Advance product introduction news from companies exhibiting at this year’s NAB Show indicates that audio-over-IP networking is becoming ever more ubiquitous. Wireless mic and intercom manufacturers continue to respond to the ever-shrinking and increasingly crowded RF spectrum with new features and innovative technology. And with ATSC 3.0 suite of standards now mostly approved, tools for the next-gen TV platform are starting to appear.
AUDIO MIXERS
CALREC will showcase its Brio console, the smallest in Calrec’s Bluefin2 family, measuring only 892 millimeters wide. It features a dual-layer, 36-fader surface and an intuitive 15.6-inch HD touchscreen UI. The company will also demo its RP1 remote production unit that features a 2U core that contains integrated, FPGA-based DSP, which enables a console surface at another facility to control all mixing functionality.
AZDEN’S FMX-42a is a full-featured four-channel mixer with wide band frequency response and low noise levels that also features a 10-pin camera return for professional monitoring applications.
JLCOOPER ELECTRONICS will show its Eclipse MXL2, an eight-fader controller/expander with high-resolution RGB LCD buttons and rotary encoders.
Wheatstone IP-64 live television console series
Lectrosonics PDR
MANDOZZI AUDIO SOLUTIONS will feature CIMIX, a compact digital on-air broadcast mixer also available in a customizable modular configuration.
WHEATSTONE will unveil a new control surface/IP-network system design, and major feature and software enhancements to its IP-64 live television console series. The company will demonstrate at-home remote mixing and production as well as AES67 compatibility with third party equipment, along with other new capabilities of its popular WheatNet-IP audio network environment. In addition, Wheatstone will demo its line of software for customized control and monitoring of extended network systems.
AUDIO RECORDING & PLAYOUT
LECTROSONICS will demo its PDR (Personal Digital Recorder), which records in 24-bit, 48 kHz digital onto a Micro SD card, can be jammed to external timecode, and provides headphone jack for monitoring or file review.
SOUND DEVICES’ 633 mixer/recorder now offers Dugan automixing and Sound Devices MixAssist at no additional cost with the release of firmware v4.50, also adding SuperSlot integration with Sennheiser EK-6042 wireless, two-channel slot-in receivers.
TASCAM’S new range of Professional Rackmount products includes the solid-state SS-R250N recorder and SS-CDR250N CD recorder, which features networking, scheduled recording and optional Dante support via the IF-DA2 Dante card. The new RC-SS150 Flash Remote controller includes a full color LCD screen, start and stop control and 12 flash play buttons, and pairs with, and is powered by, the new SS-R250N and SS-CDR250N. Tascam’s CDA580 CD, USB and cassette player/recorder bridges multiple formats, enabling, for instance, cassettes to be recorded to MP3.
ZAXCOM will feature its new Deva 24 mixer/recorder for capturing field audio. It features a touchscreen interface that’s instantly familiar to past Deva users and intuitive for new users. The company will also highlight its ZFR (Zaxcom Flash Recorder) Body Pack Audio Recorder, a body worn audio recorder with timecode that accepts standard lavaliere microphones.
AUDIO MONITORING & METERING
LINEAR ACOUSTIC’S AERO.ams authoring and monitoring system, designed for live immersive broadcasting, supports ATSC 3.0 and Fraunhofer MPEG-H standards, and offers smart metadata management with loudness processing, metering, logging and monitoring.
RTW will debut a new rackmount for its TM3 and TM3-Primus series of products enables the user to integrate up to two devices in one carrier. The TM3-Pri-2U is designed for the TM3-Primus, while the TM3-2U mount is intended for the TM3 series.
WOHLER will highlight the AMP2-16V 16-channel, 2RU A/V workstation now with AoIP options, including Dante and AES67, to analyze and manage audio quality, level and loudness and metadata. The company will also showcase the AMP1-8-M, which monitors SDI audio in-studio or remote productions, providing instantaneous selection and summing of any four SDI audio pairs, and the AMP1-2SDA 1RU 2-channel monitor that offers the capability to select from any available channel pair to monitor.
YAMAHA has updated its CL and QL digital audio consoles to v4.1, adding new Dante functionality and increased support for Shure wireless receivers.
MONITOR SPEAKERS & HEADPHONES
ORBAN LABS’ iMix 5.1 monitor, intended for critical monitoring and QC, incorporates the company’s patented DSX Headphone Surround algorithm to create 5.1 in headphones and features the latest version ITU-R BS.1770 loudness measurement.
AUDIO DISTRIBUTION, ROUTING & CODECS
AUDINATE will highlight its new Dante Domain Manager platform, which enables administrators and integrators to define and manage audio networks regardless of the physical constraints of the network infrastructure.
BARNFIND will debut its BTF-10-AESemb 8-channel embedder/de-embedder for AES audio, as well as its BTF10-AA, which offers 8x analog input, 8x analog audio output converted to/from MADI.
BEXEL’S
Fiber Mini Booth Kit is a lightweight rack solution for interfacing the announce booth to the mobile unit with 16 channels of audio, 12 channels of video, intercom and IFB equipment, plus the option for robotic camera support.
COMREX
will introduce ACCESS NX, its new IP audio codec for wireless remote broadcasting. Comrex will also introduce Opal, an IP audio gateway that makes call-ins with non-technical remote guests sound great.
FRAUNHOFER IIS
will demo its MPEG-H Audio codec, adopted for 4K TV in South Korea. The object-based solution enables viewers to adjust the sound mix to their preferences and supports immersive audio.
MANDOZZI AUDIO SOLUTIONS
is launching the BEA3X, which expands the I/O of a mixer or third party equipment through MADI and Dante and provides a DSP section for audio signal management. Mandozzi Audio’s IPVOX is a multipurpose audio-over-IP codec with multiple connection options such as VoIP, AES67, Pos and Wi-Fi, and can transmit a 5.1 surround signal. UMAC (Universal Multifunctional Audio Codec), a 4RU standalone codec with front panel audio and IP connections, may be integrated into Mandozzi’s matrices and mixers.
NTP TECHNOLOGY’S
DAD AX32 audio converter and DX32 digital audio bridge have added features via v2.0 firmware, including an expanded switching matrix with 1500x1500 non-blocking cross-points. The latest version of NTP’s Visual Matrix Control (VMC) routing software displays all signal levels as PPM and enables management of flexible scheduled routing automation.
TELOS ALLIANCE TV SOLUTIONS GROUP
is making its official debut at NAB 2017, where it will display a comprehensive range of systems solutions and products for Audio-over-IP.
MICROPHONES
AUDIO-TECHNICA’S
6000 Series High Density Wireless System operates outside TV bands in the 944–952 MHz range, supporting up to 31 simultaneous channels within a 4 MHz bandwidth. Compact bodypack transmitters are easily configured via IR sync, and the entire system can be operated via PC.
AZDEN CORP.
will introduce the stereo/mono switchable SMX-30, engineered to be the ultimate video microphone. Azden’s new SGM-250 professional dual powered shotgun microphone is intended for video- and filmmaking professionals to deliver broadcast quality sound all at an affordable price.
WIRELESS
ALTEROS
will demo its GTX Series Ultra-Wideband Wireless Microphone System, which delivers low-latency, uncompanded audio, operates at 6.5 GHz (outside TV bands), requires no coordination, STA or database registration, and features MADI, fiber, Dante and AES67 connectivity for integration with IP infrastructures.
AZDEN
will showcase its 310LT, a UHF diversity wireless body-pack system for ENG applications.
BEXEL ESS
, the division of Bexel providing custom systems integration, will show the QT-5100 PlayerMic, a rubberized, flexible player mic system that weighs less than 2 ounces and is only one-third-inch thick, developed with Quantum5X.
BEYERDYNAMIC
will present a new version of the rackmount TG 1000 24-bit digital dual-receiver wireless system, which now has a Dante interface on its rear panel.
LECTROSONICS’
DBa 24-bit/48 kHz digital beltpack transmitter features wideband tuning (470-698 MHz), a highly linear RF output stage for reduced intermodulation distortion and a true 50 mW transmission. Lectrosonics’ SRAES3 bottom plate adapter fits all current and previous SR Series dual-channel slot receivers and provides analog or digital audio in AES3 digital audio at 44.1, 48 or 96 kHz.
SENNHEISER
will debut its two-channel Digital 6000 professional wireless microphone series, which shares technology with the Digital 9000. It may be packaged with either a bodypack or a handheld transmitter and includes AES3 and analog outputs, and is available in a Dante-ready version.
SHURE’S
updated v6.12 Wireless Workbench system control software now includes a new logging utility designed to capture essential channel status information and a new set of frequency coordination enhancements, specifically targeting applications with high-channel counts.
WISYCOM’S
MAT244 is a wideband programmable diversity matrix combiner that allows users to combine radio frequencies from eight areas with a single antenna, or four areas with diversity antennas on the fly.
RTS Roameo
INTERCOM & REMOTE CONTRIBUTION
PLIANT TECHNOLOGIES
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SmartBoom LITE headset incorporates the SmartBoom PRO headset series into a smaller, lightweight design with a flexible, ambidextrous swiveling mic boom.
RTS INTERCOM SYSTEMS
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Roameo DECT-based wireless intercom system integrates with all RTS digital matrices and provides user-friendly, intuitive operation with icon-based setup and buttons with tactile feedback.
STUDIO TECHNOLOGIES
will introduce the new Model 371 Dante Intercom Beltpack, which combines the features of two-channel party-line (PL) intercom user devices with a single-channel listen output and four-pin male XLR headset connector, and integrates with Dante networks.
TIELINE
will showcase its ViA portable remote codec for wireless remote broadcasting. Connect using dual Ethernet LAN ports, or two USB modems, or use built-in Wi-Fi and stream using cellphone Wi-Fi hotspot, or connect to hotels and other public Wi-Fi access points.
FILE-BASED WORKFLOW
MINNETONKA’S
AudioTools is a collection of enterprise-ready solutions, both on and off premise, representing decades of expertise encapsulated in focused packages of audio specialization. AudioTools Server, AudioTools Cloud and AudioTools FOCUS automate sophisticated audio tasks for cable, satellite, terrestrial and IPTV, radio, and post-production facilities.
NUGEN AUDIO
will unveil Halo Downmix, offering precise downmixing of feature film or 5.1 mixes to stereo with control over relative levels, timing and direct/ambient sound balance within the downmix process.
LOUDNESS
NUGEN AUDIO’S
AMB loudness management batch-processing technology offers new features including threaded algorithm processing and multiple processing threads addressable for simultaneous parallel handling of files and queues.
ORBAN LABS
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OPTIMOD TV 8685-4K television loudness controller delivers ATSC 3.0-compliant immersive 11.1 surround program audio and offers dialog intelligibility control.
