Astral ARX32 User Guide

Updated April 15, 2026 04:21

16 to 32-Channel, HexVersity Rack Mount Receiver with SpectraBand and NexLink Technology

Chapter 1: Introduction

The Astral ARX32 is an ultra-high performance, 16 to 32-channel wireless microphone receiver in 1RU rackmount chassis. It features 16 independent, HexVersity channels that can be expanded to 32 channels via software license. The Astral ARX32 features NexLink, an innovative concept in wireless microphone receivers: full remote control of microphone transmitters via an integrated, long distance 2.4 GHz link.

1.1 Key Features

16-channel high-performance, HexVersity receivers in a 1RU size. Expandable to 24 or 32 channels via one or two 8-channel expansion licenses.
169 MHz – 1525 MHz tuning range via SpectraBand Technology.
Three independent bands, each tunable to any 24 MHz wide filter band for a total of 72 MHz of simultaneously usable spectrum.
Compatible with Astral transmitters including the Astral Mini and Astral TX bodypacks and Astral HH handheld.
NexLink: integrated, long distance remote control of individual or groups of wireless transmitters.
Integrated Real Time Spectrum Analyzer (RTSA) and scanner for visualization of RF activity. TV Channel Finder included.
AutoAssign: automatic deployment of clean RF frequencies in seconds.
Multiple Antenna Modes, supporting Diversity, 4Versity, HexVersity, 3-Zone Combiner configurations and more.
Three BNC antenna input pairs - each compatible with passive, bias-powered, and smart antennas.
RF Mirror Mode for fully redundant operation.
Dante audio-over-IP for RF receiver audio including Dante Redundancy.
4 network ports (2x RJ45, 2x SFP) configurable for Dante and Control, over copper or fiber-optic connections.
Web App control from a browser on any computer, smartphone or tablet.
Up to 64 channels of MADI and Dante plus up to 32 AES and analog mic/line outputs.
Expansion port for connecting the Astral Opto or Astral Opto(ST) 1RU expansion chassis.
Support for the Astral Outpost remote NexLink antenna box.
Bridging from Dante input to AES and Analog outputs.
Wide, 12.4” color, sunlight-readable OLED array with touch for control and monitoring.
Supports GainForward Architecture: No gain setting on the Astral transmitter. Adjust gain at the receiver or mixer.
100% digital long-range modulation delivers the longest transmission distance of any digital wireless system on the market.
RF SAW filters for excellent rejection of interference signals.
Excellent audio quality, full 10 Hz – 20 kHz audio bandwidth.
BNC timecode input for automatic jam of timecode to transmitters over NexLink.
BNC cascade outs for daisy-chaining RF signals to other receivers.
Automatic pass through of BNC antenna inputs to cascade outputs in the event of power loss.
Front-panel 3.5mm and 1/4” headphone outputs.
USB-A and USB-C ports for USB flash drives, keyboards, and transmitter pairing. Support for USB hubs.
PoE+ output for powering external PoE+ powered devices including the Astral-RX16 and Astral Outpost.
AstralComm macro control between DiGiCo consoles and Astral transmitters.

1.2 SpectraBand

The Astral ARX32 incorporates SpectraBand, a technology that enables the Astral ARX32 to tune over a super wide range of 169-1525 MHz. This 169-1525 MHz global range is divided into multiple tightly filtered frequency ranges called ‘filter ranges’. The sharp attenuation at either end of a filter range significantly reduces out of band interference resulting in excellent range and performance. Available filter ranges vary by country.

For instance:

In the USA, available filter ranges fall within the following:

The VHF band (169-216 MHz)
The entire UHF Broadcast TV band (470-608 MHz)
The 600 MHz Guard Band (614-616 MHz)
The 600 MHz Duplex Gap (653-663 MHz)
The 900 MHz ISM Band (902-928MHz)
The 950 MHz STL Band (941.5-960 MHz)
The 1.5 GHz AFTRCC band (1435-1525 MHz), with an appropriate license.

In the UK, available filter ranges fall within the following:

The VHF band (173-210 MHz)
The core UK UHF TV band (470-702 MHz)
The 800 MHz Duplex Gap (823-832 MHz)
The 800 MHz Guard Band (863-865 MHz)
The DME bands (961-1015 MHz, 1045-1075 MHz, 1105-1154 MHz), with an appropriate license.
The IMT band (1518-1525 MHz)

Please see https://www.sounddevices.com/available-frequencies/ for further detailed information on which filter ranges are available for each country.

1.3 Tuning Bands

Astral ARX32 includes three independent Tuning Bands (or ‘Bands’ for short). Each Band is tunable to any of the ~24 MHz wide filter ranges, for a total of 72 MHz of simultaneously usable spectrum.

1.4 HexVersity

Astral ARX32’ HexVersity architecture is well-suited to massive venue events with its unrivaled antenna coverage. The six antenna inputs can be configured in multiple ways for different applications, including Diversity (1 antenna pair), 4Versity (2 antenna pairs), HexVersity (3 antenna pairs) and Zone Combine modes. See Antenna Modes.

1.5 Digital Wireless Modulation

Long Range, Standard, and T&M (Test and Measurement) Modulation

The Astral wireless products offer three proprietary digital modulation schemes that provide unbeatable range, unrivaled audio quality, and very low latency. Modulation schemes can be selected on a per-receiver-channel basis. Long Range modulation has better sensitivity which results in better range. T&M (Test and Measurement) modulation has been specifically optimized for the flattest frequency response and phase response possible to very accurately measure the phase and frequency response of loudspeaker arrays in indoor and outdoor venues. The modulation setting must match between the transmitter and the Astral-RX16 for the transmitted signal to be received and decoded.

Intermodulation Immunity

Because the Astral series transmitter design is inherently resistant to intermodulation, multiple Astral digital wireless transmitters can be used simultaneously on nearby adjacent frequencies without significant worry of intermodulation interference. Systems can be used together when frequency centers are separated by at least 400 kHz. Note that when operating in the 902-928 MHz ISM Band, it is recommended to separate channel frequencies by at least 1 MHz.

1.6 NexLink Wireless Transmitter Control

NexLink is a proprietary 2.4 GHz bi-directional wireless data link technology that allows multiple Astral transmitters to be controlled, monitored, and timecode synced from an Astral ARX32 over long distance. NexLink is designed to offer robust and reliable control over distances far exceeding that of the wireless audio transmission, even in the presence of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interference. An Astral ARX32 can pair with up to 64 NexLinked transmitters. Astral transmitters include the ASTRAL Mini, Astral TX, and Astral HH.

1.7 GainForward

The Astral ARX32 supports the Astral series GainForward feature. GainForward eliminates the need to adjust microphone preamplifier gain at the wireless transmitter. Audio levels from the transmitter are adjusted at the Astral ARX32 receiver. If the talent speaks or sings too softly or emotes too loudly after being “wired” with the Astral transmitter, simply adjust the transmitter gain with the downstream mixer’s gain trim, instead of needing to access the transmitter. Read more about GainForward.

When an Astral ARX32 receiver channel is receiving a signal from an Astral transmitter, the user can adjust the receiver channel’s gain, low cut, and polarity from its associated 1RX view.

1.8 Safety Information

RETAIN INSTRUCTIONS: These safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference.

HEED WARNINGS: All warnings on the product and in the operating instructions should be adhered to.

FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS: All operation and user instructions should be followed.

VENTILATION: With its 32 channels of HexVersity (internally there 192 individual radio receivers running simultaneously), the Astral ARX32 circuitry generates a bit of heat. This heat must be exhausted into the air to keep the unit cool enough for operation. Cool air is drawn through the front panel of the unit and exhausted through the side panels of the unit. It is imperative that the front and sides stay unobstructed with decent airflow. The Astral ARX32 should be situated so that its location or position does not interfere with its proper ventilation. For example, the product should not be placed on a bed, sofa, rug, or similar surface that may block the ventilation openings: or, placed in a built-in installation, such as a bookcase or cabinet that may impede the flow of air through ventilation openings.

HEAT: The product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other products (e.g. amplifiers) that produce heat.

FLAME SOURCE: The product should be situated away from any naked flames such as candles, open fires or gas, oil or wood burning heaters.

POWER SOURCES: The product should be connected to a power supply only of the type described in the operating instructions or as marked on the product.

ATTACHMENTS / ACCESSORIES: Only use attachments and /or accessories specified and approved by the manufacturer.

CLEANING: The product should only be cleaned with a soft dry cloth.

DAMAGE REQUIRING SERVICE: The product should be serviced by qualified service personnel when:

the power supply cord or the plug has been damaged: or
objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the product: or
the product has been exposed to rain or moisture; or
the product does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance; or
the product has been dropped, or the enclosure damaged.

SERVICING: The user should not attempt to service the product beyond that described in the operating instructions. All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel.

INSTALLATION: Caution: The product should only be installed and used in accordance with the manufacturer's operating instructions. Use with carts, stands, or carriers may result in instability causing injury.

HEADPHONES: The headphone output can produce high sound levels which may be harmful to your hearing. The use of lower impedance headphones/earpieces may cause unacceptable high sound levels.

WARNING: This product must be connected to a mains socket outlet with a protective earthing (grounding) connection.

GROUNDING OR POLARISATION: Precautions should be taken so that the grounding or polarization means of the product plug is not defeated. A polarized plug can only be inserted in one way. A grounding type plug has two pins and a third grounding connection or pin. The grounding terminal is provided for your safety. When the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

MULTIPLE POWER SOURCES: Caution shock hazard. Disconnect all power sources. Where a unit receives power from more than one power source, the power disconnect devices must be grouped together and be easily accessible to be readily operable.

NON-USE PERIODS: The power cord of the product should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long period of time. Unplug the product during lightning storms.

1.9 Architectural Overview

The Astral ARX32 builds upon the existing Astral-RX16’ new approach to professional audio receiver design, allowing tuning from 169MHz all the way to 1525MHz, with some significant additions.

The first thing to note about the Astral ARX32 architecture is there are six independent RF signal paths – one for each antenna input – which all operate simultaneously. This allows for several significant advances over the existing Astral-RX16' two antenna paths. Now, up to three antenna pairs can be routed to different tuning bands. For example, four Astral transmitters could be operating in the 174-198 MHz VHF band, twelve in the 512-536 MHz UHF band, and sixteen in the 940-960 MHz band – all with full, true-diversity operation. Alternatively, all six antennas could be simultaneously assigned to one tuning band (“HexVersity”) for up to 32 transmitters, providing the ultimate in robust reception for all transmitters. The six antenna inputs can also be configured in many other modes.

The architecture of the Astral ARX32 is as follows: the antenna inputs first route through fail-safe bypass relays, followed by pre-select filters. The fail-safe relays switch the incoming antennas directly to the cascade outputs in the event of a power loss. Antenna bias power can pass through the fail-safe relays. The pre-select filters reduce any out-of-band interference. The RF signals then pass through a versatile antenna matrix splitter/combiner. This matrix allows for many configurations, including traditional Diversity (1 antenna pair), 4Versity (2 antenna pairs), HexVersity (3 antenna pairs), as well as zone combining. Following this antenna matrix are the main receiver sections.

The section that immediately follows the matrix splitter/combiner is the first SAW filter array. These filter ranges are a key element of our unique SpectraBand technology. They allow for a tuning range from 169 MHz - 1525 MHz to be divided into multiple, tightly filtered tuning bands. The extremely sharp attenuation at either end of a tuning band’s filter range significantly reduces unwanted interference outside the selected tuning band, resulting in excellent range performance. Filter ranges can vary in width but tend to be around 24 MHz wide. The next section is the Low-Noise Amplifier (LNA), which is one of the most important stages in the design. This section has been specially designed for very low noise and high dynamic range, which results in long-range reception and high overload capability. This LNA stage exhibits a noise figure of only 0.35 dB, one of the very best on the market currently. This is followed by yet another SAW filter array. This array further attenuates out-of-band signals, ensuring reliable reception, and greatly suppressing any image frequencies.

A Local Oscillator and Mixer perform the traditional function of a single down-conversion superheterodyne radio. This section has been meticulously designed and is the other key element of our unique SpectraBand technology. This section exhibits extremely low phase noise and wide dynamic range to accurately down-convert the RF to a lower Intermediate Frequency (IF) for conversion into the digital domain. Before conversion into the digital domain, the signal passes through a final array of SAW filters, rejecting any extraneous energy not wanted in the down-conversion, as well as providing anti-aliasing before the Analog-to-Digital (A/D) converter. The A/D converter is a wideband, extremely high dynamic range part which accurately captures 24 MHz of IF energy into a digital version of that signal.

The real magic of the entire Astral ARX32 happens within the Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). An FPGA is essentially a giant custom, massively parallel processor programmed in house. The FPGA can perform filtering, frequency conversion, and demodulation in the digital domain which far exceeds anything that can be done via analog or traditional digital circuitry. The FPGA can perform demodulation of 32 channels simultaneously. The FPGA also performs the HexVersity operation which not only selects the best digital signal from the six antennas, but works at the bit level, yielding exceptional range. The resultant audio signals are then fed out of the FPGA to the various audio outputs.

1.9.1 Block Diagram

Chapter 2: Panel Views

2.1 Front Panel

1 & 3: NexLink Antenna Connectors

Dual SMA-F ports for connecting 2.4 GHz SMA-M antennas for NexLink. Both antennas need to be connected. Alternatively, the rear-panel NexLink connections can be used. NexLink antennas can be located remotely closer to the action by using the optional Astral Outpost box.

2: OLED Touch Screens

12.4-in Color OLED array for control and monitoring.

Touch can be disabled to prevent inadvertent switching of the screens to different views. Press and hold the Control Knob for > 3 secs to disable. Re-enable by pressing and holding the Control Knob for > 3 secs. Disabled touch is indicated by a thin orange border around the eight OLEDs. The Control Knob, Headphone Knob and Triangle button remain active when touch is disabled.
Screensaver: To prevent burn in, the OLEDs can be set to turn off after a period of inactivity from the Main Menu>System>Screensaver setting.
Lockout Mode: The whole front panel interface (OLEDs, Headphone Knob, and Triangle button) can be disabled to prevent unauthorized users from accessing settings. See Main Menu>System>Lockout Mode.
Orange border around each OLED indicates that touch is disabled by holding the Control Knob > 3 secs.
Flashing red border around each OLED indicates that a transmitter’s battery is low.
Yellow, red, or green borders around each OLED indicate RF Mirror mode status. See RF Mirror Mode.

4: Triangle Button

Short press to power up. Press and hold to power down.
When powered up, press to cycle through the current Receiver view and Main Menu. Backs out of sub-menus.

5: Control Knob

Rotate to scroll through lists and select parameter values.
Rotate to scroll frequency cursor or adjust horizontal/vertical zoom in RTSA/Scan view.
Rotate to select next or previous RX channel when viewing the 1RX View.
Press and hold > 3 secs to disable/enable touch on the OLED screens. Orange border around each OLED indicates that touch is disabled.

6: Control Knob Multicolor Ring LED

Solid blue when powering up.
Flashing orange when selected Sync Reference is not detected.
Solid green when the front panel is locked out. See menu (Main Menu>System>Lockout Mode).

7: Headphone Outputs

3.5 mm connector and ¼” connector.

8: Headphone Knob

Rotate to adjust headphone gain. The HP gain value is displayed on OLED 1 when adjusted.

9: Headphone Knob Multicolor Ring LED

Red when headphone output is clipping.

10: USB-C Port

For pairing transmitters and mounting USB flash drives. The USB-C port supports USB hubs so that multiple devices can be connected at the same time. Max power output is 15 Watts (5V, 3A).

2.2 Rear Panel

1: NexLink Antenna Connectors

Dual SMA-F ports for connecting 2.4 GHz SMA-M antennas for NexLink. Both antennas need to be connected. Alternatively, the front-panel NexLink connectors can be used.

Note: Only use the 2.4 GHz SMA-M antennas supplied with the Astral ARX32 or equivalent. Do not use 2.4 GHz RP-SMA antennas (as used on Sound Devices 8-Series mixer/recorders).

2: LTC / Wordclock Input

BNC for connecting LTC or Wordclock input. Astral ARX32 auto-detects whether the signal is LTC or Wordclock including the associated frame rate or sample rate.

3: MADI Input

BNC for connecting a MADI input for use as a sync reference. MADI audio input is not supported - sync only.

4: MADI Outputs

Dual BNCs for outputting 48 or 96 kHz MADI audio streams. Hi-Speed and SMUX 96 kHz MADI audio streams are supported.

5: AES Outputs

RJ45 connectors conforming to the AES72 Type 1M pin-out standard for up to 32 channels of AES digital audio output. AES72-2019: AES standard on interconnections - Application of RJ45-type connectors and quad twisted pair cable for audio interconnections

6: Analog Outputs

RJ45 connectors conforming to the AES72 Type 1M pin-out standard for up to 32 channels of Analog Mic/Line output. AES72-2019: AES standard on interconnections - Application of RJ45-type connectors and quad twisted pair cable for audio interconnections

7: Antenna Inputs and LEDs

BNC antenna pairs 1, 2, and 3 for connecting active, passive, or smart antennas. The 3 pairs are A1/B1, A2/B2, and A3/B3.
Orange top LED indicates whether 12V antenna bias power is enabled. Bias power is enabled in the Antenna Pair Settings menus.
Green middle LED indicates that the antenna input is active. Antenna inputs are enabled/disabled depending on the Antenna Mode menu setting.
Green bottom LED indicates that the antenna cascade output is active.

8: Antenna Cascade Outs and LEDs

Cascade outs for looping through antennas pairs 1,2, and 3. The Cascade Outs are nominally at unity gain compared to the antenna inputs. The Cascade Outs are filtered by the Astral ARX32 internal first stage pre-select filters. If Astral ARX32 loses power, the antenna inputs are looped through via RF relays to the cascade outputs.
LED indicates whether a Cascade Out is enabled. Cascade Outputs are enabled/disabled depending on the Antenna Mode and Antenna Pair Settings.

9: SFP Ports 1-4

Accepts a variety of Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) modular network transceivers. SFP ports 1 and 2 support optical fiber options for Dante, Control, and Astral Outpost connection. SFP ports 3 and 4 are reserved for factory testing.

10: Ethernet Ports 1 & 2

2x RJ45 ports for Dante, Control, and Astral Outpost connection. Ethernet port 1 can output PoE+ (max 30 W) for powering peripheral PoE+ devices such as the Astral Outpost.

11: USB-A Port

Multi-function USB-A port for:

Pairing Astral transmitters. Connect the Astral ARX32 to an Astral transmitter using a USB-C to USB-A cable.
Connecting a USB keyboard for naming channels, quick setup files and network. The USB keyboard is active whenever the virtual keyboard screen is displayed.
Mounting a USB flash drive for updating firmware and loading/saving settings.

The USB-A port supports USB hubs so that multiple devices can be connected at the same time. Maximum power output is 5 Watts (5V, 1.0A)

12: DC Power Input

10-18V DC, 200W. Powers the Astral ARX32 and the optional Astral Opto when attached.

13: Factory Access Cover

Covers and protects the factory testing ports.

14: AC Power Input

100-240V AC, 200W. Powers the Astral ARX32 and the optional Astral Opto when attached.

15: AC Mains LED

Indicates that AC power is connected to the Astral ARX32.

2.3 Bottom Panel

1: Expansion Port

For connecting the optional Astral Opto 1RU expansion chassis to Astral ARX32.

Chapter 3: Powering

The Astral ARX32 is powered from AC mains (100-240V AC) or DC 10-18V via the 4-pin XLR. AC power takes priority over DC power if both are connected.

The control knob ring LED illuminates blue during power up, then dims once the device has fully booted.

When the Astral ARX32 is first powered on, the last accessed RX View is displayed.

To power the Astral ARX32 on, press the triangle button or, with System menu > ‘Turn on when power is applied’ enabled, simply connect power.
To power the Astral ARX32 off, press and hold the triangle button until the ‘Powering down ...” progress bar completes.

3.1 PoE+ Output

The optional Astral Outpost NexLink extender and other devices can be powered via PoE+. The Astral ARX32’s RJ45 Port 1 provides PoE+ with a maximum power output of 30W. Enable the PoE+ Output from the System menu.

Chapter 4: Quick Start

Connect AC and/or DC power, BNC antennas, SMA NexLink antennas, Network ports (for control and/or Dante), and Audio outputs as required.
Pair any new Astral transmitters to the Astral ARX32 using a USB cable. Verify pairing via the TX List.
Select front or rear NexLink antennas in the NexLink menu.
Set the Astral ARX32 and Astral transmitters to the local country. See System menu.
Select the required Antenna Mode.
Configure Audio outputs.
Perform a Scan to find and select clear filter ranges for each Tuning Band in use. Availability of various Tuning Bands depends on the selected Antenna Mode.
For each band, use AutoAssign to assign clean frequencies to receiver channels. Frequencies are automatically sent to transmitters connected via NexLink.
Power on Astral transmitters from the TX List or 1RX Views.
View received RF signals and audio in the RX Views.

Chapter 5: Navigating the User Interface

The Astral ARX32 is operated from its front panel triangle button, control knob, HP knob, and eight touch screens or remotely via a web interface.

Triangle Button

Press to power up. Press and hold to power down.
When Astral ARX32 is powered up, press to cycle between the RX View and Main menu. When in a menu or submenu, the triangle button exits to the menu above.

Control Knob (Right Knob)

Rotate to scroll through lists and select parameter values. Press to store.
Rotate to scroll frequency cursor or adjust horizontal/vertical zoom in the RTSA/Scan view.
Press and hold > 3 secs to enter Show Mode. Orange borders surround each screen. Tapping an OLED displays a ‘The Screen is locked’ popup.

HP Knob (Left Knob)

Rotate to adjust headphone output level. The headphone gain is displayed momentarily in OLED 1.

OLED Touch Screen UI Elements

The Astral ARX32 uses several different UI elements for changing settings i.e. toggle switch, list button, value button, action button, etc.

Note: When certain OLED UI elements (e.g. list and value buttons) are selected, brightness is reduced, and touch is disabled on all other OLEDs.

Toggle Switch: Tap to toggle between On and Off. Typically used for functions that have on and off states e.g. Ethernet switch in the Network menu.

List Button: Displays a list of items to choose from. There are two types of List Button as shown, one with external label, one with internal label. The currently selected item or value is displayed inside the button.
- Tap the list button to display a list of items to choose from.
- Scroll the list of items by rotating the Control or tapping the up/down arrows, then press the Control knob to select the item and exit the list. Alternatively, tap directly on the list option to select it.
- To exit the list without making any changes, press the triangle button or tap anywhere in the list’s title bar.
Value Button: Displays a parameter’s value.
- Tap to select - the button turns orange.
- Rotate the Control knob to adjust the value.
- Press the Control knob or tap the button to exit.
Action Button: A button that initiates a process e.g. Format USB Drive, Unpair etc. The button contains the name of the process.

Virtual Keyboard: appears on OLED screens 3-6 when an alphanumeric name field is accessed. Alternatively use a USB keyboard connected to the USB-A port.

Chapter 6: RX Views

RX Views display real-time receiver channel data, transmitter signals, and status information across the eight OLED screens.

There are several types of RX View:

All (Displays either 16, 24, or 32 channels, depending on how many channel expansion licenses are installed)
16RX View (available when at least one channel expansion license is installed)
8RX View
1RX View

Select an RX View type from OLED 1

Upon power up, the Astral ARX32 shows the last displayed RX View.

6.1 All View

The All View displays all RX channels in one view: 32 channels when 2x channel expansion licenses are installed, 24 channels when 1x channel expansion license is installed, and 16 when no expansion licenses are installed.

6.2 16RX View

(‘All’ View when no channel expansion licenses are installed)

Displays 16 receiver channel strips, two per screen.
Tap the right arrow at the bottom of screen eight to bank to the next bank of channels (w/expansion license only).
Tap any receiver channel strip to display its 1RX View.

Channel Name: Displays the name of the transmitter that is currently feeding the channel.
1. The transmitter name can be edited if the channel is NexLinked to an Astral transmitter.
2. The transmitter name cannot be edited if an A10-TX or non-NexLinked Astral transmitter is assigned to it.
Transmitter Battery Level Icon: Indicates the remaining transmitter battery charge as a color and in % or V depending on the type of battery the transmitter is using. For AA or AAA cells, the battery level is displayed as a voltage. For Sony NP-BX1 type rechargeable cells, battery level is displayed as a %.
1. Gray = Transmitter is Off
2. Green = Good
3. Orange = OK
4. Red = Low
5. Flashing Red = Depleted (transmitter RF and audio is disabled)
NexLink RSSI Meter: Indicates the Receive Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) of the 2.4 GHz NexLink signal from the transmitter. The RSSI color signifies the transmitter NexLink status.
1. Green = Transmitter is on and NexLink is active
2. White = Transmitter is off and NexLink is active
3. Gray = No connection or out of range
Record/Mute Status: Indicates whether the transmitter feeding the receiver channel is recording and/or muted.
1. Red = Recording
2. Blue = Muted
3. Blue fill, red border = Recording and muted
4. Gray = Not recording or muted.

RF Frequency: Displays the receiver channel’s assigned frequency.
1. If an Astral transmitter has an active NexLink connection and the NexLink menu > ’Manually set …’ toggle is off, the transmitter will follow the assigned receiver channel frequency.
2. Displays ‘RX Off’ when the receiver channel is Off.
3. The frequency flashes red when there is a NexLink issue. Go to the 1RX View > Gear Menu > NexLink Status screen to determine the cause of the issue.
RF History: Displays the receiver channel’s Receive Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), Link Quality (Q), or RSSI + Q history. See RF History.
Antenna Pairs 1,2,3 RSSI Meters: Indicates the received antenna signal strength from the A and B antennas for each of the three antenna pairs at the RX channel’s current frequency. The RSSI meter scale is -100 to -65 dBm. Only the antenna pairs that are feeding the band that the RX channel is assigned to have their RSSI meters displayed. For 3-Zone Combine and 2-Zone Combine + 1 Pair Antenna Modes, the RSSI meters indicate the combined antenna pair levels and are labeled ‘X’. See Antenna Modes. The following table describes the color scheme used to identifying the RSSI bars and traces:

Antenna	Color
1A	Light blue
1B	Dark blue
2A	Light green
2B	Dark green
3A	Light orange
3B	Dark orange
X (A) [Combiner mode]	Light blue
X (B) [Combiner mode)	White

Link Q Meter: Indicates the quality of the received radio frequency signal from the transmitter.
Audio Meter: Indicates the received audio level from the transmitter. The audio meter scale is -90 to 0 dBFS for GainForward sources and -50 to 0 dBFS for non-GainForward sources.

6.3 8RX View

Displays 8 receiver channels, one per screen.
Tap the right arrow at the bottom of OLED 8 to bank to the next eight channels 9-16. In the channels 9-16 bank, tap the left arrow at the bottom of OLED 1 to bank to the previous eight channels 1-8.
Tap any receiver channel OLED to display its 1RX View.
Tap the RTSA icon at the bottom of OLED 8 to display the RTSA

Channel Name and Audio Meter: Displays the transmitter (channel) name inside an audio level meter. Tap the meter to edit the name (12-character maximum) using the virtual keyboard.
1. The transmitter name can be edited if the channel is NexLinked to an Astral transmitter.
2. The transmitter name cannot be edited if the channel is being fed from an A10-TX or a non-NexLinked Astral transmitter.
3. If NexLinked to an Astral transmitter, the name is pushed to the transmitter.

RF Frequency: Displays the receiver channel’s frequency and band (Band 1 = yellow font), (Band 2 = purple font), (Band 3 = white font). Tap to change the frequency and the band.
1. If NexLinked to an Astral transmitter and the NexLink menu > “Manually set …” toggle is off, the frequency is pushed to the transmitter.
2. Displays ‘RX Off’ when the receiver channel is Off.
3. The frequency flashes red when there is a NexLink issue. Go to the 1RX View > Gear Menu > NexLink Status screen to troubleshoot the issue.
4. Tap the Band button to select a different Band (1 - 3) if the Antenna Mode permits it. For example, if the Antenna Mode only requires Band 1 (e.g. HexVersity Mode), then Band 2 and Band 3 are not available for selection. See Antenna Modes. A Tuning Band’s filter range can be set from the RF menu, RTSA view, or Scan view.
5. Tap the frequency button to select a frequency within the current band.
6. To enter a frequency, tap each frequency field then rotate the Control knob to select a value. Tap OK to store or Cancel to exit without saving. Alternatively, jump through the frequency fields by pressing the Control knob.
7. To save power, turn off a receiver channel by setting the RX On/Off toggle to Off.

If NexLinked to an Astral transmitter, the frequency is automatically pushed to the transmitter unless NexLink Menu > “Manually set …” toggle is on.

HPF: Indicates if the HPF is active either on the transmitter (if an A10-TX) or receiver channel (if an Astral transmitter).
Record/Mute: Indicates if the transmitter is recording and/or muted. Red for record, blue for mute, and blue with red border for both record and mute.

6.4 1RX View

Displays a receiver channel’s received signal, audio level, control functions and status across the eight OLEDs.

Use the 1RX View to perform detailed control and monitoring of a receiver channel and its associated transmitter. The 1RX View has different control layouts depending on the following criteria:

The model of the transmitter feeding the channel (Astral HH, Astral TX, Astral Mini, or A10-TX)
Whether the channel is sourced from one or multiple transmitters.
Whether the channel is sourced from a NexLinked or non-NexLinked (e.g. A10-TX) transmitter.
Whether the channel’s Mode is set to RF Only, REC Only, or REC+RF

1RX View Layout examples

6.4.1 Example 1: 1RX View when sourced from a single Astral TX transmitter in REC+RF Mode

Rotate the Control knob to navigate to next and previous 1RX views.
Navigate to multi-RX Views or RTSA by tapping the icons in OLED 1
OLED 3 displays the mini RTSA for the receiver channel’s current frequency. It is approx. 1 MHz wide and centered on the assigned frequency. Tap the mini RTSA to jump to the full RTSA for the band that the frequency falls within.

Channel Name and Audio Meter: Displays the transmitter (channel) name inside an audio level meter. Tap the meter to edit the name (12-character maximum) using the virtual keyboard. The audio meter scale is -90 to 0 dBFS for GainForward sources and -50 to 0 dBFS for non-GainForward sources, i.e. A10-TX.
1. The transmitter name can be edited if the channel is NexLinked to an Astral transmitter.
2. The transmitter name cannot be edited if the channel is being fed from an A10-TX on non-NexLinked Astral transmitter.
3. If NexLinked to an Astral transmitter, the name edits are pushed to the transmitter.
Transmitter Battery Level Icon: Indicates the remaining transmitter battery charge as a color and in % or V depending on the type of battery the transmitter is using. For AA or AAA cells, the battery level is displayed as a voltage. For Sony NP-BX1 type rechargeable cells, battery level is displayed as a %.
1. Gray = Transmitter is Off
2. Green = Good
3. Orange = OK
4. Red = Low
5. Flashing Red = Depleted (transmitter RF and audio is disabled)
NexLink RSSI Meter: Indicates the Receive Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) of the 2.4 GHz NexLink signal from the transmitter. The RSSI color signifies the transmitter NexLink status.
1. Green = Transmitter is on and NexLink active
2. White = Transmitter is off and NexLink active
3. Gray = No connection or out of range

For receiver channels that are sourced from a single transmitter, tap the NexLink RSSI meter icon to display the NexLinked Transmitter List from which you can select an Astral transmitter to NexLink to.

RF Frequency: Displays the receiver channel’s frequency and band (Band 1 - Band 3).
1. The frequency flashes red when there is a NexLink issue. Go to the 1RX View > Gear Menu > NexLink Status screen to troubleshoot the issue.
2. Tap the frequency button to select a frequency within the current band.
3. To enter a frequency, tap each frequency field then rotate the Control knob to select a value. Tap OK to store or Cancel to exit without saving. Alternatively, jump through the frequency fields by pressing the Control knob.
4. To save power, turn off a receiver channel by setting the RX On/Off toggle to Off.
5. Tap the Band button to select a different Band (Band 1 - Band 3) if the Antenna Mode permits it. For example, if the Antenna Mode only supports Band 1 (e.g. HexVersity Mode), then Band 2 and Band 3 are not available for selection. See Antenna Modes. A Tuning Band’s filter range can be set from the RF menu, RTSA view, or Scan view.

If NexLinked to an Astral transmitter, the frequency is automatically pushed to the transmitter unless NexLink menu > NexLink Tuning Mode is set to Manual.

RF History: Displays the receiver channel’s RSSI + Q history. See Menu > RF.
Antenna Pairs 1,2,3 RSSI Meters: Indicates the received antenna signal strength from the A and B antennas for each of the three antenna pairs at the RX channel’s current frequency. The RSSI meter scale is -100 to -65 dBm. Only the antenna pairs that are feeding the band that the RX channel is assigned to, have their RSSI meters displayed. For 3-Zone Combiner and 2-Zone Combiner + 1 Pair) Antenna Modes, the RSSI meters for combined antenna pairs are labeled ‘X’. See Antenna Modes. The following table describes the color scheme used for identifying the RSSI bars and traces for each antenna:

Antenna	Color
1A	Light blue
1B	Dark blue
2A	Light green
2B	Dark green
3A	Light orange
3B	Dark orange
X (A) [Combiner mode]	Light blue
X (B) [Combiner mode)	White

Link Q Meter: Indicates the quality of the received radio frequency signal from the transmitter.
Mini RTSA: Displays a 1 MHz wide window of the live spectrum centered on the RX channel’s frequency. Tap the up/down arrows to adjust the vertical dBm scale. Tap the center of OLED 3 to open the expanded RTSA view for the channel's current frequency band.
Gain: Adjusts receiver channel audio gain, -6 to 60 dB.
HPF: Adjusts receiver channel HPF (Off, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 160, 200 Hz).
Polarity: Adjusts the polarity of the channel audio between Normal and Reverse.
Privacy: Tap to set a Privacy Key. This prevents unauthorized Astral receiver users deciphering the transmitter audio signal. Tap New Key to generate a random 4-digit key or Clear Key, to reset to zeros. The key is pushed to NexLinked transmitters assigned to the receiver channel. When Privacy is set (not a ‘0000’ key), the Privacy button is green to make it easy to see that Privacy is enabled.

Note: Privacy is not supported with Standard modulation currently. As such, channel audio is muted

RF Power: Sets a NexLinked Astral transmitter’s RF power. Options are 2 mW, 10 mW, 20 mW, 40 mW, and 100mW (Astral HH only). RF Power Level options are dependent on TX model, Country, Tuning Band, Frequency Authorization, and whether the ‘Allow Extra High RF Power’ option is enabled in the Gear menu. The RF Power text changes to a red font if the actual transmitter power is different from that selected RF Power, for example, if a restricted frequency authorization expires.
Modulation: Sets Modulation between Standard and Long Range. Compared to Standard Modulation, Long Range Modulation has better sensitivity. This increased sensitivity results in better range in challenging RF environments. The Modulation setting must match between the transmitter and the Astral ARX32 for the transmitted signal to be received. If NexLinked to an Astral transmitter, the Modulation setting is automatically pushed to the transmitter unless the NexLink menu’s ‘Manually set …’ toggle is enabled.
Power On/Off Buttons: Tap to power on and off the transmitter and receiver channel.
RF On/Off Buttons: Tap to enable or disable transmitter RF transmission.
ID On/Off Buttons: Tap to identify the Astral transmitter. Its LEDs will start flashing and if it's an Astral TX, it will also vibrate.
Mute On/Off buttons: Tap to mute and unmute the transmitter.
LEDs On/Off buttons: Tap to enable or disable the Astral transmitter’s LEDs.
Record Start/Stop Buttons and Status: Tap to start and stop the transmitter recording. Record button is red when recording. The record stop/start buttons are not displayed when the Astral transmitters are in RF Only mode.
Transmitter Timecode Status (only available in Rec Only or Rec + RF mode): Tap the TC Icon to display whether the Astral transmitter has synced successfully to the Astral ARX32. Displays ‘TC synced’ when successfully synced. Tap again to return to the TC Icon.

Note: Astral transmitters with inserted battery hold timecode accurately for 4hrs after power down, then reset to zero. Without a battery inserted, they hold for 1 hr after power down.

Audio Outs: Tap to access the Audio Output Routing popup popup on OLEDs 4-7 from which the RX channel’s Main and Aux (1-3) audio output paths can be configured.

The Astral ARX32 has 64 audio outputs which can be fed from up to 32 receiver channel main/aux paths. Each of these 64 audio outputs can be selected as feeds for the analog, AES, Dante, MADI, and Optocore (when Astral Opto is connected) output interfaces. Multiple receiver channels can be summed to any of these 64 audio outputs by assigning them to the same main or aux (1-3) path in the Audio Output Routing popup. When doing so, the following is displayed: “Output already has one or more RX channels routed to it. Continue? OK, Cancel”. Select OK to sum the RX channels to the same output or cancel, to cancel the routing.

Note: When multiple RX channels are summed to the same output, it is possible to clip the output (exceed 0 dBFS). Adjust RX Channel gain controls or the Audio Menu’s Global RX Output Gain accordingly.

Note: An RX Channel’s Main and Aux (1-3) paths cannot be set to the same Output. “Main and Aux cannot have the same output. Select another output. OK” is displayed if this routing is attempted.

The Main Audio Output path is typically used as the ‘normal’ program feed path. The Aux (1-3) Audio Output paths are typically used for talkback purposes but there is a myriad of other possible use cases. Aux (1-3) are activated from Astral transmitter control switches or buttons or using the RX channels’ Aux (1-3) On/Off toggles. Enable the ‘Aux (1-3) Mutes Main’ toggle switch to mute the Main feed when Aux (1-3) are active.

Main: Selects the Main program feed output path. Select from Out 1 to Out 64. Factory default is RX Channel ‘n’ to Main Out ‘n’.

Aux (1-3): Selects the Aux (1-3) program feed output path. Select from Out 1 to Out 64. Factory default is RX Channel ‘n’ to Aux Out ‘None’.

Gear Menu: Provides access to further transmitter settings plus NexLink Status alerts. Available options depend on the Astral transmitter model.

Example: Astral TX Gear Menu
1. NexLink Status: Displays various status alerts relating to communication over NexLink. See NexLink Status Alerts
2. Mode: Sets a NexLinked Astral transmitter’s Mode. Options are RF only, REC only, and REC+RF (non-US TX models only or Astral TX models not set to Lav). The Astral HH handheld transmitter does not support REC+RF mode, only RF Only or REC Only modes.
3. Resume Rec upon Power Up: Set to ON to have the Astral transmitter automatically resume recording on power up if it was recording prior to powering down.
4. Allow Extra High RF Power: Allows the selection of 40 mW (and 100 mW if an Astral HH) for RF Power. RF Level availability is dependent on TX model, Country, Tuning Band, and Frequency Authorization.
5. Auto-Power w/Lemo Connect: Astral Mini and Astral TX only. Set to ON to have the Astral transmitter automatically power on when a source is connected.
6. Mini Battery Doubler Installed: Astral Mini Only. When set to YES, the battery remaining % indicator adapts to the Astral-BatteryDoubler’s discharge characteristics to provide accurate readings.
7. Power On When Removed from Power Station: Astral Mini only. Set to ON to have the Astral Mini automatically power on when removed from the PowerStation-8M.
8. Astral TX Switch: Astral TX Only. Selects the function of the optional toggle switch. Select from None, Power, Mute, Record, Aux, RF, Control.
9. XLR Input Type: Astral TX Only. Select Mic, Line, P12, P48, AES3-1, AES3-2, AES42-1, or AES42-2. If Lav or Guitar are connected to the Astral TX, they are automatically selected. When a Guitar is detected, the Guitar Cable Capacitance and Input Impedance options below are un-grayed.
10. Lav Mic Type: Astral TX Only. Select Normal or 3-Wire. Note that the Astral TX’s auto-input type sensing is disabled when set to 3-Wire.
11. LED Mode: Astral TX Only. Select from All, Front Only, or Top Only
12. Gtr Cable pF/ft: Astral TX with guitar cable connected only. Select cable capacitance from 0 to 1500 pF (0 to 60 ft) in 25 pF steps.
13. Gtr Input Impedance: Astral TX with guitar cable connected only. Choose between 100k, 1M, or 10M Ohms.
14. Battery Chemistry: Astral TX Only. Selects chemistry type for 1.5V type batteries: NiMH, Alkaline, or Lithium Primary.
15. Control Ring Type: Astral HH Only. Selects what type of Control Ring is installed on the Astral HH. Select from Control-0, Control-1, Control-3, and Control-Sw.
16. Control Ring LEDs: Astral HH Only. Selects what the selected Control Ring’s LEDs should show.
17. Slide Switch: Astral HH with Control-Sw installed only. Selects the function of the slide switch. Select from None, Mute, Rec, Aux Latch, Power, Control, and RF.
18. Button: Astral HH with Control-1 installed only. Selects the function of the button. Select from None, Mute, Rec, Aux Hold, Aux Latch, Power, Control, RF and PTT.
19. Button-L, -C, -R: Astral HH with Control-3 installed only. Selects the function of the L, C, and R buttons. Select from None, Mute, Rec, Aux Hold, Aux Latch, Power, Control, RF and PTT.
20. Display LEDs: Astral HH Only. Selects what the selected ePaper Display’s backlight should show.
21. Display Background: Astral TX Only. Selects Light or Dark background color.
22. Display Orientation: Astral TX Only. Select between Normal or Flipped.
23. Display Name: Astral TX and Astral HH Only. Select between Top and Center.
24. Format TX: Sends a command to the Astral transmitter to format its recording media. Select OK or Cancel at the ‘Are you sure you want to format?’ prompt.
25. Restore TX Settings: Sends a command to the Astral transmitter to restore its setting to factory defaults.
26. Back … : Tap Back to exit the Gear menu.
27. Transmitter Information: Displays the NexLinked transmitter’s model, firmware version and serial number.

6.4.2 Example 2: 1RX View when sourced from multiple Astral transmitters in REC+RF Mode

Many of the controls are the same as those described in Example 1.

When a receiver channel is sourced from multiple transmitters, the Assigned Transmitters list in OLED 5 displays a list of all transmitters assigned to the RX channel. The transmitter name shown in OLED 2 and in green font in the Assigned Tx list in OLED 5, is the transmitter that is currently being received by the channel.

Note: In this mode, it is up to the user to have only one assigned transmitter transmitting at a time - otherwise they will interfere with one another. Power On/Off and RF Power buttons are conveniently included in OLED 6/7 to make it easy to ensure only one transmitter is transmitting.

Chapter 7: Menus

All Astral ARX32 settings are organized into menus accessed via the top-level Main Menu. The triangle button cycles between the current RX view and Main Menu. The leftmost OLED displays navigation icons for the various RX views. Tap an RX View icon to jump to its RX View. When in a menu, press the triangle button or tap the leftmost OLED to back out to the menu above.

Menu	Description
1RX	Displays a receiver channel’s received signal, audio level, control functions and status across the eight OLED screens.
8RX	Displays 8 receiver channels, one per screen.
16RX	Displays 16 receiver channel strips, two per screen. Only available when an expansion plugin is installed.
ALL	Displays 24 or 32 channel strips depending on how many 8-ch expansion licenses are installed.
TX List	Displays an inventory of paired TXs and which RX channels they are NexLinked to. Handoff, Pair/Unpair & control an individual TX or group of TXs. ‘TX List’ flashes yellow when any paired transmitter assigned to an RX channel is not connected via NexLink.
RF	Accesses Antenna Mode, Antenna Settings, Band Configuration, RF History, RF to Band Mapping settings, and Antenna Length menu
RTSA	Displays the Real Time Spectrum Analyzer, a real time spectrum analysis tool for assisting in frequency coordination and selection of clean bands and RF frequencies.
AutoAssign	Accesses the AutoAssign Menu. Can also be accessed by pressing the Control knob when in the RTSA View.
Audio	Accesses audio output routing, headphone output, sync reference, sample rate settings, tone generator settings, audio metering, and Astral Opto Setup.
Network	Network-related settings for Dante and Control, RF Mirror Mode
NexLink	NexLink-related settings including Astral Outpost settings
Timecode	Displays incoming LTC BNC timecode and frame rate
Quick Setup	Load and Save Setup files for quick recall. Setups can be saved to 4 internal memory slots or to an external USB drive connected to the USB-A port.
System	Various system settings including screen, Country, Date/time, Format USB drive, Firmware update, Notifications, Plugins, Web App Password, Macros and more.

Chapter 8: TX List

The TX List is an inventory of all paired Astral transmitters and which RX channels, if any, they are assigned to. Up to 64 transmitters can be paired with the Astral ARX32. ‘Pairing’ is a process that establishes a NexLink relationship between the Astral ARX32 and Astral transmitter. Once paired, an Astral transmitter can be controlled and monitored from Astral ARX32. Transmitters can also be assigned to user-nameable groups. Up to 8 user groups are available. When one or more transmitters are assigned to a group, that group is displayed at the top of the TX list. An ‘All TX Group’ is optionally available and will appear at the top of the TX List if the System > Show All TX Group toggle is set to On.

One or more Astral transmitters can be assigned to a single receiver channel. When the Astral ARX32 is set to ‘Manually set frequency …’ in the NexLink menu (see Manually Set Frequency, Modulation, and Privacy on Transmitters), all transmitters assigned to a receiver channel are sent that channel’s RX Frequency, Modulation, and Privacy settings. This makes it easy to quickly switch between transmitters assigned to the same receiver channel, particularly useful in live scenarios such as switching to a backup transmitter or switching between a performer’s different mics or instruments that are being fed to the same channel on an external mixer.

NOTE: When multiple transmitters are assigned to the same receiver channel and frequency, to prevent interference, ensure that only one of those transmitters is actively transmitting.

TX List with a transmitter row selected. Controls only apply to the selected transmitter. The Audio Offset button in OLED 5 is only available when more than 1 transmitter is assigned to the same receiver channel, in this case, channel 1.

TX List with a Group Row selected. Controls apply to all transmitters assigned to that group.

TX List with a Group Row selected showing ‘Partial’ status in OLED 7. The ‘Partial’ status indicates that at least one of the transmitters in the group is not in sync with the setting’s state.

TX List > Gear Menu with a Group row selected, showing the other available group functions, Mode, Modulation, and Format TX.

TX List showing a Group retry status in OLED 6.

8.1 Pairing an Astral Transmitter to the Astral ARX32

To establish NexLink wireless control between an Astral transmitter and the Astral ARX32, a new transmitter must be added to the TX List in a process called ‘pairing’. Pairing is saved indefinitely across power cycles, and typically only must be done during initial system setup. Once paired, a transmitter can be assigned to a receiver channel (‘Chan’) and group. Paired transmitters that are not assigned to a receiver channel can still be controlled via NexLink from the TX List. A transmitter can only be paired with one Astral Receiver at a time; however, it is possible to wirelessly ‘handoff’ control to another Astral Receiver easily - see Unpairing/Handoff.

Pairing automatically assigns the transmitter to the next available receiver channel number, but it is easy to reassign to any receiver channel. Should a transmitter not be required for a particular production or event, simply remove the receiver channel assignment by setting the transmitter channel number to ‘-’. Once transmitters are paired, they remain in the TX List until unpaired.

Transmitters can be paired wirelessly or via USB.

8.2 Pairing via USB

Enter the TX List by tapping the TX List icon in the Main Menu.
Connect the Astral transmitter’s USB-C port directly to the Astral ARX32’s front USB-C port or rear USB-A port directly or via a USB hub. It is not necessary for the Astral transmitter to be powered on or for it to have a battery installed during USB pairing.
Wait for several seconds while the Astral transmitter pairs to the Astral ARX32. The Astral transmitter will appear in the list once discovered, then go through the pairing process (‘Connecting’ then ‘Initializing’).
Disconnect the USB cable between the Astral transmitter and the Astral ARX32.

Tip: Use a USB Hub (or PowerStation-8M) to pair multiple Astral transmitters simultaneously.

8.3 Wireless Pairing

Note: To wirelessly pair a transmitter with Astral ARX32, ensure the Astral Remote app is closed or not actively communicating with the device.

Note: For NexLink control via an Astral Outpost, both the Astral ARX32 and the Astral Outpost must have their 2.4 GHz antennas installed to enable wireless transmitter pairing.

Put the Astral transmitter into pairing mode as follows:
1. Astral Mini: Power off the Astral Mini, then press and hold the red button inside the battery compartment until the Mini’s blue light flashes continuously.
  1. Astral TX and Astral HH: Access the transmitters menu and select Pair. Its blue light will flash continuously and ‘Pairing. Please wait … ‘ is displayed.
  2. All TX: Use the TX List’s Handoff button from the Astral ARX32 that currently has NexLink control.
Go to the Astral ARX32’s TX List and tap the search icon in OLED 1 to display the ‘Searching for TX’ View.

Note: Astral ARX32 uses its local 2.4 GHz antennas (not Outpost antennas) to search for transmitters in pairing mode. Once found, transmitters are displayed in the list.

Tap a transmitter’s Select box to select/deselect it for pairing to the Astral ARX32. A ‘X’ in a blue Select box indicates that it is selected. Tap Select All to select all transmitters.
Tap ‘Pair Selected’. When pairing multiple transmitters, the system assesses each TX, starting with the transmitter with the lowest frequency and assigns it to the lowest available RX channel.
At the popup, select whether to apply the transmitter’s current frequency to the RX Channel.
1. Select No to have the Astral ARX32 send the assigned RX channel’s frequency to the transmitter.
2. Select Yes to have the Astral ARX32 get the frequency from the transmitter and assign it to the RX Channel. When assigning to RX channels, the system assesses each TX in turn and assigns it to the lowest available RX channel that is in a band that corresponds to the transmitter’s frequency. If it can’t find a corresponding band, it will not assign the transmitter i.e. ‘RX Chan’ is set to ‘--’.
During pairing, the green ‘Searching for TX’ text in OLED 1 changes to ‘Pairing TX’. Pairing progress is indicated in the NexLink column in OLED 3 and changes from ‘Waiting’ to ‘Connecting’ to ‘Initializing’. The NexLink RSSI icon is displayed once NexLink communication is fully established. It is recommended to allow the process to fully complete before exiting out of the screen.
Tap Abort Pairing to abort pairing of transmitters that are not yet paired.
Tap Exit once all transmitters have paired. Exiting the screen before all selected transmitters are paired, displays ‘Abort pairing transmitters that are not yet paired? OK, Cancel’

8.4 Unpairing / Handoff

Unpairing or handing off a transmitter voids its NexLink relationship with the Astral ARX32 and removes it from the TX List. You may want to do this if you want to clear out unused transmitters from the TX List or handoff NexLink control to another Astral ARX32, ARX16, or ARX 8. Once a transmitter is unpaired or handed off, the Astral ARX32 can no longer control it via NexLink. Unpairing and Handoff are very similar actions:

Select Unpair to simply unpair a TX from the Astral ARX32 and remove it from the TX List. Groups of transmitters cannot be unpaired.
Select Handoff to unpair and put the transmitter into pairing mode, ready to be paired with another Astral Receiver. Groups of transmitters can be handed off.

To Unpair, rotate the Control knob to select a transmitter in the list, tap the Gear icon (OLED 8) then tap the Unpair button in OLED 8. An ‘Are you sure …” popup appears. Tap OK to unpair and remove the transmitter from the TX List.

To Handoff, rotate the Control knob to select a transmitter or transmitter group in the list, tap Handoff in OLED 5, then select Handoff. This unpairs the selected transmitters and puts them into Pairing mode. They are now discoverable by other Astral Receivers. Follow the instructions in Wireless Pairing to establish pairing with another Astral-Receiver.

8.5 TX List Description

The TX List is sorted numerically by receiver channel (Chan) number. When multiple transmitters are assigned to the same receiver channel, they are sorted alphanumerically by transmitter name within the channel number group. The TX List displays the following columns:

Name: The name of the paired transmitter or transmitter group. Tap the name to edit the name. A transmitter group is only displayed in the TX List if at least one transmitter is assigned to it. The name is a maximum of 12 characters long.
RX Chan: The receiver channel number to which the transmitter is assigned. Tap to assign. Unassign by setting to ‘-’.
Batt: Displays the transmitter’s power on/off status and battery level. A battery icon with gray fill indicates the transmitter is powered off. Green, orange or red fill means the transmitter is powered on.
NexLink: Displays NexLink status and RSSI level
- ---: After powering up, Astral ARX32 is waiting to hear from the Astral transmitter. Transmitter is out of range, or its battery is depleted if it remains in this state.

To conserve power, powered-off transmitters enter sleep mode after 4 hours of NexLink inactivity. This occurs when both the Astral ARX32 and the transmitter have been powered off for more than 4 hours. While in sleep mode, the transmitter's NexLink communication is disabled. To wake up a sleeping transmitter, it must be near the Astral ARX32. Once awakened, long-range NexLink communication is automatically restored. Consider using strategically placed Astral Outposts to wake up transmitters located a long way from the Astral ARX32.

Connecting: Establishing NexLink communication.
Initializing: Initializing connection.
NexLink RSSI icon: NexLink communication status. One NexLink is established, the buttons and control on OLED screens 5-8 are ungrayed. The icon displays the quality of the NexLink signal.
- When a transmitter is on, the NexLink RSSI level display is green. Controls on OLED screens 5-8 are active.
- When a transmitter is off, but NexLink is active, the RSSI level display is white. Controls on OLED screens 5-8 are active.
- When a transmitter has no NexLink communication (due to being TX out of range or its battery being dead), the RSSI level display is gray.
Freq: Displays the transmitter’s frequency.
Modulation: Displays the transmitter’s modulation type, Standard, Long Range or T&M.
Group: Assign the selected transmitter to a transmitter group. Grouping allows multiple transmitters to simultaneously respond to a group command such as Power On/Off. There are 8 groups, 1-8. Set to ‘-’ to unassign a transmitter from a group. If no transmitters are assigned to a group, then that group is inactive and does not appear in the TX List. Active groups are displayed as rows at the top of the TX List in ascending numerical order. Tap a group’s name to edit it. The group number is shown in parentheses after the group name. A group name can be up to 12 characters long.
RF Power: Tap to set a power level for a transmitter or group of transmitters. The RF Power text changes to a red font if the actual transmitter power is different from that selected RF Power, for example, if a restricted frequency authorization expires.
Audio Offset: Only shown when more than one transmitter is assigned to the same channel. Tap to set a transmitter’s audio offset from -20 to +20 dB.
NexLink Status: Tap to display the NexLink status popup. See NexLink Status Alerts. Grayed out when a group is highlighted.
Handoff: Tap to make the selected transmitter or group of transmitters available for pairing to another Astral Receiver.
Power On/Off: Tap to power on/off a transmitter or group of transmitters.
RF On/Off: Tap to enable or disable a transmitter or group of transmitters’ RF transmission.
ID On/Off: Tap to ID a transmitter or group of transmitters. The ID’d transmitters flash their LEDs and vibrate if an Astral TX.
Mute On/Off: Tap to mute/unmute the audio of a transmitter or group of transmitters.
LEDs On/Off: Tap to turn LEDs on or off for a transmitter or group of transmitters.
REC On/Off: Tap to start/stop a transmitter or group of transmitters recording.
TC Icon: Tap to display the transmitter’s TC synced status. The icon is hidden when set to RF Only Mode.
TX List Gear Menu: Tap to access other transmitter settings on OLED screens 5-8. Available options depend on the Astral transmitter model.

Mode: Set transmitter mode. Choose between RF Only, REC Only, or REC+RF (non-US models only). Note that the Astral HH does not offer REC+RF mode.
Modulation: Sets transmitter and associated channel’s RF modulation.
Resume Rec upon Power Up: Set to ON to have the Astral transmitter automatically resume recording on power up if it was recording prior to powering down.
Allow Extra High RF Power: Allows the selection of 40 mW (and 100mW if an Astral HH transmitter) for RF Power.
Auto-Power w/Lemo Connect: Astral Mini and Astral TX Only. Set to On to have the Astral transmitter automatically power on when an audio source is connected.
Astral Battery Doubler Installed: Astral Mini Only. When set to YES, the battery remaining % indicator adapts to the Astral-BatteryDoubler’s discharge characteristics to provide accurate readings.
Power On When Removed from Power Station: Astral Mini only. Set to ON to have the Astral Mini automatically power on when removed from the PowerStation-8M.
Astral TX Switch: Astral TX Only. Selects the function of the optional toggle switch. Select from None, Power, Mute, Record, RF, Aux, Control.
XLR Input Type: Astral TX Only. Select Mic, Line, P12, P48, AES3-1, AES3-2, AES42-1, or AES42-2. If Lav or Guitar are connected to the Astral TX, they are automatically selected. When a Guitar is detected, the Guitar Cable Capacitance and Input Impedance options are active.
Lav Mic Type: Astral TX Only. Select Normal or 3-Wire. Note that the Astral TX’s auto-input type sensing is disabled when set to 3-Wire.
LED Mode: Astral TX Only. Select from On, Front Only, or Top Only
Gtr Cable pF/ft: Astral TX Only. Set guitar cable capacitance from 0 to 1500 pF in 25 pF steps (0 to 60 ft in 1 ft steps)
Gtr Input Impedance: Astral TX Only. Select guitar amp input impedance from 100K, 1M, or 10M ohm.
Battery Chemistry: Astral TX Only. Selects 1.5V chemistry type: NiMH, Alkaline, or Lithium Primary.
Control Ring Type: Astral HH Only. Selects what type of Control Ring is installed on the Astral HH. Select from Control-0, Control-1, Control-3, and Control-Sw.
Control Ring LEDs: Astral HH Only. Selects what the selected Control Ring’s LEDs should show.
Slide Switch: Astral HH with Control-Sw installed only. Selects the function of the slide switch. Select from None, Mute, Rec, Aux Latch, Power, Control, and RF.
Button: Astral HH with Control-1 installed only. Selects the function of the button. Select from None, Mute, Rec, Aux Hold, Aux Latch, Power, GPIO, RF and PTT.
Button-L, -C, -R: Astral HH with Control-3 installed only. Selects the function of the L, C, and R buttons. Select from None, Mute, Rec, Aux Hold, Aux Latch, Power, Control, RF and PTT.
Display LEDs: Astral HH Only. Selects what the selected ePaper Display’s backlight should show.
Display Background: Astral TX and Astral HH Only. Selects Light or Dark background color
Display Orientation: Astral TX and Astral HH Only. Select between Normal or Flipped.
Display Name: Astral TX and Astral HH Only. Select between Top and Center position for the name on the ePaper display.
Format TX: Sends a command to the Astral transmitter to format its recording media. Select OK or Cancel at the ‘Are you sure you want to format?’ prompt.
Restore TX: Sends a command to the Astral transmitter to restore its setting to factory defaults.
Unpair: Tap to unpair the transmitter from the Astral ARX32.
Back…: Returns to previous OLED screens 5-8.
Transmitter Information: Displays the NexLinked transmitter’s model, firmware version and serial number.

8.6 Assigning a Paired Transmitter to a Receiver Channel

Assigning a paired transmitter to a receiver channel enables synchronization of frequency, modulation, and privacy settings between the transmitter and that receiver channel. Up to 16 transmitters can be assigned to the same receiver channel.

Rotate the Control knob to select a transmitter, then tap the ‘Chan’ box.
Rotate the Control knob to choose a channel number, then press the Control knob to store.
1. If the selected receiver channel has no transmitters already assigned, the selected transmitter is immediately assigned to that channel.
2. If the selected receiver channel already has one or more transmitters assigned to it, a popup is displayed in OLED 2 prompting whether the selected transmitter should be added to that receiver channel or replace the transmitter that is currently assigned to it. If Replace is selected, the replaced transmitter is unassigned from the RX Channel.
3. If you are only working with a single transmitter per receiver channel, you can select that single transmitter directly from that channel’s 1RX View. In the 1RX View, tap the NexLink Icon to display the ‘NexLinked Transmitter’ List from which you can select an Astral transmitter.

Tip: Rotate the Control knob to scroll through the TX List. Select a transmitter by highlighting its row, then press the Control knob to jump directly to its receiver channel’s 1RX View.

Tip: The TX List icon in the Main Menu is yellow if not all transmitters have established a NexLink connection. The icon is green when all transmitters are successfully connected or when no transmitters have been paired.

Note: If multiple transmitters are assigned to a receiver channel, only the active transmitter receives group commands.

Chapter 9: RF Menu

The RF Menu accesses antenna, band, and RF History settings. From the Main Menu, tap the RF icon to enter the RF Menu.

The Astral ARX32 includes three independent bands each tunable to anywhere within SpectraBand’s 169 to 1525 MHz frequency range, making it easy to find clean, usable spectrum. Each of these three bands are fed from user-selectable ‘brick wall’ filters (mostly 24 MHz wide) providing a total of 72 MHz simultaneously usable spectrum.

The Astral ARX32 incorporates the most advanced and versatile antenna input configuration capabilities of any receiver on the market, allowing it to be used in many applications from extremely crowded RF environments to multi-zone productions. Astral ARX32 has 3 pairs of antenna inputs which can be configured in multiple ways, known as Antenna Modes. The Antenna Mode also determines how many bands are active. Before coordinating frequencies, it is best practice to first choose the most appropriate Antenna Mode for the application and operating environment.

Each antenna input pair has an associated zero-loss, cascade out pair, ideal for daisy-chaining to other receivers*. As a failsafe in the event of power loss, antenna inputs automatically bypass internal circuitry and loop through to their associated cascade outputs so that daisy-chained receivers can continue to receive unattenuated RF signal.

*When the ‘3-Zone Combiner’ or ‘2-Zone Combiner + 1 Pair’ Antenna Modes are enabled, cascade outputs for Antenna Pairs 2 and 3 are disabled. When set to the 3-Zone Combiner mode, Antenna Pair 1’s cascade out is the combined output of all 3 input antenna pairs.

9.1 Antenna Modes

Select one of the 8 antenna modes (antenna input configurations) by tapping Antenna Mode in OLED2. A textual description and antenna routing graphic for the currently selected Antenna Mode are displayed in OLED’s 2 and 3 respectively. The antenna routing graphic displays how antenna input pairs 1, 2, and 3 are routed to the bands, Band 1, Band 2, and Band 3 as the Antenna Mode list is scrolled. Active antenna pairs and bands are signified by blue-filled boxes and inactive ones by gray-filled boxes. It is not possible to access settings for inactive antenna pairs or bands.

Tap an Antenna Pair box 1, 2, or 3 to configure its A and B antennas.
Tap a band box, Band 1, Band 2, or Band 3 to set its filter range. Bands are color-coded: Band 1 is yellow, Band 2 is purple, and Band 3 is white.

Note that when changing a Band’s filter, audio is temporarily stopped for that band until it is selected. If System > Show Audio Off Warnings is enabled, the following warning popup appears: "Changing Band [n] will stop audio on All channels in Band ‘n’. Continue?" ... where [n] is the number of the Band ... 1, 2, or 3.

Antenna Mode Details

9.2 Antenna Pair Settings

Change settings for the A and B antennas for each antenna pair 1, 2, and 3.

< (Back): Tap to return to the RF Menu
Antenna Pair On/Off: Enables or disables the selected antenna pair.
Gang Settings to Antenna A: Gang all Ant B’s settings (except LFA Name and the read-only LFA Version Info) to Ant A’s settings.
Power (Bias): Provides 12V DC bias power for active or smart antennas. When setting Power (Bias) to On, a “Turn on Antenna Bias Power” alert is displayed. Select OK to turn on bias power.
Cascade out: Enable or disable the cascade output for the selected antenna input.
Attenuation: For attenuating antenna signal level. Ideal for preventing a) RF overload and b) antenna phase cancellation in overlapping multi-zone applications. Range: 0 to 30 dB in 0.5 dB steps.
Smart Antenna: Tap to enable remote control of the Wisycom LFA smart antenna. The LFA control settings are grayed out when Smart Antenna is disabled. After turning power bias On, allow about 20 seconds for the smart antenna fields to become accessible. Note that when remote control is enabled, changes on the LFA itself (instead of from the Astral ARX32) are not reflected to the Antenna Pair Settings menu until communication with the LFA is disabled then re-enabled. For that reason, always use the Astral ARX32 for control of the LFA.
LFA Gain Mode: Sets Gain Mode.
LFA Gain: Sets gain of Antenna A or B in 1 dB steps. [Off, Bypass, -12 to 27dB].
LFA Filter Type: Sets the filter type of Antenna A or B.
LFA Filter Freq: Sets the filter freq of Antenna A or B.
LFA Name: Displays name of Antenna A/B.
LFA Display Brightness: Sets Antenna A/B display brightness in increments of 1. [1-10]
LFA Display Color: Sets Antenna A/B display color. [White, Black]
LFA Display Timeout: Sets the duration of Antenna A/B display timeout in steps of 1 second. [5 to 240 seconds]
LFA Display Rotate: Sets the rotation of the Antenna A/B display. [0 or 180]
LFA LED: Sets Antenna A/B LED activity. [On or Off]
LFA Version Info: Displays system information about the Wisycom LFA- B-F1.

9.3 RF History

RF History real time graphs are displayed in the 1RX, 8RX, and 16RX Views. RF History is useful for monitoring recent RF environmental conditions and for troubleshooting RF issues. The graphs display RF signal level (RSSI) and/or link quality history over a specified duration from the ‘now’ value displayed on the graph’s right to the oldest past value on the graph’s left.

Duration: Set from 30 to 600 seconds in 10 second steps.
Type: Choose from the following:
- RSSI: Displays active Antenna Pair A and B RSSI levels as multicolor traces.
- Link Q: Displays link quality, Q in purple.
- RSSI + Q: Displays active Antenna Pair A and B RSSI levels plus Link Q. Approaching RF input overload (yellow) and RF input overload (red) are also shown in this mode.

9.4 RX to Band Mapping

When operating an Antenna Mode that utilizes more than one band, receiver channel-to-band mapping makes it easy to quickly assign receiver channels to bands. This is also useful for setting which bands the AutoAssign process should put each RX channel in. In the RF menu, tap RX to Band Mapping in OLED 8 to access the RX to Band Mapping popup on OLED 4-8. The RX to Band Mapping button is grayed out if only one band is active i.e. HexVersity and 4Versity Antenna modes.

Select which RX channels go to which bands. An RX channel can only be routed to a single band at a time. Tap the RX Channels button in OLED 8 to select between RX 1-16 and RX 17-32 (if applicable expansion licenses are installed). Changing Antenna Mode resets all RX channels to Band 1.

9.5 Antenna Length Measuring Tool

For convenience, the Astral ARX32 includes a ¼ wave whip antenna length measurement view. Simply select the desired frequency range, line up the whip antenna to the displayed graphic and cut to size.

Chapter 10: Antenna RF Overload Indication

The Astral ARX32 indicates when its antenna inputs are approaching overload or overloading.

Red = Overload
Orange = Approaching overload
Left indicator (in OLED 1) = Overload status for antennas 1A, 2A, and 3A
Right indicator (in OLED 8) = Overload status for antennas 1B, 2B, and 3B
The red and orange indicators are held for a minimum of 2 seconds. Tap the indicator to manually clear it for at least 10 seconds.

Approaching overload and overload status are also displayed as yellow and red vertical bars in the RF History when set to RSSI + Q

Tip: Things to try when an RF signal is approaching overload or overloading an antenna input:

Reduce RF power on the transmitter
If using amplified external antennas, reduce the amplifier gain
Increase the distance between transmitter and receiver antennas
Add attenuation to the overloading antenna input from the Antenna Pair Settings menus.
Use the RTSA screen to examine from where the interference is coming. If the interference is not from the transmitters in use but rather some other sources (such as walkie-talkies), consider changing the Band’s frequency range such that the interfering RF signal is moved out of band.

Chapter 11: Spectrum Analyzer

The Astral ARX32 incorporates a real-time, spectrum analyzer for assisting in frequency coordination and selection of clean RF frequencies anywhere within the entire SpectraBand range (169 MHz to 1525 MHz). The Spectrum Analyzer also includes:

AutoAssign: an algorithm that finds the cleanest frequencies and automatically assigns them to RX channels and their paired transmitters.
TV Channel Finder: an algorithm that automatically looks for and displays 6 MHz or 8 MHz TV Channels so that those frequency regions can be avoided when assigning frequencies.

The analyzer is accessed from the RTSA menu, the RF menu, or by tapping the RTSA icon in OLED 1 of any menu.

The Spectrum Analyzer includes two Modes of operation:

RTSA Mode: Live real-time spectrum analysis of the currently active bands (1-3) while maintaining reception of multichannel wireless audio. RTSA is an acronym for Real Time Spectrum Analyzer.
Scan Mode: Analysis of the entire or user-selectable portions of the 169 MHz - 1525 MHz spectrum. The trace is typically refreshed a few times per second. All channel audio is muted in Scan Mode.

In both modes, RF signal level (in dBm) as ‘seen’ by each antenna is displayed on the vertical axis with RF frequency (in MHz) displayed on the horizontal axis.

Toggle between RTSA Mode and Scan Mode by tapping the Scan / RTSA button in OLED 8.

Recommended Workflow

It is best practice to first use the Scan tool to find the cleanest band, then use the RTSA or AutoAssign to find the cleanest frequencies within that band. Once clean frequencies are found they can be assigned to receiver channels and their associated NexLinked transmitters directly from the RTSA or AutoAssign views.

11.1 RTSA Mode

RTSA Mode displays live RF signal level for each of the 3 active bands, Band 1, Band 2, Band 3. The RF Menu > Antenna Mode determines which of the 3 bands are displayed.

Filter Range: Shows the selected filter range for each of the tuning bands, Band 1, Band 2, Band 3. Tap to select a different filter for the selected band. If System > ‘Show Audio Off Warnings’ is enabled, a popup appears to warn that audio will stop on all channels if the band’s filter range is changed. Select OK in the audio warning popup to display a list of the available filters in OLED 8. The current Country setting determines which tuning bands are available. See System Menu for more information on setting the Country.

Filter Range LIst
With the filter list open, rotate the Control knob to scroll through the list. To make it easy to select a filter range with the least amount of RF congestion, the filter and its RTSA display switches ‘live’ as the list is scrolled. Tap the filter list title bar to close the list.

Quick Recall of a Band’s Assigned Frequencies

Each Band’s assigned receiver channel frequencies are stored and automatically recalled when selecting the Band. This is particularly useful for:
1. Quickly comparing the RF performance of assigned frequency groups as you switch between Filter Ranges.
2. Pre-configuring alternate Filter Ranges with pre-assigned frequencies to prepare for unforeseen changes in the RF environment.
  
  Note: Each Filter Range’s assigned frequencies are cleared when Astral ARX32 is powered down.
Expand and Collapse Arrows (<-->, --> <--): Tap <--> to expand the selected individual band’s RTSA across OLED screens 2-7. Tap the --> <-- icon in OLED 7 to return to viewing all bands’ RTSAs. Note that expand and collapse arrows are only displayed when more than one band is active.
Expanded Individual RTSA View
Blue Frequency Marker: Tap the vertical center of OLED screens 2-7 to locate the blue frequency marker at any desired frequency. To more precisely position the marker, rotate the Control knob with the Zoom tool set to horizontal scroll mode (blue Zoom Tool icon). Select the scroll mode by tapping the Zoom icon. The blue frequency marker can be used to identify a specific frequency and its received signal strength.
Press the Control knob to display the “Assign Frequency To:” list.
The list provides the following options:
1. Assign the blue frequency marker’s frequency to any receiver channel.
2. Select ‘Auto Assign All’ to automatically scan and assign multiple clean frequencies. See AutoAssign for more information.
Marker MHz/dBm: Displays the blue Frequency Marker’s current frequency and dBm value.
Antenna Pair Display: Selects which antenna pair RSSI traces to display.
1. Antenna Pair 1
2. Antenna Pair 2
3. Antenna Pair 3
4. All Antenna Pairs
  Note: Only active Antenna Pairs are displayed in the Antenna Pair list.
Antenna Options: Selects which antenna (Ant) signals are displayed, dependent on which Antenna Pair is selected in the box above. Changes are displayed in real time as the list is scrolled.
1. Ant A: Only antenna A traces for the selected pair(s) are displayed.
2. Ant B: Only antenna B traces for the selected pair(s) are displayed.
3. Ant A+B: Highest of Ant A and Ant B traces for the selected pair(s) are displayed.
4. Ant A, B: Both Ant A and Ant B for the selected pair(s) are displayed.
Trace Type: Sets the trace characteristic.
1. Normal: Displays the live view of the spectrum seen by each antenna.
2. Average: Displays temporally averaged (smoother) live view of the spectrum seen by each antenna.
3. Peak Hold: Displays and holds peak values. To reset, tap the Trace Type popup and tap Peak Hold.
4. Normal + Pk: Shows both Normal and Peak Hold traces.
5. Average + Pk: Shows both the Average and Peak Hold traces.
Zoom Icon: Tap the Zoom icon to cycle the Control knob’s rotate function between the three zoom modes:
1. Blue frequency marker locator. Tapping OLEDs to locate the frequency marker automatically changes the Zoom icon to the blue frequency marker locator.
2. Yellow - horizontal frequency zoom. When selected, rotating the Control knob horizontally zooms in and out of the Band that the blue frequency marker is currently located in. The Band Frequency Range label shows the start and end frequencies of the Band’s zoomed display.
3. Pink - vertical dBm zoom.
Stop/Start Button: Tap to start or stop the RTSA or Scan. Pressing stop freezes the current display.
Scan/RTSA Button: Tap to switch between RTSA and Scan modes. When switching to Scan mode, the following alert is displayed if System > ‘Show Audio Off Warnings’ is enabled.
“Changing to Scan Mode will stop audio on ALL channels. Continue? [OK, Cancel]”
RX Channel Indicator: Indicates the frequency and channel number of an enabled receiver channel. The channel number and frequency portion of the trace that is associated with that number, is highlighted orange. Tap the orange number to jump directly to that channel’s 1RX View.
Vertical dBm scale: Displays the vertical dBm scale. Adjust the scale using the Pink Zoom Tool. Choose from +10 to -130dBm, -10 to -130 dBm, -30 to -130 dBm, and -50 to -130 dBm.
Trace: The real time trace of the received RF spectrum.
Show/Hide TV Channel: Tap to show or hide TV channels. When Show TV Ch is selected, Astral ARX32 analyzes the filter band to discover and display TV channels.
TV Channel or Restricted Frequency Region:
1. A vertical gray region without a TV channel number indicates a restricted frequency region. It is not possible to assign a receiver channel to frequencies within this region.
2. When ‘Show TV Ch is activated, a vertical gray region with a TV channel number identifies a discovered TV channel. It is possible to assign a receiver channel to frequencies within a TV channel, but it is not recommended.
  Note: In Scan Mode, TV Channel number labels are not displayed in the gray TV channel regions.
Exclusions: Tap Exclusions to create or delete frequency Exclusion Regions. See Frequency Exclusion Regions for more info.
Frequency Exclusion Region: Translucent red regions indicate user-created Frequency Exclusion Regions.

11.2 Scan Mode

Use Scan mode to view the whole or any section of the 169 MHz - 1525 MHz spectrum. Scan mode simplifies finding and assigning clean Filter Ranges for each of the three Bands. Access Scan mode by tapping the Scan button in OLED 8 of the RTSA View.

Note: Scan mode uses all active antenna inputs to scan the selected spectrum. Changing to Scan mode stops audio on all channels.

Note: When the Scan view is selected, the Web App RTSA menu switches to Scan view too, and vice versa.

The Scan trace width and start/end points can be adjusted in several ways:

Tap ‘Scan Width’ at the top of OLED 7 to display the Scan Width popup. Enter a Start and End frequency of reset to the default 470-616 MHz setting.
Select the zoom horizontal tool by tapping the zoom icon in OLED 8 until the yellow zoom icon is displayed. Rotate the Control knob clockwise to zoom in and counterclockwise to zoom out.
Tap '>' to bank to the next range of frequencies with the same width. For example, if 470 to 616 MHz is currently displayed, tapping ‘>’ will display 616 to 762 MHz
Tap '<' to bank to the previous range of frequencies with the same width.

Note: When entering Scan mode, the last selected range is shown.

Note: The scan trace shows the various selectable filter ranges as colored strips at the bottom of the display. Filter ranges can overlap. These overlapping ranges are shown as gray strips.

To select a filter range and assign it to a band:

Locate the blue frequency marker anywhere within a filter range’s colored strip, then press the Control knob to display the ‘Assign Filter To:’ list. Select which Band to assign to. When a Band is selected, the RTSA mode is automatically displayed for that Band.
If only Band 1 is active (Antenna Modes ‘4Versity’ and ‘HexVersity’), the ‘Assign Filter To:’ step is bypassed, and Band 1 is immediately assigned and displayed.
If Antenna Mode is set to ‘4Versity + 1 pair’, only Band 1 and 3 are available in the ‘Assign Filter To:’ list.

If the blue frequency marker is located within an overlapping band ’gray’ region, pressing the Control knob displays a prompt asking to select the Upper or Lower Band prior to displaying the Assign Band To: list. Cancel the prompt by pressing the triangle button.

11.3 Frequency Exclusion Regions

Create Exclusion Regions to prevent RX channel frequencies from being manually assigned or AutoAssigned to specific frequencies or frequency ranges. This can be helpful in avoiding certain blocks of frequencies that are reserved for other uses e.g. IEMs. Up to 36 Exclusion Regions can be created.

Note: Exclusion Regions can span neighboring filter ranges.

Note: The vertical blue frequency marker used for assigning frequencies cannot be located within an Exclusion Region.

Exclusion List

From the RTSA or Scan Mode view, tap the Exclusions button in OLED 8 to display the Exclusions List.

The Exclusion List displays all created Exclusion Regions. Rotate the Control Knob to scroll through the list and highlight a region for editing. A new Exclusion Region can be created by selecting the ‘+’ button, the last item in the list.

Creating an Exclusion Region

Tap Exclusions in OLED 8 to display the Exclusion list. The frequency marker changes from blue to red.
Tap ‘+’ to create a new Exclusion Region centered on the red frequency marker.

Note: If there are 3 or more exclusions regions already in the list, rotate the Control Knob clockwise to scroll to the ‘+’ button at the bottom of the list.

The new Exclusion Region appears in the spectrum as an orange-bordered red region with a default width of 0.4 MHz (400 kHz). The frequency cell in OLED 8 is automatically highlighted orange indicating it is ready to be set.
There are two methods for creating Exclusion Regions. Toggle between the two methods with the bottom left button in OLED 8 labelled either ‘Start End’ or Freq Width’.
1. Using the Frequency and Width method.
  1. Set the Exclusion Region’s center frequency by rotating the Control Knob or tapping anywhere in the spectrum.
  2. Set the Exclusion Region’s width by tapping the width cell so that it is highlighted orange then rotate the Control Knob.
  3. Tap the width cell to deselect it.
2. Using the Start and End frequency method.
  1. Tap the Start cell then set the start frequency by rotating the Control Knob or tapping anywhere in the spectrum.
  2. Tap the End cell then set the end frequency by rotating the Control Knob or tapping anywhere in the spectrum.
  3. Tap the End cell to deselect it.
Repeat steps 2-3 to create additional Exclusion Regions.
Tap Done to Exit the Exclusion List.

Selecting an Existing Exclusion Region for Editing or Deleting

Tap Exclusions in OLED 8 to display the Exclusion List.
Select an Exclusion Region by scrolling through the Exclusion List or tapping a Region on the spectrum display. The selected exclusion region is indicated by an orange border.
Once selected, tap a Start, End, Frequency, or Width cell to edit the Exclusion, or tap the Delete button and choose whether to delete the selected Exclusion Region or All Exclusion Regions.

Chapter 12: AutoAssign

Use AutoAssign to find and automatically assign multiple clean frequencies to selected RX channels. AutoAssigned RX Channel frequencies are by default, automatically sent to their assigned NexLinked transmitters.

AutoAssign assigns clean frequencies on a per band basis i.e. channels are AutoAssigned within the band they are currently assigned to.

For example:

Bands 1, 2, and 3 are active (e.g. Diversity, 3-Zone Combiner, or 3-way Diversity Antenna Modes)
RX Channels 1-3 are currently mapped to Band 1, channels 4-5 to Band 2, and channels 6-8 to Band 3
AutoAssign will assign channels 1-3 within Band 1, channels 4-5 within Band 2, and channels 6-8 with Band 3.

If AutoAssign is instigated from a band that has no channels currently assigned to it, the following alert is displayed:

"No channels are assigned to Band 'n'. Assign channels from the RX to Band Mapping menu. OK"

When this occurs, select the channels you want to AutoAssign within the required band from a) the RF > RX to Band Mapping menu or b) the 1RX or 8RX view; tap the RF Frequency button, tap the Band ‘n’ button and select the required band or c) Assign channels to a band by accessing the band’s RTSA and manually assigning channels.

Only bands that are active for the current Antenna Mode are available for selection.

The AutoAssign Process

AutoAssign performs the following steps:

Disables RF for those transmitters assigned to selected RX channels. (RX channels are selected by tapping the Select Channels button in the AutoAssign view)
Stops audio on all channels.
Analyzes the selected AutoAssign range for clean frequencies and assigns them to enabled RX channels and their paired transmitters.
RF is re-enabled for those transmitters that were ON prior to the AutoAssign process.
If it is not possible to find clean frequencies for all the selected RX channels, a popup displays how many channels out of the total were assigned.

How to Start the AutoAssign Process

Tap the AutoAssign icon from the Main Menu. If multiple bands are active, the multi-band RTSA view is displayed with the AutoAssign popup in OLED 8. If only one band is active, the individual (expanded) RTSA for that band is displayed. From the multi-band RTSA, tap a band’s expand icon (<-->) to display its individual band RTSA.
Multi-band RTSA
Individual band RTSA
Tap Select Channels in OLED8 to display the Select Channels popup. Choose which channels to AutoAssign, then tap Done.
Tap OK to start the AutoAssign process.
From an individual band’s RTSA:
1. Tap the display or rotate the Control knob to position the AutoAssign vertical start marker at the frequency where the AutoAssign range should start.
2. Tap the End button in OLED8, then tap the display or rotate the Control knob to position the AutoAssign vertical end marker at the frequency where the AutoAssign range should end.
3. Tap Select Channels to display the Select Channels popup. Choose which channels to AutoAssign, then tap Done.
4. Tap OK to begin analyzing the selected range.
  Note: By default, the full range of the individual band is selected.
  
  Note: It is not possible to select a range less than 1 MHz
  
  Note: It is not possible to set an End frequency lower than the Start frequency. (This is most likely to happen if Band 2 or Band 3 is a lower Band than Band 1.)

AutoAssign can also be instigated from the RTSA View:

Press the Control knob to display the ‘Assign Frequency To:’ list.
Select ‘Auto Assign’.

Note: Channels are not necessarily assigned in numerical order from lowest to highest frequency.

Chapter 13: Audio Outputs

The Astral ARX32 has 64 audio outputs which can be fed from up to 32 receiver main/aux paths. Multiple receiver channels can be summed to any audio output by assigning them to the same main or aux path from their 1RX Views. These 64 audio outputs are fed to other devices via the analog, AES, Dante, and MADI physical output interfaces. Astral ARX32 can also be set up to convert incoming Dante channels 1-32 to analog and/or AES outputs. Additional Optocore, MADI, AES, and analog outputs are available when the optional Astral Opto interface is docked to the Astral ARX32. All Audio and Sync settings are configured from the Audio Menu.

Astral ARX32, no Astral Opto connected

13.1 Sync Reference

The Astral ARX32’s digital audio outputs can be synchronized to the following sync reference sources:

Internal
LTC/WCK BNC In. The Astral ARX32 auto-detects whether the incoming signal is Wordclock or timecode
Dante
MADI In
MADI In (96k SMUX)
Optocore In (when Astral Opto is connected)

The following table indicates how the digital output sample rate is determined for each type of sync reference source:

Sync Reference	Astral ARX32 Sample Rate Setting
Internal	48k or 96k
BNC In (Word Clock)	Determined by the incoming Word Clock frequency
BNC In (LTC)	48k or 96k
Dante	Determined by the Dante In sample rate
MADI In	Determined by the MADI In sample rate
MADI In (96k SMUX)	Determined by the MADI In sample rate when connected to a 96k SMUX MADI clock
Optocore In	Determined by the Optocore In sample rate. Optocore is only available when the Astral Opto is connected.

If a valid sync reference is not detected, the Astral ARX32 switches to its internal clock, the Control knob ring LED flashes orange and the following alert message is displayed:

"The selected sync reference is not present or is invalid. Please check Sync Ref setting."

Select OK to clear the message. It will reappear after 1 minute if a valid sync reference is not present.

When synced to Internal, Dante, or MADI, the BNC In port can simultaneously be used as an LTC timecode source.

13.2 Sample Rate

The sample rate of the AES, MADI, and Dante digital outputs is determined by the Sample rate and Sync Reference settings.
The Astral ARX32 outputs digital audio at 48 or 96 kHz sample rates. Factory default is 48 kHz.
The sample rate can only be set when the Sync Reference is set to Internal or BNC In (when receiving timecode). Otherwise, the sample rate field is read-only.

13.3 96K MADI Format

The 96 kHz MADI Format setting determines the order of odd and even samples for each channel in the 96 kHz MADI streams. Choose between:

Hi-Speed [Odd samples for all channels followed by even samples for all channels]
SMUX [Pairs of odd/even samples for each channel in sequence]

13.4 Astral Opto Setup

Ungrayed when an Astral Opto is connected. This button accesses various settings for the Astral Opto. See Astral Opto

13.5 Dante Outputs

The Astral ARX32 Dante Outputs 1-64 (Dante transmit channels) are fed directly 1:1 from Audio Outs 1-64

Use Dante Controller running on a MAC or PC computer to route Astral ARX32’s Dante outputs to any Dante device on the network. See https://www.audinate.com/products/software/dante-controller.

When Astral ARX32 is to be used as clock leader for the Dante network, ensure the following:

Astral ARX32 is set to Internal sync reference.
In Dante Controller, set Astral ARX32 to be Preferred Leader.
In Dante Controller, set Astral ARX32 to ‘Enable Sync to External’.

Note: The Astral ARX32 stores its Dante routing to/from other Dante devices, even after power cycling. As such, once setup, the computer running Dante Controller is no longer required unless the routing needs to be changed.

The Astral ARX32 is identified on a Dante network by its ‘Astral ARX32 Name’. The default Astral ARX32 Name is Astral ARX32-[last 6 characters of the Astral ARX32’s MAC address]. This name can be changed using Dante Controller or from the Astral ARX32’s Network menu.

13.6 AES Outputs

The Astral ARX32 has 32 AES3 balanced digital outputs on 4x RJ45 connectors conforming to AES72 Type 1M wiring. Shielded CAT cable must be used to provide a common ground for the twisted pairs. The AES outputs can be sourced from Astral ARX32 audio outs or Dante inputs in blocks of 8 channels. Each block of 8 AES3 outputs can be sourced from:

Audio Out 1-8
Audio Out 9-16
Audio Out 17-24
Audio Out 25-32
Audio Out 33-40
Audio Out 41-48
Audio Out 49-56
Audio Out 57-64
Dante In 1-8
Dante In 9-16
Dante In 17-24
Dante In 25-32

13.7 Analog Outputs

The Astral ARX32 has 32 balanced analog outputs on 8x RJ45 connectors conforming to AES72 Type 1M wiring. Shielded CAT cable must be used to provide a common ground for the twisted pairs. The analog outputs can be set to line, -10, mic, or Guitar level and can be sourced from Astral ARX32 audio outs or Dante inputs in blocks of 8 channels.

Tap an Analog Out button to bring up that analog output’s routing and level settings popup:

Each block of 8 analog outputs can be sourced from:

Audio Out 1-8
Audio Out 9-16
Audio Out 17-24
Audio Out 25-32
Audio Out 33-40
Audio Out 41-48
Audio Out 49-56
Audio Out 57-64
Dante In 1-8
Dante In 9-16
Dante In 17-24
Dante In 25-32

13.8 MADI Outputs

The Astral ARX32 has 2x MADI outputs on 2x BNC connectors. At 48k, both MADI Outputs carry Audio Outs 1-64 i.e. MADI Out 2 duplicates MADI Out 1. At 96k, MADI Out 1 carries Audio Outs 1-32 and MADI Out 2 carries 33-64. For 96 kHz applications, the MADI outputs can be configured as Hi-Speed or SMUX 96k MADI format using the 96k MADI Format setting.

13.9 Tone Generator

Enable the Tone Generator to send a tone (sine wave) at a specific level and frequency to selected RX Channel outputs. The tone level can be adjusted from -20 to 0 dBFS and the tone frequency from 10 Hz to 20 kHz. When the Tone toggle is enabled, a popup appears confirming whether to turn on the tone or not. Tap Yes or No.

Tone Settings: Tap to configure the Tone Routing, Tone Level, and Tone Frequency settings.
Tone Routing: Tap to display Tone to RX channel routing screens. Select which RX channel outputs to route the tone to. When activated, the tone signal will be viewable on the selected RX channel audio meters in the RX Views. Tone on selected RX channels is fed to external devices by routing them to physical analog and digital outputs via the main and aux feeds to Audio Outs 1-64 in OLED 4 of the 1RX Views. To output via analog or AES, make sure to select the applicable Audio Outs in the Analog and AES source drop down lists. Audio Outs 1-64 are directly fed 1:1 to Dante, MADI, and Optocore outputs 1-64.

Tone Level: Adjust the global tone level from -20 to 0 dBFS in 1 dB steps
Tone Frequency: Adjust the global tone frequency from 10 Hz to 20 kHz (10 Hz steps up to 1 kHz; 100 Hz steps from 1 kHz to 20 kHz)

13.10 Headphone Output

The Astral ARX32’s 3.5 mm and ¼” stereo headphone outputs allow monitoring of the ARX’s receiver channels or Dante inputs.

Set headphone gain [-40 to 20 dB] by rotating the HP knob. HP gain is briefly displayed in screen 1.
Headphone Output Routing
- RX 1-16 St (1-32 with 2 expansion licenses): Monitors receivers 1-16 (1-32) with odd receiver output routed to the left ear and even receiver output routed to the right ear.
- RX 1-16 Mono (1-32 with 2 expansion licenses): Monitors receivers 1-16 (1-32) mono’d to both ears.
- Dante 1-32 St: Monitors Dante In 1-32 with odd Dante channels routed to the left ear and even Dante channels routed to the right ear.
- Dante 1-32 Mono: Monitor Dante In 1-32 mono’d to both ears.

13.11 Headphone Soloing

To solo an RX channel, open its 1RX View. The channel’s audio is sent to both ears.

Use Audio Outs > HP Solo Settings > Solo Control to choose where soloing is triggered:

Local — from the front panel 1RX View
Web App — from the Web App 1RX View

To monitor the solo on a remote output, select a destination using HP Solo Settings > Send Solo To (options: None, Out 1–64).

You can choose how the solo behaves at the destination output:

Summed — solo is added to existing audio
Override — solo replaces (mutes) existing audio; enable Solo Mutes Program to activate this mode.

13.12 Global RX Output Gain

Apply global audio gain to all RX channel outputs. This can be utilized to provide optimal audio level to downstream mixing consoles and other devices. It is best practice to add most gain at the downstream device and keep the Global RX Output Gain as low as possible to prevent clipping. Audio meters are displayed in OLED screens 7 and 8 to help set the gain. Gain adjusts from 0 to 40 dB.

13.13 Audio Meters

Audio meters for Audio Outs 1-64 are displayed in OLED screens 7 and 8. The meter scale uses colors to signify level thresholds as follows:

Green: up to -20 dBFS
Yellow: -20 to -12 dBFS
Orange: -12 to -1 dBFS
Red: 0 dBFS, clipping

Chapter 14: Timecode

With NexLink, the Astral ARX32 can simultaneously sync multiple Astral transmitters when they are set to REC only or REC+RF mode. This feature ensures zero-frame drift between multiple recording transmitters, making it easy to synchronize them in post especially when the free SD-Utility software tool is used to conform and merge the individual Astral transmitter recordings into a single polyphonic wav file. The Timecode menu displays incoming LTC and its frame rate. Tap the timecode slate icon in the Main Menu to access the Timecode menu. The incoming timecode is displayed below the icon making it unnecessary to enter the Timecode menu to check valid timecode is being received.

The Astral ARX32 receives timecode via the rear panel LTC / WCK BNC In port and automatically detects whether a Wordclock or timecode signal is connected. When the source is timecode, the frame rate is automatically detected and displayed in OLED 8.

Enable the 75-ohm BNC input termination in OLED 7 to ensure optimum signal integrity and prevent signal reflections. This applies to both WCK and LTC signals.

14.1 Syncing Astral transmitters to Astral ARX32 timecode.

The Astral ARX32 automatically syncs timecode to all NexLinked Astral transmitters when a timecode source is plugged into the LTC / WCK BNC In port. When synced, the Astral transmitters’ blue timecode LED blinks for about 10 seconds and the Astral ARX32 displays ‘TC synced’ in the respective 1RX View > TC menus (accessed by tapping the TC Icon).
The top of OLED 1 displays how many of the NexLinked transmitters are synced. If no transmitters are synced, “No TXs synced” is displayed.
If at least one transmitter that is set to REC or REC+RF mode has not synced successfully, the timecode display will change from white to red.
Tap the < arrow in OLED 1 to return to the previous screen.

Note: When Astral transmitters are powered down, timecode count is held for 4 hours. After 4 hours, timecode is reset to zero. When batteries are removed from Astral transmitters, timecode count is held for 1 hour. After 1 hour, timecode is reset to zero.

Chapter 15: Network

The Astral ARX32 supports both Dante AOIP and control over IP. The built-in web server allows the Astral ARX32 to be controlled via the Web App running via a web browser on any computer, tablet, or smartphone.

From the Main Menu, tap the Network icon to access the Network menu. The Network menu provides network settings for Dante and Control as well as access to RF Mirror Mode.

Incorporating a 4-way network switch with two RJ45 ports and two SFP ports, Dante & Control can be combined or segregated between the ports from the Network > Port Configuration screen (OLED 3).

Note: When making Dante network changes (Astral ARX32 Name, Port Configuration, IP addresses, etc.), it is necessary to either reboot the Astral ARX32 or Restart Network.

15.1 Astral ARX32 Name

Tap to enter a unique name for the Astral ARX32. The name is used as the Dante Device name in a Dante network and the network device name in a Control network. The Name must not start or end with a dash (-). The factory default Astral ARX32 Name is Astral ARX32-[last 6 characters of its Primary Dante MAC address]. The complete 12-character MAC address for the Control and Dante ports are shown in their respective IP settings OLEDs.

15.2 Port Configuration

Determines whether a port supports Control, Dante, or both.

When Dante Redundancy is disabled, each of the four ports have the following options:

Disabled
Dante
Control
Dante + Control

When Dante Redundancy is enabled, each of the four ports have the following options:

Disabled
Dante Primary
Dante Secondary
Control
Dante Pri. + Control
Dante Sec. + Control

Note: To prevent network conflicts, Control on both Dante Primary and Secondary ports is not allowed simultaneously.

Note: Port Configurations are unaffected when loading default or user settings.

Factory Port Configurations:

Dante Redundancy disabled: Port 1 & 2 = Dante + Control; Port 3 & 4 = Control
Dante Redundancy enabled: Port 1 = Dante Primary; Port 2 = Dante Sec + Control; Port 3 & 4 = Control

15.3 Dante and Control IP Settings

Astral ARX32 supports both DHCP and static IP address setup. Dante and Control can be independently configured for DHCP or static IPs. Tap the Edit buttons in OLED 4-6 to change IP settings.

When set to DHCP and connected to a DHCP server, Astral ARX32 automatically has its IP address, subnet mask and gateway set by the DHCP server. Allow a minute or so for IP settings to be assigned.
When DHCP is Off, manually edit the static IP address, subnet mask and gateway fields. Tapping each field brings up the virtual keyboard. Hit Set to apply the settings.

15.4 Dante Redundancy

Enable/disable the Dante Redundancy toggle switch in OLED 2 then manually restart the Astral ARX32 to activate/deactivate Dante Redundancy mode. The Dante Redundancy setting is unaffected when loading Setup files. When Dante Redundancy is enabled, The Network menu changes its layout to accommodate Dante Secondary IP settings as shown below.

15.5 Restart Network, Clear Dante Settings, Dante Status

When Dante settings (Astral ARX32 Name, Port Configuration, IP settings) are changed, either reboot Astral ARX32 or tap the Restart Network button. Dante is ready to be used when the Dante status field displays ‘Dante Running’. Tap ‘Clear Dante Settings’ to return Dante settings to factory settings.

15.6 RF Mirror Mode

RF Mirror Mode allows a second Astral ARX32 unit to mirror the RF and NexLink settings of a primary Astral ARX32 such that if the primary unit fails or loses power, the secondary (‘Backup’) unit continues to receive and output audio seamlessly as well as taking over NexLink control of paired Astral transmitters. It is the perfect redundant system for mission critical events where failure is not an option. The following settings are mirrored:

TX List
Antenna Mode
NexLink menu switch –> “Manually set Frequency, Modulation, and Privacy on Transmitters”
RX channel settings: Bands 1-3, Frequencies, Modulation, Privacy, Gain, HPF, and Polarity
Global RX Output Gain
DiGiCo Console List (when Network > RF Mirror Mode > Mirror DiGiCo Console List is On.

Note that in RF Mirror mode there are two entirely separate audio feeds: one from the primary unit, and one from the secondary unit. There is no automatic switching of the audio feeds - it is incumbent on the user to switch the audio externally. Tip: When using DiGiCo consoles, if the primary fails, the secondary unit can issue an RF Mirror macro command to the console to switch over from its Main to Alt inputs seamlessly.

The software version, country, and number of RX channels (based on installed expansion licenses) must be identical between the Primary and Backup units before mirroring can be enabled.

To configure an Astral ARX32 as a Backup to a Primary Astral ARX32:

Connect one of the Backup’s ethernet ports to one of the Primary unit’s ethernet ports.
Ensure both Primary and Backup units’ ethernet ports are set to Control in their respective Network Menus.
On the Backup unit, go to the Network menu and enter the IP address of the Primary unit in the Primary IP Address box,
Set the Backup unit’s RF Mirror Mode to On. The Status field and OLED border color indicate the state of the Backup unit as follows:

Status Message	OLED Border Color	Description
Mirroring Disabled	None	RF Mirror Mode is disabled.
Connecting to primary unit	Red	Establishing connection to Primary unit. This typically only appears very briefly unless the Backup is unable to connect to the Primary.
Mirroring Primary unit	Yellow	Backup unit is mirroring the Primary’s settings successfully (TX List, Antenna Mode, NexLink Tuning Mode, Receiver channel settings, Global RX Output Gain, Console List). The Primary is still responsible for NexLink control.
Serving as Primary unit	Green	The Primary has failed (e.g. loss of power) and the Backup has taken over full NexLink control from the Primary.
Country mismatch	Red	Displayed when the Primary and Backup’s country settings do not match. These settings must match before Mirroring can be enabled.
Software version mismatch	Red	Displayed when the Primary and Backup’s software versions do not match. These must match before Mirroring can be enabled.
Channel count mismatch	Red	Displayed when the Primary and Backup’s number of available RX channels are not matched. These must match before Mirroring can be enabled.

When the Backup unit has established connection to the Primary and is ready to activate Mirror Mode, the following message is displayed:

“The existing TX List will be cleared and replaced with the Primary’s TX List. Continue? OK, Cancel”.

i. Select Cancel to disable Mirror Mode.

ii. Select OK to continue activating Mirror Mode. Once Mirror Mode has been successfully activated, the OLED borders illuminate yellow and the Status field displays “Mirroring Primary unit”.

A message will also be displayed with the option to continue using the Backup unit’s Outpost configuration in the event it takes over (Local) or to mirror the Primary unit’s Outpost configuration (Primary).

NexLink commands and settings are grayed out on the Backup. These only become active if the Primary unit fails. The following popup is displayed if any RF-related control on the OLEDs is touched:

“That setting cannot be modified while mirroring another unit”

Should the Primary unit fail, lose network connectivity, or power down, the Backup unit seamlessly takes over NexLink control and receiver duty, the Status field displays “Serving as Primary unit”, and the yellow border surrounding all OLEDs changes to green. If the Primary unit comes back online, it is prevented from communicating with its transmitters or Outposts until the Backup unit is switched off or Mirror Mode is disabled.

Disabling Mirror Mode

Tap the Mirror Mode toggle to disable Mirror Mode.
If the Backup is serving as Primary unit (i.e. displaying green borders), the following popup appears: “Turning off Mirror Mode will unpair ALL transmitters. Continue? Yes, No”
- When Yes is selected, the Backup unit exits Mirror Mode and its TX List is cleared.
- When No is selected, the Backup unit remains in Mirror Mode.

Chapter 16: NexLink Menu

Astral ARX32 can wirelessly control and monitor Astral transmitters via NexLink over long distances. NexLink is Sound Devices’ proprietary protocol for long-distance remote control of Astral transmitters. The Astral Outpost is a remote NexLink antenna box which can be used to remotely locate the NexLink antennas closer to the action. Up to eight Outposts, together with local NexLink antennas, form a NexLink network where all nodes simultaneously transmit and receive data. The first device to successfully receive a message acts upon it. All ‘active’ Outposts automatically join the network without any user interaction. To prevent an Outpost from being part of the network, remove its ethernet connection or power it down. When multiple Outposts are in use, the RX View NexLink signal strength meters display the highest value. See Astral Outpost for further information.

Tap the NexLink Menu Icon in the Main Menu to access NexLink settings and the paired Outpost List.

16.1 Pairing a New Astral Outpost

Before using an Astral Outpost, it must be paired and configured with the Astral ARX32 by connecting its USB-C port to the Astral ARX32’s rear USB-A or front USB-C port.

Connect the Astral Outpost via its USB-C port directly to the Astral ARX32 USB-A port or USB-C port, not via a USB hub. The Astral ARX32 automatically pairs to the Astral Outpost and displays it in the list.
The Astral Outpost’s default name is ‘Astral Outpost-MMMMMM’ where MMMMMM are the last 6 digits of the MAC address. Its name can be changed by tapping the Edit Name button which is ungrayed when connected via its USB-C port to either Astral ARX32 USB port.
Connect the Outpost to the Astral ARX32 control network via ethernet or fiber.
By default, the Astral Outpost’s DHCP is enabled. When enabled, the Astral Outpost is automatically assigned an IP address by a connected DHCP server.
The IP settings can be configured by tapping the Edit IP button which is ungrayed when connected via the Outpost’s USB-C to Astral ARX32 USB-A or C port.

Edit IP, Edit Name, and Restore Settings can only be selected when the Outpost is connected via its USB-C port to either Astral ARX32 USB port.

16.2 Local NexLink Antennas

Determines whether the Astral ARX32 ‘s front or rear pair of antennas are used for NexLink communication.

Note that only the Astral ARX32’s local 2.4 GHz antennas, not the Astral Outpost’s antennas, are used when wirelessly pairing, performing wireless firmware updates or pairing to Astral Remote. Both local Astral ARX32 and Astral Outpost antennas are used to wake up transmitters that have been off for more than 4 hours.

16.3 Manually Set Frequency, Modulation, and Privacy on Transmitters

Determines whether Astral transmitter frequency, modulation, and privacy settings are automatically or manually sent from the Astral ARX32 to the Astral transmitter over NexLink. When the toggle switch is disabled, these settings are automatically sent from Astral ARX32 to the transmitters. When the toggle switch is enabled, it is necessary to manually set frequency, modulation, and privacy on both the Astral ARX32 and transmitters.

Note: If frequency, modulation, and privacy settings do not match between the Astral ARX32 and transmitters, audio is not received.

16.4 Astral Outpost List

Lists paired Astral Outposts in alphanumeric order on OLEDs 3-8. The list displays the Astral Outpost’s Name, Connection Status, Serial Number and Firmware version. A maximum of eight Outposts can be added to the list.

Astral Outpost Name: The user-editable name of the Astral Outpost.
Status: Displays the Astral Outpost’s USB connection status, network connection status, and IP address.
- IP address text = Green: Outpost is active.
- IP address text = Gray: Outpost is paired but not connected via ethernet.
- When Outpost’s USB-C is connected to Astral ARX32, ‘USB’ is displayed before the IP address.
Serial #: The Astral Outpost’s serial number.
Firmware: The Astral Outpost’s current firmware version.

Editing Name and IP settings for an Existing Astral Outpost

Select an Astral Outpost in the Outpost list. This displays the current Name and IP address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway for the selected Astral Outpost in OLED 6. By default, DHCP is enabled. To edit the selected Astral Outpost’s IP settings and name, ensure the Outpost is connected via USB-C to either Astral ARX32 USB port then tap Edit IP and Edit Name respectively.

Identifying an Output-NL

Use the ID button in OLED 7 to identify an Astral Outpost when multiple Astral Outposts are paired, powered and connected to the Astral ARX32. Tapping the ID button will flash the selected Astral Outpost’s rear panel power LED, blue.

Unpairing an Astral Outpost

Tap Unpair in OLED 7 to remove the selected Astral Outpost from the list and Astral ARX32’s cache of known, configured Astral Outposts. Unpair is granted out when USB is connected.

Restore Settings

Tap the button to return the selected Astral Outpost’s name and IP address to factory defaults. Default IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway are all set to 0.0.0.0. Default Name is ‘Astral Outpost-MMMMMM’ (where MMMMMM= the last 6-digits of the Outpost’s MAC address). The Astral Outpost must be connected to Astral ARX32 via USB-C for the Restore Settings button to be available.

16.5 Updating Astral Outpost Firmware

Ensure Astral Outpost firmware is up to date and compatible with the installed Astral ARX32 firmware. If it needs updating, NexLink Menu > OLED 6 flashes an update message in red.

Via USB Thumb Drive

Download the latest. prg update file from the Sound Devices website.
Copy the .prg file to the root of a Astral ARX32 formatted USB thumb drive.
Power the Astral Outpost via >15 W PoE or USB-C source.
Insert the thumb drive into the Astral Outpost’s USB-A port. The Astral Outpost automatically detects the .prg file and starts updating. During the update process, the Astral Outpost’s rear panel power LED flashes alternating red, green, and blue. Once the update has been completed successfully, the rear panel power LED changes to solid blue and the .prg file is automatically erased from the thumbdrive. If the update fails, the power LED flashes red.

Via Ethernet from Astral ARX32

Download the latest. prg update file from the Sound Devices website.
Copy the .prg file to the root of a Astral ARX32 formatted USB thumb drive
Insert the thumb drive into the Astral ARX32 USB-C or USB-A port.
Ensure Astral Outpost is connected via Ethernet to the Astral ARX32 and powered on.
Go to the Astral ARX32’s front panel NexLink menu, select the Astral Outpost from the Astral Outpost list, then select Firmware Update in OLED 7
The Astral ARX32 sends the firmware to the Astral Outpost over Ethernet. During the update process, the Status column displays the firmware update progress, and the Astral Outpost’s rear panel power LED alternately flashes red, green and blue. Once the update has been completed successfully, the rear panel power LED changes to solid green and the .prg file is automatically erased from the thumbdrive. If the update fails, the power LED flashes red.

16.6 NexLink Status Alerts

nexlink status.png

The NexLink Status View allows you to monitor NexLink communication between the Astral ARX32 and Astral transmitters. This can assist in resolving NexLink issues. Access the NexLink Status View from the 1RX View Gear menu, TX View menu, or, if the channel is sourced from multiple transmitters, from the 1RX View’s Gear menu.

A receiver channel’s Gear icon, NexLink Status button, and RF Frequency display turn red when there is a NexLink error.

NexLink Status Alerts

Message	Text Color	Description
Searching for transmitter	Yellow	An Astral transmitter has been linked to the Astral ARX32 but NexLink communication to the transmitter has not yet been established or has been lost. The transmitter may be out of range, or its battery drained.
Transmitter powered off	White	An Astral transmitter is NexLinked to Astral ARX32 and is powered off.
NexLink connected	Green	An Astral transmitter has been successfully NexLinked to Astral ARX32
UHF frequency synchronized	Green	The frequency of the transmitter matches that of the receive channel that it is assigned to.
Modulation synchronized	Green	The modulation of the transmitter matches that of the receive channel that it is assigned to.
Frequency mismatch Set the transmitter frequency.	Red	The frequency of an assigned transmitter does not match that of the receive channel. Manually set the transmitter frequency to the same frequency as the receiver channel or set the Astral ARX32’s NexLink Tuning Mode to ‘Push’.
Modulation mismatch Set the transmitter modulation.	Red	The modulation setting of an assigned transmitter does not match that of the receive channel. Manually set the transmitter's modulation to the same modulation as the receiver channel or set the Astral ARX32’s NexLink Tuning Mode to ‘Push’.
Privacy key mismatch Set the transmitter privacy key.	Red	The privacy key setting of an assigned transmitter does not match that of the receive channel. Manually set the transmitter's privacy key to the same modulation as the receiver channel or set the Astral ARX32’s NexLink Tuning Mode to ‘Push’.
Country conflict Change the transmitter country.	Red	The country code of the transmitter does match that of the ARX. No synchronization of settings will be done until these match. Either change the country from Astral Remote or from the Astral ARX32.
No receive frequency Set the receive frequency.	White	The frequency of the receive channel is set to 'Off’. In the 1RX or 4RX View frequency popup, set the channel to a valid frequency and ensure the channel is ‘On’.

Chapter 17: System Menu

Tap the System Icon in the Main menu to access System settings.

17.1 Pair to Astral Remote App

The Astral ARX32 can quickly change the country setting of all its paired transmitters automatically to make changing locations very easy. To accomplish this, the Astral ARX32 uses an iPhone/Android app along with a smartphone’s GPS to verify the current location. The Astral ARX32 MUST be paired with the Astral Remote iOS /Android app to set Country and activate Frequency Authorizations on Astral ARX32 and its paired transmitters.

Download the Astral Remote iOS or Android app from their respective App stores
Open the app and select the Manage Devices view
From the Astral ARX32 > System menu, tap ‘Pair to Astral Remote App’
The Astral ARX32, along with its name and firmware version automatically appear in the Astral Remote’s Manage Devices List

Once paired, use Astral Remote to sync the mobile device’s country and date/time to the Astral ARX32.

17.2 Country

The Country setting determines which Band Filters, RF frequencies, and transmit powers are legally available for selection in a Country.

Astral ARX32 and Astral transmitters must be set to the same Country.
When the Country setting is changed, Astral ARX32 must restart for the changes to take effect.
Changing the Country setting sets the current bands to the default filter range for that Country.
If the Astral ARX32 and an Astral transmitter’s country settings are not matched, a warning popup appears in OLED 1 as follows:

“Cannot use 1 or more TX as they are set to a different country than the Astral ARX32. Change country on the Astral ARX32 or the TX from the Astral Remote App.” [Country, OK]

17.3 Syncing Astral Remote’s Country, Date, and Time settings to Astral ARX32.

Select the Astral ARX32 in the Astral Remote app’s Device List (left pane).
In the Astral ARX32’s Details View (right pane), tap the “Synchronize Date/Time and Country” button.
When successfully synchronized from Astral Remote, the Astral ARX32’s Country button displays the updated Country setting in green font and its Date/Time button displays the updated date and time. The Astral Remote app displays "Country Changed. Changing the country will not take effect until the Astral ARX32 is restarted.”
Restart the Astral ARX32 for the Country setting to take effect.

Once the Astral ARX32 is synced and restarted, it relays its Country and Date/Time information automatically to all NexLinked transmitters.

If the Astral Remote app is not available to sync Country to Astral ARX32, tap the Astral ARX32’s Country button to manually set the Country. In this case, the Country setting is not automatically pushed to the transmitters. The following message is displayed: “A manually selected country will not be automatically pushed to transmitters. Choose one anyway? Yes, No”

Tap ‘Yes’ to select a country from the list. “Changing the country will restart the unit. Continue?” is displayed. Tap OK to restart.

17.4 Frequency Authorization

Displays information pertaining to frequency authorizations. The button is grayed out if no valid Frequency Authorizations are loaded. See Restricted Frequency Authorization for further details.

Authorization ID/Status: A Frequency Authorization can be “active” or “inactive”. In either case, the presence of the frequency authorization unlocks in the Astral ARX32 and paired transmitters the ability to tune to the frequencies and desired RF power levels listed. Only an “active” Frequency Authorization allows a transmitter to actually transmit RF on frequencies or at power levels not allowed in the transmitter’s current country. A Frequency Authorization must be “activated” by the paired Astral Remote app which determines whether the mobile device is within the effective time period, country and geolocation. If so, Astral Remote then activates the Frequency Authorization in the Astral ARX32 and its paired transmitters.

To activate a frequency authorization:

In Astral Remote > Manage Devices > Frequency Authorizations, enter your approved Authorization ID (contact RF_Request@SoundDevices.com to obtain the necessary authorization.
Tap the Submit button.
Select a paired Astral receiver in the Astral Remote’s Device List and tap ‘Send Frequency Authorization’. ‘Successfully sent Frequency Authorization’ is displayed.
Tap the Astral Receiver’s System > Frequency Authorization button to access the Frequency Authorization view. ‘Pending Restart’ is displayed in yellow if the authorization was received successfully. Restart the receiver.
Go to the Frequency Authorization view again to confirm that the authorization is loaded and displaying ‘active’ in green font.
Activate the authorizations in paired transmitters by restarting them.
End Date/Time: The Date/Time where the authorization becomes inactive.
Frequency Range / RF Power: Up to 8 frequency ranges and their associated max RF power levels that are authorized to be used when a Frequency Authorization is active.

Tap Delete Authorization to remove the frequency authorization. It will be removed from the Astral ARX32 and paired transmitters upon next bootup of each device.

17.5 Other System Settings

Date/Time

The Astral ARX32’s Date/Time has two purposes:

Sends the date/time to Astral transmitters where the value is used to set the creation time of the Astral transmitter recorded files.
Sets the creation date/time of Astral ARX32 Quick Setup files.

Tap Date/Time to bring up the Date/Time popup, then enter MM/DD/YY and HH/MM/SS. In each field, rotate the Control knob to set a value, then press the Control to jump to the next field. Tap Done to store.

Time Zone

Set the time zone from GMT -12:00 to GMT +13:00

Fan Speed

Select Automatic to have the fan speed automatically controlled as temperature changes. Set to Maximum to force fan speed to the highest speed.

Brightness

Tap to adjust the brightness of the OLED array and the LEDs.

Screensaver

The screensaver can help prevent OLED burn in. The screensaver time sets the duration from when the OLEDs were last touched to when the OLEDs display the screensaver. Select between 1 min, 5 mins, 15 mins, 30 mins, and never. The screensaver is canceled upon the touch of any front panel control.

Lockout Mode

Enable Lockout Mode to prevent unauthorized or accidental access to front panel controls including OLEDs, HP knob, Control knob, and triangle button. Lockout mode can be enabled locally or via the web app. When Lockout mode is enabled, the Control knob ring LED is backlit green to indicate that the Astral ARX32 is still on. To enable Lockout mode from the ARX, tap the Lockout Mode button. The following popup is displayed:

“Are you sure?

To disable Lockout, tap the

left display whilst pressing the Control Knob.

OK, Cancel”

To disable Lockout Mode, tap the left display whilst pressing the Control knob.

Tip: You can also use Show Mode to prevent accidental changes to the front panel screens - this disables touch making the screens read-only. Press and hold the Control knob for 3 seconds to toggle Show Mode on/off. When on, an orange border is displayed around each screen and if a screen is touched, a ‘The screen is locked’ popup appears.

Turn On When Power is Applied

When the toggle is On, the Astral ARX32 automatically powers on when AC power is applied.

PoE+ Output

When the toggle is On, Ethernet Port 1 supplies PoE+ power. Maximum power output is 30W.

Show All TX Group

Shows or hides the All TX Group at the top of the TX List.

Web Password

Tap Set to set a security password for accessing the Web App. Tap Clear to clear the current password.

Macros

Tap to setup send and receive macro commands between Astral devices and DiGiCo consoles via an AstralComm control network. ‘AstralComm’ is a proprietary protocol specifically designed to communicate commands between DiGiCo consoles and Sound Devices Astral devices. See Macros for detailed setup information.

Notifications

The Notifications popup menu provides options for enabling or disabling various notification popups from being displayed including:

Power Off Confirmation: When set to ON, powering off a transmitter from a 1RX View displays “Are you sure?”. Tap OK to power off the transmitter. Use this function to prevent accidentally powering down transmitters.
Stop Confirmation: When set to ON, stopping a transmitter from recording from a 1RX View displays “Are you sure?”. Tap OK to stop the transmitter recording. Use this function to prevent accidentally stopping recording.
Mute Confirmation: When set to ON, muting a transmitter from a 1RX View displays “Are you sure?”. Tap OK to mute the transmitter. Use this function to prevent accidentally muting transmitters
RF Off Confirmation: When set to ON, setting RF to off on a transmitter from a 1RX View displays “Are you sure?”. Tap OK to disable RF on the transmitter. Use this function to prevent accidentally disabling RF on transmitters.
Audio Off Warnings: When the toggle is off, the Astral ARX32 does not show a warning popup that audio will stop when switching Bands and when switching to Scan mode.
Tx Battery Warnings: When the toggle is On, the Astral ARX32 flashes all its OLED’s borders red and displays a warning popup to indicate one of the paired transmitters is low on battery. Choose to ignore the warning or tap OK, in which case the warning will reappear.

Format USB Drive

A USB drive connected to the USB-A or USB-C port can be used for updating firmware and saving quick setup files. Before using the USB drive, it must be formatted by the Astral ARX32.

Tap Format USB drive, then select OK in the popup.
USB Drives are formatted as FAT32.

Plugins

Tap Plugins to display and install licenses and plugins.

Firmware Update

See Updating Firmware

Legal/Patent

Displays legal and patent information for the Astral ARX32 across OLED screens 1-6

System Info

Displays model name, firmware version, and serial number

17.6 Macros - AstralComm

‘AstralComm’ is a proprietary protocol specifically designed to send and receive macro commands between Sound Devices Astral devices and one or more DiGiCo consoles over a network.

Note: Only DiGiCo SD or Quantum consoles running v20xx or later support Macro Outputs from the Astral ARX32.

Commands from the ARX32 to DiGiCo consoles can be triggered from the following:

a. Astral TX with the optional Astral TX Switch fitted.

b. Astral HH with the optional Control 1, 3, Switch rings, with one or three buttons or the switch fitted.

c. Astral ARX32 changing the transmitter status of: Power, Mic Mute, RF Mute, Record

For example, Control Ring buttons on multiple Astral HH transmitters could trigger different macros on one or more consoles to mute specific channels. Or perhaps an Astral ARX32’s ‘All TX Power On’ group command could trigger a macro that unmutes all channels on a particular console.

d. RF Mirror: This trigger allows you to automatically send a macro command from a secondary Astral ARX32 to a DiGiCo console if the primary Astral ARX32 fails. For example, this could be used to trigger a DiGiCo console macro to switch from its 'Main' audio inputs to 'Alt' audio inputs so that show audio is not interrupted.

17.6.1 Establishing AstralComm Communication

System > Macros Menu

To establish communication between Astral ARX32 and a DiGiCo console, the following conditions must be met:

Both must be connected via the same control network. See Network menu.
The DiGiCo console’s IP address must be added to the Astral ARX32’s System > Macros > DiGiCo Console List in OLED 8.
Astral ARX32 must be added to the DiGiCo console’s Setup > External Control > External Devices list. Please refer to the console’s Software Reference Manual for further information. Macro commands are acted upon if:
- Astral ARX32 and DiGiCo console macros have matching command IDs.
- The Astral ARX32 IP address matches the console macro’s Device ID that has been assigned to that Astral ARX32’s IP address.

17.6.2 DiGiCo Console List

Access the DiGiCo Console List (Macros > OLED 8) to add consoles to which macro commands will be sent. The Astral ARX32 broadcasts macro commands to all consoles in the list.

Up to 10 consoles can be added. Tap Delete to remove consoles from the list.

Note: An AstralComm network can consist of up to ten Astral ARX32 receivers (standalone or in RF Mirror Mode) and ten DiGiCo SD or Quantum consoles.

Note: When working with DiGiCo consoles with dual engines, add the IP address for each engine to the console list. Only the “active” engine will listen to the received AstralComm commands.

17.6.3 Creating Macro Commands

AstralComm supports up to 256 macro commands. Ensure that Command IDs match between the Astral ARX32 and DiGiCo console.

Macro Output commands are sent from the Astral ARX32 and its paired Astral transmitters to trigger macros on a DiGiCo console. Each user-nameable command is defined by its Source, Condition, and Command ID.

Macro Input commands are received from a DiGiCo console to trigger actions on the Astral ARX32 or its paired Astral transmitters. Each user-nameable command is defined by its Target, Action, and Command ID.

Tap the Macro Outputs/Macro Inputs button in OLED 8 to switch the Macro menu display between Macro Outputs and Macro Inputs.

New: Tap New to create a new macro and add it to the list in OLEDs 2-7.

Edit: Select a macro in OLEDs 2-7, then tap Edit to edit it.

Delete: Select a macro in OLEDs 2-7, then tap Delete to delete it.

MACRO OUTPUTS EDIT POPUP

Name

Enter a descriptive name for the command. The default name is ‘Macro’. Up to 20 alphanumeric characters are permitted.

Source

Selects which receiver channel or TX Group is the source for the macro command. Options include:

RX Channel Number (1-n, where ‘n’ is the number of available RX channels installed).
TX Group Number (1-8)
All TX Group
RF Mirror

Condition

To send a command from the selected source, choose the paired transmitter button action, transmitter control switch position, transmitter state, or Astral ARX32 action that should trigger it.

A. Transmitter Button Actions (Applies to the Astral HH Control Ring buttons)

[Button-L, Button-C, or Button-R] Release

[Button-L, Button-C, or Button-R] Press/Release

B. Transmitter Control Switch Position (Applies to the Astral HH Control Ring Switch and Astral TX Switch)

[Control Switch] On/Off

[Control Switch] On

[Control Switch] Off

C. Transmitter State (Sends the command when the Astral ARX32 receives confirmation that the transmitter state is true)

[TX Power, TX Mute, TX Record, or TX RF] is On

[TX Power, TX Mute, TX Record, or TX RF] is Off

D. Astral ARX32 Action (Sends the command immediately when the Astral ARX32 initiates the action from its interface or the web app. It does not wait to receive confirmation from the transmitter)

Initiate [TX Power, TX Mute, TX Record, or TX RF] On

Initiate [TX Power, TX Mute, TX Record, or TX RF] Off

[TX Group 1-8 Power, TX Group 1-8 Mute, TX Group 1-8 Record, or TX Group 1-8 RF] On

[TX Group 1-8 Power, TX Group 1-8 Mute, TX Group 1-8 Record, or TX Group 1-8 RF] Off

[All TX Group Power, All TX Group Mute, All TX Group Record, or All TX Group RF] On

[All TX Group Power, All TX Group Mute, All TX Group Record, or All TX Group RF] Off

Command ID

Range: None, 1 to 256. The Command ID must correspond with the DiGiCo console Macro's Command ID otherwise the console macro will not be activated.

MACRO INPUTS EDIT POPUP

Name

Enter a descriptive name for the command. The default name is ‘Macro’. Up to 20 alphanumeric characters are permitted.

Target

Selects which receiver channel or TX Group is the target for the macro command. Options include:

RX Channel Number (1-n, where ‘n’ is the number of available RX channels installed).
TX Group Number (1-8)
All TX Group
OLED
Web App

Action

The action that is performed on the selected Target when an incoming macro command from a DiGiCo console is detected and validated.

A. Target Type: RX Channel Number

TX Power On, TX RF On, TX Mute On, TX Record On, TX ID On
TX Power Off, TX RF Off, TX Mute Off, TX Record Off, TX ID Off
TX Power On/Off, TX RF On/Off, TX Mute On/Off, TX Record On/Off, TX ID On/Off (Macro toggles the On/Off state)
Set Gain To [-6 to 60dB]
Increase Gain By, Decrease Gain By [1 dB, 2 dB, 5 dB]
Set HPF To [Off, 40 Hz, 60 Hz, 80 Hz, 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 160 Hz, 200 Hz]
Increase HPF Frequency, Decrease HPF Frequency
Set RF Power To [2 mW, 10 mW, 20mW, 40 mW, 100 mW]
Increase RF Power, Decrease RF Power

B. Target Type: TX Group Number

TX Power On, TX RF On, TX Mute On, TX Record On, TX ID On
TX Power Off, TX RF Off, TX Mute Off, TX Record Off, TX ID Off

C. Target Type: OLED (Use to trigger the Astral ARX32 front panel to show a specific view)

None, Show RX Channel 1-n, Show RTSA, Show TX List, Show Home, Show RF Menu, Show Audio Menu

D. Target Type: Web App (Use to trigger the Astral Web App to show a specific view)

None, Show RX Channel 1-n, Show RTSA, Show TX List, Show Home, Show RF Menu, Show Audio Menu

Command ID

Range: None, 1 to 256. The Command ID must correspond with the DiGiCo console Macro's Command ID otherwise the macro will not be activated.

17.6.4 Macros and RF Mirror Mode

Macro commands created on a Primary Astral ARX32 are mirrored to a Secondary Astral ARX32 when RF Mirror Mode is activated. Based on whether the DiGiCo Console List is set to be mirrored or not, the system can be configured so that both units send macro commands or only the active unit sends macro commands. Select Network > RF Mirror Mode, then turn on or off the ‘Mirror DiGiCo Console List’ setting as follows:

On = Only the active unit (Primary or Secondary) sends the macro commands. This is typically used in single console applications.
Off = Both Primary AND Secondary units send the macro commands. This is typically used in scenarios where Primary and Secondary Astral ARX32 are each feeding their own consoles.

Chapter 18: Quick Setup Menu

Quick Setup provides a way to save and load Astral ARX32 settings. Settings are saved to internal memory slots 1-4 or to a USB thumb drive connected to the USB-A port.

Save Setup

All Astral ARX32’s current settings are saved when saving a setup.
Saving to an internal memory slot overwrites its existing setup file.
Tap Erase Memory Slots to erase internal memory slots 1-4.
Tap Save Setup to display a list of destinations (4 internal memory slots and USB thumb drive). Select a destination. Use the virtual keyboard to name the setup. Tap Save to store the current Astral ARX32 settings to the selected destination.
During the save process, “Saving Setup …” is displayed.

Load Setup

Choose which categories (Channel, RF, RTSA/Scan, Audio, Network, Other) to load. This allows you to select only the settings you want to change and which ones you want to remain.
Tap Load Setup to bring up a list of the setup files stored in the four internal memory slots and USB drive. Selecting a setup from the list loads the selected categories from that setup. During the load setup process, “Loading Setup …” is displayed.

Default Settings

The Load Setup list also includes a ‘Default Settings’ option for restoring the Astral ARX32 to default settings.

Chapter 19: Web App

Remote control the Astral ARX32 from anywhere in the world using the Astral ARX32 Web App, a browser-based remote-control application for the Astral ARX32 that can be run on any computer, tablet, or smartphone. It duplicates virtually all the functions available from the Astral ARX32 front panel. The integrated RTSA view is particularly useful for performing real time spectrum analysis over a wired or wireless network. Export the RTSA data as .csv and .png files to keep a record of a location’s RF environment. The .csv files can be imported into many of the popular frequency coordination applications.

The app’s GUI is dynamically optimized for the screen size on which it’s being viewed, whether a computer, tablet or smartphone screen.
To ensure the web app functions correctly, use the latest version of Chrome, Safari, or Edge.
Only one web client is supported. For reliable operation, do not have multiple browsers or tabs open with the same Astral ARX32 IP address.
When using a Wi-Fi access point with the Astral ARX32, it is best practice to switch the Wi-Fi access point to 5 GHz so that the Wi-Fi doesn’t interfere with the 2.4 GHz NexLink.

19.1 Accessing the Web App

The web-enabled device being used must be on the same network as Astral ARX32 to access the web app. A VPN is required if Astral ARX32 is outside of the local network.
See Network for information on how to configure and connect the Astral ARX32 to a network.
Go to the Network menu.
Make a note of the IP address shown in the Control IP Settings screen.
Enter that IP address into a web-enabled device’s web browser.

Tips: When running multiple Astral ARX32 receivers, open each one in its own separate browser tab. It is also recommended to clear the Web App’s browser cache after a firmware update.

With Chrome, it is recommended to set font size to medium in the Chrome Appearance Settings for correct appearance.

Note: All web app screenshots are captured using an Apple MacBook Pro 15” computer.

19.2 Web App Overview

Astral ARX32 Name: Displays the Astral ARX32 Dante and Control network name.
Menu Tab Bar: Displays the various menu tab icons. Click a menu tab icon to display its menu.
Antenna Limiter / Overload Indicators: Indicate whether the Astral ARX32’s A and B antenna inputs are approaching overload or overloading. ‘A’ antenna indicator is shown screen left and ‘B’ antenna indicators are shown screen right. Red = Overload. Orange = Approaching overload.
RX Channel: Displays important parameters for each RX channel. Click to access a detailed view of the RX channel.
1. Expanded RX Channel View. Shown when ‘+’ is clicked
2. Collapsed RX Channel View. Shown when ‘-‘ is clicked
Timecode / Command Status Display: Displays Astral ARX32 timecode (when received via the rear TC BNC port) or status of commands sent to the Astral ARX32.
Show Mode / RF Mirror Mode Status: Indicates whether Show Mode or RF Mirror Mode are active. In these modes, the Web App is read-only. Enable Show Mode from the System menu.
8 View / 4 View Toggle: Click to toggle between the 8 RX channels per row view and 4 RX channels per view row.

8 View
Expand / Collapse / ALL Icons: RX channel rows can be expanded or collapsed; Click ‘+’ to expand and ‘-’ to collapse. Click ‘ALL’ to expand or collapse ALL channels.
1. All
2. Collapse
3. Expand

19.3 Menu Tabs

19.3.1 Home

Displays an overview of all receiver channels. See above. Click an RX Channel to view its detailed view, aka 1RX View.

1RX View

Duplicates the functionality of the Astral ARX32’s front panel 1RX View. See 1RX View.
When Mode is set to RF Only, the (Rec)ord button is grayed out.stral ARX32

Receiver Channel: Click to jump straight to another receiver channel’s 1RX View.
Name: Click to edit the paired transmitter’s name. Double-click to highlight the whole name for editing.
Frequency: Click to edit the receiver channel’s frequency. Double-click to highlight the whole frequency for editing.
Band/Frequency Selector: Click to open a window to select frequency, band, and to enable/disable the RX channel.
Select TX: Click to select a paired transmitter for the RX channel. There are two options depending on whether a single or multiple transmitters are assigned to the channel.
1. Single TX assigned: Click to select a paired Astral transmitter from the list.
2. Multiple TX assigned: A multi-transmitter icon in the Select TX button indicates that multiple TX are assigned to the channel. Click the button to display a list of all transmitters currently assigned. From here, turn a transmitter’s RF On/Off and/or set its audio offset gain. When one transmitter’s RF is enabled, the other transmitters’ RF outputs are automatically disabled to prevent interference.
Gear Menu: Duplicates the Gear menu in the front panel’s 1RX View. See 1RX View
Exit: Tap or click to exit back to the Main View.
Transmitter Control Buttons: NexLink transmitter control buttons for Power, RF, Record, Mute, ID, and LEDs
Receiver and Transmitter Settings: RF Power only applies to the transmitter. Modulation, Mode, and Privacy apply to both transmitter and receiver. Gain, HPF, Polarity, and Audio Outs only apply to the receiver channel. All transmitter settings are sent over NexLink.
RF History duration: Click to adjust the RF History duration from 30 to 600 seconds.
RF History: Displays RF History data. See RF History.
RSSI Meters: Displays the RSSI A and B meters for antenna pairs 1 (light blue, blue), 2 (light green, green), and 3 (light orange, orange).

19.3.2 TX List

Displays a list of all paired Astral transmitters, TX battery level, which RX channel they are assigned to, their NexLink status, and TX Group assignment. Each row includes quick access to transmitter Power On/Off control. Up to 64 transmitters can be paired with the Astral ARX32. Select a transmitter in the left pane to access its settings in the right pane. If at least 1 transmitter is assigned to a TX Group (1-8), that group is displayed as a row above the list of transmitters. Select that group's row to access its group controls in the right pane.

Searching For and Pairing to Transmitters Wirelessly

Click the ‘SEARCH FOR TX’ button in the TX List title bar to display the ‘Searching for Transmitters …’ window. The system will search for transmitters that have been put into pairing or handoff mode. Pairing mode is indicated by flashing blue LEDs on the transmitters.

Click select boxes to choose which transmitters to pair with, then click the Pair Selected button. The system will now initiate the pairing sequence. The NexLink column displays the connection status: Waiting, Connecting, Initializing, Paired.

ARX16 web app searching transmitters.png

19.3.3 RF

Sets Antenna Mode, Bands 1-3, Antenna Pairs 1-3, RF and Waterfall History parameters. See RF Menu

Antenna Mode: Click to display a list of the various Antenna Modes. As you click on items in the list, the Antenna Mode map on the right changes to display the configuration. Make sure to click the Apply button at the bottom of the list to switch to that Antenna Mode.

Antenna Pairs 1-3: Click an Antenna Pair box in the map to access antenna settings

Bands 1-3: Click a Band’s frequency range box to select its band filter.

RF History: Select whether to display RSSI, Q, or both. Select the RF History’s duration; this can also be changed from the 1RX views.
Waterfall History: Select the waterfall’s resolution (Low, Medium, High) and speed (Very fast, Fast, Medium, Slow, Very slow).

RX to Band Mapping: Only available with Antenna Modes that support more than one band. Click to open the RX to Band Mapping window where RX channels can be assigned to different bands. RX channels can also be assigned from the 1RX View > Frequency/Band box. An RX channel can only be assigned to one band at a time.

19.3.4 RTSA

The Web App’s RTSA duplicates the functionality of the Astral ARX32’s front panel RTSA. See RTSA.

The Antenna Mode determines how many bands are displayed. Drag the vertical dividers between each band to resize bands.

Expand an individual band’s RTSA by clicking its ‘+’ icon in the bottom bar for each Band. Click the Band 1, Band 2, Band 3 labels in the bottom bars to change the selected band‘s filter.

AutoAssign operates across all three bands. Use RF > RX to Channel Mapping to assign which channels are assigned to which bands.

3-Band RTSA display

Frequency Marker: Click anywhere in RTSA graph to locate the Frequency Marker at any desired frequency. To move the marker, drag the cursor from side to side. The marker popup identifies the frequency (MHz) and its received signal strength (dBm). When the marker is placed at a restricted frequency, the ‘Assign’ button changes to ‘Invalid’ with a red background. To hide the marker, tap or click the X inside the marker popup.
Tap or click the Assign button to display the ‘Assign Frequency’ list. Assign the Frequency Marker’s displayed frequency to any receiver channel.
TV Channel: When the TV Finder button is active, the plot displays TV channels that are discovered by the built-in TV Channel Finder algorithm.
Waterfall: Mini waterfall display that is shown when clicking the Waterfall button. The waterfall can also be displayed as a full height overlay when clicking the Waterfall button again.

Options: Select between Off, Mini Waterfall (displays the waterfall trace above the RTSA) or Waterfall overlay (displays the waterfall on top of the RTSA).
Transmitter Name / Number: Displays the paired transmitter’s name and receiver channel number. Roll over the name to display a gray rectangle (when Meters button is not enabled); click to jump to that receiver channel’s 1RX view or drag horizontally to assign the channel to a new frequency. The NexLinked transmitter will automatically follow. Dragging to within 300 kHz of another receiver channel is not allowed. When dragging, the displayed frequency value changes from white to red to indicate that the selected frequency is within 300 kHz of another channel.
Exclusion Region: A red region indicates the presence of a user-programmed exclusion region. It is not possible to assign receiver channels within exclusion regions.
RTSA Function Buttons: Various RTSA functions including:
1. Waterfall: An RF history of RSSI levels versus frequency displayed as a color heat map ranging from black (low RSSI level), through blue, green, yellow, and orange to red (high RSSI level).
  The Waterfall has three display options selected by the Waterfall button top right.
  1. Off (Waterfall hidden)
  2. Mini (Waterfall displayed above the RTSA, as shown in the picture above)
  3. Overlay (waterfall overlaid full height over the RTSA)
    The Waterfall duration (Very Slow to Very Fast) and resolution (High, Medium, Low) can be set in the RF tab.
2. Antenna Pair Options: Selects which antenna pairs are displayed.
3. Antenna A/B Options: Selects which antenna (Ant) signals are displayed.
  1. Ant A: Only antenna A (red line).
  2. Ant B: Only antenna B (white line).
  3. Ant A+B: Highest of Ant A and Ant B.
  4. Ant A, B: Both Ant A and Ant B.
4. Trace Type: Sets the trace characteristic. Choose from Normal or Average.
5. Show/Hide Peak Trace Button: Selects whether the Peak trace (gray) is displayed.
6. Clear Peak Trace Button: Resets the peak trace.
7. AutoAssign Button: Tap to bring up the blue, translucent AutoAssign range window. Drag the left and right edges of the window to set the AutoAssign frequency range. Tap the Assign button to start the AutoAssign process or tap Cancel to exit.
8. Export Trace Button: Tap or click to save the RTSA trace data as a .csv file and .png image file. Files are saved to the browser’s download destination.
9. Scan/RTSA Button: Tap to toggle the display between RTSA mode and Scan mode. The front panel OLEDs of Astral ARX32 follow the selection. The colored regions at the top of the Scan plot represent the different filters for the selected country. Click one of the colored regions to select a filter.
10. Start/Stop Button: Starts and stops the RTSA or Scan.
11. Exclusions: Click the Exclusions button to create, edit or delete an exclusion region.
12. TV Finder: Click the TV Finder button to enable the TV Finder algorithm and display discovered TV channels.
13. Meter: Click to display the Q and Audio meters for the receiver channels.
Frequency / X-axis: Use pinch gestures or rotate a mouse wheel to zoom in/out horizontally.
Meter Button: Click the Meter button to display the Q and audio meters for all displayed receive channels.

Roll over a receiver channel’s meters to display its paired transmitter’s mini control panel. The control panel provides access to Power On/Off, RF On/Off, and Mute On/Off. Drag the mini control panel’s title bar horizontally to assign the channel to a new frequency. The NexLinked transmitter will automatically follow. Dragging to within 300 kHz of another receiver channel is not allowed. When dragging, the displayed frequency value changes from white to red to indicate that the selected frequency is within 300 kHz of another channel.

Filter Range Display and Selector: Click to select a new filter range for the selected Band (1, 2, or 3)
Amplitude dBm / Y-axis: Use pinch gestures or rotate a mouse wheel to zoom in/out vertically.

19.3.5 Audio

Sets sync reference, sample rate, AES, analog, MADI output, tone generator, and headphone output/solo routing. Use the RX channel metering, gain level sliders, and Global RX Output Gain to optimize audio output levels.

19.3.6 NexLink

NexLink related settings including setup of the Astral Outpost. See NexLink Menu

19.3.7 Quick Setup

Load and save settings files for quick configuration of the Astral ARX32’s settings. See Quick Setup Menu

19.3.8 System

The System tab provides access to Power, Web App security, Lockout, Macro, and Notification settings as well as Astral ARX32 System Info. See System Menu for more info.

Chapter 20: Updating Firmware

Periodically Sound Devices issues new firmware for the Astral series. Make certain to register your products at the Sound Devices website to receive firmware update notifications. Firmware updates are instigated from the System > Firmware Update menu. You can choose to update Astral ARX32 only, paired individual transmitters, all paired transmitters, custom groups of paired transmitters, Astral Outpost, or all devices. When more than one device is selected, updates take place sequentially with the Astral ARX32 updated last.

Paired transmitters are updated wirelessly from the Astral ARX32 via Bluetooth. Wirelessly updating a transmitter requires that it is powered on. Once a PRG file has been completely sent to the transmitter, it automatically begins updating.

Note: Transmitters can also be updated via micro-SD card or USB-C. See the Astral transmitter user guides for further information.

Download new PRG update files for your Astral ARX32 and transmitters.
Copy the PRG files to the root of a USB thumb drive formatted by the Astral ARX32. See System menu.
Insert the USB thumb drive into the rear panel USB-A port.
Access the System > Firmware Update to access the Firmware Update menu.
Scroll the list in OLED 2 to select which device(s) to update.
1. Highlight Astral ARX32 to update Astral ARX32 only
2. Highlight a transmitter to update only that transmitter
3. To update more than one device, highlight the top row to open the Select Devices list, then choose:
  1. All Devices (Astral ARX32, all paired transmitters, paired and connected Outposts)
  2. All Transmitters
  3. Transmitter Group 1-8 (Not available if transmitters have not been assigned to a group. Assign transmitters to a group via the Group column cells)
Tap the Start Update button in OLED 4 to display the ‘Choose [model name] update file’ list.
Select the applicable PRG update file for your device. If more than one device has been selected for update, a list is presented sequentially for each model. Once the last model’s update file has been selected, tap OK to start the update process or Cancel to exit. Update progress & status is displayed in the status view in OLED 3.
Once firmware has been updated successfully, ‘Update complete’ is displayed in the status view. See Update Status below.

Note: To wirelessly update paired transmitters, they must be powered on.

Note: Once Astral ARX32 has updated, it automatically restarts and displays “Unit has been updated.”

Note: If attached to an Astral Opto, ensure that Astral ARX32 is running v1.10 or higher before updating firmware on Astral ARX32. If updating an Astral ARX32 from v1.00, any attached Astral Opto needs to be physically unlinked and removed during the update.

Note: Do not use the web app whilst updating firmware. After an ARX update, it is recommended to clear the web app’s browser cache.

Note: Updating ARX firmware clears its TX List (unpairs all transmitters).

20.1 Firmware Update Status

Device firmware update progress and status is displayed in OLED 3. Status is reset when Astral ARX32 is restarted.

Status Display	Description
	PRG update file is being sent wirelessly to the transmitter
	Transmitter has received the PRG update file and is now updating. The Transmitter LEDs flash red, green, and blue
	Device has updated successfully. Device must restart before this status is displayed
	Device update process has been aborted by the user
	Selected PRG file is incompatible with the selected device. Update aborted
	Transmitter is out of range - bring closer to the Astral ARX32 Or battery is dead - replace with charged battery
	Transmitter battery is too low to begin updating. Update aborted Battery is considered too low when in the red state

20.2 Aborting a Firmware Update

Abort sending a PRG file to a transmitter

Highlight the transmitter that is currently being sent an update file and tap the ‘Abort Update’ button. Tap OK to abort or Cancel to continue sending the PRG file.

Abort Pending (Queued) Device Updates

Highlight the top row and tap the ‘Abort Update’ button or tap the left arrow in OLED 1 or the triangle button. Tap OK to abort pending updates or Cancel to continue updates uninterrupted.

Note: It is not possible to abort an Astral ARX32 update once it has started.

20.3 Refresh List

Press the Refresh List button to update the current list of connected devices. This list is automatically refreshed upon entering the Firmware Update menu. Use the Refresh List button only if you have remained in the menu for an extended period and the connected devices may have changed.

Chapter 21: Channel Expansion Licenses

The Astral ARX32 can be expanded from 16- to 24- or 32-channels by purchasing one or two 8-channel Expansion Licenses from the Sound Devices website. Permanent or rental licenses (1-week or 30-day) are available.

Channel Expansion licenses are installed via a USB thumb drive inserted into the Astral ARX32 USB-A or USB-C ports.

To install a license

Download the purchased license (.lic file) from the Sound Devices website.
Copy the license to the root of a USB thumb drive that has been formatted by the Astral ARX32.
Insert the USB thumb drive into the rear panel USB-A port or front panel USB-C port.
Access the System menu then tap Plugins.
Tap Install.

Once installation has finished, the Astral ARX32 will automatically restart.

Tap the Plugins > List button to display a list of the currently installed plugins to confirm the successful installation of the expansion license.

Chapter 22: Astral Wireless Guitar System

The Sound Devices Astral Wireless Guitar System is a paradigm-shift in sonic purity and range for the demanding, professional guitarist/bassist. It is designed to replace a premium guitar cable without altering the tone or feel of the sacred guitar/amp interaction. *Please refer to the Astral Wireless Guitar System User Guide for detailed information.

The Sound Devices Astral Guitar System is comprised of the following products:

Astral TX Smart Guitar Cable (patent pending)  
Astral TX transmitter 
Astral-RX16, or Astral ARX32 multi-channel receiver
Astral TX Guitar Strap Clip
Optional Guitar Interface Box (recommended Radial Reamp)

Why Use the Sound Devices Astral Wireless Guitar System?

It is commonly known that guitars, guitar cables, pedals and amps all interact with one another to give a unique character to each rig. It is also well known that replacing the guitar cable with a wireless system can dramatically change this character. Much of this is due to the imperfect nature of many wireless systems, but less well known is that every cable's added capacitance (depending on the type and length of the cable) interacts with a guitar’s pickup. This is why many cables sound different from each other. The input impedance of the amp also will change the character of the guitar’s pickup. These effects range from very subtle to extreme, depending on the type of guitar, pickups, cable(s), pedals and amp(s) in the rig.

Compromising tone and feel to get wireless capability is a thing of the past!

The heart of the Astral Wireless Guitar System is the Smart Guitar Cable. This patent-pending cable houses sophisticated, miniaturized circuitry within the ¼" plug. This circuitry varies the actual capacitance that the guitar’s pickup is loaded with – just like a cable. This capacitance is not a mere “emulation,” but actual, real capacitance implemented with very low-distortion capacitors. The input impedance that the guitar’s pickup drives is also adjustable, allowing the player to recreate the exact feel of the guitar wired to the input of a given amp or pedalboard. This cable feeds the Astral TX transmitter and Astral-RX16 receiver, both renowned for their unparalleled sonic quality. Since the Smart Guitar Cable's circuitry is within the 1/4" plug, it also allows for a truly balanced audio connection between the guitar and the transmitter eliminating any noise from that critical connection - without any tone or feel changes.

Key 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.

Additional Features

Adjustment of these parameters from the Astral TX transmitter or remotely from the Astral-RX16 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. Available from https://www.linkusa-inc.com.

Chapter 23: Accessories

23.1 Included

2x Monarch Antennas
2x Articulating Arm with ¼”-20 mount for mounting Monarch Antennas
2x 72” BNC to BNC RG-58 Antenna Cables
2x 2.4 GHz Antennas, SMA-M
USB-C 3.0 to USB-C 3.0 cable
Power Cord - US
Power Cord - Australia
Power Cord - EU cord (Schuko)
Power Cord - UK
2x Rack Ears (Assembled to the unit)
Astral ARX32 Welcome Magnet
4x Rubber Feet
4x plastic SFP Cage Protective Cover
2x Promo Stickers
Terms and Conditions Sticker
Product Registration Label

23.2 Optional

Astral Outpost
Astral Opto
Monarch Antenna (inc. articulating arm, BNC to BNC cable, BNC to SMA cable)
2.4 GHz Antennas, SMA-M (set of 2)
Astral VHF Dipole BNC (set of 2 VHF antennas)

23.2.1 Astral Opto

The Astral Opto is an optional expansion box for the Astral ARX32 that adds Optocore, MADI, AES, and analog outputs plus GPIO functionality. The Astral Opto comes in two versions, the Astral Opto and Astral Opto(ST). The only difference between the Astral Opto and Astral Opto(ST) is the connector type used for the Optocore audio outputs, HMA or ST respectively. The Astral Opto connects to the Astral ARX32 via a multi-pin connector located on the bottom of Astral ARX32. Optocore output channels carry audio outs 1-64. The Astral Opto has 2x MADI outputs on 2x BNC connectors. At 48k, both MADI Outputs are hardwired to audio outs 1-64. At 96k, MADI Out 1 carries 1-32 and MADI Out 2 carries 33-64. For 96 kHz applications, the MADI outputs can be configured as Hi-Speed or SMUX 96k MADI format. The 32-channel Analog and AES digital (AES72 Type 1M) Outputs are configured as a redundant set of outputs that are fed from the same sources routed to the analog and digital outputs on the Astral ARX32.

Picture shows Astral ARX32 with Astral Opto fitted underneath

Picture shows the rear panel of the Astral Opto

Astral Opto Key Features

Adds 2x native Optocore audio loops for outputting up to 64 channels to DiGiCo consoles.
Optocore ports can be swapped between HMA, ST, or OpticalCon connector types (Astral Opto and Astral Opto(ST) come with HMA or ST optical connectors pre-installed, respectively.)
Adds a fully redundant AC Mains supply that can power both the Astral Opto and Astral ARX32. The Astral ARX32 AC Mains supply can power both units too.
Adds redundant set of MADI outputs with their own word clock sync input
Adds redundant set of analog and digital AES72 outputs
Adds 16x GPIO connectors

Astral Opto Rear Panel

1: AC Mains LED

Indicates that AC power is connected to the Astral Opto.

2: Optocore Ports A, B (Astral Opto connectors shown)

The connector type depends on the Astral Opto model, Astral Opto or Astral Opto(ST). Dual Optocore connectors for connection to DiGiCo consoles. The Optocore connectors can optionally be swapped between HMA, ST or OpticalCon connectors, and the internal SFP modules can be changed to different wavelengths using special disassembly instructions - contact Sound Devices.

OpticalCon Connector Assembly - DiGiCo part number: 601-00001
ST Connector Assembly - DiGiCo part number: 601-00002

3: Analog Outputs

RJ45 connectors conforming to the AES72 pin-out standard for up to 32 channels of Analog Mic/Line output.

4: AES Outputs

RJ45 connectors conforming to the AES72 pin-out standard for up to 32 channels of AES digital audio output

5: MADI Outputs 3 and 4

Dual BNCs for outputting 48 or 96 kHz MADI. Hi-Speed and SMUX 96 kHz MADI streams are supported.

6: WCK Sync Input

BNC for connecting a Wordclock sync reference for the MADI Out 3 and 4 digital outputs.

7: GPIO

16 user-configurable GPIO ports

8: AC Power Input

100-240V, 200W max. If Astral ARX32’s AC power supply fails, the Astral Opto’s AC power input will power both the Astral Opto and Astral ARX32.

Astral Opto Setup and GPIO

Tap the Audio Out > Astral Opto Setup button in Audio menu OLED 2 to access the Astral Opto Setup menu which provides access to the expansion box’s Optocore, MADI Out 3&4 Sync Ref, and GPIO settings.

Astral ARX32 Audio Out Menu

Astral Opto Setup Menu

MADI Out 3&4 Sync Reference

Determines the sync reference for the Astral Opto’s MADI outputs 3 and 4. Choose from:

Follow [Uses the same sync reference as the Astral ARX32]. *Default
WCK In [Uses the Astral Opto’s WCK BNC input as sync reference for its MADI out 3&4]. This allows the MADI outs to sync to a different clock domain than the Astral ARX32.
48k [48 kHz SRC’d to Astral ARX32 Sync Ref]. If Astral ARX32’s internal sample clock is 48k, the clock is passed through and if 96 kHz, it is divided by 2.
96k [96 kHz SRC’d to Astral ARX32 Sync Ref]. If Astral ARX32’s internal sample clock is 96k, the clock is passed through and if 48 kHz, it is multiplied by 2.

Note: If the sync reference results in the Astral Opto running at 96 kHz, the Astral Opto MADI out format is determined by the ‘96k MADI Format’ setting on the Astral ARX32.

Optocore ID

Sets the Optocore ID. Choose from 11 to 24.

Optocore Speed

Sets the Optocore operational speed. Choose 1G or 2G. 2G is default.

Optocore Outputs

Sets the number of activated Optocore output channels. Options are: 1-8, 1-16, 1-24, 1-32, 1-64, None

GPIO 1-16

Select which Astral transmitter function is actioned when a GPIO input (GPI) is triggered.

Select which Astral transmitter function triggers a GPIO output (GPO). Can be used to trigger macros on a console, relays, lamps, bells etc.

Tap a GPIO 1- GPIO 16 button to configure its GPIO’s settings.

GPIO ‘n’:

Lists the following voltage triggering options:

Inputs

Input, Latch (Triggers action to change state (ON or OFF) when the GP input transitions from low to high). This is the default for GPIO 1-8.
Input, Toggle (Triggers the ON action when the GP input transitions from low to high. Triggers the OFF action when the GP Input transitions from high to low).
Input, One Shot ON (Triggers the ON action when the GP input transitions from low to high)
Input, One Shot OFF (Triggers the OFF action when the GP input transitions from low to high)

Outputs

Output, Latch ON (GP output changes state (high or low) each time the source condition changes from OFF to ON). This is the default setting for GPIO 9-16.
Output, Latch OFF (GP output changes state (high or low) each time the source condition changes from ON to OFF).
Output, Direct (GP output directly follows the source condition - GP output goes high when source condition goes ON and goes low when source condition goes OFF.
Output, One Shot ON (GP output goes high for 1 second when the source condition changes to ON).
Output, One Shot OFF (GP output goes high for 1 second when the source condition changes to OFF).

Target Actions and Source Conditions:

When the GPIO is configured as an input (GPI) using the GPIO ‘n’ button, the Action button lists the options that can be triggered when GPI is active.
When the GPIO is configured as an output (GPO) using the GPIO ‘n’ button, the Condition button lists the options that can be set to trigger a GPO when they are active.

GPI Target Action Options

GPO Source Condition Options

TX Power
TX RF Power
TX Mute
TX Record
TX ID
None (default)

Astral HH/TX Control-Sw Macro
Astral HH Button-L Macro
Astral HH Button-C Macro
Astral HH Button-R Macro

TX Power
TX Mute
TX Record
None (default)

Target/Source Channel:

When the GPIO is configured as an input (GPI) using the GPIO ‘n’ button, the Target Channel button is displayed. This selects which RX channels the chosen Action targets.
When the GPIO is configured as an output (GPO) using the GPIO ‘n’ button, the Source Channel button is displayed. This selects which RX channel(s) conditions affect the GPO.

GPI Target Channel Options	GPO Source Channel Options
RX Channel 1 -> RX Channel 16 (1-32 with 2x expansion license installed)	RX Channel 1 -> RX Channel 16 (1-32 with 2x expansion license installed)

Astral Opto Info

Displays the Astral Opto’s firmware version and serial number. The firmware version flashes red if the Astral Opto’s firmware is incompatible with the currently installed Astral ARX32 firmware.

Updating the Astral Opto’s firmware

The Astral Opto must be connected to a Astral ARX32 for its firmware to be updated. Its firmware is embedded within the Astral ARX32. prg firmware update file and is updated automatically when the Astral ARX32’s firmware is updated.

If the Astral Opto firmware is incompatible with the Astral ARX32 firmware, the firmware version info in the Astral Opto Info OLED flashes red. Update to the latest Astral ARX32 firmware with the Astral Opto installed to resolve the issue.

Note: If attached to an Astral Opto, ensure that Astral ARX32 is running v1.10 or higher before updating firmware on Astral ARX32. If updating a Astral ARX32 from v1.00, any attached Astral Opto needs to be physically unlinked and removed during the update.

Astral Opto Accessories

Included

1x Bridge board Assembly
Power Cord - US
Power Cord - Australia
Power Cord - EU cord (Schuko)
Power Cord - UK
2x Double Rack Ears
2x Rear Accessory Plate
16x Screw M4x0.7 8mm
1x Hex key 2.5 mm; 1x Hex key 1.5 mm
Astral Opto Welcome Magnet
4x Rubber Feet
2x Promo Stickers
Terms and Conditions Sticker
Product Registration Label

Astral Opto Installation

Please refer to the separate Astral Opto Installation Guide available here: Astral Opto Guide

23.2.2 Astral Outpost

The Astral Outpost is a remote NexLink-antenna box. NexLink is Sound Devices’ proprietary protocol for long-distance remote control of Astral transmitters. This game-changing system allows remote control of all parameters on the transmitters – and has a distance far exceeding the RF audio link. Since NexLink operates at 2.4 GHz, its antennas cannot be remote-mounted more than a few inches due to cable loss – until now. With the Astral Outpost, the NexLink antennas can be located near the action, along with the UHF audio antennas. The remote mounting is simple, using either Cat-6 Ethernet cable or even fiber optic Ethernet.

You can use up to eight Astral Outpost units at the same time, together with the Astral ARX32’s built-in NexLink antennas, to create a NexLink antenna network. This setup provides robust coverage across large and complex environments. See NexLink Menu for how to setup an Astral Outpost.

Key Features

Powered by PoE or USB-C 15W power supply
Cat-6 (Ethercon connector) or Optical Ethernet (via SFP module)
Rugged, rain-resistant chassis
Dual ¼", 3/8”, 5/8” mounting hole blocks
Pair with Astral ARX32 via the Astral Outpost’s USB-C port. Supplied with USB-A to USB-C pairing cable.
Supports NexLink antenna networks with multiple Astral Outposts
Customize an Astral Outpost's name for easy identification e.g. Stage 1, Stage 2 etc.
Monitor Astral Outpost connection status directly from Astral ARX32.
Recessed reset button for resetting to factory defaults
Rear panel LED for indicating power, ID’ing from Astral ARX32, and firmware update progress
Firmware updates via ethernet or USB-A thumbdrive.

Note: The Astral Outpost must be powered from either a PoE or USB-C 15W power supply.

Note: The rear panel Power LED illuminates as follows: Solid blue = starting up; Solid green = powered on; Flashing blue = Receiving NexLink ID command; Alternating red, green, blue = updating firmware; Flashing red = failed update.

Astral Outpost Safety Information

Class A:

Warning: Operation of this equipment in a residential environment could cause radio interference.

Class A FCC Statement:

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

Class A ISED Statement:

CAN ICES-003(A) / NMB-003(A)

ESD:

The Outpost's ethernet connection may be interrupted in an environment with ESD phenomenon when powered by a PoE supply. In such an event, it is recommended to restart the connection manually.

23.2.3 Astral Monarch Antenna

The Astral ARX32 ships with two Astral Monarch, omnidirectional, wide-bandwidth (470-1525 MHz) antennas. These antennas provide uniform coverage and gain across the exceptionally wide SpectraBand tuning range of Astral ARX32. Each antenna is paired with a multi-function clamp and articulating arm, as well as an RG58 BNC-M to BNC-M cable (72 in.)

When purchased as a separate accessory, the Astral Monarch antenna also includes an RG174 BNC-M to SMA-M cable.

The Astral Monarch kit comes with the following parts:

1x Astral Monarch antenna with BNC-F connector and 1/4"-20 female threaded mount
1x adjustable clamp and articulating arm with ¼”-20 male threaded mount
1x 30 in/75 cm BNC-M to BNC-M cable
1x 18 in/45 cm BNC-M to SMA-M cable

Chapter 24: Restricted Frequency Authorizations

The wireless system operator needs to be aware of local regulations and comply with all applicable laws regarding operation of wireless devices.

Frequency Authorizations allow the unlocking of restricted frequencies that require proof of a valid license before they can be used. Once a license has been granted, please contact Sound Devices (RF_Request@SoundDevices.com) to obtain the necessary authorization. An Authorization ID and License Code will be generated by Sound Devices based on the license provided. The Authorization ID or License Code can be entered into the Astral Remote App and then synchronized with an Astral-RX8, Astral-RX16, or Astral ARX32 receiver and its paired Astral transmitters.

Synchronized Frequency Authorizations can be viewed on the Astral ARX32 and paired Astral TX and Astral HH transmitters. See System Menu > Frequency Authorization for more info.

An example of a frequency band requiring an unlock code in the United States is 1435-1525 MHz. Program Making and Special Events (PMSE) wireless operators typically call 1435-1525 MHz the "AFTRCC band". AFTRCC stands for Aerospace and Flight Test Band Coordinating Council. This organization coordinates several frequency bands for use by air and spacecraft in the United States. This includes 1435-1525 MHz

Per the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules, wireless microphones are allowed as secondary users in the 1435-1525 MHz AFTRCC band. This is detailed in the FCC Part 74 rules:

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-74

One section of the Part 74 rules that's of particular interest to operators seeking an AFTRCC band license is 74.803(d):

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-74#p-74.803(d)

Generally speaking, a wireless operator needs to show they've used all other available spectrum before the AFTRCC will consider a license request in the 1435-1525 MHz range. If granted, the license is normally assigned for a specific location and a specific time range.

Sound Devices encourages all wireless operators to obtain a Part 74 license, and specifically to make sure applicable parts of the 600 MHz and 950 MHz range are included with their license application. This can help show an operator is aware of the available spectrum and is utilizing it responsibly.

More information on Part 74 licensing can be found here: https://www.local695.com/fcc-licensing/

Chapter 25: Connector Pin Assignments

Chapter 26: Specifications

All specifications are subject to change without prior notice. For the latest information available on all Sound Devices products, visit our website: www.sounddevices.com

26.1 Astral ARX32 Specifications

Patents: The Astral ARX32 is protected by US patents US10678294B2, US20190166523A1, International patent WO2018022209A1, and several patents pending.

Tuning

169 to 1525 MHz (1356 MHz switching bandwidth)
25 kHz steps
SpectraBand Technology for maximum rejection of out-of-band signals
Available frequencies depend on country of operation
3 bands each with their own assignable filter range, typically 24 MHz wide for a total of 72 MHz simultaneously usable bandwidth.

Modulation

Proprietary, 100% digital RF modulation
Standard, Long Range, or T&M (Test & Measurement) selectable per channel.

Spurious Rejection

>100 dB typical

Cascade output

50-ohm
+1 dB gain from BNC input to output; less than 1 dB input to output loss in the event of power failure.
Band-limited as per LNA pre-select filter.

RF Bias output

12V, 200 mA each BNC
Smart antenna support, Wisycom-compatible

Antenna Inputs

Multiple Antenna Modes switchable between Diversity, 4Versity, 4Versity + 1 Pair, HexVersity, 3-Zone Combiner, 2-Zone Combiner + 1 Pair, 3-Way Diversity, Diversity + 1 Pair

Audio

Latency

Standard modulation = 2 ms, analog or digital outputs
Long Range modulation = 3.9 ms, analog or digital outputs
T&M (Test and Measurement) modulation = 7 ms, analog or digital outputs

Audio Frequency Response

10 Hz–20 kHz, +/- 1 dB relative to 1 kHz

Dynamic Range

> 140 dB with an Astral transmitter

Analog Output

RJ45 connectors conforming to the AES72 Type 1M pin-out standard, balanced connection

Analog Output Level

Line: +20 dBu for 0 dBFS
-10: +6 dBu for 0 dBFS
Mic: -20 dBu for 0 dBFS

Tone Generator

1 kHz tone, adjustable from -20 to 0 dBFS

Audio Output Sample Rate

48 or 96 kHz

Digital Audio Output

MADI: unbalanced BNC, 75-ohm output impedance
AES3: RJ45 connectors conforming to the AES72 Type 1M pin-out standard, balanced connection, 110-ohm output impedance
Optocore with optional Astral Opto (HMA connector) or Astral Opto(ST) (ST connector)

Audio-Over-IP

Dante, 48 or 96 kHz sample rate

Sync

LTC / Wordclock BNC input, software-switchable 75-ohm termination
Dante
MADI, unbalanced BNC, 75-ohm output impedance

Network

Dante Audio-Over-IP

32 input/output channels.
Primary and Secondary ports for Dante Redundancy

Control

Web-based control and monitoring of all Astral ARX32 settings
GPIO with the optional Astral Opto or Astral Opto(ST) accessory

Connections

2x RJ45 ports and 2x SFP ports: For Dante, Control, and Astral Outpost

NexLink

Protocol

2.4 GHz, proprietary frequency-hopping backlink control of transmitters over long distance

Connections

Front or rear diversity pair
SMA-F ports for connecting 2.4 GHz SMA-M antennas

USB

Type

USB-A: 5V, 1.0A output; supports keyboards, flash drives, Astral transmitters, Astral Outpost, and USB hubs
USB-C: 5V, 3A output; supports keyboards, flash drives, Astral transmitters, Astral Outpost, and USB hubs

Drive Format

FAT32

Powering

AC Input: 100-240 VAC, 200W
DC Input: 10-18 VDC, 200W
PoE+ out (max 30W)

Environmental

Operating Temperature Range

-10 to 40 C; 14 to 104 F

Dimensions (H x W x D)

4.2 cm x 44.5 cm x 31.1 cm; 1.65 in x 17.5 in 12.24 in

Weight

4.12 kg (unpackaged)
9.00 lbs. (unpackaged)
4.3 kg (packaged)
9.5 lbs. (packaged)

26.2 Astral Opto Specifications

Audio Outputs

RJ45 connectors conforming to AES72 Type 1M pin-out standard, balanced connection

Analog Output Level

Line: +20 dBu for 0 dBFS
-10: +6 dBu for 0 dBFS
Mic: -20 dBu for 0 dBFS

Digital Audio Output

MADI: unbalanced BNC, 75-ohm output impedance
AES3: RJ45 connectors conforming to the AES72 Type 1M pin-out standard, balanced connection, 110-ohm output impedance

WCK Sync Input

75-ohm

GPIO Ports

5V, 1A available on Pin 10. Pin 1 = Ground
Each pin configurable as input or output
Input: 60k ohm typical, Vih = 3.5Vmin, Vil = 1.5Vmax
Output: 100-ohm out typical

Optocore

HMA model has two external HMA connectors
ST model has two external ST connectors
Internal multimode fiber pigtail
Internal SFP modules, 850 nm wavelength

26.3 Astral Outpost Specifications

Network

Connections

1x RJ45 port and 1x SFP port: For NexLink control connection to Astral ARX32 and Astral Outpost firmware updates

NexLink

Protocol

2.4 GHz, proprietary frequency-hopping backlink control of transmitters over long distance

Connections

2x SMA-F ports for connecting 2.4 GHz SMA-M antennas

USB

Type

USB-A: 5V, 1.5A output; supports USB thumb drive (formatted FAT32) for firmware updates only.
USB-C: 5V, 3A (15W) for pairing with Astral ARX32 and/or powering

Powering

PoE+ In (15W)
USB-C: 5V, 3A (15W)

Environmental

Operating Temperature Range

-10 to 40 C; 14 to 104 F

Dimensions (H x W x D)

3.2 cm x 16 cm x 13.2 cm; 1.26 in x 6.3 in x 5.2 in

Weight

0.66 kg (unpackaged)
1.45 lbs. (unpackaged)

26.4 Astral Monarch Specifications

Frequency range

470 MHz - 1600 MHz

Gain

2.2 dBi

Pattern

Omnidirectional

Return Loss

Better than 15 dB across entire 470 - 1600 MHz range

Mounting Threads

¼”-20

Dimensions (H x W x D)

17.0 cm x 21.0 cm x 1.7 cm
(6.68 in x 8.26 in 0.67 in)

Weight

0.12 kg (unpackaged)
0.26 lbs. (unpackaged)

Chapter 27: Note on RF Interference

Sound Devices does not guarantee the absence of any interfering spurs across all bands in all situations. Some small spurs can originate within the Astral ARX32, and others can come from many sources (Ethernet, AES/EBU interconnects, external mixer/recorders, USB drives, USB keyboards, etc.). This, combined with the extreme sensitivity of the Astral ARX32's front end, mean that the user must be very careful with the quality of cables used, as well as antenna and antenna cable routing and placement. We highly recommend placing antennas as far as possible from other pieces of equipment, especially antennas from intentional transmitters such as IFB units. Sound Devices recommends using high-quality, shielded Ethernet cables (whether using PoE+ or not) to minimize interference at RF frequencies caused by Ethernet. Additionally, it is a best practice to keep Ethernet cables as far away from the receiving antennas and the receiving antennas' coax cable (if used).

Chapter 28: Servicing the Astral ARX32

Do not attempt to service the Astral ARX32. The internal parts are microscopic and not user serviceable. Please send to Sound Devices for any service needs.

Chapter 29: Warranty

Sound Devices, LLC warrants the items listed above against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of ONE (1) year from date of original retail purchase. Users who register their product directly with Sound Devices Technical Support using the online form or by phone, will receive an additional ONE (1) year of warranty coverage, extending the complete warranty period to TWO (2) years from the date of original retail purchase. To extend the warranty coverage period, registration must be completed within the initial ONE (1) year warranty period. Products must be purchased through authorized Sound Devices resellers to qualify for Warranty coverage. Damage resulting from the opening of a Sound Devices product or attempted repairs by a non-authorized Sound Devices repair technician will void warranty coverage.

This is a non-transferable warranty that extends only to the original purchaser. Sound Devices, LLC will repair or replace the product at its discretion at no charge. Warranty claims due to severe service conditions will be addressed on an individual basis.

THE WARRANTY AND REMEDIES SET FORTH ABOVE ARE EXCLUSIVE. SOUND DEVICES, LLC DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. SOUND DEVICES, LLC IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY BREACH OF WARRANTY OR UNDER ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY. Because some jurisdictions do not permit the exclusion or limitations set forth above, they may not apply in all cases.

For all service, including warranty repair, please contact Sound Devices for an RMA (return merchandise authorization) before sending your unit in for repair. Products returned without an RMA number may experience delays in repair. When sending a unit for repair, please do not include accessories, including SSD drives, CF cards, batteries, power supplies, carry cases, cables, or adapters unless instructed by Sound Devices. Sound Devices repairs and replacements may be completed using refurbished, returned or used parts that have been factory certified as functionally equivalent to new parts.

Sound Devices, LLC

Services Repair RMA #XXXXX

E7556 State Road 23 and 33

Reedsburg, WI 53959 USA

Telephone: +1-608-524-0625

Chapter 30: Legal Notices

Product specifications and features are subject to change without prior notification. Read and fully understand this manual before operation.

Copyright© 2024 Sound Devices, LLC. All rights reserved. This product is subject to the terms and conditions of a software license agreement provided with the product and may be used in accordance with the license agreement. This document is protected under copyright law. An authorized licensee of this product may reproduce this publication for the licensee’s own personal use. This document may not be reproduced or distributed, in whole or in part, for commercial purposes, such as selling copies or providing educational services or support. This document is supplied as a technical guide. Special care has been taken in preparing the information for publication; however, since product specifications are subject to change, this document might contain omissions and technical or typographical inaccuracies. Sound Devices, LLC does not accept responsibility for any losses due to the use of this guide.

LIMITATION ON SOUND DEVICES’ LIABILITY. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SOUND DEVICES SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY TO THE END USER OR ANY OTHER PERSON FOR COSTS, EXPENSES, DIRECT DAMAGES, INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, PUNITIVE DAMAGES, SPECIAL DAMAGES, CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR OTHER DAMAGES OF ANY KIND OR NATURE WHATSOEVER ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE PRODUCTS, THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OR THE PARTIES’ RELATIONSHIP, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES RESULTING FROM OR RELATED TO THE DELETION OR OTHER LOSS OF AUDIO RECORDINGS OR DATA, REDUCED OR DIMINISHED AUDIO QUALITY OR OTHER SIMILAR AUDIO DEFECTS ARISING FROM, RELATED TO OR OTHERWISE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE PRODUCTS OR THE END USER’S USE OR OPERATION THEREOF, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARE CLAIMED UNDER CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY. “CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES” FOR WHICH SOUND DEVICES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE SHALL INCLUDE, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOST PROFITS, PENALTIES, DELAY DAMAGES, LIQUIDATED DAMAGES AND OTHER DAMAGES AND LIABILITIES WHICH END USER SHALL BE OBLIGATED TO PAY OR WHICH END USER OR ANY OTHER PARTY MAY INCUR RELATED TO OR ARISING OUT OF ITS CONTRACTS WITH ITS CUSTOMERS OR OTHER THIRD PARTIES. NOTWITHSTANDING AND WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL SOUND DEVICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY AMOUNT OF DAMAGES IN EXCESS OF AMOUNTS PAID BY THE END USER FOR THE PRODUCTS AS TO WHICH ANY LIABILITY HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO EXIST. SOUND DEVICES AND END USER EXPRESSLY AGREE THAT THE PRICE FOR THE PRODUCTS WAS DETERMINED IN CONSIDERATION OF THE LIMITATION ON LIABILITY AND DAMAGES SET FORTH HEREIN AND SUCH LIMITATION HAS BEEN SPECIFICALLY BARGAINED FOR AND CONSTITUTES AN AGREED ALLOCATION OF RISK WHICH SHALL SURVIVE THE DETERMINATION OF ANY COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION THAT ANY REMEDY HEREIN FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.

The “wave” logo is a registered trademark of Sound Devices, LLC. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Bluetooth LE is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Android is a registered trademark of Google. iPad, iPhone, and iOS are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. All other trademarks herein are the property of their respective owners.

FCC Conformity

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate Band frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to Band communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to Band or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

—Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

—Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

—Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

—Consult the dealer or an experienced Band/TV technician for help.

This device complies with FCC RF exposure limits for general population / uncontrolled environments. A separation distance of at least 20 cm must be maintained between the antenna and all persons. This device must not be co-located with any other antenna or transmitter. This device has been approved to operate with the antenna type listed below:

Model: W1010 Type: Wireless External Antenna for 2.4 GHz Application

Manufacturer: PulseLarson Max. Gain: 2.0dBi

No change to the antenna type is permitted. Any change to the antenna could result in the device exceeding the RF exposure requirements and void the user’s authority to operate the device.

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

To comply with FCC part 15 rules in the United States, the Astral ARX32 receiver must be professionally installed.

It is the responsibility of the operator and professional installer to ensure that only certified antennas are to be used in the United States.

Industry Canada Conformity

This device complies with ISED RF exposure limits for general population / uncontrolled environments. A separation distance of at least 20 cm must be maintained between the antenna and all persons. This device must not be co-located with any other antenna or transmitter. This device has been approved to operate with the antenna type listed below:

Model: W1010 Type: Wireless External Antenna for 2.4 GHz Application

Manufacturer: PulseLarson Max. Gain: 2.0dBi

No change to the antenna type is permitted. Any change to the antenna could result in the device exceeding the RF exposure requirements and void the user’s authority to operate the device.

This Device complies with Industry Canada License-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1) this device may not cause interference, and 2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.

Cet appareil se conforme aux normes ISED sur les limites d'exposition aux Band Fréquences pour la population générale et environnements non controllés. Une distance minimale d'au moins 20 cm doit être maintenue entre l'antenne et toute personne. Cet appareil ne doit pas être co-localisé avec toute autre antenne ou transmetteur. Cet appareil a été aprouvé pour fonctionner avec le type d'antenne ci-dessous:

Model: W1010 Type: Antenne externe sans fil pour application à 2.4 GHz

Manufacturer: PulseLarson Gain Max: 2.0 dBi

Aucun changement de type d'antenne n'est permis. Tout changement sur l'antenne pourrait causer l'appareil à excéder les limites d'exposition RF et annuler le droit de l'usager à faire fonctionner cet appareil.

Cet appareil est conforme avec Industrie Canada, exempts de licence standard RSS (s). Son fonctionnement est soumis aux deux conditions suivantes: 1) ce dispositif ne peut pas causer d’interférences, et 2) ce dispositif doit accepter toute interférence, y compris les interférences qui peuvent causer un mauvais fonctionnement de l’appareil.

WEEE Statement

If you wish to discard a Sound Devices product in Europe, contact Sound Devices (England) for further information.

WEEE icon.png

Chinese Conformity

This information is presented to comply with the requirements of Chinese law SJ/T11363-2006

此資料為顯示符合中國法律SJ/T11363-2006 的要求。

Chapter 31: Declaration of Conformity

Manufacturer’s Name: Sound Devices, LLC

Manufacturer’s Address: E7556 State Road 23 and 33 Reedsburg, WI 53959 USA

We, Sound Devices LLC, declare under our sole responsibility that the product

Product Name: Astral ARX32

Model Number: Astral ARX32

Description: Digital Wireless Receiver

is in conformity with the essential requirements of the following relevant Union harmonization legislation:

Band Equipment Directive (RED) 2014/53/EU

Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU

RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU

The following harmonized standards and/or normative documents were applied:

Health & Safety (Article 3.1(a) of RED) EN 62368-1:2014

EN 50566:2017

EMC (Article 3.1(b) of RED) EN 301-489-1 v2.2.3:2019

EN 301-489-9 v2.1.1:2019

EN 301-489-17 v3.2.4:2020

RF Spectrum (Article 3.2 of RED) EN 300 422-1 v2.1.2:2017

EN 300 328 v2.2.2:2019

EN 300 440 v2.1.1:2017

Signed for and on behalf of Sound Devices LLC:

April 22, 2024

_______________________________ ______________________________________
Date Matt Anderson - Sound Devices, LLC President

Post Office Box 576

E7556 State Rd. 23 and 33

Reedsburg, Wisconsin 53959 USA

support@sounddevices.com

+1608.524.0625 main

800.505.0625 toll free (U.S. only)

Antenna Mode	Description	OLED Layout
Diversity	Antenna Pair 1 -> All three Tuning Bands. Antenna Pairs 2 and 3 are disabled. OLED 4 = RTSA for Band 1. Tap to expand RTSA OLED 5 = RTSA for Band 2. Tap to expand RTSA OLED 6 = RTSA for Band 3. Tap to expand RTSA Typical Application: Normal diversity antenna deployments where two antennas can have the appropriate RF bandwidth to accommodate all selected Tuning Bands and cover the required area.
4Versity	Antenna Pairs 1 and 2 -> Tuning Band 1. Tuning Band 2 and Band 3 are disabled. Antenna Pair 3 is disabled. OLED 4-6 = RTSA for Band 1. Tap to expand RTSA Typical Application: Deployments requiring more robust coverage and/or a larger coverage area. Selected antennas must have appropriate bandwidth to accommodate the selected Tuning Band.
4Versity+ 1 pair	Antenna Pairs 1 and 2 -> Tuning Band 1. Tuning Band 2 is disabled. Antenna Pair 3 -> Tuning Band 3. OLED 4-5 = RTSA for Band 1. Tap to expand RTSA OLED 6 = RTSA for Band 3. Tap to expand RTSA Typical Application: Hybrid deployments requiring a combination of one Tuning Band with more robust coverage and/or a larger coverage area. And another Tuning Band with normal diversity coverage. Antennas can be tailored to meet the needs of the specific Tuning Band they are assigned to.
HexVersity	All Three Antenna Pairs -> Tuning Band 1. Band 2 and Band 3 are disabled. OLED 4-6 = RTSA for Band 1. Tap to expand RTSA Typical Application: Deployments requiring extremely robust coverage and/or a very large coverage area. Selected antennas must have the appropriate RF bandwidth to accommodate the selected Tuning Band.
3-Zone Combiner (Advanced users only)	Antenna Pairs 1, 2, and 3 are passively combined -> Tuning Bands 1, 2, and 3. OLED 4 = RTSA for Band 1. Tap to expand RTSA OLED 5 = RTSA for Band 2. Tap to expand RTSA OLED 6 = RTSA for Band 3. Tap to expand RTSA Typical Application: Deployments requiring three separate, non-overlapping zones of coverage. Selected antennas must have appropriate bandwidth to accommodate the selected Tuning Bands.
2-Zone Combiner +1 Pair (Advanced users only)	Antenna Pair 1 -> Tuning Band 1. Antenna Pairs 2 and 3 are passively combined -> Tuning Bands 2 and 3. OLED 4 = RTSA for Band 1. Tap to expand RTSA OLED 5 = RTSA for Band 2. Tap to expand RTSA OLED 6 = RTSA for Band 3. Tap to expand RTSA Typical Application: Hybrid deployments requiring two separate, non-overlapping zones of coverage and one area of normal diversity coverage. Antennas can be tailored to meet the needs of the specific Tuning Band they are assigned to.
3-way Diversity	Antenna Pair 1 -> Tuning Band 1 Antenna Pair 2 -> Tuning Band 2 Antenna Pair 3 -> Tuning Band 3 OLED 4 = RTSA for Band 1. Tap to expand RTSA OLED 5 = RTSA for Band 2. Tap to expand RTSA OLED 6 = RTSA for Band 3. Tap to expand RTSA Typical Application: Hybrid deployments where each Tuning Band requires its own antenna pair. For example, VHF, UHF, and STL band antenna pairs.
Diversity + 1 Pair	Antenna Pair 1 -> Tuning Bands 1 and 2 Antenna Pair 3 -> Tuning Band 3. OLED 4 = RTSA for Band 1. Tap to expand RTSA OLED 5 = RTSA for Band 2. Tap to expand RTSA OLED 6 = RTSA for Band 3. Tap to expand RTSA Typical Application: Hybrid deployments where one set of antennas can feed two Tuning Bands, with the other feeding one Tuning Band. For example, UHF + STL band antenna pairs.

Category	Setting
Channel	RF Frequency
	Modulation
	Privacy key
	RX On/Off
	Transmitters assigned to channel
	Polarity
	Gain
	HPF
RF	Antenna Mode
	A and B Antenna Bias Power for all antenna pairs 1, 2, and 3
	A and B Antenna Cascade out for all antenna pairs 1, 2, and 3
	Filter Range settings for Band 1, Band 2, Band 3
	RF History duration
	RF History Type
	NexLink Tuning Mode (Push to Transmitter or manual)
	Local NexLink Antennas - Front or Rear
RTSA/Scan	RTSA/Scan Zoom Mode
	RTSA/Scan Vertical dBm Scale
	RTSA/Scan Antenna Display Selection
	RTSA/Scan Antenna Display Characteristics
	Scan Width
Audio	All Audio Output Routings and Analog Output Levels
	Headphone Out Routing
	Headphone Out Gain
	Global Audio Gain Offset
	Sync Reference
	Sample Rate
	96K MADI Format
	All Astral Opto settings. Only available when Astral Opto is connected.
Network	RF Mirror Mode
	Control: DHCP On/Off
	Dante: DHCP On/Off
	Control: Static IP address, subnet mask, gateway
	Dante: Static IP address, subnet mask, gateway. (In Redundancy Mode, IP address data is stored for both Primary and Secondary)
	Web Show Mode
Other	Brightness
	Screensaver
	Turn On when Power is Applied
	Time Zone
	Notification settings
Astral Opto Optocore Settings	All Optocore settings: ID, Outputs, Speed
Astral Opto GPIO Settings	All Astral Opto GPIO settings

Connector	Pin Assignments	Notes
BNC (LTC/WCK input}	Center pin - signal Sleeve - ground	Unbalanced 75-ohm cable recommended
BNC (MADI input (sync only) and MADI digital audio outputs)	Center pin - signal Sleeve - ground	Unbalanced 75-ohm
BNC (Rear Antenna inputs and cascade outputs)	Center pin - signal Sleeve - ground	50-ohm
SMA (2.4 GHz, Front and Rear NexLink)	Center pin - signal Sleeve - ground	SMA-F ports for connecting 2.4 GHz SMA-M antennas for NexLink.
SFP	Per SFF INF-8074i standard	For Dante and Control networks.
RJ45 (Network)	Standard 8P8C (female)	For Dante and Control networks. Dante/Ctrl 1 port supports PoE+
RJ45 (AES and Analog Outputs)	AES72 Type 1M pin-out standard. Shield - chassis ground Pin 1: Pair 1 (+) Pin 2: Pair 1 (-) Pin 3: Pair 2 (+) Pin 4: Pair 3 (+) Pin 5: Pair 3 (-) Pin 6: Pair 2 (-) Pin 7: Pair 4 (+) Pin 8: Pair 4 (-)	Balanced wiring. 2ch per AES3 twisted pair. 1ch per analog twisted pair.
4-pin XLR (DC Input)	Pin 1: (-) Pin 2: (-) Pin 3: (+) Pin 4: (+)	10-18 VDC, 200W

	All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the product is operated.
	WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock or damage, do not expose this product to rain or moisture. Only use in non-tropical climate regions.
	ALTITUDES: This product is suitable for use at altitudes below 2000 meters. Do not operate at higher altitudes, where different environmental conditions could affect its performance or safety.

	POWER CORD PROTECTION: Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs and the point where they exit from the product.
	POWER DISCONNECTION: The mains supply disconnect device is the mains plug or product coupler. Either must remain accessible to be readily operable when the product is in use.

Mode	Description	1RX View Layout
REC+RF	Channel sourced from a single Astral transmitter (See Example 1 below for a detailed description)
RF Only	Channel sourced from a single Astral transmitter
REC+RF	Channel sourced from multiple Astral transmitters (See Example 2 below for a detailed description)
--	Channel sourced from an A10 TX or non-NexLinked transmitter


OLED 1 from a menu	OLED 1 from main menu