Lectrosonics SMWB Instruction Manual

SMWB Series
Wireless Microphone Transmitters and Recorders
SMWB, SMDWB, SMWB/E01, SMDWB/E01, SMWB/X, SMDWB/X
Fill in for your records:
Serial Number:
SMWB
SMDWB
Featuring
Digital Hybrid Wireless® Technology
US Patent 7,225,135
Purchase Date:
Rio Rancho, NM, USA www.lectrosonics.com
SMWB Series
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................ 2
About Digital Hybrid Wireless
Servo Bias Input and Wiring ................................................ 3
DSP-controlled Input Limiter ................................................ 3
Recorder function ................................................................. 3
Compatibility withmicroSDHC memory cards .................... 3
Features .................................................................................. 4
Battery Status LED Indicator ............................................... 4
Menu Shortcuts .................................................................... 4
IR (infrared) Sync ................................................................. 4
Battery Installation ............................................................... 5
Formatting SD Card ............................................................... 5
IMPORTANT .......................................................................... 5
iXML HEADER SUPPORT .................................................. 5
Turning Power ON ................................................................. 6
Short Button Press ............................................................... 6
Long Button Press ............................................................... 6
Menu Shortcuts .................................................................... 6
Transmitter Operating Instructions ..................................... 7
Recorder Operating Instructions ......................................... 7
SMWB Main Menu .................................................................. 8
SMWB Power Button Menu ................................................... 9
Setup Screen Details ............................................................ 10
Locking/Unlocking Changes to Settings............................... 10
Main Window Indicators ....................................................... 10
Connecting the Signal Source ............................................. 10
Turning Control Panel LEDs ON/OFF .................................. 10
Helpful Features on Receivers ............................................. 10
Files ..................................................................................... 10
Record or Stop .................................................................... 11
Adjusting the Input Gain ....................................................... 11
Selecting Frequency ............................................................ 11
Selecting Frequency Using Two Buttons .............................. 12
About Overlapping Frequency Bands .................................. 12
Selecting the Low Frequency Roll-off .................................. 12
Selecting the Compatibility (Compat) Mode ......................... 12
Selecting Step Size .............................................................. 13
Selecting Audio Polarity (Phase) .......................................... 13
Setting Transmitter Output Power ........................................ 13
Setting Scene and Take Number ......................................... 13
Choosing Takes for Replay .................................................. 13
Recorded File Naming ........................................................ 13
SD Info ................................................................................. 13
Restoring Default Settings ................................................... 13
5-Pin Input Jack Wiring ......................................................... 14
Microphone Cable Termination
for Non-Lectrosonics Microphones .............................. 15
Input Jack Wiring for Different Sources .............................. 16
Microphone RF Bypassing ................................................... 17
Line Level Signals ................................................................ 17
Firmware Update ................................................................... 18
Recovery Process ................................................................. 19
Declaration of Conformity..................................................... 19
Silver Paste on SM Series Transmitter Thumbscrews ........ 20
Straight Whip Antennas ........................................................ 21
Belt Clips and Pouches ......................................................... 22
SMWB Single Battery Model ............................................... 22
SMDWB Dual Battery Model ................................................ 22
Miscellaneous Accessories .................................................. 23
LectroRM ................................................................................ 24
Specifications ........................................................................ 25
Troubleshooting ..................................................................... 26
Service and Repair ................................................................ 28
Returning Units for Repair ................................................... 28
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Introduction
The design of the SMWB transmitter delivers the ad­vanced technology and features of Digital Hybrid Wire­less® in a Lectrosonics belt-pack transmitter at a modest cost. Digital Hybrid Wireless® combines a 24-bit digital audio chain with an analog FM radio link to eliminate a compandor and its artifacts, yet preserve the extended operating range and noise rejection of the finest analog wireless systems.
The housing is a rugged, machined aluminum pack­age with a standard Lectrosonics 5-pin input jack for use with electret lavaliere mics, dynamic mics, musical instrument pickups and line level signals. The LEDs on the keypad allow quick and accurate level settings without having to view the receiver. The unit is powered by AA batteries, one battery in the SMWB and two in the SMDWB. The antenna port uses a standard 50 ohm SMA connector.
Switching power supplies provide constant voltages to the transmitter circuits from the beginning to the end of battery life, with output power remaining constant over the life of the battery. The input amplifier uses an ultra low noise op amp. Input gain is adjustable over a 44 dB range, with a DSP-controlled dual envelope input limiter providing a clean 30 dB range to prevent overload from signal peaks.
About Digital Hybrid Wireless
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 for enhanced dynamic range, at the cost of subtle artifacts (known as “pumping” and “breathing”). Wholly digital systems defeat the noise by sending the audio informa­tion in digital form, at the cost of some combination of power, bandwidth, operating range and resistance to interference.
The Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless system over­comes channel noise in a dramatically new way, 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 but a technique which can be accomplished only in the digital domain.
Since the RF link between transmitter and receiver is FM, channel noise will increase gradually with in­creased operating range and weak signal conditions, however, the Digital Hybrid Wireles system handles this situation elegantly with rarely audible audio artifacts as the receiver approaches its squelch threshold.
In contrast, a purely digital system tends to drop the audio suddenly during brief dropouts and weak signal conditions. The Digital Hybrid Wireless system simply encodes the signal to use a noisy channel as efficiently
®
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LECTROSONICS, INC.
and robustly as possible, yielding audio performance that rivals that of purely digital systems, without the power, noise and bandwidth problems inherent in digital transmission. Because it uses an analog FM link, Digital Hybrid Wireless enjoys all the benefits of conventional FM wireless systems, such as excellent range, efficient use of RF spectrum, and long battery life.
Servo Bias Input and Wiring
The input preamp is a unique design that delivers audible improvements over conventional transmitter inputs. Two different microphone wiring schemes are available to simplify and standardize the configuration. Simplified 2-wire and 3-wire configurations provide sev­eral arrangements designed for use only with servo bias inputs to take full advantage of the preamp circuitry.
A line level input wiring provides an extended frequency response with an LF roll-off at 35 Hz for use with instru­ments and line level signal sources.
DSP-controlled Input Limiter
The transmitter employs a digitally-controlled analog audio limiter prior to the analog-to-digital converter. The limiter has a range greater 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, connected as a fast attack and release limiter followed by a slow attack and release limiter. The limiter recovers quickly from brief transients, so that its action is hidden from the listener, but recovers slowly from sustained high levels to keep audio distortion low and preserve short term dynamic changes in the audio.
Recorder function
The SMWB has a built in recording function for use in situations where RF may not be possible or to work as a stand alone recorder. The record function and trans­mit functions are exclusive of each other - you cannot record AND transmit at the same time. When the unit is transmitting and recording is turned on, the audio in the RF transmission will stop, but the battery status will still be sent to the receiver.
The recorder samples at 44.1kHz rate with a 24 bit sample depth. (the rate was selected due to the re­quired 44.1kHz rate used for the digital hybrid algo­rithm). The micro SDHC card also offers easy firmware update capabilities without the need for a USB cable or driver issues.
Digital Hybrid Wireless Belt-Pack Transmitters
Compatibility with microSDHC memory cards
Please note that the SMWB and SMDWB are designed for use with microSDHC memory cards. There are several types of SD card standards (as of this writing) based on capacity (storage in GB).
SDSC: standard capacity, up to and including 2 GB – DO NOT USE!
SDHC: high capacity, more than 2 GB and up to and
including 32 GB – USE THIS TYPE.
SDXC: extended capacity, more than 32 GB and up to
and including 2 TB – DO NOT USE!
SDUC: extended capacity, more than 2TB and up to
and including 128 TB – DO NOT USE!
The larger XC and UC cards use a different formatting method and bus structure and are NOT compatible with the recorder. These are typically used with later genera­tion video systems and cameras for image applications (video and high resolution, high speed photography).
ONLY microSDHC memory cards should be used. They are available in capacities from 4GB to 32GB. Look for the Speed Class 10 cards (as indicated by a C wrapped around the number 10), or the UHS Speed Class I cards (as indicated by the numeral 1 inside a U sym­bol). Also note the microSDHC Logo.
If you are switching to a new brand or source of card, we always suggest testing first before using the card on a critical application.
The following markings will appear on compatible memory cards. One or all of the markings will appear on the card housing and the packaging.
Speed Class 10
UHS Speed Class 1
UHS Speed Class I
Stand-alone
Rio Rancho, NM
UHS Speed Class I
Accompanying
microSDHC logo
microSDHC Logo is a trademark of SD-3C, LLC
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SMWB Series
Features
Antenna
Port
Modulation
Indicators
microSDHC
memory card
Audio
Input
Jack
port
REC
Battery
-40
-20
0
Status LED
Antenna
Port
microSDHC
memory card
port
Audio
Input
Jack
IR (Infrared) Port
Battery Status LED Indicator
AA batteries can be used to power the transmitter.
The LED labeled BATT on the keypad glows green when the batteries are good. The color changes to red when the battery voltage drops down and stays red through most of the battery life. When the LED begins to blink red, there will be only a few minutes remaining.
The exact point at which the LEDs turn red will vary with battery brand and condition, temperature and power consumption. The LEDs are intended to simply catch your attention, not to be an exact indicator of remaining time.
A weak battery will sometimes cause the LED to glow green immediately after the transmitter is turned on, but it will soon discharge to the point where the LED will turn red or the unit will turn off completely.
Some batteries give little or no warning when they are depleted. If you wish to use these batteries in the transmitter, you will need to manually keep track of the operating time to prevent interruptions caused by dead batteries.
Start with a fully charged battery, then measure the time it takes for the Power LED to go out completely.
NOTE: The battery timer feature in many Lectrosonics receivers is very helpful in measuring battery runtime. Refer to the receiver instructions for details on using the timer.
IR (Infrared) Port
Menu Shortcuts
From the Main/Home Screen, the following shortcuts are available:
Record: Press the MENU/SEL + UP arrow simulta­neously
Stop Recording: Press the MENU/SEL + DOWN arrow simultaneously
NOTE: The shortcuts are only available from the main/home screen AND when a microSDHC memory card is installed.
IR (infrared) Sync
The IR port is for quick setup using a receiver with this function available. IR Sync will transfer the settings for frequency, step size and compatibility mode from the receiver to the transmitter. This process is initiated by the receiver. When the sync function is chosen on the receiver, hold the IR port of the transmitter near the IR port of the receiver. (There is no menu item available on the transmitter to initiate the sync.)
NOTE: If a mismatch exists between the receiver and transmitter, an error message will appear on the transmitter LCD stating what the problem is.
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LECTROSONICS, INC.
Digital Hybrid Wireless Belt-Pack Transmitters
Battery Installation
The transmitter is powered by AA batteries. (The SMWB requires one AA battery and the SMDWB requires two.) We recommend using lithium for longest life.
Because some batteries run down quite abruptly, using the Power LED to verify battery status will not be reli­able. However, it is possible to track battery status using the battery timer function available in Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless receivers.
The battery door opens by simply unscrewing the knurled knob part way until the door will rotate. The door is also easily removed by unscrewing the knob completely, which is helpful when cleaning the battery contacts. The battery contacts can be cleaned with alcohol and a cotton swab, or a clean pencil eraser. Be sure not to leave any remnants of the cotton swab or eraser crumbs inside the compartment.
A small pinpoint dab of silver conductive grease* on the thumbscrew threads can improve battery performance and operation. See page 20. Do this if you experience a drop in battery life or an increase in operating tempera­ture.
If you are unable to locate a supplier of this type of grease - a local electronics shop for example - contact the factory for a small maintenance vial.
Insert the batteries according to the markings on the back of the housing. If the batteries are inserted incor­rectly, the door may close but the unit will not operate.
Formatting SD Card
New microSDHC memory cards come pre-formatted with a FAT32 file system which is optimized for good performance. The PDR relies on this performance and will never disturb the underlying low level formatting of the SD card. When the SMWB/SMDWB “formats” a card, it performs a function similar to the Windows “Quick Format” which deletes all files and prepares the card for recording. The card can be read by any standard computer but if any write, edit or deletions are made to the card by the computer, the card must be re-formatted with the SMWB/SMDWB to prepare it again for recording. The SMWB/SMDWB never low level formats a card and we strongly advise against doing so with the computer.
To format the card with the SMWB/SMDWB, select Format Card in the menu and press MENU/SEL on the keypad.
WARNING: Do not perform a low level format (com­plete format) with a computer. Doing so may render the memory card unusable with the SMWB/SMDWB recorder.
With a windows based computer, be sure to check the quick format box before formatting the card.
With a Mac, choose MS-DOS (FAT).
IMPORTANT
The formatting of the SD card sets up contiguous sec­tors for maximum efficiency in the recording process. The file format utilizes the BEXT (Broadcast Extension) wave format which has sufficient data space in the header for the file information and the time code imprint.
The SD card, as formatted by the SMWB/SMDWB re­corder, can be corrupted by any attempt to directly edit, change, format or view the files on a computer.
The simplest way to prevent data corruption is to copy the .wav files from the card to a computer or other Win­dows or OS formatted media FIRST. Repeat – COPY
THE FILES FIRST!
Do not rename files directly on the SD card.
Do not attempt to edit the files directly on the SD card.
Do not save ANYTHING to the SD card with a comput-
er (such as the take log, note files etc) - it is formatted for SMWB/SMDWB recorder use only.
Do not open the files on the SD card with any third party program such as Wave Agent or Audacity and permit a save. In Wave Agent, do not IMPORT - you can OPEN and play it but do not save or Import - Wave Agent will corrupt the file.
In short - there should be NO manipulation of the data on the card or addition of data to the card with anything other than an SMWB/SMDWB recorder. Copy the files to a computer, thumb drive, hard drive, etc. that has been formatted as a regular OS device FIRST - then you can edit freely.
iXML HEADER SUPPORT
Recordings contain industry standard iXML chunks in the file headers, with the most commonly used fields filled in.
Rio Rancho, NM
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SMWB Series
Turning Power ON
Short Button Press
When the unit is turned off, a short press of the power button will turn the unit on in the Standby Mode with the RF output turned off.
RF indicator blinks
b 19
A
E
494.500
-40
-20
0
To enable RF output from the Standby Mode, press the Power button, select Rf On? option, then select yes.
Resume Pwr Off
Rf On?
AutoOn?
Long Button Press
When the unit is turned off, a long press of the power button will start a countdown to turn the unit on with the RF output turned on. Continue to hold the button until the countdown is complete.
Rf On?
No Ye s
RF indicator not blinking
Power Button Menu
When the unit is already turned on, the Power Button is used to turn the unit off, or to access a setup menu.
A long press of the button turns the power off.
A short press of the button opens a menu for the fol­lowing setup options. Select the option with the UP and DOWN arrow buttons then press MENU/SEL.
Resume returns the unit to the previous screen and operating mode
Pwr Off turns the unit off
Rf On? turns the RF output on or off
AutoOn? selects whether or not the unit will turn on automatically after a battery change
Blk606? - enables Block 606 legacy mode for use with Block 606 receivers.
Remote enables or disables the audio remote con­trol (dweedle tones)
Bat Type selects the type of battery in use
Backlit sets the duration of the LCD backlight
Clock sets the Year/Month/Day/Time
Locked disables the control panel buttons
LED Off enables/disables control panel LEDs
NOTE: The Blk606? feature is only available on Bands B1 or C1.
Hold for Rf On
Hold power button until the counter
reaches 3
b 19
A
E
503.800
...3
-40
-20
0
If the button is released before the countdown is com­pleted, the unit will power up with the RF output turned off.
Menu Shortcuts
From the Main/Home Screen, the following shortcuts are available:
Record: Press the MENU/SEL + UP arrow simulta­neously
Stop Recording: Press the MENU/SEL + DOWN arrow simultaneously
NOTE: The shortcuts are only available from the main/home screen AND when a microSDHC memory card is installed.
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LECTROSONICS, INC.
Digital Hybrid Wireless Belt-Pack Transmitters
Transmitter Operating Instructions
• Install battery(s)
• Turn power on in the Standby mode (see previous section)
• Connect microphone and place it in the position where it will be used.
• Have the user talk or sing at the same level that will be used in the production, and adjust the input gain so that the -20 LED blinks red on louder peaks.
Gain
Gain
Freq Rolloff Compat
Signal Level -20 LED -10 LED
Less than -20 dB
-20 dB to -10 dB
-10 dB to +0 dB
+0 dB to +10 dB
Greater than +10 dB
• Set the frequency and compatibility mode to match the receiver.
• Turn the RF output on with the Rf On? item in the power menu, or by turning the power off and then back on while holding the power button in and wait­ing for the counter to reach 3.
-40
-20
Use the UP and DOWN
arrow buttons to adjust
25
the gain until the -20
LED blinks red on
louder peaks
0
Off Off
Green Off
Green Green
Red Green
Red Red
Recorder Operating Instructions
• Install battery(s)
• Insert microSDHC memory card
• Turn power on
• Format memory card
• Connect microphone and place it in the position where it will be used.
• Have user talk or sing at the same level that will be used in the production, and adjust the input gain so that the -20 LED blinks red on louder peaks
Gain
Gain
Freq. Rolloff Compat
Signal Level -20 LED -10 LED
Less than -20 dB
-20 dB to -10 dB
-10 dB to +0 dB
+0 dB to +10 dB
Greater than +10 dB
• Press MENU/SEL and choose Record from the menu
-40
-20
Files For mat
RECORD-
Record
Gain
Use the UP and DOWN
arrow buttons to adjust
25
the gain until the -20
LED blinks red on
louder peaks
0
Off Off
Green Off
Green Green
Red Green
Red Red
b 19
REC
A
E
ING
503.800
-40
-20
0
Rio Rancho, NM
• To stop recording, press MENU/SEL and choose Stop; the word SAVED appears on the screen
Files For mat
SAVED
Stop
Gain
To play back the recordings, remove the memory card and copy the files onto a computer with video or audio editing software installed.
b 19
A
E
503.800
-40
-20
0
7
SMWB Series
From the Main Window press MENU/SEL.
SMWB Main Menu
Use the UP/Down arrow keys to select the item.
BACK
BACK
BACK
BACK
BACK
BACK
BACK
BACK
Files
Format? (erases)
RECORD-
Gain
Freq
Rolloff
70 Hz
Compat
Nu Hybrid
StepSiz
Files
Format
Record
Gain
Freq.
Rolloff
Compat
StepSiz
SEL
SEL
SEL
SEL
SEL
SEL
SEL
SEL
ING
22
0014A000
0013A000
OR
Stop
Select from listing
b 21 80
550.400
Select from listing
Select from listing
No Yes
100 kHz 25 kHz
SEL
BACK
Select from listing
Use arrow keys to initiate formatting the memory card
SAVED
Use arrow keys to select input gain
Press SEL to select desired adjustment
Use arrow keys to select input gain
Use arrow keys to select compatibility mode
Use arrow keys to select frequency step size
Use arrow keys to
select file in list
Use arrow keys to select desired frequency
BACK
BACK
BACK
BACK
BACK
BACK
BACK
Phase
TxPower
Sc&Take
Takes
Naming
[SMWB ]
E.........................F
0/ 14G
Max Rec
Default settings
Pos. Neg.
25mW 50 mW 100 mW
Scene 5 Take 3
S05 T004
S05 T005 S05 T006
Seq # Clock
Press SEL to select desired adjustment
Use arrow keys to select audio output polarity
Use arrow keys to select RF power output
Use arrow keys to select file naming method
Battery remaining
Storage used
Storage capacity
Available recording time (H : M : S)
No Yes
Use arrow keys to return recorder to default factory settings
Use arrow keys to advance scene & take
Use arrow keys to select scene & take
LECTROSONICS, INC.
Phase
TxPower
Sc&Take
Takes
Naming
SD Info
Default
SEL
SEL
SEL
SEL
SEL
SEL
SEL
8
SMWB Power Button Menu
Rf On?
BatType
Remote
Press SEL to return to the previous screen
SEL
BACK
Use arrow keys to turn RF signal on/off
No Yes
Rf On?
SEL
BACK
Use arrow keys to choose battery type
Alk. Lith.
BatType
SEL
BACK
Use arrow keys to enable/disable remote
Enable Ignore
Remote
From the Main Window press the power button.
Use the UP/DOWN arrow keys to select the item.
Resume
Pwr Off
Press SEL to turn the power off
AutoOn?
SEL
BACK
ProgSw
Use arrow keys to enable auto power restore
No Yes
1.5 V
Backlit
SEL
BACK
Backlit
Use arrow keys to select LCD backlight duration
On 30 sec 5 sec Off
About
Locked
SEL
BACK
About SMWB v1.00
Displays firmware version
SEL
BACK
Use arrow keys to lock/unlock keypad
Yes No
Locked?
LED Off
SEL
BACK
LEDs
Use arrow keys to turn LEDs on or off
On Off
Clock
SEL
BACK
Clock
2017 07 / 26 17 : 19
Year
Month / Day
Hour : Minute
Digital Hybrid Wireless Belt-Pack Transmitters
Rio Rancho, NM
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