In Broadcast - October 2017 - 22

22

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 7 - Issue 10 | October 2017

InSound

Audio Examined
Contributing Editor Jim Evans selects his highlights from the many audio developments and
debuts featured at this year's trade shows...

T

he popularity of the IP Showcases
at NAB and IBC proved - if proof
is needed - that audio over IP is top
of the agenda for broadcast audio
professionals.
At IBC, the IP Showcase was situated
in a large demonstration room off
the exhibition floor, however, as a
major visitor attraction it was packed
throughout the entire five days of the
convention. Media Networking Alliance
(MNA) Vice-Chairman Terry Holton and
member of the IP Showcase Board,
states: "This was the most significant
interoperability event of its kind in the
world to date. There was equipment
from 52 different vendors in the four
'logical application' demo areas, which
I believe represents an unprecedented
degree of industry collaboration.
"As at the NAB show, the IP
Showcase Theatre at IBC was very
popular. We had an expanded
programme
of
presentations
compared with NAB, which included an
increased focus on actual installation
examples. These presentation sessions
were very well attended throughout
the five days and many visitors
commented that the information
provided was of considerable value in
expanding their knowledge about this
critically important subject."
During IBC, SMPTE announced the
approval of the first standards within
SMPTE ST 2110, including the role of
AES67 in defining the audio element.
During the IP Showcase, Solid State
Logic Managing Director Antony
David presented two installs using
Audio over IP for TV production - a
description of two integrated audio

Merging Technologies' award winning ANEMAN is now an integral
part of Merging's Pyramix and Ovation programmes

and video IP production installations
at the YouTube Space London
studios and Canal Factory (a Canal+
Production facility).
SSL also took the opportunity to
introduce System T - S300, a new
compact broadcast console that offers
"a combination of performance and
value for a wide range of broadcast
installations and OB vehicles". The
new S300 is a fixed layout compact
control surface that can be combined
with the complete portfolio of SSL's
ground-breaking System T network
objects.
It can be specified as part of a larger
System T installation or in stand-alone
configurations for smaller broadcast
facilities or OB vehicles.
System T is billed as "the world's
first dedicated live-to-air broadcast
audio production system to be
entirely IP based". System T uses
AoIP as its core, not simply as an edge
connection to the console's audio
infrastructure. Tempest Processing

SSL's System T is billed as
"the world's first dedicated live-to-air broadcast
audio production system to be entirely IP based"

Engines include direct AoIP interfaces
allowing commercial off the shelf
switching infrastructure to replace the
requirement for expensive proprietary
audio routing hardware.
Merging Technologies' ANEMAN
platform/technology continues to
attract interest and pick up awards.
"It was the first time showing ANEMAN
at IBC and it was really an exciting
few days for me and the team,"
remarks Nicolas Sturmel, Merging's
Senior Technologist and the Product
Manager for ANEMAN. "The reaction
to ANEMAN and the IP Showcase
leaves one in no doubt that Audio
over IP is advancing quickly but the
management and security of streams
becomes an even more urgent issue.
We believe that ANEMAN has a vital
role to play, by itself or as an
integral part of a complete IP
solution."
ANEMAN is now an integral
part of Merging's Pyramix
and Ovation programmes.
Major
advances
into
this
world
were made with the
previous introduction
of 3D panning and
plug ins for binaural
and
ambisonics
for
VR projects. IBC saw
the showing of a tool
set
for
broadcasters
to address the Audio
Definition Module (ADM
ITU-R
BS.2076)
and
MPEG-H (by Fraunhofer

IIS) export requirements. Pyramix
11.1 is the first DAW with a complete
workflow to generate master files with
Object-Based Audio (OBA) metadata
according to the Audio Definition
Model (ADM) or MPEG-H 3D audio.
This now transforms the former
OBA workflow, primarily designed
for Dolby Atmos mixing for film or
immersive live performance, into
a comprehensive workflow for TV
production with the addition of multilanguage support and ADM format
export.
Another prize-winner at IBC was
the Lawo mc²96 Grand Production
Console which won an IABM Design
& Innovation award. The new Lawo
flagship audio mixing console,
launched at this year's NAB, has
been specifically designed to provide
optimal performance in video
production environments through
native support for all relevant IP
standards - SMPTE 2110, AES67,
RAVENNA and DANTE.
The jury's statement about the Lawo
mc²96 console said: "At last, a console
that takes account of the fact that
audio mixing for television requires
the ability to see as well as hear an
incoming source before taking the
audio to air. A very exciting product
that looks to be very intuitive to use."
Lawo's Christian Struck, notes, "This
award is going beyond audio - it's
recognising our industry's migration
http://www.inbroadcast.com http://www.merging.com/ http://www.lawo.com/products/audio-production-consoles/mc296.html http://www2.solidstatelogic.com/broadcast/system-t
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of In Broadcast - October 2017
