Studio Technologies said it is shipping its 46A and 47A two-to-four-wire audio interfaces, new designs that improve on their predecessors by reducing weight and size and lowering the audio noise floor. 

Designed for sports and special-event broadcasting, theme park and theater installations and corporate events, the two units provide two channel party-line interfaces for direct connection of belt packs and other devices, with four-wire inputs and outputs designed for standard matrix intercom systems. Model 46A weighs 2.5 pounds less than the previous Model 46 and boasts a lower noise floor and improved noise immunity, the company said.

The Model 47A adds power and audio on both party-line interfaces for a total of four powered party-line channels, allowing it to power double the number of user belt packs. However, because it requires the use of a source assignment panel or other routing method, it's designed mainly for television facilities that already have an SAP in place for PL-channel routing and configuration. The Model 47A weighs about four pounds less and has a form factor about two inches shallower than its predecessor Model 47, the company said, making it better-suited for mobile applications. It also has an improved noise floor and enhanced electrostatic-discharge immunity.

Both units take up one space in a standard rack and have the same audio quality and user interface.

"From the start, the overriding design goal for both products was to create a new breed of cat that fundamentally changed how broadcast two-to-four-wire interface equipment performed in actual applications," said Studio Technologies President Gordon Kapes in a prepared statement. "With the 46A and 47A, customers will continue to enjoy the same positive experiece to which they're accustomed, including flexible configuration, great audio and intuitive controls and displays."

The Model 46A lists for $2,495; the model 47A lists for $3,195.