Sound Devices Releases Astral v8.20 Firmware

Key New Features Include Multiple Astral Outpost Network Support, Over-the-Air Firmware Updates, Frequency Exclusions, and Major Web App Improvements

October 6, 2025

REEDSBURG, WI, October 6, 2025 – Sound Devices announces the introduction of Astral v8.20 – an expansive and impactful set of feature upgrades for the Astral Wireless Product range. Astral v8.20 introduces over-the-air firmware updates, frequency exclusive regions, a whip antenna length tool, Sound Devices’ patent-pending TV-Channel Finder, and a wide range of web app usability enhancements. For more information and to download Astral v8.20, please visit: https://www.sounddevices.com/download/

Sound Devices Astral Wireless is an all-in-one RF toolkit designed to address every aspect of wireless operations in location sound, live sound, and fixed installations. The new v8.20 adds several new features that make Astral Wireless even more versatile and powerful than ever before.

These features include Multiple Astral Outpost Network support that allows ARX16 and ARX32 to connect to up to 8 outputs for seamless command and control of transmitters across extended NexLink coverage, a new TV Channel Finder feature that automatically detects and displays TV channels to avoid assigning frequencies within the 6-8 MHz bandwidth, a new Whip Antenna Length menu that allows you to instantly know the necessary length of a whip antenna by frequency range, and several quality-of-life improvements to the web app for the RTSA and Receiver Channel View.

“Sound Devices is committed to delivering not only Global RF solutions, but also making RF workflows for RF engineers easier and more robust,” says Sound Devices VP of Sales Andy ‘Baggy’ Robinson. “The Astral Wireless series is the most full-featured RF toolkit ever created for the wireless professional and v8.20 greatly expands its ability to deliver in the most critical situations. We’re incredibly proud of what we’re able to offer, and are eager to see RF engineers around the world push these new features to the limits of what they can achieve.”

New Features:

Support for simultaneous NexLink communication via multiple Astral Outposts.
New firmware update menu includes the ability to wirelessly update Astral transmitter firmware.
Frequency Exclusion Regions – the ability to exclude specified frequency ranges from the AutoAssign and manual assign process.
TV Channel Finder algorithm for detecting and displaying 6, 7, or 8 MHz TV channels in the RTSA and Scan Views.
Many improvements on the Web App.
New Whip Antenna Length tool. Select a frequency range to display a real-size graphic to assist in cutting whip antennas to the correct length.

About Sound Devices:
For more than 25 years, Sound Devices has created premier audio equipment that helps sound professionals capture superior audio. The company's products have been used for an array of applications, from award-winning feature films and television shows, to live events, houses of worship, and educational applications. Sound Devices designs, assembles, and supports its products at their Reedsburg, Wisconsin, headquarters and their Madison, Wisconsin, and Rickmansworth, UK, offices.

For more information, visit www.sounddevices.com.