Old Lyme, Conn., September 17, 2014 – Sennheiser’s Esfera surround
microphone system has been recognized with an IABM Design and
Innovation Award. At the awards ceremony held on September 13th during
the IBC in Amsterdam, the audio specialist received the award within the
Audio category.
“We feel extremely honoured that the IABM’s independent panel of experts has selected Esfera for the Audio award,” said Claus Menke, Head of Portfolio Management Pro for Sennheiser’s Professional Division. “Immersive audio is one of our focus areas, an area which truly creates a difference for the viewers’ TV experience. Esfera makes the lives of broadcast professionals a lot easier. The system enables them to efficiently capture authentic ambience using just two audio channels, and to convert this audio information to 5.1 at any point in the workflow, whether live or in post-production.”
The Esfera surround microphone system
The Esfera system consists of the SPM 8000 two-channel microphone unit and the SPB 8000 processing unit. The microphone unit features the typical advantages of RF condenser microphones: natural and detailed sound, transparency, ruggedness and high resistance to adverse climatic conditions. The processing unit uses an algorithm perfectly matched to the microphones to generate a 5.1 surround signal with sampling rates of up to 96 kHz. An integrated compressor ensures a broadcast-friendly signal. For ease of operation, the processing unit uses four directly selectable presets. These can be modified via an Ethernet interface to adapt to local conditions, including the settings for the gain of the individual channels, front and surround focus, surround delay, rotation, filters and cut-off frequencies, compressor, make up gain, output gain, limiter and windshield compensation.
Image captions:
IABM Award.jpg: Sennheiser’s Claus Menke (l.) accepting the award from Peter White, CEO of IABM
Esfera.jpg: Immersive surround sound and workflow efficiency: the Esfera 5.1 surround microphone system, consisting of a two-channel microphone unit and the 5.1 processing unit
About the IABM:
The IABM, is the authoritative voice of the broadcast and media technology supply industry worldwide. Its wide range of services to members encompasses market research and intelligence, training, expert representation at standards bodies and broadcasting unions, executive networking opportunities, and preferential purchasing. A presence at every major broadcast tradeshow, the IABM also provides a valuable channel for communication among broadcast manufacturers, government, and regulatory bodies. Additional IABM activities include awards programs for innovation and scholarships designed to stimulate the development of the broadcast and electronic media industries on an international basis. For more information, please visit www.theiabm.org
About Sennheiser
The Sennheiser Group, with its head office in Wedemark (Hanover Region) is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. In 2013 the family company, which was founded in 1945, realised a turnover of around 590 million euros. Sennheiser has more than 2,500 employees worldwide and operates its own factories in Germany, Ireland and the USA. The company is represented worldwide by subsidiaries in France, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Lichtenstein, Germany, Denmark (Nordic), Russia, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Mexico and the USA, as well as by long-term trading partners in many other countries. The company Georg Neumann GmbH, Berlin (studio microphones and monitor speakers) and the joint venture Sennheiser Communications A/S (headsets for PCs, offices and call centres) are also part of the Sennheiser Group. You can find further up-to-date information about Sennheiser online at www.sennheiser.com.
