Tech Focus: Audio Consoles, Part 2 - Products for Remote Mixing

Tech Focus: Audio Consoles, Part 2 - Products for Remote Mixing Diversity - in size and functionality - marks the latest in the category By Dan Daley, Audio Editor

Thursday, July 13, 2017 - 1:48 pm

Print This Story

Story Highlights

Remote-audio-mixing consoles for broadcast still constitute a relatively rarefied category at the high end of the market, but there is diversity within the group, thanks to increasing demand for variety in sizes and functionality. Here's an overview of the leading contenders.

Click here for Tech Focus: Audio Consoles, Part 1 - At-Home Production, IP Transport Are Key Trends

Calrec

The Brio console delivers a comprehensive broadcast feature set to support a wide breadth of broadcasters and is entirely self-contained with analog and digital I/O and GPIO built into the surface. In addition, a range of Hydra2 modules can be fitted to connect to and share audio over Calrec's Hydra2 network. This means that Hydra2's sophisticated management facilities can be used for network-wide control, including interfacing with multiple video- and audio-over-IP networks, such as SMPTE 2022, Dante, AES67, RAVENNA, and SoundGrid. This protects the system against future formats that may emerge and allows the console to sit on multiple networks simultaneously.

Calrec Brio

Brio also enables connectivity to other equipment in the Calrec Bluefin2 range: the Apollo, Artemis, and Summa consoles. Calrec's flagship Apollo can handle 1,020 channel-processing paths, 128 program buses, 96 IFB/track outputs, and 48 auxiliaries. The Apollo control surface manages all these channels on up to 320 physical faders, and, with single- and dual-fader options, Apollo has a higher fader density within its footprint than any other console.

Artemis is based on the Apollo platform and uses the same Bluefin2 and Hydra2 core technologies. Available in four sizes, Bluefin2 gives Artemis Shine 680 channel-processing paths, Artemis Ray 456, Artemis Beam 340, and Artemis Light 240, with up to 128 program buses, 64 IFB/track outputs, and 32 auxiliaries. Artemis Light packs all this into a 4RU enclosure. Artemis's integrated router means all I/O functions can be performed by Hydra2, using high-capacity crosspoint routers and a variety of I/O units.

Bluefin2 gives the Summa and Summa 128 consoles a pool of either 180 or 128 channel-processing paths, eight groups, four mains, 16 auxes, and 32 tracks. Summa's considered control simplifies even complex workflow tasks, such as creating mix-minus feeds.

Designed with live sports broadcasting in mind, the RP1 remote-production unit's engine is a 2RU core containing integrated, FPGA-based DSP, enabling a console surface at another facility to control all mixing functionality. The RP1 core manages all the processing for IFB routing and remote monitor mixes, and it does so locally with no latency. www.calrec.com

DiGiCo S21

DiGiCo

The S Range of compact digital consoles has been expanded with the S31. A larger version of DiGiCo's popular S21 console, it sports an expanded work surface with 10 additional faders for more control and a third 10-in. multitouch screen for faster access and more visual feedback. The S31 offers the same flexibility as the S21, with 24 mic inputs and 12 line outputs on the rear of the console for straightforward audio connection. There are also two DMI ports as standard, as well as a UB MADI interface for DAW recording.

DiGiCo's new compact 2RU Orange Box is a simple-to-use audio-format converter with multiple options, allowing broadcasters to deploy DiGiCo Multichannel Interface (DMI) cards to create audio paths over a variety of interfaces. With two PSUs for redundancy and two slots to accommodate any of the 10 current interfaces available (Dante, Hydra2, BNC, Cat 5, Optocore, Aviom, ADC, AES, DAC, and SoundGrid), the anything in, anything out Orange Box allows conversion of almost any audio format to another. www.digico.biz/

Lawo

Lawo mixing consoles are IP-ready and support current and evolving industry standards for audio-, video-. and data-format interoperability. Offered in multiple configurations with physical console surfaces, channel capacity, and frames optimized for implementation ranging from mobiles and flypacks to large production complexes, the mc Series comprises the recently introduced mc 96 Grand Production Console optimized for IP production environments; the mc 56, which is also available with optional surfaces providing extra free controls (mc 56xc) or dual faders (mc 56xt); and the all-in-one mc236.

Lawo mc 96

The company also offers a range of solutions for remote-production and automated-mix applications: standalone cores; the mc2 Micro Core universal networked audio engine, the Compact Engine AES67 audio node with on-board DSP, and the new Power Core 1RU IP-based mix engine with modular I/O options. All the solutions can perform audio-mixing and routing functions under remote control of vision mixers or third-party automation systems and also offer several options for virtual (software-based) control panels that can be optimized to support specific workflows and do not require localized physical fader surfaces. Multiple stagebox I/O offerings support IP interfacing of analog and digital sources for remote-production applications. In addition to DALLIS modular frames, Lawo now also offers the A__line AoIP interfaces for managing analog, AES3, MADI, and RAVENNA/AES67 audio connections, including functionality for remote mic pre control and operation of audio-mix functions from a remote location using a browser-based interface that can be customized for specific workflows. All Lawo consoles, cores, stageboxes, control software, and Nova Series routers offer multiple configuration options with protocols supported for automation and studio/remote management application

LINK:	http://www.sportsvideo.org/2017/07/13/tech-focus-audio-consoles-part-2...
	See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines