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Audio-Technica was established inthe early ‘60s; the company’s prod-ucts were stereo phono cartridges.The product line would expand toinclude tone arms, and, in 1969,microcassette recorders. In 1972, tenyears after the start of A-T in Japan,Audio-Technica US, Inc. was estab-lished, headquartered in Akron, Ohio.In 1974, A-T developed AT-700 stereoheadphones. In 1985, A-T’s UniPointinstalled sound microphone wasintroduced and, in ‘86, the company’sfirst wireless microphone system. Itwas around this time A-T expandedits product offerings to focus onmicrophones as well as headphones.In 2012, Audio-Technica celebratedits 50th anniversary. In the yearsbetween, A-T expanded its micro-phone line, provided mics to a num-ber of Olympic Games (from 1996 to

present), and developed wirelesstechnologies (SpectraPulse) to high-light a few milestones.

There are only a handful of proaudio manufacturers that cover thespectrum of input to output—produc-ing microphones, wireless systems,and headphones. Audio-Technica is onthat short list.

2.4GHz ISM band—TV-free zoneThe ISM (industrial, scientific, andmedical) band does not require licens-ing to operate equipment in this fre-quency range and is far outside of theUHF bands (TV bands) where themajority of wireless microphone sys-tems operate.

Until relatively recently, having awireless mic system that operated inthe 2.4GHz range was viewed as

interesting but not a serious con-tender, due to perceived shortcom-ings. This was before the FCC decid-ed to auction off some of the avail-able UHF spectrum, and manufactur-ers were challenged to work withwhat spectrum remained and/or lookto other avenues to develop wirelesstechnology.

While some issues with ISM bandwireless systems could be filed undercommon misconceptions surroundingthe technology, Audio-Technica hasdone an admirable job in addressingother perceived problems. The System10 PRO wireless mic system providesa unique approach to wireless systemimplementation.

System 10 Pro is available in eightdifferent versions, all based around theATW-RC13 rack-mount receiver chas-sis and ATW-RU13 receiver unit. Thedifferences are in the quantity ofreceivers per system (one or two), thetype of transmitters per system (hand-held and/or body-pack), and the inclu-sion of an MT830cW lavalier micro-phone (or two). The system’s estimat-ed street prices range from $429, for asingle receiver and an ATW-T1001UniPak body pack transmitter, to $899for two receivers and two transmittersoutfitted with lav mics.

The system I received for reviewwas the ATW-1312/L, which includedthe receiver chassis, two receiverunits, an ATW-T1002 handhelddynamic microphone transmitter, andthe UniPak transmitter with anMT830cW omnidirectional lavalier mic.The estimated street price for the sys-tem is $849. Not bad for two channels

Audio-Technica System 10PRO 2.4GHz Digital WirelessMicrophone System By: Mark Johnson

The ATW-1312/L System 10 PRO 2.4GHz digital wireless microphone system with hand-held and body-pack transmitters.

Copyright Lighting&Sound America June 2015 http://www.lightingandsoundamerica.com/LSA.html

www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • June 2015 • 99

of wireless, ready to go.System 10 distinguishes itself in a

number of ways: The receiver unitsare, in fact, modules that fit into adocking port in the half-rack-widthchassis. Each chassis accepts tworeceiver units. Two short antennaescrew on directly to each receiver unitvia a small, threaded, gold-platedcoaxial connector. The antennae arehinged so that, once they are securelyattached to the receiver module, youcan flip them up into the optimalsplayed position. The chassis compris-es a power switch on the left side, andtwo receiver bays that flank a smallsystem ID display. Underneath the dis-play are two pairs of switches for “sys-tem ID select” and “system paring” foreach channel respectively. The displayindicates RF signal level, system ID,transmitter battery gauge, and link.Underneath each receiver bay is aneject button that releases the receiverfrom the dock. Once the receiver isremoved, a hinged flap comes downto close off and protect the opening.

The chassis provides the channeldesignation, so that receiver modulescan be interchanged (out of the box,1 will always be the left channel, and2 will be the right channel).Interestingly, on the rear of the chas-sis, the channels are labeled “A” and“B,” which is easy enough to extrapo-late. It’s probably done for when sys-tems of greater than two channels areused, in which case you would manu-ally set the additional channels bytoggling through the ID numbers (0through 9), using the ID button on thefront of the receiver chassis untilyou’ve selected the appropriate num-ber for your channel count. While thefront ID numbers would range from 0to 9, in a larger system, each receiverchassis would have an “A” and “B”channel. Also provided is theAT8690RU 13 holder, which allowsmounting to a wall or other struc-tures. The receiver slips in—or out—of the holder, for semi-permanent (orpermanent) remote installation.

The rear of the chassis comprises

two sets of I/O and controls (one foreach channel), including RJ45 connec-tors for remote-mounting of the receiv-er modules, using Ethernet cable,ground lift switch, volume control, andunbalanced 1/4" and balanced XLRoutputs. Also on the real panel are inand out link RJ12 connectors for link-ing additional chassis together, and a12V DC input for powering the system.

Audio-Technica supplies a 1' RJ12 linkcable with each system. The wall wartpower supply is designed to take upminimal space when plugged into apower strip. I’m not a big fan of wallwarts, but this one doesn’t take up anexcessive amount of AC outlet realestate. There is a ferrite choke on theother end of the power cable to helpsuppress EMI/RFI noise.

The display indicates channel, RF level, battery level, pairing, and audio present. Thebuttons are for ID selection and pairing.

System 10 Pro I/O includes balanced and unbalanced outputs, RJ45 connectors forexternal receiver unit connection, and RJ12 connectors for system linking.

A half-rack chassis holds two receiver units.

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Saving real estateSince the chassis is one half-rack inwidth, the system includes rack ears(one short, one long), for rack-mount-ing a single chassis, and a connectorplate for attaching two chassis togeth-er. Combining two systems gives youfour channels of wireless in a singlerack space. Talk about a space saver.

The removable ATW-RU13 receiverunit comprises the coaxial antennascrew mount connectors on the front,and a 1/4" -20 thread screw mount formounting to a tripod or other device,LED status indicator, and an RJ45connector for using the receiver mod-ule remote from the chassis.

2.4GHz cons vs. A-T solutionsIt is a fact that 2.4GHz systems do notexhibit the operating range as com-pared to UHF systems; however, inmost practical applications, distancewill not be an issue. Under normal cir-cumstances, distances of up to 100'between the transmitter and receivershould be OK.

Con: Line of sight between trans-mitter and receiver antennae isrequired for optimal performance for

2.4GHz systems. And, transmissionline loss (signal lost over long antennacable runs) is greater in 2.4GHz sys-tems compared to UHF systems.

A-T’s solution: Here Audio-Technica has hit a couple of birdswith one stone. While UHF wirelesssystems can function well withremote antennae, it’s not quite assimple for systems that operate in the

2.4GHz range. Long antenna runs canresult in degraded signal quality. So,with System 10 PRO, A-T just provid-ed the ability to remote the entirereceiver via Ethernet cable…up to100m away! Remote mounting can beaccomplished in a number of ways.The 1/4"-20 threaded insert allowsmounting the receiver unit to a cam-era tripod, and third-party adapterscan be had that will allow mounting toa mic stand. The holder can beattached to a wall, as mentioned, or aset piece, or anywhere on the stageor performance area that provides lineof sight between the receiver unit andthe transmitter.

Con: There is less spectrum, and,as a result, there are fewer channelsavailable in the 2.4GHz band (about83MHz and compared to about230MHz for UHF). And the ISM bandis chock-full with other devices (suchconsumer and commercial Wi-Fi,Bluetooth, microwave oven, andbaby-monitoring devices) operating inthe same band.

A-T Solution: System 10 Promakes the most of what’s avail-able—up to ten channels can beused simultaneously. Additionally, upto ten transmitters can be paired

The chassis with receiver unit removed.

UniPak body pack transmitter with MT830cW omnidirectional lavalier mic.

www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • June 2015 • 101

with a receiver module, though it willonly recognize one transmitter at atime. That prevents any interferencethat would render a UHF systemunusable if two transmitters on thesame frequency were turned onsimultaneously.

The System 10 Pro provides threelevels of diversity to assure stabletransmission and reception: frequen-cy, time, and space. Frequency diver-sity transmits on two dynamicallyallocated frequencies. Time diversitytransmits on multiple time slots forincreased immunity to multipath inter-ference. Space diversity incorporatestwo antennae on each transmitter andreceiver for signal integrity.

2.4GHz prosBeyond that, there are distinct advan-tages for a system that functions in theISM band: It is not susceptible to inter-ference from UHF systems. And oper-ation is very easy, no frequency coor-dination required. Additionally, 2.4GHzsystems can work anywhere, world-wide, with no license required.

Tale of two transmittersThe ATW-T1002 handheld transmitterfeatures a unidirectional dynamicmicrophone capsule. Audio-Technicahas a substantial lineup of micro-phones. While I couldn’t determinewhat model this capsule is related to,A-T has a deep and established line-age and has the designing-and-build-ing-microphones thing down pat.There is a small window on the upperportion of the transmitter that displaysthe system ID and power/battery/mutestatus. The window is unobtrusive andhas a dark tint that blends in with therest of the transmitter body. It also hasa wing-like appearance that is repeat-ed at the bottom of the transmitterwith the System 10 logo and theAudio-Technica logo. At the end of thetransmitter is another A-T logo (slightlyrecessed into the body of the transmit-ter), which is also the power switch forthe mic. As with many handheld trans-

mitter models, the lower portionscrews off to reveal the battery com-partment for two AA batteries, a smallscrewdriver on one side, and a pairingswitch and level control on the other.The screwdriver is used to adjust thetransmitter level control.

The UniPak transmitter features thesame complement of indicators andcontrols, albeit in a different configura-tion. The “wing” indicator window isrepeated as well. At the top of the trans-mitter is a power/mute button, a shortantenna, a power/mute/battery indica-tor, and the microphone input connec-tor. Additional microphones, includinghead-worn mics and accessories, areavailable for the UniPak transmitter.

The RF output for both transmitters

is 10mW. Battery life is around sevenhours for both the handheld andUniPak transmitters.

Make a beautiful pairAs I mentioned, the system will workright out of the box, with no setup, dial-ing in, or adjustments to be made.However, depending on the circum-stances of a given application, theSystem 10 PRO allows for reconfiguring.

The process of pairing is as simpleas pushing a button on the receiverchassis and then pushing a button onthe transmitter and then selectinganother system ID (three buttons). It’sjust like pairing a Bluetooth device.

The System 10 PRO provides forlevel control at the transmitter and at

ATW-T1002 handheld dynamic microphone transmitter.

Receiver with Ethernet cable plugged in for remote location.

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the output of the transmitter, thoughA-T advises that the receiver volumelevel should ordinarily be set to “max.”The level control at the transmitter isset by using the input source, typicallyvoice, and adjusting with the includedscrewdriver until the audio indicatorLED remains green, or just turns yel-low on peaks.

I really appreciate the simplicity ofthe system. It makes setup a breeze.I was curious as to what would hap-pen if the receiver units wereswitched. The chassis is receiverunit-agnostic, meaning that regard-less of the bay that a given receivermodule is plugged into, Channel Onewill always be Channel One andChannel Two will always be ChannelTwo (or whatever channel that youdesignate it to be). The electronics

that control the channel selection arespecific to the chassis.

This has applications in many differ-ent scenarios such as youth-, or class-rooms at a house of worship, where itwon’t interfere with other systems inthe same building, or a UHF system.The same would apply in a meeting orconference application, particularlymobile corporate systems. There is nofrequency coordination to be done ifyou are in a larger facility with multiplewireless systems deployed throughout.The system is appropriate for practi-cally any mobile application.

While the manual recommendsstaying at least 30' away from a wire-less router, I did my initial testing inmy home office with a wireless routerless than 5' away and there were noissues.

The System 10 Pro innovativelyincorporates the technology at handto address some of the perceivedshortcomings of 2.4GHz, andincrease the effectiveness and appli-cation of the product. While wirelesssystems that operate in the 2.4GHzregion function best when there is lineof sight between the transmitter andreceiver, A-T simply took advantageof the smaller electronics packagerequired for a 2.4GHz receiver, andmade a way to build the primary partof the receiver so that it could beremotely located, if necessary, whilethe control electronics are stationedinto the rack mountable chassis. Myhat is off to the engineers and prod-uct developers at A-T.

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