Ready.
When you’re doing bag work, you need a high-quality, high-channel-count audio receiver that won’t weigh you down. Sound Devices’ Astral ARX8 true-diversity wireless receiver was made with portability in mind. It comes with four receiver channels, and can be expanded to six and eight channels via software license, without additional hardware. Need to transition to a rack or cart? The Astral ARX8 receiver’s half-unit size will save you space there, too. It’s ready for anything.
Set.
The Astral ARX8 receiver has an advanced set of features inherent in the Sound Devices Astral family of products, including:
SpectraBand: The Astral ARX8 receiver utilises the unparalleled SpectraBand tuning range of 169 – 1525 MHz, allowing you the ability to find open spectrum, even in the busiest UHF TV band.
GainForward: No more stopping the action on set. No more adjusting the transmitter gain on the talent. You can set your levels and make adjustments at your Astral ARX8receiver and not at the transmitter with GainForward.
Go.
The Astral ARX8 receiver is ready to go the distance, thanks to Sound Devices’ proprietary NexLink protocol.
NexLink: By utilising the NexLink protocol, the Astral ARX8 receiver has full long-range remote control of transmitters, even in the presence of on-set 2.4 GHz interference.
RTSA: With NexLink and the Astral ARX8 transmitter’s integrated RTSA (Real Time Spectrum Analyser), you can visually monitor the changing RF environment without interrupting the audio or a shoot.
AutoAssign: Save time on set. The AutoAssign function automatically scans the current tuning band for clean frequencies and assigns them to multiple channels. The clean frequencies are then automatically pushed to transmitters linked to the NexLink protocol. This is all done with one button in mere seconds.
Astral ARX8 Main Product Features
- 4-channel ultra-high-performance, true-diversity receivers in a half-rack size (8.0” x 6.6” x 1.6” / 20.3cm x 16.8cm x 4.1cm).
- Expandable to 6 or 8 channels via Astral ARX8 2-Channel Expansion Licenses.
- 169 MHz – 1525 MHz tuning range via Sound Devices’ proprietary SpectraBand Technology.
- Sound Devices NexLink: integrated, long-distance remote control of all wireless transmitters, including group power on/off.
- AutoAssign: automatic deployment of clean frequencies in seconds.
- Integrated Real Time Spectrum Analyser (RTSA) and scanning for intuitive frequency coordination.
- Flexible powering: via DC input, 8-Series, or AC mains (with optional adapter).
- DB-25 connector for 8 channels of mic, line, or AES outputs.
- Wide, 6.2” colour OLED array with touch for control and monitoring.
- Astral QuickDock allows docking and undocking in seconds from Sound Devices 8-Series mixer-recorders with no tools or additional hardware.
- Supports GainForward Architecture: No gain setting on the Astral transmitter. Adjust gain at the receiver or mixer.
- 100% digital long-range modulation delivers the longest transmission distance of any digital system on the market.
- RF SAW filters for excellent rejection of interference from nearby IFB or camera hop transmitters.
- Excellent audio quality, full 10 Hz – 20 kHz audio bandwidth.
- BNC timecode input for auto timecode sync of transmitters over NexLink.
- Front panel and rear panel BNC antenna inputs. Compatible with passive and bias-powered antennas
- Supports control of the Wisycom LFA smart antenna.
- Cascade out option on rear BNCs for cascading multiple Astral ARX8 units.
- USB-A port for thumb drives, keyboards, transmitter pairing, and timecode syncing. Supports USB hubs.
Specifications
Patents: The Astral ARX8 is protected by US patents US10678294B2, US20190166523A1, International patent WO2018022209A1, and several patents pending.
RF
- Tuning
- 169 to 1525 MHz (1356 MHz switching bandwidth)
- 25 kHz steps
- SpectraBand Technology for maximum rejection of out-of-band signals
- Available frequencies depend on country of operation
- Modulation
- Proprietary, 100% digital RF modulation
- Standard or Long Range, selectable per channel
- Spurious Rejection
- >100 dB typical
- Cascade output
- 50 ohm
- 3.5 dB Insertion Loss from front BNC through rear BNC: It is recommended to use an external powered antenna to overcome the 3 dB splitting loss in the Nexus so that the receivers maintain excellent range.
- Wideband power split, pre-LNA
- RF Bias output
- 12V, 200 mA each BNC
- Smart antenna support, Wisycom-compatible
Audio
- Latency
- Standard modulation = 2 ms, analog or digital outputs
- Long Range modulation = 3.9 ms, analog or digital outputs
- Audio Frequency Response
- 10 Hz–20 kHz, +/- 1 dB relative to 1 kHz
- Dynamic Range
- > 130 dB with an A20 transmitter
- Output Level
- Line-level: +20 dBu for 0 dBFS
- Mic-level: -20 dBu for 0 dBFS
- Audio Output Sample Rate
- 44.1, 48, or 96 kHz
- Digital Audio Output
- AES3 balanced connection, 110 ohm output impedance
Powering
- Sources
- TA4 DC Input
- 8-Series (through unit-to-unit connector when docked)
- AC mains adapter (sold separately)
- Levels
- DC input, 10 to 18V in, 2A minimum at 10 VDC
- 10W idle, default configuration
- Extra power passed through for USB power, active antenna power, and DC output power
- USB-A: 5V, 500 mA output; supports keyboards, thumb drives, Astral transmitters, and USB hubs
- DC Outs: max 500 mA between both outputs.
Environmental
- Operating Temperature Range
- -10 °C to +55 °C
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
- 4.0 cm x 20.3 cm x 16.7 cm
- (1.6 in x 8.0 in x 6.6 in)
- Weight
- 1.22 kg (unpackaged)
- 2.7 lbs (unpackaged)
