The e-spool microphone reeler enables the automated feeding of microphone cables up to 30m long; no slip ring means perfect sound quality
Sound engineers for live events in theatres, opera houses and television studios are often under enormous pressure but the e-spool microphone reeler from igus® completely removes an age-old problem. The new electrically driven microphone reeler automatically feeds microphone cables up to 30 metres long from the ceiling at the touch of a button. A clever design that ensures the transmission quality is optimised throughout.
Cables that “get in the way” should be familiar to everyone, whether this be in an office space or at home. One cable for the webcam, one for the smartphone, others for lighting and the printer and then the cable clutter is complete. But imagine the stress of professional sound engineers who, for example, must hang 30 microphone cables from the void above the ceiling in a concert hall to record an orchestra of 100 musicians in a live television broadcast.
“Manual cabling for such large sound installations is not only time-consuming, but also carries the risk of cable breaks,” says Justin Leonard, e-chain and cables director at igus® UK. “To relieve the burden on sound engineers and protect cables at the same time, we’ve developed the e-spool microphone reeler – an automatic cable feed from the ceiling.”
The new microphone reeler, which is available now, uses an electric motor to guide cables up to a length of 30m to the ground. It can be used as a standalone solution with a wired hand control or integrated into a higher-level control system via WLAN or radio.
Elimination of slip ring optimises transmission quality A special feature of the e-spool microphone is the design that improves the sound quality and reliability of signal transmission. “We wanted to avoid slip rings, which in classic microphone winches cause a mechanical interruption of the cable to prevent the connected end from rotating with the cable drum,” says Leonard. “These slip rings not only make the systems comparatively expensive, but are also more prone to failures, errors and can impair transmission quality”.
igus® uses the proved twisterband instead. The cable feeding out of the side of the drum is inserted into a series of interconnected chain links made of high-performance plastic. As the cable drum rotates, the chain links interlock and perform a spiral rotational movement of up to 7,000 degrees. “Due to this unique design, we can guarantee uninterrupted sound transmission that is less susceptible to interference. The quality of signal transmission can improve further, so that sound engineers can create the perfect sound experience,” says Leonard.
Special XLR cable carries many times the weight of the microphone To reduce the risk of failures at live events, igus® supplies the e-spool microphone reeler with a special XLR cable with an integrated strain relief, so that tensile forces do not act on the wires.
“The cables can therefore easily carry many times the weight of the microphone without being damaged,” says Leonard. An automatic switch-off system is also integrated into the microphone reeler, which immediately stops movement in the event of an unusual load, triggered by a snagging cable, preventing costly damage.
Justin Leonard: “A cable failure is like a dark cloud in the back of the mind of sound engineers. With our specially developed system and security features, we want to give them peace of mind so that they can better concentrate on the creative aspect of their work.”
You can find this and other press releases at: www.press.igus.co.uk
