ASTRAL

SD-Utility

Companion MacOS and Windows Application for Astral Wireless Devices

Astral SD-Utility User Guide

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Table of Contents

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 3

Installing SD-Utility............................................................................................................................................................................. 4

Managing Astral Transmitter Audio Files ............................................................................................................................................ 4

Updating A10-RX and Astral ARX2 Firmware .................................................................................................................................... 7

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Introduction

Sound Devices SD-Utility is a companion application for MacOS and Windows that supports Sound Devices wireless products. This

application can be used to process files recorded by Astral transmitters (Astral Mini, Astral TX, Astral HH) to be more suited to the

given workflow. Astral transmitter 32-bit float, 48 kHz, monophonic WAV, 2ch polyphonic WAV, and RF64 WAV files can be

imported, renamed, snipped by timecode values, converted to 24 bit, conformed to a CSV Sound Report, and exported as

monophonic or polyphonic WAV files.

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Installing SD-Utility

Download the SD-Utility Installer for MacOS or Windows from:

https://www.sounddevices.com/download/?prod=sd-utility

Open the installer and install the application by following the on-screen instructions.

Minimum operating requirements:

Managing Astral Transmitter Audio Files

SD-Utility imports the following file types:

There are three methods for importing files into SD-Utility:

When importing a 2ch polyphonic WAV file from the Astral TX, the file is automatically split into two monophonic WAV files that are

stored in a folder called ‘Split Files’. This folder is located in the same volume/directory from which the original files were imported.

Organizing Source Files

Click on an Information Header cell to order the list of files in the Source Window by information. For example, click the Start TC cell

to arrange the files by timecode start times from lowest to highest. Click again to reverse the order from highest to lowest.

To manually order the list of source files, click and hold a file row and drag it into the desired position.

Selecting Files to Export

Highlight the file(s) to process and export from the Source window. Multiple files can be selected using keyboard modifiers, Apple

and Shift in MacOS, Ctrl and Shift in Windows. If no files are selected, processing is applied to all files in the Source window.

Filenames

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When conforming Astral transmitters to a Sound Devices .csv sound report, the resulting conformed files are formed as follows:

When SD-Utility is set to export polyphonic wav files:

[Scene]Txx[Take] where 'xx' indicates that the exported wav file is a polyphonic interleave of multiple transmitter files.

For example, if an 8-series take is named '1000T01' (Scene = 1000, Take = 01), the resulting SD-Utility exported file is named

'1000Txx01.wav'

When SD-Utility is set to export monophonic wav files:

'1000Ta01.wav'

'1000Tb01.wav'

'1000Tc01.wav'

Timecode Range

Select Timecode Range to export only a portion of the recorded transmitter files - particularly useful for exporting only a small

section of audio from a long recording. The length and content of the exported file is based on the entered timecode start and stop

times.

The exported WAV file names and embedded metadata are changed to match the file names and metadata of the corresponding

takes in the CSV sound report

Adding Pre- and Post-Roll to conformed files can benefit postproduction with access to audio just prior to and following head and

tail slates. To add pre- and post-roll to conformed WAV files, select the Pre/Post Roll checkbox and enter a value from 0 to 10

seconds in 1-second steps.

If the source file does not contain audio data for the duration of the pre- or post-roll location, the exported file will begin and end at

the closest point to the pre- and post-roll location where audio data is present.

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Combining to Poly

Combine to Poly allows for the export of a single polyphonic WAV file containing audio tracks from each relevant transmitter for

takes referenced by a Sound Devices .CSV Sound Report or takes within a selected timecode range.

Select the Combine to Poly checkbox to export a polyphonic WAV file or leave unchecked to export monophonic WAV files for each

transmitter.

User Groups

The User Group feature applies only to the A10-TX transmitter and A10-RX, and Astral ARX2 dual channel receivers.

User Groups allow for easy, intuitive naming of specific frequencies for each A10-TX transmitter used on set and grouped together

for faster tuning. The operator of an Astral ARX2 or A10-RX may then easily switch between A10-TX transmitters by choosing

alphanumeric names, such as “Jack” and “Jill”, instead of having to remember and manually tune to different, specific numerical

frequencies.

For instance, a producer or director may want to monitor several different actors’ wireless transmitters. Rather than having to keep a

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Updating A10-RX and Astral ARX2 Firmware