Lectrosonics HHA9 Users Manual
HHa-941
Handheld Transmitter
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Digital Hybrid Wireless
US Patent 7,225,135
®
Rio Rancho, NM, USA
www.lectrosonics.com
HHa
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LECTROSONICS, INC.
Table of Contents
Digital Hybrid Wireless
General Technical Description ............................................. 4
Microphone Capsules: ..........................................................6
Mechanical Assembly ...........................................................6
Battery Installation ................................................................ 7
IR Sync ................................................................................... 7
Control Panel .........................................................................7
Setup and Adjustments ........................................................ 7
Powering On ........................................................................ 7
Powering Off ........................................................................ 8
Standby Mode ...................................................................... 8
Power Menu ......................................................................... 8
Battery Condition ................................................................. 8
Navigating Menus and Screens ........................................... 8
Input Gain Adjustment ........................................................ 10
Programmable Switch Functions ....................................... 11
Parts and Accessories ........................................................ 12
Mic Capsule Adjustments ................................................... 13
(EXPERT LEVEL ADJUSTMENT) ..................................... 13
Firmware Update ................................................................. 14
Troubleshooting ................................................................... 16
Specifications ...................................................................... 17
Service and Repair .............................................................. 18
Returning Units for Repair ................................................. 18
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Wideband Hand Held Transmitter
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General Technical Description
Introduction
The HHa handheld transmitter uses state-of-the-art
Digital Hybrid Wireless® wireless technology, selectable output power and a versatile microphone capsule
mounting system to meet the needs of audio professionals and vocalists.
The compandor-free Digital Hybrid audio chain preserves the quality of the selected microphone capsule
and delivers it to the sound and recording system
without coloration. This superb audio performance and
highly reliable RF transmission makes it ideally suited
for high end stage and studio production.
Digital Signal Processor
The DSP encodes the digitized audio from the A-D
converter and adds an ultrasonic pilot tone to control
the receiver’s squelch in systems that use pilot tone. It
also controls the input limiter and audio metering.
Compatibility Modes
The transmitter was designed to operate with Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless® receivers and will yield
the best performance when doing so. Due to the flexibility of digital signal processing, however, the transmitter is also able to operate with Lectrosonics IFB
receivers in a special compatibility mode.
Digital Hybrid Wireless® Technology
All wireless links suffer from channel noise to some
degree and all wireless microphone systems seek to
minimize the impact of that noise on the desired signal.
Conventional analog systems use compandors to
increase the signal to noise ratio, at the cost of distortion artifacts. Wholly digital systems defeat the noise
by sending the audio information in digital form, at
the cost of some combination of power, bandwidth or
channel count.
The Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless® system overcomes channel noise by digitally encoding the audio
in the transmitter and decoding it in the receiver, yet
still sending the encoded information via an analog FM
wireless link. This proprietary algorithm is not a digital
implementation of an analog compandor. Instead, it
is a technique that can be accomplished only in the
digital domain, even though the inputs and outputs are
analog signals.
Because it uses an analog FM link, the system enjoys
all the benefits of conventional FM wireless systems,
such as excellent range, efficient use of RF spectrum,
and long battery life. However, unlike conventional FM
systems, the design has eliminated the analog compandor and its artifacts.
Mic
capsule
Interface
Shunt
Limiter
Bias 5V
MENU/SEL
BACK
MUTE
POWER
Bicolor
Modulation
LEDs
Input
Amp
Phantom
Digital
Pot
LCD
Power
Audio
Level
Hi.Lo
Pass
Filter
+7V
Audio
Microprocessor
Control Panel
A-D
Converter
11001001
Digital Signal Processor
D-A
Converter
11001001
Reference
Crystal
Phase Locked Loop
Reference
Crystal
Encoded Audio
and Pilot Tone
3 V
Battery
Filter
Amp
Switching
Power
Supply
Voltage
Controlled
Oscillator
Variable
Switching
Power
Supply
Final
Amplifier
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LECTROSONICS, INC.
Wideband Hand Held Transmitter
Pilot Tone Squelch
The benefit of the pilot tone squelch system is that the
associated receiver will remain muted until it receives
the pilot tone from the matching transmitter, even if a
strong RF signal is present on the carrier frequency of
the system. Digital Hybrid Wireless® transmitters use
one of up to 256 different ultrasonic tones between 25
and 32 kHz in each standard frequency to operate the
receiver squelch.
The pilot tone frequency is determined by the selected
operating frequency in 100 kHz steps. The same pilot
tone is used for all four frequencies within each 100
kHz step of the tuning range.
Input Gain Range and Limiter
45 dB range of input gain adjustment allows gain
settings to accurately match the user’s voice and the
varying sensitivity of different microphone capsules. A
DSP-controlled analog audio limiter is employed before the A-D converter. The limiter has a range of more
than 30 dB for excellent overload protection. A dual release envelope makes the limiter acoustically transparent while maintaining low distortion. It can be thought
of as two limiters in series, a fast attack and release
limiter followed by a slow attack and release limiter.
The limiter recovers quickly from brief transients, with
no audible side effects, and also recovers slowly from
sustained high levels to keep audio distortion low while
preserving short term dynamics.
Long Battery Life
Switching power supplies throughout the design allow over 5 hours of operation using two alkaline AA
batteries. The battery compartment and contacts are
designed to prevent “rattle” as the unit is handled.
Menu-Driven Control
A high-resolution LCD and control panel with membrane switches provide access to the menu-driven
setup. Transmitter RF power, high-pass filter, frequency
selection, backlight timeout, mute or talkback functions
and tuning modes are easily accessed.
Antenna
A uniquely designed helical antenna allows the transmitter to be held in any position, since the user’s hands
have little or no effect on the RF output power.
Microphone Capsules
The transmitter is available from Lectrosonics with
the HHC and HHVMC cardioid condenser capsules.
Capsules from several other manufacturers are also
available for use with the HH: those with a 1.25” x 28
thread pitch and three contact rings. Condenser or
dynamic microphone heads can be used with the HH,
depending on the user’s preference or the application.
IR (infrared) Sync
An IR Sync Port is used for quick setup with receivers
that offer this feature. Settings for frequency, step size
and compatibility mode are transferred from receiver to
transmitter via the IR ports.
Side Button Functions
A programmable switch on the side of the housing can
be configured as a mute/cough switch, to provide a
talkback function, a power switch, or be disabled.
The talkback function provides a communication
channel when used with a receiver equipped with this
feature. When pressed and held in, the side switch redirects the audio output to a different audio channel on
the receiver. As soon as the switch is released, audio
is returned to the program channel.
The talkback function works only in the Digital Hybrid
compatibility mode.
USB Port for Firmware Updates
Firmware updates are enabled by simply downloading
a file and utility program from the Lectrosonics web
site, connecting the transmitter to a computer via the
USB port and running the program.
Frequency Selection
Operating frequency is normally selected using a
receiver or analyzer to assess signals in the local environment to avoid interference. Once an interferencefree frequency is identified, the transmitter frequency is
set to match the receiver.
The LCD on the transmitter displays frequency in MHz
and with a two character hex code.
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A mic capsule is
threaded onto the body
of the transmitter in the
direction shown.
Do not overtighten it.
The threaded interface is a 1.25”
diameter opening with 28 threads
per inch and three contact rings
Microphone Capsules:
Lectrosonics offers two types of capsules. The HHC is
the standard capsule and the HHVMC is the Variable
Mic Capsule which includes adjustments for Bass,
Midrange and Treble.
Mechanical Assembly
The lower housing opens by rotating
it in the direction shown. After the
threads are disengaged, pull the
housing downward until it engages
the detent that holds it open.
Do not touch the contacts between the mic capsule
and transmitter body. When necessary, the contacts
can be cleaned with a cotton swab and alcohol.
HHC Lectrosonics
cardioid electret
HHVMC Lectrosonics cardioid
electret with VariMic preamp
Along with these two models from Lectrosonics, a
variety of different capsules with a common thread
and electrical interface are available from the major
microphone manufacturers.
A list of compatible capsules is on the website at www.
lectrosonics.com listed on the HH transmitter page.
*All product names are trademarks of their respective
owners, which are in no way affiliated with Lectrosonics.
Capsule Installation
Capsules are attached with a right-hand thread.
To remove the windscreen from the mic capsule,
line up the blue wrench (included with the capsule
head) with the flat notches on the lower threaded area
of the mic capsule.
Align flats on the wrench with flats on the capsule.
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LECTROSONICS, INC.
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