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Filed under: GentryMedia Sites •ProVideo •Market Served •Cinema •Live Sounds •Sound in The Field •Mixing •Recording •Wireless •

And It’s Outta Here!

Lucky bugger that he is, Glenn got to take the system out for a spin, and came away quite impressed. UPDATE:

Everyone loves a home run, and it looks like Lectro just knocked one out of the park with the new Quadra…
Don’t get it yet? Read it again. A lot of people didn’t get Facebook at first.

For those just tuning in, here is a short promo video from Lectro on the Quadra system:

On paper, it seems to solve many issues with the ever-increasingly complex wireless/monitoring/IFB array that is required on busy, modern sets, though, as Glenn mentions, for now the base station is AC power only. This may not be an issue with some setups (i.e. stage installations), but most sound carts are wired for DC operation to maintain autonomy and mobility.

Which raises this question: since the Quadra operates in the 900 MHz ISM band with digital RF transmission, are its receivers compatible with the Lectro D4 system, whose transmitter is currently designed to operate with DC powering in the same frequency block? This would solve the power issue, but would appear to slightly undercut their own product line, as the D4T lists on B & H for about $154 less than the Quadra M4T. I have to imagine that the Quadra offers more functionality than the D4T, and as with every tool, you have to make the trade-off of features vs. form and cost. If they are compatible (and as mentioned in the video clip above, Lectro based the Quadra upon the D4 platform), a D4T paired with Quadra receivers sounds like a great package solution to on-set needs.

The above is obviously pure speculation, but if I get a confirmation either way, updates will be forthcoming.

Update from Karl Winkler of Lectrosonics:

The D4 system and the M4 system (Quadra) will soon be cross-compatible. This way, the D4T can act as the portable, DC-powered transmitter for the Quadra receiver.

What needs to be done on our end is new firmware for the D4 system. This firmware will be downloadable from our web site. The D4 system is field-up-datable via USB. We’ll announce when it is available.

Well, there you have it. Flexibility, and now more portability. The Quadra seems poised to shake things up a bit.

Link to Glenn’s review.

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