In Broadcast - March 2018 - 64

64

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 8 - Issue 3 | March 2018

InFile

Multi Actuator Technology:
A New Performance
Breakthrough
cont'd...

the advancement of digital
storage requires both elements -
increased capacity and increased
performance.
Consider what happens when
data can't be accessed quickly due
to massive data capacity. Quality of
Service suffers, which is a nightmare
for IT decision-makers and channel
buyers, datacentre architects and
administrators, system integrators
and builders, storage analysts, and
tech enthusiasts alike.
While capacity and cost are often
linear measurements, measuring
performance improvements can
vary based on each customer's
varied workload and storage
architectures. Nonetheless, the
Hyperscale community is unanimous
- they want hard drives to continue
to achieve optimal IOPS/TB, at the
lowest cost per TB. Technically

speaking, this means the industry
must improve Random IOPS at low
latencies and improve Sequential
transfer rate.
Some performance needs can
be addressed on the margins
by deploying new hard drive
firmware features, or by adding
cost through additional SSD
provisioning. But Hyperscale
Cloud providers are looking for
storage solutions that can scale,
fit within their target total cost of
ownership, and adhere to the SLAs
they make with their customers.

EXOS - pilot volumes this year

Capacity, Performance & Cost
To meet these requirements,
hard drives need to deliver more
capacity, lower cost per TB,
and improved performance, all
together.
Offering IOPS improvement

alone doesn't address the problem,
because it neglects the incredible need
for Exabyte growth. On the other hand,
offering capacity alone misses the
mark too, as Hyperscalers are unable
to utilise additional capacity when/if
performance declines.
Seagate is solving this concurrent
need for increased performance by
enabling parallelism of data flows in
and out of a single hard drive through
Multi Actuator technology, which
offsets the potential usability issues
of super-high-capacity hard drives by
doubling hard drive performance.
Together, Seagate's HAMR and Multi
Actuator technologies provide the
future of capacity and performance.

Jason Feist is Seagate's Director
of Technology Strategy and Product
Planning, and is responsible for
the company's datacentre product
roadmap.

InSound

Stage Tec's IP Audio Mixing
Console AVATUS
B

erlin-based professional audio
equipment manufacturer, Stage
Tec will be presenting AVATUS, its
brand-new IP-based large format
mixing console, at the NAB Show.
The innovative concept behind AVATUS
is based entirely on IP technology. The
desk's central control system provides
standardised TCP/IP interfaces for
connecting the console modules. Each
control surface module has its own IP
address. Consoles can be linked over
a network and browser-based remote
operation is also available. The Webbased Remote UI gives display and
operational access to a range of mixing
console functions via a web browser.

AVATUS workflow oriented displays
and controls are built principally on
multi-touch screens. This concept
offers tremendous freedom in
designing workflows and feature
enhancements. For example, only
the currently relevant, context
related functions are displayed on
the touch screens. Coupled with
the decentralised operating mode,
dispensing with the centre section
brings ultimate flexibility, for example
in a multi-user operation.
"The industry is currently in transition.
Just as the basic concepts of mixing
consoles and studios completely
changed with the move from
analogue to digital today, with IP
connectivity and the move toward
remote production we are witnessing a
similar upheaval", concludes Stage Tec
Director Dr Helmut Jahne.
"The future will be fascinating - and
with AVATUS we are well-equipped
to respond to customer requirements

and
market
trends."
AVATUS has taken
the AURUS console
concept of direct
access to key
parameters
a step further.
Faders, buttons
and rotary encoders guarantee rapid,
intuitive access to essential functions.
Additionally, AVATUS offers colour
coding of functional blocks as a new
feature. Accomplished using LEDs in
each rotary encoder, the colour-coding
indicates which function is currently
assigned to a rotary encoder. The
faders are also colour-coded, giving a
quick overview of big projects.
AVATUS uses the DSP Core (RMDQ)
familiar from AURUS and provides

Stage Tec's AVATUS
IP mixing console

more than 800
input channels
and 128 sum
buses. The console has
integrated features such
as the De-Esser as an audio
module,
Loudness
Metering
and
the
S t a g e Tec automixer. Channel
formats currently range from mono to
7.1. AVATUS configurations range from
12 to 96 control strips.
Like all Stage Tec mixing desks,
AVATUS is integrated into the NEXUS
audio network and offers all the
interfaces supported by NEXUS. You
can expect AVATUS to deliver the
same excellent audio quality as all
previous Stage Tec mixing consoles.
AVATUS is built on standardised
technology and protocols. This
facilitates control via third-party
devices
and
their
integration.
Connectivity to and from other
systems will be further enhanced by
implementing the AES70 standard.
http://www.inbroadcast.com https://www.seagate.com/gb/en/enterprise-storage/exos-drives/ https://www.seagate.com/gb/en/enterprise-storage/exos-drives/ https://stagetec.com/en/audio-mixing-consoles/2844-avatus.html https://stagetec.com/en/audio-mixing-consoles/2844-avatus.html
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of In Broadcast - March 2018
