Audio-Technica ATW-3255 IEM System
Audio-Technica·Model ATW-3255·audio-technica-atw-3255
Photos
Manufacturer product photography — the drawn faceplate above stays true to panel layout; these show the hardware itself.
About the Audio-Technica ATW-3255
The Audio-Technica ATW-3255 puts 3000-series wireless engineering into in-ear monitoring: a half-rackThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. transmitter with wide 138 MHz tuning, a metal bodypack receiver, and included monitor phones as a complete system under a thousand dollars. Multi-channel racks pair units two-up per row with joining plates. The credible third brand between budget and touring tiers.
The ATW-3255 is Audio-Technica's answer to the gap between entry-level IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. systems that compromise on RFRadio Frequency — the wireless part of wireless. RF planning is why big rigs scan, coordinate, and combine antennas instead of hoping. performance and touring-tier gear that blows a modest budget. It ships as a complete system — half-rackThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. stereo transmitter, metal bodypack receiver, and monitor earphones — for under a thousand dollars. That half-rack form factor is the key detail: two units mount side by side in a single rack unit using joining plates, which keeps a multi-mix IEM rack tidy without demanding twice the vertical real estate that full-rack transmitters would.
The 138 MHz tuning bandwidth is the spec that matters most when you're working a venue you've never been in before. More tuning range means more room to sidestep local RFRadio Frequency — the wireless part of wireless. RF planning is why big rigs scan, coordinate, and combine antennas instead of hoping. interference, TV broadcast frequencies, or other wireless systems sharing the stage. The combo XLRThe standard 3-pin locking connector for mics and balanced line signals — pin 1 is the shield, pins 2 and 3 carry the balanced pair./TRSTip-Ring-Sleeve — a 1/4″ jack with three contacts carrying a balanced signal or a stereo pair. A guitar plug with one extra ring. inputs on both left and right channels mean you can feed it directly from an aux sendAn auxiliary mix output — each aux is its own independent blend of the channels, typically one per monitor mix or effects send. on your console without a separate DIDirect Injection box — converts an instrument’s unbalanced signal to a balanced mic-level XLR so it can run long cables without noise. or adapter in the chain. The loop outputs let you daisy-chain the audio signal to a second transmitter or a wired feed without breaking your signal path. At 12 watts typical draw, a rack of four of these pulls under 50 watts — easy to budget on a single power conditionerFilters venue AC, clamps surges, and gives the rack one tidy inlet. Not a voltage regulator and not a battery — just cleaner power. circuit.
This system belongs in a club or theater rig where you're running two to six mixes and need a reliable, frequency-agile transmitter without paying for features a regional touring act doesn't need. It's a strong pick for a backlineThe band’s on-stage instrument gear — amps, drums, keys. What a venue or festival sometimes supplies so you can travel light. company building out a rental IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. fleet, or a house-of-worship production team that wants quality beyond the entry tier without a capital budget fight. If you're doing stadium or arena work with dense RFRadio Frequency — the wireless part of wireless. RF planning is why big rigs scan, coordinate, and combine antennas instead of hoping. environments and 20-plus mixes, you'll want to move up to a dedicated touring platform with more granular RF scanning and coordination tools. Likewise, if your artists have strong personal earphone preferences, factor in that the included phones are a starting point rather than a destination.
In the rack
- Use joining plates to pair two ATW-3255 transmitters in one rack unitThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. — plan your rack in even numbers of mixes to maximize space efficiency.
- Feed the loop outputs to a small passive splitter or a spare auxAn auxiliary mix output — each aux is its own independent blend of the channels, typically one per monitor mix or effects send. input on your stageboxThe I/O endpoint on stage: mics plug in there and one digital line (AES50, Dante) carries everything to the console. The snake, digitized. so FOHFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed. always has a pre-transmitter reference if you need to troubleshoot a mix without pulling cables.
- Run a frequency scan before every show, not just during initial setup — the 138 MHz tuning window gives you real options if a local TV station or another act's RFRadio Frequency — the wireless part of wireless. RF planning is why big rigs scan, coordinate, and combine antennas instead of hoping. gear is encroaching on your original coordinates.
- Mount the BNCThe twist-lock coax connector used for word clock and antenna runs — it locks, so it can’t be pulled out mid-show. antenna output at the back of the rack and use quality coax to run to paddlesA directional antenna (paddle, LPDA, helical) aimed at the stage — focuses coverage where the performers are and rejects RF from elsewhere. positioned with clear line of sight to the stage; the transmitter's RFRadio Frequency — the wireless part of wireless. RF planning is why big rigs scan, coordinate, and combine antennas instead of hoping. is only as good as the antenna placement you give it.
3000-series IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists.: half-rackThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. stereo TX + bodypack + phones, wide tuning.
I/O Ports (7)
| Port | Connector | Direction | Signal | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input L/1 (Mono) | XLR FEMALE | input | analog audio | — |
| Input R/2 | XLR FEMALE | input | analog audio | — |
| RF Out (Antenna) | BNC | output | antenna | — |
| Loop Out Left | TRS QUARTER | output | analog audio | — |
| Loop Out Right | TRS QUARTER | output | analog audio | — |
| Network (RJ45) | RJ45 | bidirectional | data | — |
- DC In (12V) (DC BARREL)
Deciding between two?
Rack space, watts, weight and every connector, side by side.
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