Dante moves further into broadcast through Calrec adoption

Calrec Audio has become the latest broadcast equipment manufacturer to sign up as a licensee of the Dante IP-based media transport programme. The UK company is part of the D+M Group and produces digital mixing consoles with routing capability that are used widely by sports broadcasters in TV studios and outside broadcaster trucks.

Like other console manufacturers Calrec has produced a proprietary network, Hydra2, which is used in conjunction with desks featuring Bluefin2 processing. Last year Calrec signed up to the AVnu Alliance to support the AVB (audio video bridge) Ethernet protocol.

Dante was developed by US company Audinate, originally for the live sound sector. Chief executive Lee Ellison says as the system was initially aimed at “the highest, challenging problems” and is scaleable, so could be applied to any other market where networking was required.

In recent years broadcast equipment manufacturers including SSL and Bosch, through intercom specialist RTS Telex and the OMNEO network system, have adopted Dante. This week Audinate moved further into the broadcasting sector by announcing support for the recently released AES67 standard covering IP interoperability.

Commenting on Calrec’s adoption of Dante, communications manager Ian Cookson says it is “another positive step towards total networking interoperability”. He adds: “Over the next few years we expect to see a lot of broadcasters utilising equipment that will interface with common transports and Dante is a major player in this sector.”

According to Cookson “a growing number of international broadcast manufacturers are working together to encourage the development of true interoperability between different systems”, but there are “several different approaches” to establishing standards.

This could be seen as a reference to Ravenna, the audio over IP distribution system developed by ALC NetworX, the associate company of broadcast stalwart Lawo. Partner manufacturers for this include AEQ, Sonifex and Merging Technologies.

Cookson says that after Calrec joined the AVnu Alliance, compliance with Dante is “further strengthening our resolve to offer our customers a more comprehensive suite of networking solutions”.