Deity has released a nice concise and informative tutorial that shows you how to set up and use timecode with the upcoming Deity DBTX.
The Deity Theos Digital Wireless Microphone System availability was originally pushed to late October, but we have now entered November and I don’t believe it has started to ship yet. I would expect it to start shipping this month.
If you are not familiar with the Deity Theos Digital Wireless Microphone System, it is an all-new wireless kit that utilizes the wideband UHF spectrum rather than the crowded 2.4 GHz band. The Deity Theos will certainly be a competitive option in the market given its feature set and pricing.
We had a look at the new system at NAB 2023 and you can see our interview with Deity in the video above.
Due to component availability issues, Deity has retired two wireless systems. The Deity Microphones Connect Timecode Kit and the Deity Microphones BP-TRX. The smaller Deity Microphones Pocket Wireless Digital Microphone System is still available. Instead of figuring out how to make the former models with different components, they returned to the drawing board, and the THEOS was born.
Two Versions
The Deity Theos Digital Wireless Microphone System comes in two versions. One for the US market and another for the rest of the world. This is due to frequencies that are available for wireless, depending on the location. There is also a patent issue with simultaneous recording and transmitting in the US.
All US Theos Digital Wireless devices will support multiple bands for a total of 96 MHz of available spectrum.
550-608 MHz UHF TV Band
614-616 MHz Guard Band
653-663 MHz Duplex Gap
902-928 MHz ISM Band
Theos Digital Wireless also features swappable frequency ranges based on your phone’s GPS / Firmware Update. This means that you can travel the world with one wireless microphone kit.
*Local laws limit the actual spectrum. See your government’s rules on RF spectrum for wireless microphones.
Deity Theos Key features
- Dual Channel Receiver
- Global OneBand™ technology; 550-960 MHz*
- Built-in 32-bit float alternative recorder in the transmitter
- Recordings are saved to a Micro SD card; up to 128Gb
- Both the transmitter and receiver can be remotely controlled via the Sidus Audio™ app
- Up to 14hrs of battery life with Deity-branded lithium batteries
- Full-color LCD screen
- CNC-milled aluminum chassis
- SMA antenna ports
*actual frequency band size will be limited to local country laws and regulations
On-board Recording to Micro SD Card
The DBTX features on-board recording capabilities. It can record in two format options, 24-bit and 32-bit float as a .wav BWF file. 32-bit float allows you to adjust the levels in post without introducing noise, so nailing your recording levels is not as important. The flexibility is great, but it comes at a higher file size. 32-bit float won’t save you from variables like handling noise, wind, and anything other than level adjustments will not magically be fixable.
Unfortunately for US consumers, you can’t record and transmit at the same time due to a patent infringement. The rest of the world has the option to record and transmit simultaneously. Zaxcom has the record while transmitting patents that are set to expire in 2030. Until then companies that want to transmit and record simultaneously would have to pay Zaxcom if they are willing to license the feature.
When using the recording feature, the “RF POWER” on the TX has to be set to OFF and RECORD selected. Now you can use the Record function with the function button and the Sidus Audio App. You can monitor the recording with the 3.5mm headphone jack on the side.
The built-in recorder features an EIN self-noise of -130dBu (A-weighting, gain at +30dB, 150ohm source impedance).
Timecode Options
The Deity THEOS system can be integrated with the Deity TC-1 you can have uniform timecode. The DBTX can be synced via the 3.5mm jack if you are using 3rd party timecode generators.
Removable Antena
Both the DBTX and D2RX come with SMA antenna ports, which allow you to swap out antennas to fine-tune your frequency or replace them if they get damaged. Having removable antennas also helps when it comes to packing and transporting. I personally prefer removable antennas as if they happen to get damaged they are easily replaceable.
The kit comes with two sets for each unit. One set has a tilting feature to get the antennas in the best position if the unit isn’t standing upright.
DBTX Duel Channel Reciever
Deity has done a great job making the D2RX receiver a compact dual-channel model. It’s a little bigger than the transmitter and comes with a cold shoe mount that attaches with a metal wire clip similar to other brands. There are no other mounting options on the DBTX body; however, a 1/4 20″ tap is included on the cold shoe mount.
The kit includes two 3.5mm to XLR cables to connect to a camera or sound mixer/recorder. If you are using only one RX the “B” 3.5mm output can be used as a headphone jack to monitor the audio. You have a few options on how you can set up the two channels.
Sidus Audio App
The Sidus Audio app allows you to perform frequency scanning and frequency assignment, frequency coordination between multiple receivers, gain staging, and remote triggering of the backup recorder. This means you can make adjustments to your audio settings without having to touch the device physically.
The remote control feature is especially useful for filmmakers who need to work with multiple devices or those who need to make adjustments to their audio settings quickly. It saves time and ensures you never miss a critical moment on set.
Pricing & Availability
You can preorder the Deity THEOS system. The kit retails for $1090 USD and is also available as a single transmitter, but you will need to purchase the RX and TX separately. The DBTX retails for $399 USD and includes the Deity the W. Lav Pro lavalier microphone. The D2RX Receiver sells for $339 USD.
Specifications
| Transmitter: |
| RF Modulation： Proprietary Digital RF Modulation |
| RF Power – 10mW, 25mW, 50mW, 100mW |
| RF Spectrum – 550 ~ 940Mhz* |
| RF Frequency Step：100KHz |
| RF Spacing： 700KHz |
| Antenna Connector： 50 Ω SMA |
| Dynamic Range： 123dB |
| Distortion： <0.5% |
| Frequency Response： 20~20KHz |
| Low Cut： 0FF/75Hz/100Hz/150Hz |
| Mic Power： MIC-3V、LINE |
| Mic Connector： 3.5mm TRS |
| Input Gain： 0~+30dBV |
| ADC Bit-Depth： 24 |
| ADC Sampling-Rate：48 |
| Timecode Reader / Generator： |
| Clock Accuracy： 0.15 PPM (1 Frame Out in 72 Hours) |
| Timecode Type： LTC(SMPTE) |
| Timecode Frame-Rates： 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 29.97DF, 30, 30DF |
| Internal Recording： |
| Media: MicroSD Card (Flash Memory) |
| File Format: .wav BWF |
| Record Format：24 / 32bit float |
| EIN: -132dBV (-130dBu) max (A-weighting, gain= 30dB, 150ohm source impedance) |
| Receiver： |
| RF Frequency Step：100KHz |
| RF Spacing： 700KHz |
| Antenna Connector： 50 Ω SSMA |
| Sensitivity： -95dBm |
| Receiver Audio： Analog Output (x 2) |
| Dynamic Range：103dB |
| Distortion： <0.5% |
| DAC Bit-Depth：24 |
| Output Type: Mono, Stereo, Headphone |
