In 2024, Sennheiser launched Spectera. The digital wireless ecosystem uses the manufacturer’s implementation of Wireless Multichannel Audio Systems (WMAS), which enables more microphones and IEMs—as well as their control data—to operate on a given spectrum while simultaneously protecting these systems against interference.
Behind Spectera are two of Sennheiser’s lead system architects working out of the company’s headquarters in Wedemark, Germany. Dr. Sebastian Georgi earned his Ph.D. at Germany’s Hamburg University of Technology; his thesis explored Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). He has been with Sennheiser since 2010, and has spent much of his time researching wireless broadband techniques and how they apply to Pro AV.
Jan Watermann joined Sennheiser in 2001, where he began by developing a combination of modulation and multiplexing techniques for professional wireless audio applications. He played a key role in the development of Sennheiser’s Digital 9000 wireless microphone system.
Both are musicians: Georgi plays the bassoon while Watermann plays bass and guitar. Georgi believes that this makes both he and Watermann sensitive to the needs of performers.
“We know what stage fright is,” Georgi said. “[Performers] are all alone on stage, and they have to rely on the technology. We both very much know how it feels to perform on stage and understand the need for rock-solid audio.”
The pair’s collaboration was almost by accident—they found themselves sharing an office space. In 2013, they began researching how broadband technology fits within the challenging requirements of pro audio applications. Over the next several years, Georgi and Waterman worked prototypes, which they would eventually use to show regulatory bodies such as the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) how WMAS works.
Working with the regulators was the critical step to Sennheiser releasing a WMAS product. For Spectera to succeed, the manufacturer needed them to change the rules.
Sennheiser submitted the first input document defining WMAS to ETSI in 2014 and first demonstrated WMAS to ETSI in 2016. By 2017, it gained approval. In its recommendations for wireless microphones, the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administration (CEPT) removed bandwidth limitations in 2018. That same year, Sennheiser approached the FCC, which began allowing WMAS in the U.S. in 2024. Several months later, the company launched Spectera.
For both gentlemen, one of the most rewarding aspects of bringing a solution to fruition is gathering user feedback. During Spectera’s early prototyping phase, shortly before a concert, they visited The Donots, a German punk band. After testing the prototype, they insisted on using it during their gig that night.
Georgi and Watermann watched the show from backstage. To their delight, the prototype came through, and the band announced their satisfaction with the technology right in front of the audience.
“When we get feedback from them, they will say that they will never go back to the old system,” Watermann said. “One of our favorite parts [of this process] is introducing this to talent for the first time.”
