A WHOLE LOTTA SHAKING GOIN’ ON!

BY GEORGE PETERSEN
Keeping with its longstanding tradition of faux product launches on the first day of Q2 every year on April 1st, leading wireless mic manufacturer (www.lectrosonics.com) debuts a new accessory for its acclaimed SM Series dual-battery transmitters: the SM-SHAQUE (“SM Shake”). Installed in SMDB or SMQV transmitters as a battery eliminator, the new accessory incorporates a small generator that’s operated simply by shaking the unit and/or the person wearing the hidden miniature bodypack.

The SM-SHAQUE’s tiny generator uses a finely wound wire coil and a powerful unobtainium “rare earth” magnet in to take advantage of Faraday’s principle of generating electric current by passing a moving magnet through a coil. The rarity and supply challenges of these magnet materials have already pushed back the originally planned delivery from October 1, 2011 to April 1, 2012.

The principal application for this accessory is sports broadcasting, as more and more, players are being required to wear wireless transmitters in order to capture play-by-play audio. Theater users are also likely to benefit from this new technology. However, any wireless microphone users that jump around excessively can benefit from use of the SM-SHAQUE.

OPTIONS, OPTIONS
Available accessories for the system include the Vibro-Belt massager option ($139.99), which allows localized shaking of any body part where the wireless bodypack may be hidden. In fact, a spirited 10-minute shake session between sets can quickly charge the system for immediate re-use. Another popular addition is a floor jolt system that encourages less-energetic performers to move around more via the use of timed electrostatic releases that roughly approximate the effect of touching one’s tongue to a hard-wired mic when playing through an ungrounded guitar amplifier, and standing in a tub of ionized salt water, sugar-free Peach Gatorade, pickle brine or similar electrolyte solution.

The SM-SHAQUE only works with dual-battery Lectrosonics SM series transmitters, as the batteries are in parallel and the SHAQUE unit charges the single NiMh battery in the remaining compartment directly. Non-Lectrosonics units with dual-AA batteries in series will not work with this accessory, although beta tests underway so far have shown some success using competing bodypack units powered by either a 12 VDC Sears Die-Hard marine yacht battery or a simple 100-amp/440 VAC line feed.

RF transmission power settings of 250 mW are not recommended when using the SM-SHAQUE unless there is a whole lot of shaking going on.

According to Lectrosonics’ president, Larry Fisher, “Battery life has always been a concern when it comes to wireless mic transmitters. This is especially true in sports and theater where the transmitters must be buried within costumes or padding or simply duct-taped to some inaccessible body part or appendage. And for some reason, certain athletes and actors are unreasonably touchy about constant groping under their clothing for battery changes by audio personnel. The SM-SHAQUE solves all of that.”

The Lectrosonics SM-SHAQUE will be available on April 1 of some unspecified year. MSRP is $229. Void where prohibited by law. And a happy April 1st to all…
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