IBC Sounds Good: A Pro-Audio Preview Ahead of the Show
Broadcast audio has loudness behind it and immersive sound ahead of it, and digital audio networking up in its face. At this year’s IBC, look for lots of improvements to what came before and incremental updates to networked solutions. Meanwhile, eyes and ears will trained on the ongoing ATSC next-generation audio standard deliberations that will give some a better Christmas than usual.
Clear-Com (Stand 10.D29) will demo new updates to the Eclipse HX matrix intercom platform. The Eclipse HX v8.5 software, which is now shipping, will deliver a completely revamped interactive and dynamic IFB management capability within Production Maestro and extends V-Series panels connectivity options to their host Eclipse HX system over MADI. This enables operators to take advantage of third-party audio routers and audio networking devices that support the routing of MADI audio streams to AES3 end devices. Using a generic MADI infrastructure, operators have a new option for system operator panel interconnection that can support both high-quality audio channels and connections to operator panels. Up to 200 virtual IFBs are supported on a single matrix system and up to 64 matrices can be networked together to form one system. As many as 15 system administrators can work in parallel using Production Maestro Clients to manage a network of Eclipse-HX matrix frames.
RTW (Stand 8.D89) will release new firmware for its TouchMonitor TM7 and TM9 devices. This update will include added features enhanced from previous versions of the firmware. The new firmware for TM7 and TM9 will feature 12th-octave RTA mode with 125 bands, and high-resolution bandpass filters. There will also be a higher-resolution LF-dedicated analyzer, as with previous versions of the firmware. Cinema loudness modes, TASA and SAWA are provided by the latest release, as well as asymmetrical and individual adjustable tolerance ranges for the loudness measurements. An additional numerical display will inform the user of the length of an integrated measurement. Improvements were made to enhance timecode, chart and histogram functions and recalculation mode for integrated loudness measures. Additionally, performance improvements have also been included.
This year’s IBC DiGiCo (Stand C61B) and Calrec (Stand 8.C61) jointly debut the connectivity between Calrec’s Hydra 2 and DiGiCo’s SD Racks, which is facilitated by DiGiCo’s new 2U Orange box, an audio format converter with multiple options. With two PSUs for redundancy and two slots to accommodate any of the ten current interfaces available (Dante, Hydra2, BNC, Cat5, Optocore, Aviom, ADC, AES, DAC and SoundGrid), the “anything in, anything out” Orange Box allows conversion of almost any audio format to another. The Orange Box is DiGiCo’s first technology release borne of Audiotonix, the pro audio group formed with Calrec and Allen&Heath. It has also been opened up to other selected third party manufacturers as well, making it an incredibly useful device. Also on show will be DiGiCo’s new S21, plus the broadcast specific SD7B, SD10B, SD9B and SD11B.
Linear Acoustic (stand 8. D47) showcases its mt2000 multichannel bitstream analyzer. Next-generation product for testing and monitoring Dolby-encoded and PCM signals makes its European debut featuring a full suite of test capabilities in a handheld form factor, the mt2000 allows engineers to analyze and troubleshoot digital audio paths quickly, anywhere inside or outside a facility. It is ideal for a variety of testing applications, including broadcast, cable, satellite and home theater.
Avid (stand 7.J20) announced guest speakers who will present Editor Barney Pilling, who cut The Grand Budapest Hotel, and supervising sound editor/sound designer James Mather, who worked on Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, will share how they embraced Avid Everywhere to bring these top movies to life using Avid Artist Suite creative tools powered by the Avid MediaCentral Platform. On Saturday, September 12 at 12pm CEST, Mather, an Emmy award-winning sound editor whose credits include work on four films in the Harry Potter franchise, will reveal how Artist Suite audio solutions helped him create the sounds that transport audiences into the thrilling world of Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.