IBC 2024 Preview: Audio Vendors To Emphasize Updates and Upgrades Software is a major part of offerings for virtualized-workflow environments By Dan Daley, Audio Editor Thursday, September 12, 2024 - 8:40 pm
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The International Broadcasting Convention (Amsterdam RAI, Sept. 13-16) is the European counterpart of the NAB Show in Las Vegas every April. In both shows, product introductions tend to be iterative rather than transformative, but that's chiefly a function of broadcast audio's shift in from analog to digital and, more recently, into a cloud-based virtualized-workflow environment.
The expos may seem increasingly interchangeable, but cultural (and voltage) differences remain: for instance, most European A1s and A2s are on staff, unlike the freelance approach in the U.S. At IBC 2024, an estimated 43,000 broadcasters, content owners, rightsholders, and vendors will hear and say often this weekend, Veel plezier! ( Have fun! ). Here's a look at some of the audio offerings that will be on hand.
Audinate (Stand 8.A95) welcomes new solutions from Calrec, Gallery Sienna, LAMA, Lawo, and Telos Alliance to the growing list of applications that support native Dante audio in cloud-based production workflows. The recently announced Dante SDK Connect Edition enables software developers to build Dante audio transmission and reception natively into cloud-based applications. The new Dante integrations give broadcasters and audio engineers an array of new products to choose from in building cloud-based Dante audio-production workflows.
Audio-Technica System 20 PRO digital wireless system
Audio-Technica (Stand 8.D46) will debut its System 20 PRO, a self-managing, plug-and-play 2.4-GHz digital wireless system scalable to 20 channels and delivering dependable, high-quality audio - regardless of location. Designed for hassle-free deployment, the system overcomes many challenges of conventional wireless microphones, such as TV-station interference and frequency coordination, complex intermodulation calculations, and remote antenna cabling.
Calrec True Control 2.0
Calrec Audio (Stand: 8.C47) is marking its 60th B-Day with three major product launches: the compact Argo M console, ImPulseV cloud audio-mixing solution, and True Control 2.0.
Argo M brings the feature set and operational familiarity of Argo Q and Argo S consoles to a compact 24- or 36-fader, plug-and-play native-SMPTE 2110 console.
The ImPulse V cloud-based DSP processing core provides a virtualized Calrec audio-mixing engine in a cloud-native AWS environment optimized for low-latency throughput, providing real-time responsive, efficient and deterministic audio processing, control, routing, and mixing.
Calrec's True Control 2.0 provides expanded levels of control, providing greater levels of remote control without the limitations of mirroring or parallel controlling, with control of an expanded feature set including EQ, dynamics, routing, direct outputs, and delay. This is a new flexible approach to audio mixing, says Calrec GM Sid Stanley General Manager. The ability to control anything from anywhere is an incredibly agile way to work because it provides access to more cores, more faders/surfaces, and more control from more locations. It simply gives our broadcast customers more options.
Clear-Com Arcadia Central Station System
Clear-Com (Stand 9.141) will highlight EHXv14, which introduces enhanced SIP integration on the E-IPA card. This capability responds to increased customer demand for higher-density connection to digital phone systems and other VoIP communication solutions. Redundancy with SMPTE 2022-7 to third-party AoIP devices will be demonstrated, ensuring maximum uptime and reliability. The Arcadia Central Station, now equipped with enhanced firmware, allows direct connections between Arcadia devices and Eclipse HX digital-matrix frames via the E-IPA card.
We are excited to return to IBC this year with a robust lineup of products that truly reflect our commitment to innovation in the communications space, says Dave MacKinnon, VP, product management, Clear-Com. Our solutions are designed with the user in mind, focusing on enhancing operational efficiency and providing the reliability that media professionals demand in today's fast-paced production environments.
Riedel Communications
Lawo (Stand 8.B90) will announce that its HOME Apps platform now hosts nine essential processing apps, effectively doubling the previous offering with more apps to follow in a few weeks. All run on the same generic server and can be configured and shared among locations using Lawo's HOME management platform. The current line-up comprises HOME Multiviewer; HOME UDX converter with HDR processing; HOME Stream Transcoder; HOME Graphic Inserter; the first audio app, HOME mc DSP; HOME Test Pattern/Test Tone Generator (TPG), HOME Color Corrector with HDR Processing; HOME Timecode Generator; and HOME Delay for alignment purposes.
Lawo's HOME Apps platform exemplifies the inherent value of the second wave of the broadcast industry's IP journey, says Lawo CTO Phil Myers. Decoupling container-based processing from the hardware that computes it offers next-generation benefits.
Q5X will demo its latest Axient Digital audio transmitters: the SwitchMic family. This family of compact bodypack transmitters comprises the CoachMic, ToggleMic, and PushMic, which are designed specifically for coaches, referees, broadcasters, and professionals requiring on-device control of their audio. Each unit in the SwitchMic family has a configurable switch that can be programmed to control the mute and talkback functions or can be totally disabled, offering increased flexibility and ease of use.
Riedel Communications
Riedel Communications (Stand 10.A31) will introduce it
