Thursday, 7th May 2026
There was a flurry of new equipment announcements at this year’s NAB show.
We’ve sifted through them all to fish out some of the new and interesting tech mentioned which may be of interest to AMPS members.
There’s a lot of info here so we’ve tried to keep it down to bullet points and linked to further info on manufacturers websites:
Sound Devices:
Astral Mini Plus Transmitter
8hr battery life with AA size 3.7V Li-Ion batteries.
IP67 dust/waterproofing
‘E-Ink’ always on screen
Configurable button
Astral mini TX due to be replaced by it
https://www.sounddevices.com/product/astral-mini-plus/
Astral Power station Cell Battery charger
Battery charger for removable 3.7V Li-Ion batteries for Astral TX, Astral Mini Plus and Astral HH
https://www.sounddevices.com/product/astral-powerstation-cell/
Also has rackmount for 3
‘Guitar box’ to interface Astral wireless with guitar impedance devices
https://www.sounddevices.com/product/astral-guitar-box/
8 Series Recorder software updates
Will work with new Viviana Cloud upload to Google Drive/Dropbox
Output mapping can now change depending on Rec/Stop/Play state
Can use USB as a record destination
Zaxcom:
DCiRX Receiver
New miniaturised Direct Conversion technology
1 channel of RF reception (can receive stereo modulation)
USB-C interface for phones and some cameras
48V hardwired mic input
2 channel balanced output
4 channel recorder with automix, mic input + received channels
https://zaxcom.com/product/dcirx/
ZRC remote control
Standalone mobile Zaxnet remote control to remote control transmitters.
Has a screen and buttons.
Is not a phone and doesn’t use bluetooth.
QRX400 4ch direct conversion receiver
4 RF channel receiver using direct conversion
470-698MHz with 30MHz window
Zaxnet remote control incorporated
Built in recorder with automix
Deva 48 recorder in development
Wisycom
MPR60 IEM/IFB receiver
Recent new IEM/IFB
Firmware updated to tune into any Wisycom compander (ENS mono+stereo/ENR/ENC)
Can receive 3 channels of IFB over 1 RF frequency with MTK982 firmware update
https://wisycom.com/product/mpr60/
MATF Matrix Splitter/Combiner
New RF matrix combiner/splitter with fibre options (including 2ch multiplexing)
Big touchscreen and Spectrum analyser
Addition to the line over the MAT288/244
https://wisycom.com/product/matf/
PFL Remote fiber box
BFL2 kit with battery and PSU built into an orange Peli case
https://wisycom.com/product/pfl/
Standalone fibre 2ch mutiplex box also shown for interfacing multiplexed fibre with single channel
Sanken
New COS-7B lavalier due to be released soon
Shorter than the COS-11D but same diameter so will work with the same accessories
Gentler presence boost than the COS11 and similar price point
CU-2M short cardioid mic
Matches CS-M1with cardioid pattern
https://sankenchromatic.com/products/cu-m2m/
Lectrosonics
L1 MEMS Lavalier mic
First product with Sonaura MEMS capsule
11dB(A) self noise. That’s about the same as a really good boom mic!
IP67 waterproofing and demoed working underwater
DSSM transmitter can change mic sensitivity via menu
2 caps for different freq response
https://lectrosonics.com/product/l1-omnidirectional-lav-microphone/
S1 Shotgun mic
RF biased mic
10dB(A) self noise
78g
Designed to match frequency response with L1 lav
https://lectrosonics.com/product/s1-shotgun-microphone/
IFBT2.0
Half rack 250mW IFB TX
2 independent transmitters
Compatible with all Lectrosonics IFB receivers
Dante, AES3 digital inputs
Separate control RJ45
Mic/line level, clearcom and RTS
Circulator circuit to reduce intermod
https://lectrosonics.com/product/ifbt2-0/
Røde
Rodelink II UHF wireless
Based on Lectrosonics digital tech and designed for less technical people
2ch RX
Frequency hopping
Adaptive transmit power
900MHz 2 way remote telemetry
32bf rec on tx
Screen on the top
Timecode I/O TCXO
USB-C audio output
No gain in transmitter - adaptive gain at the receiver
TX has fixed antenna
Specific batteries from DSLR
US$1499 for 2 channels
Rodecaster Studio Podcast Editing tool
AI transcription and editing tool based on text
https://studio.rode.com/
Ambient
Lockit BT
Lockit sync box with additional bluetooth.
Compatibility with a number of other products has been mentioned - Wisycom and Wildtrax
https://ambient.de/en/products/lockit-bt
Quickpole counterweight
https://ambient.de/en/products/quickpole-counter-weight
Improved ASF-2 hydrophone
Viviana
Pebble
New antenna designed with Raycom to improve reception on body mounted transmitters
https://www.vivianaproducts.com/product/pebble-antenna/
Viviana Cloud 2.0
Box made by Ambient
Cloud upload to Google Drive / Dropbox from Sound Devices 8 series
Can re-upload with metadata changes from the menu
Can upload different files to different destinations
Has internal SSD and external hard drive support
MD5 checksum files
Voice Technologies
VT500X mk2
New better IPX8 waterproof mic
Waterproof lemo connector can be fitted to other manufacturers mics
Schoeps
Kit with Blue CMC1, KMIT and MK41
Radius
Long Mini Alto models 410 and 480
Lower profile RAD mount with smaller hoops
‘Dome’ with an end bit useful for boundary mics or small mics
Wavenet
‘microNESO’ small TX- like roger on/multimedia hub
Generally going for behind the ear option
Q5X Playermic X
New digital codec- and teeeeny
470-962MHz
Rackmount RX goes to 608MHz
Incognito with Shure Axient
Removable waterproof USB-C battery
Battery with built in recorder
TC jam on dock or Mic Commander
Hatmic to go under peaked hat
Hollyland
H1 comms system
1.9GHz
80 beltpack limit from central station, 20 per antenna (works on just antennas)
4x4 dante
Walkie interface
Sennheiser
Spectera SKM handheld prototype
https://newsroom.sennheiser.com/sennheiser-spectera-handheld-makes-broadcast-debut-at-the-big-game-demonstrating-the-future-of-wireless-audio-261d3h
HD480 Pro closed back studio headphones
https://www.sennheiser.com/en-gb/catalog/products/headphones/hd-480-pro/hd-480-pro-700499
Blackmagic
Fairlight live software mixer + 10, 20 and 40 fader control surfaces
Fully specced broadcast mixer in software
ASIO / CoreAudio / SMPTE 2110 I/O
Cue playback
Recorder
Runs AU and VST plugins
Audio follow video for with ATEM video switches
Mackie MCU and OSC control
12V DC input on Control surface 10
Latency dependent on computer
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/uk/products/fairlightlive
Halter Technical
Wildtrax recording software
Ambient LockitBT + Tentacle Bluetooth compatibility
Wildtrax A2 ipad remote control
https://wildtrax.io/
Elite Monitor Pro updated version
https://www.haltertechnical.com/elite-monitor-pro.html
K-Tek
New lightweight shock mount prototype with decoupler
Lighter duty boom sleeve
Deity
PR-4 Recorder released
4 Iso tracks + 2 mix
2x XLR in Line/Mic 48V/AES3/AES42
Stereo 3.5mm in with 5v
2x 3.5mm outs can be 2x balanced or 4x unbalanced
NP-F battery with USB-C charging
Automix and denoise algorithms
SD and Internal 64GB SSD
Integrated Deity timecode generator - works like one of their timecode boxes
https://deitymic.com/pr-4/
PR-2 mk2 Recorder
New preamps from PR-4 -127dBV
Glensound
Dark 22M
2x2 High quality mic/line/USB I/O
Brooklyn 3 Dante chip and ethernet/SFP connections
Also DARK2MAI and DARK4MAI versions with inputs only
https://www.glensound.co.uk/product-details/dark-22m-736
Greater Divine Supernal
Dante speaker with 8 incoming channels, DSP and USB interface
‘Standard’ Greater Divine already announced but shipping soon
https://www.glensound.co.uk/product-details/greater-divine-supernal/
Beatrice mk2 R12
Dante Comms panel with 12 channels of talkback
Screen with info pulled from Dante controller
https://www.glensound.co.uk/product-details/beatrice-r12-mkii/