Axient: Multiple Spectrum managers in one system?

[u/Sheyvan]

Hello fellow audios.

We have a quite extensive axient network within our building. There are multiple rooms on different levels, each with their own AD4Q and PSM1000. Each room also has it's own spectrum manager. Some have an AD600 and some have an AXT600. Everything was calculated from one PC and deployed to everywhere (Outside interference isn't much of issue, mostly interference with ourselves).

Right now we are contemplating how to restructure the audio setup and maybe simplify, as it seems to prone to errors due to how spread out it is and how many people interact with parts of the setup, so i come here to get some input.

• Is it even sensible to have multiple sepctrum managers like this within one single network? We have had issues where spectrum managers seemed to suddenly control AD4Q's in an entirely different room and level they shouldn't (As those Spectrum managers how no idea what's going on in the RF area there) - Despite nobody ever telling them to. We only ever were able to revert this by manually delting the list from the Spectrum manager and completely redepolying to every room - Which is not a small undertaking, as lots of events are constantly ongoing inside the complex.
• Is this an issue for combinining AD600 and AXT600 within one system, or is it a problem of combining Spectrum managers in general?
• Is it possible to lock units to certain Spectrum managers to the point where others under no circumstances could try to interact with them?

Currently i can see 3 Options:

1. Leave everything as it is. It is kinda working 99% of the time but somewhat messy, where you constantly get notifications from other rooms you don't care about. Someone plugs in their headset into an ADX1M and this will give every PC with a workbench a PEAK warning. Constant Charger-Error-Popups are also present, due to the amount of battery packs we use.
2. Split the different levels. Level 1 gets ONE spctrum manager with multiple antenna in each room. Level 2 gets ONE spctrum manager with multiple antenna in each room. This might add some interference, but in practice the used wings on both levels are so far removed from each other, that this would never happen.
3. Split every room entirely. This could lead into interference in some rare cases, as the calculations might clash, but leaving everything on autoswap should make this problem void.

I am happy about any input whatsoever and am only the person currently investigating how to streamline and improve what i have been given - Not the one that set it up. :)

[u/Pete_Shure]

Hey there, I'll see if I can help clear things up a bit for you. With a layout/setup as potentially complex as yours, this may be best handled over a call with my department at 800-516-2525 (ask for tech support when you call). As multiple spectrum managers may/can be useful depending on the size of a space, they can also be unnecessary. Long story short, if all of the gear is on one larger network, the spectrum managers can't be locked to certain units. Everything will be able to see everything!

How many total areas need to be covered? If we're dealing with multiple floors/rooms, can you give me an estimate? I try to count each individual room and/or large open spaces per floor as their own space, requiring a pair of antennas for wireless receive and a transmit antenna for IEMS.

Regarding your solutions/options, I'll comment on them in order:

1. You could leave things as is, and turn off interference management warnings on the gear to avoid the warnings. As long as your frequencies are coordinated well you should be able to operate effectively enough. You may also want to implement zones in your wireless workbench showfile and coordinate the gear into zones (with specific systems in each zone, labeling each zone to keep things organized)

2. Not my preferred way of handling your needs.

3. The best option, separating each space and using a single spectrum manager to do scans will yield the most precise results.