Wireless Workbench and Sennheiser: coordinating a mixed RF system

Check what each WWB inventory row represents

A virtual row is a planning entry. A compatible Shure device that is online can also supply data and accept changes. A Sennheiser device added by profile can take part in coordination even if its meters are unavailable. Shure's supported-features table lists coordination and analysis for other brands, but not direct deployment or Ethernet parameter control. Identify the task you need before expecting the rack to respond.

List every system that will transmit

Compatible Shure devices communicating with WWB appear automatically in Inventory. You can also add offline devices and manual entries. Check whether each row represents online hardware or a virtual device, then choose how to apply its settings. Shure's Inventory guide explains these entry types.

1. Record each complete link

   Record the manufacturer, model, generation, band code, simultaneous transmissions and RF mode. For a stereo in-ear system, count the link according to that system's profile: its two audio channels are not two independent RF transmissions.

2. Add devices that are not discovered over the network

   In Add new device, select the manufacturer, model and band, then set the quantity and RF zone. If the band is missing, find its specifications and the correct profile before substituting a similar one.

3. Include other vendors' systems

   Include microphones, in-ear monitors and other relevant RF equipment that will operate at the same time. Identify frequencies you cannot change and the person responsible for each system.

Check the equipment profile before calculating

The profile contains coordination parameters. Network discovery and control require separate compatibility; adding a profile does not install a driver for those tasks. WWB includes Shure and third-party profiles and allows custom profiles. If a model is missing, consult its documented requirements and parameters before building one. Shure's equipment-profile guide explains these options. Reducing spacing to fit more channels without that basis can invalidate the plan.

When adding a device, select its manufacturer, model and band, plus transmitter profile or transmission mode where applicable. These choices feed the coordination. Use names such as Presenter or Drummer IEM to identify the channel at the hardware. The guide to adding equipment to a show covers these selections.

Scan the venue and coordinate systems that will operate together

A scan describes the environment you measured. WWB can import Sennheiser CSV scans among other formats; check the frequency range, bands covered and file format before using one. These data feed the calculation, while hardware control retains its separate requirements. Follow Shure's scanning and import guide.

Bring together the scan, inventory, exclusions and inclusions, then analyze and calculate the complete system. Set up zones according to where equipment will operate together. If two systems share a stage, calculating each separately can leave a conflict between them unchecked. Shure's coordination and calculation guide explains the workflow.

Record the date, location and conditions of each measurement. Keep the external-noise scan separate from testing with the show's transmitters on. This helps identify your own signals and check what you are excluding before calculating.

Apply the frequencies and check both ends

Review assignments before deploying. Shure specifies manual configuration for third-party or non-networked systems. Check the frequency on the transmitter and receiver or bodypack: an assignment in the file still needs to be applied to the hardware. Shure's calculation and deployment guide describes these stages.

Some Sennheiser devices support network control through compatible software. For example, the SR IEM G4 manual documents monitoring and control through Wireless Systems Manager. Check this for your model; having WSM does not add control from WWB. See the Sennheiser SR IEM G4 manual.

Finish by testing coverage with all planned systems active. Save a record of the frequencies actually applied. If a device does not appear in its manufacturer's software, troubleshoot that connection separately while preserving the RF plan: frequency compatibility and communication with the device each need checking.

The CSV opens, but does it represent the scan you measured?

Check the file's contents before using it for coordination.

Keep the original and identify what you exported. WSM can save a frequency list and measurement data as CSV; a shared extension does not make those files equivalent. The WSM 4.8.2 guide helps locate the export function.

Compare the frequency range and plot in both programs before calculating. Workbench documents Sennheiser scan imports, but if unexpected jumps or blocks appear, leave that file out of the calculation until they are explained. Record versions, units and export steps. The original file lets support investigate without relying on an improvised conversion.

1. Identify the file

   Check whether it came from a measurement or Export list. Read the relevant section for your version before adapting columns.

2. Compare the plots

   Display the same frequency range in WSM and WWB. Check units, range and which scans are selected.

3. Keep a reproducible record

   Save the original, screenshots and version details. If the plot still looks inconsistent, request a review before using it to set exclusions.

A coordinated frequency still needs the right antenna gain

Before increasing UA874 gain, record its model suffix, the receiver band and the coaxial cable path. Check that the antenna and distribution system cover that band, then identify the cable type and length.

UA874 gain compensates for coaxial cable loss. Look up the cable's loss at the operating frequency; adding gain also raises interference and noise. Use that loss figure and the receiver's RF indication to choose the setting.

Walk the presenter's actual route and note where RF level drops or audio cuts out. Change one variable at a time and repeat the route with the planned transmitters active. Adjust gain outside the live program: moving the switch can cause a brief dropout.

Check RF Overload, but remember that its LED does not work at −6 or 0 dB. An unlit LED at those settings does not rule out overload. See the controls and limits in the UA874 manual.

G4 IEM: scan data and Sync travel in different directions

When adding a G4 IEM system to the Workbench plan, decide how the frequency will reach both the transmitter and the bodypack. Give the RF coordinator the model and band before transmitting. A successful test at home still needs to be repeated alongside the venue's systems.

On SR and EK IEM G4, Easy Setup Sync transfers free presets from the EK to the SR after the scan; save them with the jog dial. Sync transfers settings from the SR to the EK over infrared.

For scanning with the EK, the v3.3 manual instructs you to switch off the transmitters involved in that scan: if they remain on, their frequencies appear occupied. Agree on the timing with the coordinator; do not interrupt another production's links. If you have already received an assigned frequency, follow the agreed plan.

Record the frequency at both ends and listen through the bodypack from the planned positions. During rehearsal, also power-cycle the system to check its startup state. Keep the applied frequency sheet rather than relying on memory of the last transfer direction used.

Two SLX-D receivers: preserve both A and B antenna paths

When consolidating a rack, check antenna distribution before closing it. If each receiver is fed only through A, review how to preserve both paths. A frequency scan and a test beside the rack do not replace this installation check.

The original SLXD4 uses predictive switching diversity and a two-antenna setup. To share a pair between two receivers, Shure shows two UA221 splitters: one distributes A and the other B. The diagram preserves both inputs on each receiver; it does not combine A and B into one input.

For this arrangement, use band-compatible half-wave or directional antennas and low-loss 50 Ω coaxial cable, as specified by Shure. Label every run and follow the diagram. A BNC connector alone does not establish compatibility.

Once installed, walk the operating areas and listen to each channel's output. Note any dropout location and which receiver was active. Repeat the test if the room, rack or speaker's route changes.

G4 IEM shows RF: check pilot tone and mode as well

If an EK IEM G4 shows RF but produces no audio, record RF, AF, the P symbol and transmitter mode. Radio level alone does not complete the listening check.

A black P indicates received pilot tone. Sennheiser instructs you to disable pilot-tone evaluation on the EK when the SR operates in Mono. That condition does not establish that Pilot Off repairs a Stereo transmission.

Compare the failing system with a compatible working one, changing one unit at a time and keeping a record of the modes. Listen to what actually returns: mono audio and restored stereo are different outcomes. If the fault stays with the same transmitter, send those findings to support; do not close the issue simply because some sound returns.

Check transmitter audio level before scanning again

If a voice sounds harsh, try a spoken phrase and another at the intended performance level. Listen at a known point in the signal path and separate audio behavior from the reception indication. Record those checks separately.

For example, the SK 300 G4-RC sets input level with Sensitivity, and AF PEAK indicates overload. On that model, AF continues to display level while the transmitter is muted. This lets you check the input without putting that microphone into the program.

Record the transmitter model, connected microphone and setting used for the test. Repeat the phrase when the presenter or microphone technique changes. A frequency scan alone does not provide this audio check.

G4: prepare the power supply before coordinating frequencies

If a handheld will not power on with the chosen batteries, check its power supply before scanning again. Those batteries working in another device does not complete the check on this unit.

The SKM100 G4 accepts 1.5 V AA batteries or a BA2015 pack. Check polarity and closure. Charging a BA2015 inside the handheld in an L2015 requires the LA2 adapter; the pack can also be charged separately.

Test the microphone with the batteries or pack you will actually use. Prepare a compatible replacement and a break for changing it. Another operator's runtime does not establish the runtime for your event.

Audio continues, but the receiver disappears from WWB

Draw the switches, router and computer connection so you can distinguish control-network discovery from RF coordination.

For QLX-D, start with the cable, IP address and network selected in WWB. The Shure guide instructs you to check these details and ping the receiver. With manual addressing, each device needs a unique IP address and the same subnet mask. Also check WWB's firewall access. Continue with Network Scan.

During rehearsal, connect the computer to the switch by cable and record whether the receiver reappears. Change one connection at a time. Record ping, inventory presence and audible output separately, then repeat with the complete network.

Save Reports > Firmware and Network Summary along with the versions. Check UHF-R support for the WWB version in use before applying instructions written for an older release.

RF zones or tags to organize rooms?

Coordinate schedules, inventory and operating areas, then check how the systems interact on site.

Use tags to organize devices. RF zones affect compatibility calculations and represent physically separated areas. In Tools > Manage RF zones > Configure, choose the relationship for each pair based on verified separation.

The table summarizes Shure's options. Clearing the boxes requires checking that the assumed separation exists in the installation. Continue with the test between rooms.

How far apart must rooms be to reuse frequencies?

Review the RF inventory and operating areas before coordinating frequencies. Check coverage and compatibility during rehearsal; assigning zones alone does not establish either result.

Distance alone is not enough. Shure instructs you to place transmitters and receivers as they will be used during the event, turn on one transmitter and scan with Frequency plot. Record its peak in the other room and repeat using a receiver in each area.

To treat areas as independent, Shure requires the signal from the other area to remain at or below the receiver's noise floor. Record both directions in the worksheet. Save the configuration with File > Save. See the procedure.

In Inventory > RF Zone, a multichannel receiver belongs to one zone. Each linked transmitter/receiver pair shares a zone.

What should you check when deploying to a second rack?

Include the required frequencies in the coordination. Open Assign and deploy and review assignments before sending them. Under Deploy to, choose where each zone's list will reside: WWB or the identified Spectrum Manager. Confirm whether you are deploying to the selected zone or all zones.

The manual distinguishes networked components from third-party or non-networked systems that require manual configuration. Compare the assignment, actual frequency and audible output for each channel before using the system. If communication is missing, check the control network.

Does a calculated frequency cover a microphone moving between rooms?

This requires two checks: frequency compatibility and coverage along the route.

Shure explains roaming between zones that account for intermodulation: a frequency in zone 1 is calculated to work in zone 2 or zone 3 individually, not in both simultaneously. Review that condition in Testing and Setup.

Walk the planned route and record RF and audible output, including transitions between spaces. The calculation does not verify that coverage. Use the worksheet and also check interaction between rooms.

Indoor and outdoor antennas: confirm SLX or SLX-D

Before placing one antenna indoors and another outdoors, identify the receiver model and the distribution system. Check both antenna paths and their power arrangements.

For the original SLX, the manual specifies matching antenna and receiver bands, half-wave antennas for remote mounting, and using those accessories with UA844 rather than a standalone SLX. Confirm the model and distribution system before purchasing.

The Shure two-room diagram combines A antennas into A and B antennas into B, accounting for combiner losses. Do not simply copy the parts list: the UA221 in the drawing has been modified for DC. Shure describes that modification as permanent; check the configuration before using it.

Which settings prevail when you merge offline and online devices?

RF zones support coordination; check their scope and which systems can interfere with one another before the event.

In WWB 7, dragging an offline device onto an online device lets you merge their settings. Online Device uses the hardware configuration; Wireless Workbench deploys the software configuration. Open Detailed options to review the choice for each device. You cannot merge two online or two offline devices.

Ignore preserves the current settings but leaves remote functions limited until the merge is resolved; the device appears in italics. See the official chapter. Record before-and-after values in the worksheet. To review frequency deployment, continue with deployment by zone.

Which receivers support Channel Linking?

Identify each receiver's model, operating mode and firmware before setting up Channel Linking.

Shure announced the feature with Axient Digital 1.6 for AD4Q, AD4D, ADX5D and ANX4 in Axient Digital mode. Check compatible firmware on each device; this list does not establish support for SLX or SLX-D.

In WWB 7.9.0 or later, open Properties → Channel Linking on the primary channel, choose Link and identify the secondary. The manual requires a common network and matching band, transmission, frequency-diversity and encryption settings. It allows up to eight secondaries. Review what happens when settings change.

Why does a secondary channel return to the primary frequency?

For linked devices, check which channel governs the settings.

According to WWB, only the primary is coordinated; secondaries follow its frequency. Outside ShowLink or network coverage, a secondary can be changed locally. Those changes are not shared; the primary frequency prevails when the connection returns.

Changing the band, transmission mode, frequency diversity or encryption removes the group. Review Channel Linking and check its state before continuing. Record frequency and connection status before and after the change in the worksheet.

Does linking receivers also route their audio to the console?

Check the audio path separately from receiver linking.

The AD4Q manual describes WWB for control and Dante Controller for audio routing. Channel Linking copies settings between channels. The manufacturer's examples explain moving between receivers without repeating IR synchronization; they do not document automatic console input selection.

Identify each output and input, assign responsibility for switching sources and rehearse the route while listening at the final destination. Record dropouts and unresolved points in the worksheet. Also review Dante clocking and dropouts and route coverage.