What challenges did you face bringing A20-HH to the market?
“Handheld microphones have been on the market for decades, so when it came time to design Sound Devices’ first, we knew we wanted to create something that improved on every aspect of the category while also adding some new features that had not been attempted before. Development was informed by relationships with end users. The ability to easily swap the threads out of the microphone to utilise any capsule design was major. Furthermore, the ability to customise the shell of the microphone was also crucial. When it came to features we wanted to implement, it was a mix of the classic Sound Devices trifecta of compactness, durability, and ease-of-use that drove our concepts. These included the unique ‘Rocket Antenna’ design we utilised, miniaturising the internal components to make the external shell replaceable, and how we developed the UI.”
How did you overcome these challenges?
“Overcoming these challenges was a mix of building off the existing innovation that Sound Devices has already done in our compact wireless technology – specifically the A20-Mini and A20-TX transmitters – and thinking outside the box on how to engineer other features we deemed important into A20-HH. It was a lot of hard work and trial and error.”
What considerations were made in developing the A20-HH’s customisability?
“Audiotonix CEO, James Gordon first introduced Baggy and me three years ago, well before he was our VP of Sales and was still working as a live sound mixer. We got to talking, and at that time, A20-HH was very much in the conceptual stage. I shared some of our concepts for that with him to get his feedback. Baggy very passionately suggested the idea of the customisable shell casings for A20-HH. The more we talked about it, the more I realised it was a brilliant idea that could add even more value for the end users, and it grew into a primary design concept that drove our process. Three years later, it is one of our key features, and ‘Baggy’ is an important member of the Sound Devices team. This story illustrates how key that concept of the customer feedback cycle is to what we do. Those conversations have a real impact on what design considerations we investigate and drive us to explore new features and solutions that can end up being gamechangers.”
What kind of testing and quality assurance processes did you employ?
“Sound Devices has an extensive QA process that takes place both during the design phase and in our production phase. It’s a bit of a secret sauce for us in terms of what is done, but it’s very intense and methodical and is applied across our entire product line. In terms of A20-HH, the ‘worldwide’ use case is something we take incredibly seriously, so it was exposed to temperature and humidity extremes befitting that. We also dropped it and threw it hundreds upon hundreds of times from different heights and kept iterating and strengthening the design until we were satisfied it could survive it all.”
What feedback have you received from the wider touring sector?
“We had a dual launch at NAMM and ISE and the feedback was incredible. People were excited about the microphone and eager to get it into the field. Nearly every single idea for A20-HH came from or was influenced by the needs of our customers. They sought these features out. We’ve also found many features we developed that perhaps weren’t requested by some, have been welcomed by them when they get a chance to use it.”
How does the A20-HH’s integration with other products in the Sound Devices Astral family?
“A20-HH was the missing piece in the Astral family and we were set on making sure we got it right. Using them all together gives a continuity of workflow, sound quality, and usability that makes for a seamless RF experience. It’s easy to set up and get going, and once it is set up, it’s rock solid.”
