 2 or 4... I'm happy to load 'em up to the max ISO channels, but I would like to make it easier on myself than it has been.

Looking at the new SD 688 with interest and also the portable SD SL-6 wireless "dock". Can anyone link me to information on what the superslot is all about? From Sound Devices advertising, it looks like the superslot allows information and control transfer through the slot. It'd be great to get some details on that. I found this on Location sound site: Sound Devices SL-6 Compatible Wireless Receivers: Manufacturer Model SL-6 Compatible SuperSlot Compatible - Audio Ltd. En2 CX2-P ✓ – Lectrosonics SRa ✓ ✓ With SRb & audio board updates from Lectrosonics Lectrosonics -SRb ✓ ✓ With audio board updates from Lectrosonics -Wisycom MCR42 ✓ ✓ With SLK42-IKSS rear panel adapter but a search of the Lectrosonics site and the internet in general brought up no additional info. It would be awesome to get an idea of price and what's involved in the SRB update procedure. Cheers, Brent Calkin

Rio Rancho, NM, Effective June 1, 2015, Lectrosonics is announcing the retirement of company president Larry Fisher after 43 years with the organization. He will remain active with as Chairman of the Board of Directors and will continue his presence on industry-related social media sites where he has been known as a valuable contributor. During his tenure at the company, Lectrosonics has won numerous industry awards including twice garnering the Cinema Audio Society award for excellence in technology. The company's products have long been a mainstay for major movie and TV productions, theatrical and installed sound. Today, Lectrosonics products are sold in nearly every country in the world. Mr. Fisher explained “After more than 40 years of design engineering and administration, I’m going to take time for fast cars, slow comfortable hammocks and interesting travel. The very capable Lectrosonics management team has been in place for over a decade and I expect continued innovation and advancement in the coming years as they rise to the challenges of new regulations and spectrum allocations.” Being promoted to the position of President of Lectrosonics is Gordon Moore, formerly Vice President, Sales/Service and a 26 year veteran of the company. Mr. Moore has been active in the audio and AV industry since joining Lectrosonics in 1988. In 1991 he became an instructor for the ICIA (International Communications Industries Association) Academy, teaching audio systems design, theory and troubleshooting. In 2000, he was voted Educator of the Year by the INFOCOMM Professional Education and Training Committee (PETC) and for 2015 he was voted chairman. “Speaking for the entire bunch of fanatics at Lectrosonics, we wish Larry a well deserved and fun retirement. Besides, he really doesn’t get off that easy - he is only a phone call away and just down the road…” said Moore. Karl Winkler is being promoted to the position of Vice President, Sales/Service. Winkler, an 10 year veteran of the company, was previously director of business development. Mr. Winkler has worked in professional audio since 1992 when he joined the U.S. Air Force Band in Washington, DC as an audio engineer. He has also given seminars on microphones, audio and wireless microphone systems at Audio Engineering Society conventions, Syn Aud Con seminars and several colleges and universities. Winkler states “I'm excited by this new opportunity here with Lectrosonics. I've thoroughly enjoyed working for the company thus far and look forward to many more years of success with this great team.” Others on the Lectrosonics executive management team include Bob Cunnings, Vice President - Engineering; Wes Herron, Vice President - Production; and Bruce Jones, Vice President - Marketing.