IBC: Four ‘audio worlds’ await visitors to Sennheiser stand

Visitors to this year’s IBC Show in Amsterdam (11-15 September 2015) will get the chance to explore four ‘audio worlds’ on the joint Sennheiser and Neumann IBC stand in Hall 8 (#D50).

ENG World is where Sennheiser will preview a brand new wireless product, while there will also be a typical radio station environment, TV broadcast studio and dedicated sports broadcasting set-up to check out – four showcases that together provide a complete overview of the two audio companies’ broadcast offering.

Electronic News Gathering

ENG World will show the full scope of typical electronic newsgathering situations, from high-end broadcasting teams to small video crews and ‘one-man shows’.

For expert broadcasting teams, wireless microphone systems for camera use from Sennheiser’s 5000, 3000 and 2000 series will be on show. “For this segment, we will be previewing a stunning new wireless product at IBC,” said Anders Laybourn, marketing manager, Sennheiser Broadcast & Media.

Sennheiser’s new AVX digital wireless systems, however, are aimed at small production teams. Launched earlier this year at NAB, the systems come with an ultra-compact plug-on receiver, and are designed to offer exceptional ease of use and fast set-up.

For mobile journalism, Sennheiser will display its most portable ENG audio solutions: the ClipMic digital and MKE 2 digital clip-on microphones, which connect directly to iPhone, iPad or iPod touch devices, turning them into an ENG tool that is always at hand. The clip-on mics were developed in cooperation with A/D conversion specialist Apogee Electronics.

Radio Station

Here, Neumann will demo its most successful microphones for the radio environment: the BCM 104, TLM 102 and TLM 107, with the classic U 87 as an additional heritage exhibit. Sennheiser HD 26 Pro and HD 650 headphones and Neumann KH 120 monitor speakers, as well as a Neumann KH 810 subwoofer, will round off the studio recreation.

TV Broadcast Studio

A typical TV talkshow studio and control room where a range of equipment will be present, from Digital 9000, Sennheiser’s ultimate digital wireless system, to Neumann’s KH 310 monitor speakers. Also on show will be wired microphones for studio use, such as the table-top Sennheiser MKH 8050 and ME 36 models, as well as Neumann KM 185 and Sennheiser broadcast headsets. For presenters, the studio environment will feature the classic MKE 40 clip-on mic and new Headmic 1, which was unveiled at InfoComm in June.

Sports Broadcasting

“Sports broadcasting is an area that drives many innovations in the broadcasting segment, therefore it is given a special focus within our IBC presence,” Laybourn explained.

The highlight here will be Esfera, Sennheiser’s surround sound system which creates a fully-fledged 5.1 sound from a two-channel signal. Mounted onto a camera or installed in a stadium, the compact Esfera microphone can be operated just like any rugged stereo microphone – whose sound can then be converted to 5.1 at any point in the workflow.

“The system is very much comparable to the human ears and brain,” Laybourn continued. “Esfera ‘hears’ through two microphones, and its separate processing unit turns the mic sound into a surround image, very much like our brain does with the sounds the ears pick up.”

Esfera was reviewed in the January issue of Audio Media International.

Sennheiser and Neumann shotgun microphones as well as broadcast headsets round off the products on show.

www.sennheiser.com
www.neumann.com