NAMM 2024 – Sound Devices Announces Astral® Wireless Guitar System

REEDSBURG, WI – January 25, 2023 — Sound Devices announces the launch of the Astral Wireless Guitar System, a high-performance implementation of the company’s Astral-series wireless product ecosystem designed specifically for use by guitar and bass players. The A20-TX Smart Guitar Cable and A20-TX Guitar Strap Clip work seamlessly with Sound Devices’ A20-Nexus True-Diversity Wireless Receivers and A20-TX Transmitters to provide the ultimate sonic purity, signal strength, and operating range for a no-compromise wireless experience in any venue. For more information about the Astral Wireless Guitar System, please click here.

Bringing Astral-series quality and features to live music production
Astral-series wireless products have been widely adopted by the production sound community due to Sound Devices’ focus on crystal-clear audio quality, rock-solid reliability, and versatile, intuitive features that were designed with the specific needs of the industry in mind. With the Wireless Guitar System, Sound Devices have similarly tuned into the must-haves of guitarists and bassists by focusing on the core needs of sound quality - preserving the tone and feel of their instrument and signal chains alongside rock-solid wireless performance.

The patent-pending A20-TX Smart Guitar Cable is at the core of the Astral Wireless Guitar System and utilizes sophisticated circuitry within the ¼” plug to allow for user-adjustable capacitance and impedance to make sure that the guitar’s pickups interact the same way with the wireless transmitter as they would hard-wired via a length of guitar cable. This keeps the exact sonic character and “feel” of the guitar and amp interaction as compared to any other wireless system. As with all Astral-series products, the Wireless Guitar System also benefits from Sound Devices’ proprietary SpectraBand technology that boasts an industry-leading global tuning range of 169 - 1525 MHz for compatibility and use anywhere in the world while on tour.

“The aim of the Astral-series ecosystem was to provide a robust, versatile platform for musicians by the musicians at Sound Devices.,” said Sound Devices CEO Matt Anderson. “The innovations we’ve made in wireless have provided us with the opportunity to revolutionize wireless in the live sound community. The Astral Guitar System serves the needs of guitar and bass players who - until now haven't had access to this level of sonic transparency, reliable signal strength, and rock-solid reliability for tours around the world.”

Sound Devices Astral Guitar System Features

Adjustment of cable capacitance from 0 pF to 1500 pF in 25 pF steps. This corresponds to 1 to 60 feet of typical guitar cable in 1-foot steps. 
Selectable input impedance of 100k, 1M, and 10M ohms, allowing the guitar's pickup to "see" the same input characteristics as the amplifier. 
An incredible 18V of signal headroom at ¼" plug – no unwanted distortion, offering a huge 140dB of dynamic range with any guitar or bass, even super-hot humbuckers and active pickups. 
Ultra low latency of 1.9ms for excellent feel - especially important for in-ears.
Adjustment of these parameters from the A20-TX transmitter or remotely from the A20-Nexus receiver. 
0 dB gain from ¼" input to ¼" output, just like a cable - the amplifier or pedalboard sees your guitar's output exactly.
Balanced output from ¼" guitar plug to transmitter input, for the ultimate in noise-rejection without tone or feel changes.
Two-sided, secure guitar strap clips that prevent the transmitter from loosening or falling off the guitar strap. 
100% digital modulation, with full 10 Hz – 20 kHz audio bandwidth and ultra-wide 140dB dynamic range. 
Ultra-low-noise circuitry – keeps the signal clean even at the highest gain settings. 
Unrivaled RF range and RF tuning bandwidth (169 MHz – 1525 MHz). The same transmitters and receivers can be used in any country around the world. 
Optional ¼" output interface box with Lundahl isolation transformers, Iso and Direct modes, and ground-lift per channel.

About Sound Devices:
For 25 years, Sound Devices has created premier audio equipment that helps sound professionals capture superior audio. The company's products have been used on the sets of award-winning movies, TV shows, and documentaries. Sound Devices designs, assembles, and supports its products at their Reedsburg, Wisconsin, headquarters and their Madison, Wisconsin, and Rickmansworth, UK, offices.

For more information, visit www.sounddevices.com.