LANCASTER, Pa. — Jan. 9, 2009 — Linear Acoustic, the leading authority in loudness control and upmixing solutions for digital television, today announced that the AXON™ modular Synapse™ infrastructure and communications system will be enhanced with DTV audio loudness management and stereo-to-5.1 upmix algorithms designed by Linear Acoustic.
Linear Acoustic developed the AEROMAX-5.1™ channel loudness and dynamic range control algorithm and the upMAX™ upmixing algorithm with AutoMAX™-II to fix inconsistent DTV audio loudness, or the so-called "loud commercial problem." Now, AXON will incorporate these useful functions into its Synapse modular system on two different platforms. AXON will show this new module at the 2009 NAB Show.
The new functionality within Synapse will protect viewers from loudness shifts and loss of surround sound. The built-in loudness control, upmixing, and metadata control make it the ideal choice for ensuring a high-quality, seamless surround sound experience for viewers. Control of all parameters will be available through AXON's free-of-charge Cortex monitoring and control software.
The new unit will accept four pairs of PCM audio to handle two-channel to 5.1-channel audio programming and a bypass input. Multiband, multistage loudness control and selectable upmixing can be applied to the input audio, resulting in smooth, consistent audio that is 5.1 channels at all times. Another Synapse card will perform the same functions in the embedded SD, HD, or 3Gb/s domain. A full-time LtRt or LoRo downmix version of the main program is provided as the fourth AES output pair. Metadata is accepted as a standard RS-485 serial input for control of upmixing and processing functions.
"We are very pleased with the opportunity to incorporate Linear Acoustic's expertise into Synapse," said AXON CTO Peter Schut. "These units will be a welcome expansion to Synapse's audio for video handling. We have been very successful with incorporating Dolby® functionality into our Synapse, and we are sure that these new products will be beneficial to our customers' DTV applications."
"We are excited and honored to be working with AXON," said Tim Carroll, president and founder of Linear Acoustic. "Adding our technologies to the comprehensive Synapse modular system will be very beneficial to customers worldwide, as they will now have a complete high-density audio processing solution."
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About AXON Digital Design B.V
AXON Digital Design develops, manufactures, and markets modular systems and equipment for the processing of audio and video signals, serving many of the major players in the broadcasting industry. AXON creates space- and cost-effective solutions for a flexible and high-density infrastructure and aims to delight every client that it serves. AXON's engineers, designers, sales team, back office support team, and distributors are driven by their customers' success, actively seeking out the challenge of staying ahead in development, innovation, customer loyalty, and customer satisfaction. The long and personal involvement with AXON's international customer base of acclaimed broadcasting companies is testimony to the company's dedication to supporting and serving a worldwide industry.
The AXON team is made up of individuals from more than five countries, supported by and working hand in hand with more than 50 distributors covering the globe to ensure their customers' success. AXON is headquartered in the Netherlands and has offices in the U.K. and China.
About Linear Acoustic
Linear Acoustic, a Telos company, is the leading authority in loudness control and upmixing solutions for digital television. The company designs and manufactures the AERO range of audio processing solutions, StreamStacker-HD™, and MetaMAX™ line of products and licenses key technologies to OEM partners. Linear Acoustic has been involved worldwide in projects with all major U.S. terrestrial networks, multiple local stations, and companies including Dolby® Laboratories, Sirius Satellite Radio, Microsoft, HBO, Viacom (Showtime, MTV, etc.), Disney (ABC, ESPN), Sony Studios, and others. The company is also actively involved in the ATSC and other industry organizations, is a member of the AES and IEEE, and is a sustaining member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. Linear Acoustic is also proud to have provided its UPMAX:neo™ 5.1-channel upmixer for NBC's coverage of the Beijing Summer Games. More information is available at www.linearacoustic.com.
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