Sound Devices A20-Mini User manual

A20-Mini
Digital Transmitter
User Guide

A20-Mini User Guide 2
Table of Contents
3 Welcome to the A20-Mini
4 Panel Views
6 Power
8 A20-Mini Holster
9 Introduction to A20-Remote
10 A20-Remote Overview
12 Manage Transmitters
12 Pairing an A20-Mini with A20-Remote
12 Enabling A20-Mini Transmitters for Control
 12 PowerOfromAppRequiresConrmation
12 Country
13 Transmitter List
15 Transmitter View
16 Controlling an A20-Mini from A20-Remote
 16 TransmitterControls(Power,Record,Stop)
16 Transmitter Menu
16 Naming the A20-Mini
17 SettingFrequency
17 Mute Mic
17 Setting RF Power
17 Mode
17 Formatting Media
18 A20-Mini Information
18 Restore Defaults
18 Auto Power On When Removed from the
PowerStation-8M
18 Auto Power with Lav Mic Connection
 18 ConnectingLavalierMicrophonestoA20-Mini
19 Tuning A20-Mini and the Audio Ltd A10-RX
19 GainForward
19 Adjusting Audio of the A20-Mini Signal
from the A10-RX
19 Adjusting Audio of the A20-Mini Signal
from the 8-Series or 688
19 Recording WAV Files on A20-Mini
20 Jamming Timecode on A20-Mini
 21 FileTransfertoaComputer
 21 UpdatingA20-MiniFirmware
22 SD-Utility
22 Installing SD-Utility
 22 ImportingA20-Mini
WAV Files into SD-Utility
 23 RemovingWAVlesfromtheSourceWindow
 23 SelectingFilestoExport
23 Naming of Processed WAV Files
23 Creating Shorter WAV Files Based on
Timecode Range
 23 SelectingBitDepthofProcessedWAVFiles
23 Conforming A20-Mini WAV Files to
  CSVSoundReports
24 PowerStation-8M
24 Charging Batteries with
the PowerStation-8M
24 PowerStation-8M 1/4”-20 Mounting Point
25 Powering the PowerStation-8M
25 Distributing Timecode to
A20-Mini Transmitters
25 Transferring A20-Mini
Files via PowerStation-8M
 25 UpdatingFirmwareviaPowerStation-8M
25 PowerStation-8M Tongs
 26 PowerStation-8MSpecications
 27 A20-MiniSpecications
28 Antenna Guide
29 Legal Notices
 29 FCCComplianceStatement
 29 ICComplianceStatement
30 WEEE Statement
30 Battery Advisory
30 Servicing the A20-Mini
30 Included Accessories
30 A20-Mini User Guide Revision List

A20-Mini User Guide 3
Welcome to the A20-Mini
SoundDevices’rstminiaturetransmitterincorporatesstate-of-the-artfeaturessuchasfullremotecontrolviatheA20-Remoteapp,
GainForwardArchitecture,internal32-bitoatrecording,aworldwidetuningrangeof470MHz–694MHz,andmore.TheA20-Miniis
fullycompatiblewithSoundDevices’existingA10DigitalWirelessSystem.
• FullremotecontroloftheMiniviaA20-Remotecompanion
app.ControlfrequencyandRFpower,turntheMinionand
o,startandstoprecording,mutethemicrophone,format
themedia,viewthestatusofallyourMinis,andmore.
• GainForward Architecture: set the Mini’s gain levels via
trimcontrol(withan8-Series)orattheA10-RX(other
mixers).
• Full10Hz–20kHzaudiobandwidth;100%digitalRF
modulationandtransmission.Sameexcellentrangeand
audioqualityastheA10-TX.
• Worldwidetuningrangeof470MHz–694MHz.
• Built-in32-bitoat,48kHzrecorderwith64GBstorage
forover80hoursofrecordtime.
• OoadrecordedWAVlesviaUSB-Candoptionally
conform/convertwithSD-Utility.
• PoweringviaAAAorNP-BX1(Li-Ion)withbuilt-incharging
forNP-BX1Li-Ionbattery.
• Internalsupercapacitor-poweredtimecodegeneratorcan
bejammedviaUSB-C.
• Water-resistantwitharoundedformfactor.
Conceal…
TheA20-MinidigitalwirelesstransmittercombineslegendaryBritishaudioqualitywiththebestofAmericandesign.Thesleek,
roundedformtsperfectlyintobodycontoursandunderneathtightclothing.
…and control.
ControltheA20-MinifromyourphoneortabletviaBluetooth5.2withcompanionappA20-Remote.SetfrequencyandRFpower,turn
theMinionando,startandstoprecording,mutethemicrophone,formatthemedia,viewthestatusofallyourMinis,andmore.The
A20-Mini’shigh-eciencyinternal2.4GHzantennaensuresexcellentBluetoothrange.
GainForward.
WiththeMini’sGainForwardArchitecture,easilysettheMini’sgain,low-cut,andlimiterdirectlyonyour8-Series.Thisimmediate,local
controlofgainallowsquickadaptationtochanginggainlevelsandsavestimeduringproduction.
32-bit oat recording.
TheA20-Minirecordsin32-bitoatforanastounding>130dBofdynamicrange.Thisallowsforaudiogaindecisionstobemade
afterrecording,withzerolossinheadroomornoiseperformance.
Built-in 64 GB media.
NomoreSDcardmanagement–theample-sizedmediastoresmorethan80hoursofcontinuous,uncompressed32-bitoat
recording.SimplyooadtherecordedWAVlesviathehigh-speedUSB-Cporttoacomputer.
Never lose time.
TheMini’sultra-accurate0.2ppminternaltimecodegeneratorcanbejammedviaUSB-Cwithnegligibledriftovera24-hourperiod.
Flexible, worldwide operation.
Withabuilt-in470MHzto694MHzUHFtuningrange,yourMinicangowhereverworktakesyou.
Power away.
Useo-the-shelfrechargeableorAAAbatteries–noadapterneeded.3AAAbatteriesorarechargeableSonyNP-BX1giveyouthe
ultimateinpoweringexibility.YoucanevenrechargetheNP-BX1viatheMini’sUSB-C.
Water-resistant.
Withitsextensivegasketingandwaterproofconnectors,theA20-Minicaneasilywithstandwaterandsweat.
PowerStation-8M
Optionalaccessoryprovideseasybatterycharging,letransfer,andtimecodejammingofuptoeightA20-Minisatatime.Poweredvia
DC(TA4)orUSB-C(USB-PD).

A20-Mini User Guide 4
Panel Views
FRONT RIGHTLEFT
TOP
BOTTOM
BACK
Dimensions - mm
Dimensions - in
.000
2.969
3.140
1.882.717
.00
75.40
79.75
18.20
Antenna
Connector
Battery
Power
LED
Top Bottom
USB-C
Port
Charge/Pair/
Record/Media/
Timecode Jam LED
Charge/Pair/Record/Media/
Timecode LED
LavalierMicrophone
Input
Audio/Timecode
LED
FRONT RIGHTLEFT
TOP
BOTTOM
BACK
Dimensions - mm
Dimensions - in
.000
2.969
3.140
1.882.717
.00
75.40
79.75
18.20
Battery Power LED
Indicatesthestateofbatterylife.
• Green = Good
• Orange=Marginal,aboutanhourofbatteryliferemaining.
• Red=Low,15-20minutesofbatteryliferemaining.
• Flashing Red = Critically low, RF,
audio,andrecordingdisabled.
• Blue=Batteriesinserted.PowerLEDisblue
whenbatteriesareinsertedandgoesowhen
theunitisreadytobepoweredonbythered
buttonorfromtheA20-Remoteapp.
Antenna Connector
SMAconnector.Attachantennawithalengthspecictothe
frequencyinuse.UsingthewronglengthofantennareducesRF
range.SeeAntennaGuideformoreinformation.
USB-C Port
Multifunctionportusedfor:
• Powering A20-Mini
• Charging internal Sony NP-BX1
rechargeablebattery(notincluded)
• Timecodeinputandoutput
• Transferringlestoandfromacomputer
Charge/Pairing/Record/Media/Timecode Jam LED
Indicatescharging,Bluetoothpairing,recording,mediaactivity,
andtimecodestatus.
• Solid Orange = Charging
• SolidGreen=Chargingcomplete
• O=Nocharging
• Solid Red = Recording
• FlashingRed=Recordingstoppeddue
to full media or recording error
• FlickeringBlue=Mediaactivity
• Flashing Blue = Timecode Jam
• RapidFlashingBlue=BluetoothPairing
Lavalier Microphone Input
3-PinLEMOconnectorforconnectingalavaliermicrophone.
Canbesettopowertransmitteronandovialavmic
connectionanddisconnection.
Audio/Timecode LED
Audio/Timecode LED indicates audio activity and timecode
status.
• Green(variableintensity)=Audioactivity
fromlavaliermicrophone
• Red=Microphoneclipping
• SolidBlue=Microphoneismuted
• FlashingBlue=Timecode00frame(onlywhenunitiso)
Note:Duetothehighdynamicrangeofthemicrophoneinput,
undernormalusetheaudioLEDshouldneverlightupred.Ifit
does,thisisanindicatorthatthemicrophoneitself(notthemic
preamp)isclippingandtheaudiolevelshouldbeattenuated
acousticallybymovingthemiccapsuleorusingalower
sensitivitymicrophone.
Bottom Panel Charge/Pair/Record/Media/Timecode LED
LEDindicateschargingstatus,timecodesync,Bluetoothpair-
ing,recording,andmediaactivity.Positionedonthebottom
oftheA20-Minitomakeiteasilyvisiblewhenslottedintothe
optionalPowerStation-8M.
• Solid Orange = Charging
• SolidGreen=Chargingcomplete
• O=Notcharging
• Solid Red = Recording
• FlashingRed=Recordingstoppeddue
to full media or recording error
• FlickeringBlue=Mediaactivity
• Flashing Blue = Timecode Jam
• Flashing Blue = Timecode 00 frame (only when
unitisoorwhenjammingtimecode)
• RapidFlashingBlue=BluetoothPairing

A20-Mini User Guide 5
Left, Front, Right, Back Panels
FRONT RIGHTLEFT
TOP
BOTTOM
BACK
Dimensions - mm
Dimensions - in
.000
2.969
3.140
1.882.717
.00
75.40
79.75
18.20
FRONT RIGHTLEFT
TOP
BOTTOM
BACK
Dimensions - mm
Dimensions - in
.000
2.969
3.140
1.882.717
.00
75.40
79.75
18.20
FRONT RIGHTLEFT
TOP
BOTTOM
BACK
Dimensions - mm
Dimensions - in
.000
2.969
3.140
1.882.717
.00
75.40
79.75
18.20
FRONT RIGHTLEFT
TOP
BOTTOM
BACK
Dimensions - mm
Dimensions - in
.000
2.969
3.140
1.882.717
.00
75.40
79.75
18.20
No Batteries Sony NP-BX1 Battery
AAA Batteries
Front Back Front
(DoorOpen)
RightLeft
Battery
Door
Door
Latch
Red
Button
Battery
Compartment
Battery Door
Accesstothebatterycompartmentandred button.
Door Latch
Slidelefttounlockthebatterydoor.
Battery Compartment
Acceptseither3xAAALithiumbatteriesoronerechargeable
SonyNP-BX1Li-Ionbattery.SoundDevicesrecommendsusing
genuineSonyNP-BX1orEnergizerAAALithiumprimary
batteriesforbestperformance.AlkalineandNiMHarenot
recommendedbecauseofcompromisedruntimes.
Red Button
ThisbuttonisusedtopowertheA20-Minionoroandenter
BluetoothPairingmode.
• PowerOn=Pressandreleasebutton.
• PowerO=Pressandholdbuttonfor3seconds.
• PairingMode=WhileA20-Miniiso,pressandhold
buttonfor5seconds.ThePairingLEDonthebottomand
toppanelashesbluerapidlywhileinPairingmode.

A20-Mini User Guide 6
Power
TheA20-MinipowersviaUSB-C,3xEnergizerAAALithium
primarybatteries,oroneSonyNP-BX1Li-Ionbattery.
Opening the Battery Door
ToopentheA20-Minbatterydoor:
1. Slidethedoorlatchtothelefttounlockthebattery
door.
2. Liftthebatterydoorusingtheindentedspaceon
thebottomright-handsideofthebatterydoor.
Closing the Battery Door
To close the A20-Mini battery door:
1. Slideandholdthedoorlatchtotheleft.
2. Closethebatterydoor.
3. Releasethedoorlatchtolockthebatterydoor.
Powering from AAA or Sony NP-BX1 Li-Ion
TopowertheA20-MiniusingAAAbatteriesorSonyNP-BX1
Li-Ion:
1. OpentheA20-Minibatterydoor.
2. Insert three AAA batteries or one Sony NP-BX1 Li-Ion
intothebatterycompartment,takingcaretoplacethe
batteriesinthecorrectorientation.Batteriesshouldbe
insertedwiththenegativesiderst.
3. Power LED is blue when batteries are inserted and
goesowhentheunitisreadytobepoweredon.
Pressandreleasetheredbuttontopoweronthe
A20-Mini.
4. ClosetheA20-Minibatterydoor.
5. TopowerotheA20-Mini,pressandholdthe
redbuttonforthreeseconds.ThePowerLED
ashesrapidlywhiletheA20-Minipowerso.
ThePowerLEDisowhentheunitiso.
USB-C
USB-CcanbeusedtopowertheA20-Miniand/ortocharge
insertedSonyNP-BX1batteries.TheA20-Minidoesnotcharge
AAAbatteries.USB-Cistheprioritypowersourcewhenever
connected.
TopowertheA20-MiniviaUSB-C:
1. ConnectaUSBpowersourcetotheA20-Mini’s
USB-Cport.
2. Openthebatterydoorthenpresstheredbutton.
3. TopowertheA20-Minio,pressandhold
theredbuttonforthreeseconds.
To charge the Sony NP-BX1 from USB-C:
1. OpenthebatterydoorandinsertaSonyNP-BX1into
thebatterycompartment.
2. ConnectaUSBpowersourcetotheA20-MiniUSB-C
port.
3. The Charge/Pair/Rec LED glows solid orange
whilethebatteryischarging.TheChargeLED
turnssolidgreenwhenchargingiscomplete.
TheA20-Miniisfullyoperationalwhenchargingbatteriesfrom
USB-C.

A20-Mini User Guide 7
PowerStation-8M
ThePowerStation-8MisanoptionalaccessoryfortheA20-Mini.
An A20-Mini using a Sony NP-BX1 battery can be inserted into
achargingbayofthePowerStation-8Mtochargethebattery.
SeePowerStation-8Mformoredetails.
Auto Power On and O with PowerStation-8M
TheA20-Miniautomaticallypowersowheninsertedintoa
chargingbayofthePowerStation-8M.To save time from having
tomanuallypowerontheA20-Mini,usethePowerOnWhen
RemovedfromthePowerStation-8Mfeature.Whenthisfeature
is selected, removing an A20-Mini from the PowerStation-8M
immediatelypowersonthetransmitter.Thisfeatureisturnedon
orointheA20-Remoteapplication.SeeA20-Remoteformore
details.
Auto Power with Lav Mic Connection
When Auto Power with Lav Mic Connection is selected,
connectingalavaliermicrophonetotheA20-Miniautomatically
powersonthetransmitter.RemovingtheLEMOconnection
automaticallypowerstheA20-Minio.
ThisfeaturecanbeturnedonorointheA20-Remote
application.SeeA20-Remoteformoredetails.
Estimated Battery Life
The tables to the right show estimated battery rundown times
inHours:MinutesforSonyNP-BX1Li-IonandthreeEnergizer
UltimateAAALithiumprimarybatteriesbasedonRFPower
settingandwhethertheA20-Miniisrecording.
Therstchartshowsestimatedbatterylifeundercontinuous
useandthesecondchartshowsbatterylifewhenutilizingthe
A20-Mini’sabilitytopowertheunitonandoremotelyfromthe
A20-Remoteappwhenthetransmitterisnotinuse.Estimates
arebasedona50%dutycycle.
Estimated Battery Life, continuous
RF Power &
Record
Sony NP-BX1 3x AAA
(Energizer Ultimate)
A20-Mini On,
RFPowerO
8:20 9:30
RFO,Recording 8:00 8:10
2 mW, Recording 4:30 5:10
10 mW, Recording 3:40 4:20
20 mW, Recording 3:30 4:00
40 mW, Recording 2:50 3:00
A20-Mini Off 6 months 6 months
Charge Time
PowerStation-8M
2:30 Not Supported
Charge Time
USB 500 mA
(A20-MiniO)
2:40 Not Supported
Estimated Battery Life, 50% o time using A20-Remote
RF Power &
Record
Sony NP-BX1 3x AAA
(Energizer Ultimate)
RFO,Recording 16:00 16:20
2 mW, Recording 9:00 10:20
10 mW, Recording 7:20 8:40
20 mW, Recording 7:00 8:00
40 mW, Recording 5:40 6:00

A20-Mini User Guide 8
A20-Mini Holster
TheA20-Minishipswithaneasy-to-assembleholster.The
A20-Mini can be inserted with the antenna and lavalier
microphonecomingoutofthetoporbottomoftheholster.
Inserting the A20-Mini in the A20-Mini Holster
SlidetheA20-MiniintotheA20-MiniHolster’spocketinthe
orientationthatworksbestforthesituation.Foldthesecurity
apover,securingthetransmitterinplaceusingthehook-and-
loopfastenerstrips.Usethecliponthebackoftheholsterto
attachthetransmittertothetalent’sgarments.

A20-Mini User Guide 9
Introduction to A20-Remote
A20-RemoteisanapplicationforAndroid/
iOSphonesandtabletsdesignedtopairwith
theA20-Mini.AllsettingsfortheA20-Miniare
convenientlycontrolledusingA20-Remote.
When connected via Bluetooth LE to the
A20-Mini,A20-Remoteoerscontroland
displayofallA20-Miniparameters,including:
1. PoweronandotheA20-Mini
2. Monitor battery status
3. FrequencyandRFpowersetup
4. Monitoraudiosignalpresence
5. Microphonemute
6. Transportcontrols(Record,Stop)
7. Timecodedisplay
8. Mediaformattingandmonitoringofremainingspace
9. A20-Minisettings(Mode,poweroptions,andmore)
DownloadandinstalltheA20-RemoteappfromtheGooglePlay
StoreorAppleAppStore.
https://www.sounddevices.com/a20-remote
A20-Remotehasthefollowingminimumoperating
requirements:
AndroidtabletsandphonesrunningAndroid8+,or
iPadandiOSdevicesrunningiOS13+.Thedevicemusthave
Bluetooth and Location Services on in order to connect with an
A20-Mini.
IMPORTANT: The mobile device’s location is used to determine
availablefrequencies,RFpowerlevels,andTVchannel
mappingoftheA20-Mini.The
Country setting is automatically set
using the mobile device’s Location
Services.
The mobile device’s system date
and time are used in the metadata of
recordedles.

A20-Mini User Guide 10
A20-Remote Overview
Tablet View
Active
Transmitter
Transmitter
List
Manage
Transmitters
Transmitter
View
Transmitter
Menu
Transmitter
Status Window
Record & LTC
Window
Transmitter
Controls

A20-Mini User Guide 11
Transmitter List
ScrolltoseeallavailabletransmittersintheTransmitterList.
Touch a transmitter to select it as the active transmitter for the
TransmitterView.TransmittersthatareenabledfromManage
TransmittersappearintheTransmitterList.SeeTransmitterList
formoredetails.
Manage Transmitters
TouchtheGearicontoaccessManageTransmitters.From
ManageTransmitters,pairtransmitters,enabletransmitters,set
Country,andviewA20-Remoteversioninformation.
Transmitter Quick List (Phone View Only)
Fromaphone,theTransmitterListandTransmitterViewarenot
displayedsimultaneously.TheQuickListisasimpliedversion
oftheTransmitterListallowingforquickselectionof
transmittersfromtheTransmitterView.Thelistishorizontally
scrollable and lists transmitters by name with their Status
indicator.TouchtheBackbuttontoreturntotheTransmitter
List.
Active Transmitter
TouchanytransmitterintheTransmitterListtomakeitthe
activetransmitter.Fromatablet,thehighlightedtransmitterin
the Transmitter List indicates the active transmitter shown in the
TransmitterViewdisplayedontheright-handsideoftheapp.
Fromaphone,theactivetransmitteristheonedisplayedinthe
TransmitterViewandunderlinedintheTransmitterQuickList.
Transmitter View
Displaystheactivetransmitter’sstatuswindowandprovides
accesstothetransmitter’smenusandcontrols.
Transmitter Status Window
Displaystheactivetransmitter’sname,transmitterstatus,
batterylife,powersource,frequency,RFpowerlevel,licensed
frequencyicon,andBluetoothsignalstrengthmeter.
Record and Timecode Window
Displaysthecurrenttimecodevalue,framerate,absolutetime
ofrecording,andtheremainingtimeandspaceofmedia.
Thewindowisredwhenthetransmitterisactivelyrecording.
ThiswindowisnotdisplayedwhenA20-MiniModeissettoRF
Only.
Transmitter Menu
Thismenuoerscontroloftheactivetransmitter’sName,
Frequency,MuteMic,RFPower,Mode,andpoweroptions.The
menualsoprovidesaccesstoformatmediaandinformation
aboutthetransmitter.
Transmitter Controls
Allows control of the active transmitter’s Power, Identify mode,
Record,andStop.
Phone View
Transmitter List Transmitter View
Manage
Transmitters
Transmitter
QuickList
Transmitter
Menu
Transmitter
Status Window
Record & LTC
Window
Transmitter
Controls

A20-Mini User Guide 12
Manage Transmitters
ManageTransmittersistherstpagedisplayedwhenlaunching
theA20-Remoteappifnotransmittershavebeenpairedtothe
mobiledevice.
ManageTransmittersdisplaysalltransmitterswithinrangethat
areinPairingmodeandanyA20-Minithathasbeenpreviously
pairedtothemobiledevice.TransmittersappearinManage
Transmitterswithtransmitternameandcurrentrmwareversion.
Paired transmitters that are not within Bluetooth range or are
connectedtoanotherdevicearedisplayedinitalicsandthe
Enableswitchisgrayedout.
Enter Manage Transmitters at any time by touching the
TransmitterListgearicon.
Pairing an A20-Mini with A20-Remote
WithA20-Minio,pressandholdtheredbuttonuntiltheblue
LEDblinkscontinuously.USBmustbedisconnectedfrom
computerstoenterPairingmode.Makesureallinstancesof
A20-Remote are fully closed on other mobile devices before
attemptingtopairtoanewdevice.
From A20-Remote’s Manage Transmitters window, touch the
PairboxtoaddacheckmarkandpairtheA20-Minitothe
mobiledevice.TheA20-MiniexitsPairingmodeonceithas
beenpairedwiththemobiledevice.AgreetotheTermsand
Conditionsdisplayedintheapptocontinue.
Tounpair/removeanA20-Minifromthemobiledevice,touch
thePairboxtoclearthecheckmark.Onceremoved,repeatthe
pairingprocesstore-addthetransmitter.
Enabling A20-Mini transmitters for control
From the A20-Remote Manage Transmitter window, enable
anA20-MiniforcontrolusingtheEnableswitch.Enabled
transmitters are added to the Transmitter List and can be
controlledfromA20-Remote.
Power o from app requires conrmation
WhenPowerofromapprequiresconrmationisactive,
touchingthePowerbuttonintheTransmitterViewdisplaysa
conrmationpopuptoavoidaccidentallypoweringoan
A20-Mini.DeactivatethisoptionwhenyouwantthePower
buttontopoweroA20-Minitransmitterswithoutconrmation.
Country
CountryisautomaticallysetdependingonGPSorLocation
Servicesofthemobiledevice.UsetheCountrymenutoverify
yourcountryofoperation.Ifthecountryofoperationisnot
listed,selectthe“Other”option.TheCountrysettingdetermines
availableFrequenciesandRFPoweroptions.Itistheusers
responsibilitytooperateonallowedfrequenciesintheirarea.
User Guide
TouchtovisitSoundDeviceswebsitewithquicklinkstothe
A20-MiniUserGuide,FAQ,andtutorialvideos.
A20-Remote Version
DisplaysthecurrentA20-Remotesoftwareversion.

A20-Mini User Guide 13
Transmitter List
The Transmitter List is a scrollable list of all enabled
transmitters.Eachtransmitterislistedwithahigh-levelviewof
thetransmitter’sstatus.Thisincludesthetransmitter’sname,set
frequency,Bluetoothsignalstrengthmeter,thestatusofbattery
level/charging,andanA20-MiniStatusindicatorthatdisplays
thestatusofA20-Minipower,audiopresence/mute,record,RF
transmission,andIdentifymode.
A20-Mini Status Indicator
Icon Description
A20-Mini O
The A20-Mini appears gray when it is powered off.
A20-Mini On
TheA20-Miniappearsblackwhenitison.
A20-Mini Recording
Theletters“REC”appearinredinthetopleft
cornerwhentheA20-Miniisrecording.
A20-Mini Transmitting RF
TheA20-MiniappearswithRFwaves
coming from the antenna when it is
transmittingRF.
A20-Mini Audio Presence
TheA20-Miniappearswithagreencircleinthe
toprightcornerwhenaudioispresent.
A20-Mini Mic Muted
TheA20-Miniappearswithabluecircleinthe
toprightcornerwhenthemicrophoneismuted.
A20-Mini Recording, Transmitting, Audio
The A20-Mini is on, recording, transmitting RF,
andaudioispresent.
A20-Mini Identify Mode
TheA20-Miniappearswithaashing‘ID’when
theunitisinIdentifymode.
A20-Mini Unknown State
TheA20-Miniappearswith‘?’whenthestatusis
unknown.Thiscouldbedisplayedbecausethe
unitisoutofrangeorthepowersourcehasbeen
removedordepleted.

A20-Mini User Guide 14
Transmitter List (Cont.)
Transmitter Name
DisplaysthenameoftheA20-Mini.Theserialnumberisthe
defaultnameoftheA20-Mini.TheA20-Mininameischangedin
theTransmitterViewmenu.
Transmitter Frequency
DisplaystheRFfrequencyonwhichtheA20-Miniis
transmitting.TheRFfrequencycanbechangedinthe
TransmitterViewmenu.
Battery/Power Status Indicator
Icon Description
Battery Level Indicator
Displaysthelevelofthebattery.
• Green = Good
• Orange = Marginal, about an hour
ofbatteryliferemaining.
• Red = Low, 15-20 minutes of
batteryliferemaining.
• Flashing Red = Critically low, RF,
audio,andrecordingdisabled.
Remainingbatteryisdisplayeddirectlyabove
thebatteryiconinpercentageforLi-Ionandin
voltageforAAAbatteries.
Itisnormaltoseevoltagesincreasefortherst
60-90minuteswhenfreshEnergizerLithium
primaryAAAcellsareputunderload.Thisis
due to the characteristic of the cells gradually
warmingup,raisingtheterminalvoltage.
Battery Charge Indicator
Displaysthechargingstatusofthebattery.
Orange = Charging
Green=Chargingcomplete
USB Power
DisplayswhenUSBispoweringtheA20-Mini
andtherearenobatteriesinserted.
Bluetooth Signal Strength Indicator
Bluetooth Signal Strength Indicator
Displaysthesignalstrengthofthe
A20-Mini Bluetooth signal received
bythemobiledevice.TheBluetooth
meter border is red when the mobile
device is not communicating with the
A20-Mini.Abluedotappearsafter
the Bluetooth icon when the A20-Mini
isconnected.

A20-Mini User Guide 15
Transmitter View
TheTransmitterViewdisplaysfurtherdetailsoftheactive
A20-Miniandprovidescontroloffunctionsandmenusofthe
selectedtransmitter.
Active A20-Mini in the Transmitter View
The active A20-Mini in the Transmitter View is indicated by the
highlightedentryoftheTransmitterList.Touchanytransmitterin
theTransmitterListtomakeittheactivetransmitter.
Quick List (Phone Only)
TheTransmitterQuickListisavailableonphonesonlybecause
thenatureofthephone’ssmallerscreensizedoesnotallowthe
Transmitter List and the Transmitter View to be simultaneously
displayed.
TheQuickListisahorizontallyscrollablelistofallenabled
transmittersdisplayedonlywiththeA20-MiniStatusindicator
andtransmitternames.TouchatransmitterintheQuickListto
makeittheactivetransmitterintheTransmitterView.Touchthe
backbuttontoexitbacktotheTransmitterList.
Transmitter Status Window
TheTransmitterStatuswindowdisplaysdetailedinformationof
theactivetransmitter.TheA20-MiniStatusindicator,Battery/
Power status indicator, and Bluetooth Signal Strength meter
aredescribedindetailintheTransmitterListsection.These
indicatorsarealsopresentintheTransmitterStatuswindow.In
addition,theTransmitterStatuswindowshowstheactivepower
sourceandRFTransmissiondetails.
Power Source Details
TheactivepowersourceisdisplayednexttotheBatteryLevel
meterandbatterypercentage/voltage.
• AAAisdisplayedwhenpoweringfromAAAbatteries.
• Li-Ionisdisplayedwhenpoweringfrom
aLi-IonSonyNP-BX1battery.
• USBisdisplayedwhenpoweringthe
A20-MinifromtheUSB-Cconnector.
RF Transmission Details
RFTransmissiondetailsaredisplayedwhenA20-Minimodeis
settoRFOnlyorREC+RF(notavailableintheU.S.).
ThesetfrequencyisdisplayedinMHzandtheRFPowersetting
islistedbelow.
License Required
Somefrequenciesmayrequirealicenseto
operateoninyourarea.TheLicenseicon
appearsasaremindertotheuseriftheset
frequencyrequiresalicenseforthecurrent
Country.
Recording & Timecode Status Window
Recording&TimecodedetailsaredisplayedwhenA20-Mini
modeissettoRECOnlyorREC+RF(notavailableintheU.S.).
Timecode values, frame rate, absolute record time counter,
leformat(32-bitoat,48kHz),andremainingrecordtime/
spaceofthemedia.ThiswindowisredwhentheA20-Miniis
recording.

A20-Mini User Guide 16
Transmitter View (Cont.)
Controlling A20-Mini from A20-Remote
FromtheTransmitterViewyoucancontrolparametersofthe
A20-Miniwhileitispoweredon.TheA20-Minicontinuesto
communicatewiththeappwhenpoweredo.Whileo,the
A20-Minisettingsandtimecodearedisplayed.TheA20-Mini
canbepoweredonorputintoIdentifymodefromtheappwhile
theA20-Miniispoweredo.
Transmitter Controls
Thefarright-handsideoftheTransmitterViewprovideseasy
accesstoPower,Identifymode,Record,andStop.
Transmitter Power
TouchthePowerbuttontopowerthe
A20-Minionoro.Theiconiswhitewhenthe
transmitterisoandgreenwhenon.
Bydefaultaconrmationpopupmessage
appearswhenpoweringotheA20-Minifrom
theapp.ThiscanbedeactivatedinManage
TransmittersbydeactivatingPowerofrom
apprequiresconrmation.
Identify Mode
TouchtheIdentifybuttontoputtheA20-Mini
intoIdentifymode.TheLEDsontheA20-Mini
ashmakingiteasytolocateaspecic
A20-Mini.TheIdentifybuttonandthe
A20-MiniStatusindicatoralsoashwhen
Identifymodeisactive.TouchtheIdentify
buttonagainorpresstheA20-Miniredbutton
todisableIdentifymode.
Record
Touch the Record button to start a recording
ontheA20-Mini.Thebuttonisredwhile
recording.Thebuttonisgraywhenrecording
isnotpermitted.
Stop
TouchtheStopbuttontostoprecording.The
buttonisyellowwhilerecordingisstopped.
The button is gray when recording is not
permitted.
Transmitter Menu
TheTransmitterMenuisdisplayedbeneaththeTransmitterand
Record&TimecodeStatuswindowsoftheTransmitterView.It
oerscontroloftheA20-MiniName,Frequency,MuteMic,RF
Power, Mode, Format Media, Restore Default settings, Power on
when removed from PowerStation-8M, Power on with Lav mic
connection,andaccesstoA20-MiniInformation.
Naming the A20-Mini
While in the Transmitter View, touch the Name button and
usethepopupQWERTYkeyboardtorenamethetransmitter.
Uptotwelvealpha-numericcharacterscanbeusedforthe
transmitter’sname.Theserialnumberoftheunitisthename
bydefault.TransmitternamesaresentoverRFtotheA10-RX
andareembeddedinmetadataastheTrackNamesofrecorded
WAVles.

A20-Mini User Guide 17
Transmitter View (Cont.)
Setting Frequency
TheA20-Minitransmitsonfrequenciesrangingfrom
470MHz–694MHz.Thefrequenciesavailablearedetermined
byyourgeographiclocation.
TouchtheFrequencybuttontoentertheFrequencymenu.From
thefrequencymenu,usethescrollwheelstoselectafrequency
(integerandfractionalofMHz)orusethe+400kHzand
-400kHzbuttons.TouchtheSetFrequencybuttontosetthe
frequencyandexitbacktotheTransmitterView.
Afterchangingfrequency, attach an antenna with a length
specictothefrequencyinuse.Usingthewronglengthof
antennareducesRFrange.Therecommendedantennaforthe
setfrequencyisdisplayedintheInformationmenu.SeeAntenna
Guideformoreinformation.
Mute Mic
TouchtheMuteMicbuttontomutethemicrophone.When
muted,noaudioispresentintherecordingsortransmitted.
Mute status is indicated by a blue Mute Mic menu button, a blue
dot in the A20-Mini Status indicator, and the A20-Mini Audio
LEDturnssolidblue.
Setting RF Power
RFpoweristhestrengthofthetransmittingsignal.The
A20-MinioersthefollowingRFpowersettings.
• O-A20-MiniisnottransmittingRF.
• Low - 2 mW
• Normal - 10 mW
• High - 20 mW
• Max - 40 mW
RFpowersettingsarebasedontheselectedCountryofthe
device running A20-Remote as some legal restrictions may
apply.TouchtheRFPowerbuttonandmakeaselectionfrom
thelist.
Mode
TouchtheModebuttontoentertheModemenu.Select
betweenRFOnly,RECOnly,andREC+RF.
Simultaneous Record and Transmit mode is not available on
A20-Mini units sold or operated in the United States of America.
Record&TimecodedetailsarenotdisplayedintheTXStatus
WindowwhenRFOnlyisselected.RFTransmissiondetailsare
notdisplayedintheTransmitterStatuswindowwhenRECOnly
isselected.
Formatting Media
FormattingtheA20-Minimediadeletesallrecordedles.Itis
goodpracticetoperiodicallyformatmedia.Makecertainto
transferanylesbeforeformatting.Therstelevencharacters
ofthetransmitternameareusedtonamethemedia.Mediais
namedattimeofformat.

A20-Mini User Guide 18
Transmitter View (Cont.)
Information
DisplaystherecommendedantennaandTVChannelofthe
currentsetfrequency,versionofA20-Minirmware,
A20-Miniserialnumber,andcompliancedocumentationfor
localgovernmentrequirementsifapplicable.
Restore Defaults
TouchtheRestoreDefaultsbuttontorestoredefaultsettings.
• Tx Name = Serial Number
• Frequency=LowestfrequencyallowedincurrentCountry
• Mode=REC+RF(International),RFOnly(UnitedStates)
• RF Power = Normal - 10 mW
• MuteMic=O
• PoweronwhenremovedfromPowerStation-8M=O
• Auto Power with Lav Mic Connection = On
• Recording=Stopped
• Timecode = 00:00:00:00
• FrameRate=30fps
• IdentifyMode=O
• Power = On
Auto Power On When Removed from the PowerStation-8M
TheA20-Miniautomaticallypowersowhenconnectedto
achargingbayofthePowerStation-8M.To save time from
havingtomanuallypowerontheA20-Mini,activatethePower
OnWhenRemovedfromthePowerStation-8Mfeature.When
active, removing the A20-Mini from the PowerStation-8M
powersthetransmitteron.Thisfeaturecanbeturnedonoro.
SeePowerStation-8Mformoredetails.
Auto Power with Lav Mic Connection
TheA20-Minicanauto-detectthepresenceofalavalier
microphoneconnectionandpoweronandoaccordingly.
When Auto Power with Lav Mic Connection is active,
connectingalavaliermicrophonetotheA20-Miniautomatically
powersonthetransmitter.Removingthelavaliermicconnection
automaticallypowerstheA20-Minio.Thisfeaturecanbe
turnedonoro.
Connecting Lavalier
Microphones to A20-Mini
Connecta2-or3-wirelavaliermicrophonetotheA20-Mini
transmitter’s3-PinLEMOconnector.Locktheconnectionby
turningclockwiseuntiltheconnectorisrmlyattachedtothe
A20-Mini.
TheAC-BALXLR-43-pinLEMOtoXLRfemalecableisnot
compatiblewiththeA20-Miniasitdoesnothaveabalanced-
inputmode/microphonepreamplier.
Source Type A10-TX A20-Mini
2-wire lav Yes Yes
3-wire lav -- Ye s
Balanced mic XLR Yes --
Balanced line XLR Yes --
Auto-power-onw/lav -- Yes

A20-Mini User Guide 19
Tuning A20-Mini and the
Audio Ltd A10-RX
RF signals transmitted by the A20-Mini transmitter are received
bytheAudioLtdA10-RX.Setthesamefrequencyonthe
transmitterandreceiver.SeetheA10-RXUserGuideformore
details.
GainForward
The A20-Mini transmitter introduces GainForward, a new feature
thateliminatestheneedtoadjustmicrophonepreampliergain
atthewirelesstransmitter.Audiolevelsfromthetransmitter
are controlled either directly at the mixer’s trim control or at the
wirelessreceiver.Ifthetalentspeakstoosoftlyoremotestoo
loudlyafterbeing“wired”withthetransmitter,simplyadjustthe
transmittergainwiththemixer’sgaintrim.Readmoreabout
GainForward at:
https://www.sounddevices.com/gainforward-explained/
Adjusting Audio of the A20-Mini Signal from the
A10-RX
FromtheA10-RXhomescreen,pressthechannel’sarrow
buttontwicetoentertheInputmenu.FromtheInputmenu,
pressthemiddlebuttontoselectasub-menutoadjustgain,
lowcut,orlimiteroftheincomingA20-Minitransmittedsignal.
Gainisadjustablefrom0to60dB.LowcutcanbesettoO,
40Hz,60Hz,80Hz,100Hz,or200Hz.Limitercanbeturned
onoro.Theinformationmenudisplaysthestatusofthetuned
A20-Mini.SeetheA10-RXUserGuideformoredetails.
Adjusting Audio of the A20-Mini Signal from the
8-Series or 688
When the A10-RX receiving A20-Mini signal is slotted into the
SL-2orSL-6,theA10-RXInputmenusettingsarebypassed
andallgain,lowcut,andlimiteractivityareperformedand
controlledbythe688,833,888,orScorpio.SeetheMixer-
RecorderUserGuidesformoreinformation.
Recording WAV Files
TheA20-Minirecords32-bitoatBroadcastWAV(under4GB)
orRF64WAV(over4GB)lesat48kHzsamplingrates.32-bit
oatlesarerecordedsuchthatgaindecisionscanbemade
afterrecording.Becauseofthehighdynamicrangeofthe
A20-Miniaudiolevelsarenevertoohighortoolow.Learnmore
about32-bitoatat:
https://www.sounddevices.com/a20-mini-32-bit-oat-recording
A20-Minirecordingsarestartedandstoppedusingtherecord
andstopbuttonsintheA20-RemoteTransmitterView.
Thelenameformatis
transmittername-YYMMDDHHMMSS.WAV.
Forexample,iftheA20-Mininamehasbeenchanged
to “Barney” and a recording is created on July 10, 2021
at09:30(24hourformat),theresultingleisnamed
Barney-210710093000.WAV.Alllesarerecordedatrootofthe
media(nofolders).

A20-Mini User Guide 20
Jamming Timecode on
A20-Mini
TheA20-MiniacceptstimecodefromexternalLTCsources.The
timecodevalueandframeratearetakenfromincomingLTC
source.If timecode has not been jammed, the A20-Mini starts
rollingtimecodefrom00:00:00:00whenitispoweredon.
Jammedtimecodevaluesareheldforuptofourhoursafter
poweringo,andforonehourafterthebatteryhasbeen
removed.Thisallowsfortimetoswapbatterieswithouthaving
tore-jamtimecode.
To jam timecode, connect a valid LTC source using one of the
optionalaccessories,SoundDevicesXL-TC-USBC-LEMOor
XL-TC-USBC-BNC,totheA20-MiniUSB-Cport.Timecodeis
automaticallyjammedonceavalidLTCsourceisconnected.
Afterasuccessfultimecodejam,theAudio/LTCLEDashes
blueonthe00framecrossing.
TimecodeisoutputfromtheUSB-CusingtheSoundDevices
XL-TCU-LEMO, so that you can verify the A20-Mini timecode is
insyncwiththeLTCsource.TheAudio/LTCLEDstopsashing
bluewhenUSB-Cisdisconnected.
For more information about the A20-Mini timecode accessory
cables visit:
https://www.sounddevices.com/product/xl-tc-usbc-bnc/
https://www.sounddevices.com/product/xl-tc-usbc-lemo/
A20-Mini can also jam timecode from 8-Series Mixer-Recorders
usingastandardUSB-CtoUSB-Acable.ConnecttheA20-Mini
tothe8-SeriesUSB-Aport.Enterthe8-SeriesMenu>Timecode/
Sync>JamA20-MinithenselectJamA20.The8-SeriesJam
A20-Minimenudisplaysthecurrenttimecodeframerateand
valuesforthe8-SeriesandA20-Minianddisplaysthedierence
betweenthetwounits.
WhentheA20-Miniispoweredo,theAudio/LTC LED and the
Charge&TimecodeLEDashblueonthe00framecrossingto
indicatetimecodeisbeingheld.
The A20-Mini can also receive and jam timecode while
connectedtotheoptionalPowerStation-8MviaUSB-C.See
PowerStation-8Mformoredetails.
A10-TX A20-Mini Cables
LTC via Lemo-3 Yes -- AC-TCBNC-IN
AC-TCBNC-OUT
AC-TCLEMO”
LTC via USB-C
-- Yes XL-TC-USBC-LEMO
XL-TC-USBC-BNC
Timecode jam
via USB-A on
8-Series
-- Yes Standard USB-C to
USB-A
Mass Timecode
jam via
PowerStation-8M
-- Yes BNC