IBC2012 Preview: Audio Exhibits To Watch For

IBC2012 has the numbers that sports oddsmakers like: Sept. 7-11 at Amsterdam’s RAI Center. It will also have the technology and gear that audio folks will be interested in, too. Here’s a preview of some of the highlights.

Avid
The largest range of integrated media-production technology the company has ever presented at IBC2012 will feature new and upgraded solutions for advanced asset-based workflows spanning distributed production, multiplatform distribution, server and storage, and video/audio mixing. The spotlight will be on the European debut of Interplay Sphere, Avid’s cloud-based, real-time, remote editing solution; the newest developments in asset-based workflow solutions, including a new Interplay media-asset–management package; Interplay Central cloud-enabled Web and mobile tools; Avid iNEWS release and the AirSpeed 5000 video server; and enhancements to the company’s suite of creative video- and audio-editing tools, including Media Composer, Symphony, NewsCutter, and Pro Tools. www.avid.com/

Calrec
Artemis Light, the newest member of the Artemis family of Bluefin2/Hydra2 audio consoles, will make its IBC debut. It introduces a compact processing rack dedicated to delivering digital signal-processing (DSP) and routing capabilities in a 4RU enclosure. Like all Artemis consoles, Artemis Light incorporates Bluefin2 high-density signal processing and Hydra2 networking technologies in the same compact yet powerful and scalable control surface used by Artemis Shine and Beam. Deploying the same hardware and software architecture, Artemis Light can be fully integrated with any existing Hydra2 network. www.calrec.com

Harris Broadcast Communications
Videotek test and measurement products and enhancements to be introduced at IBC2012 are intended to improve monitoring of program audio and data in digital and HD terrestrial transmissions. Harris has enhanced Dolby support to existing TVM waveform monitors and VTM Series rasterizers with support for the Dolby Digital Plus standard and has added CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) detection and alarming for Dolby-encoded audio streams. CRC monitoring eliminates unexpected audio dropouts and enables a more stable and pleasurable viewing experience for the consumer. Both enhancements are backward-compatible to support the large global base of TVM and VTM products. New firmware is available for download at www.broadcast.harris.com (select Service and Support tab, click on Customer Portal). Harris also adds metadata enhancements to its CMN Series of Compact Monitors, which now support the display of closed captions and subtitles along with video images in a wide variety of global formats, including World System Teletext (WST), OP-47, and CEA-708. www.broadcast.harris.com

Jünger Audio
M*AP, the latest addition to Jünger Audio’s *AP family of audio-loudness processors, combines an audio-monitor controller and a loudness-measurement device in one unit. Designed for quality-checking surround (5.1) and/or stereo programs, M*AP can be used for live monitoring and also to ensure compliance with government regulations on loudness, such as the U.S. CALM Act, the UK Ofcom regulations, and the French CSA regulations. The unit comes with alarm signals that alert the operator when preset loudness thresholds are exceeded, and these signals can be delivered by simple GPOs and/or SNMP traps, which carry actual loudness values. Loudness measurements can be performed over a long run or over a fraction of a program or both. These measurements can be triggered by automation systems via GPIs or via the network or even manually by buttons on the X*AP remote panel. M*AP also offers functionality for acoustical QA. Eight speaker outputs allow A/B checking of stereo compatibility of a surround downmix through alternative speakers, as well as via L/R front speakers. The M*AP’s SDI board acts as an embedder as well, comes with video delay to compensate for any kind of audio delay, and also features a built-in Dolby Metadata generator and optional Dolby decoder, allowing users to decode Dolby-E, Dolby-D (AC-3), and Dolby Digital plus (E-AC-3). junger-audio.com

NETIA
A manufacturer of software for media-asset management and radio automation, NETIA will introduce an enhanced version of its Content Management System (CMS), which allows users to manage all processes within the global production environment through simple, easy-to-manage workflow and task automation. The new release also offers enriched features in its metadata-management module, more-robust indexing and segmentation tools, and more-flexible control over the entire system. To automate description of audio and video content, NETIA CMS now interfaces with speech-to-text transcription systems available on the market and also offers an enhanced administration application for system management. www.netia.com

Shure
The new FP Wireless Systems offer simple and flexible components, including a portable diversity receiver and XLR plug-on transmitter. FP deploys the patented Shure Audio Reference Companding for up to 14 compatible frequencies per band version. All FP components are compatible with the Shure SLX Wireless Systems. The FP5 portable receiver can be easily mounted on a camera, and its diversity antennas allow consistent reception of the signal transmission. Automatic Frequency Selection locates an open frequency at the touch of a button. Available with the SM58 cardioid dynamic capsule or VP68 omnidirectional condenser capsule, the FP2 handheld transmitter is also compatible with all Shure wireless capsules. And the ergonomically designed FP3 plug-on transmitter offers XLR connectivity for use with any wired dynamic XLR microphone. shure.com

Stagetec
Delec, the intercom-systems specialist within the Stagetec group, will present a range of new products and features for its Oratis intercom and commentary systems. These include two new Oratis boards: the new party-line interface connects beltpacks from other manufacturers to Oratis, and the new Dante interface enables remote devices — mixing consoles, audio routers, monitor speakers — from other vendors to be addressed directly. Also in the news is a partnership with Intracom that enables smartphones to be connected as virtual subscriber units in Delec intercom systems and Full HD video streaming to the booth for commentary systems. www.stagetec.com/

Studer
The Vista 1 Compact console will have its European debut. The new desk comes complete as a single chassis, with control surface, I/O connections, and DSP all integral, considerably reducing weight and footprint. The compact size suits it for OB and ENG vans. The desk is compatible with Studer’s new Compact Remote Bay, which offers remote operation of the console and can be used to extend the main control surface for a second operator on large shows. Because the Vista 1 is based largely on the Vista 5, existing Vista users will be familiar with all the functionality of the Vistonics user interface and Studer Vista control surface, as well as with such features as true broadcast monitoring, talkback, red-light control, GPIO, N-x (Mix Minus) buses, snapshot automation, and DAW control. With an integral DSP engine of 96 channels, the Vista 1 can handle mono, stereo, and 5.1-surround inputs with ease and is provided with 32 mic/line inputs, 16 line outputs, and eight stereo AES inputs and outputs on rear-panel connections. Both 32-fader and 22-fader models are available. New to the Vista family on the Vista 1 is an integral jingle player, which permits audio files (such as station ID or background FX) to be played from a USB jingle stick and triggered by a series of eight dedicated keys in the master section. www.studer.ch

Wohler Technologies
The new AMP1-MADIe in-rack portable MADI mixer with Ethernet control and configuration can be connected in series with a 56- or 64-channel MADI stream for individual volume adjustment, mixing, and audible monitoring of any eight selected MADI channels at once. To support fast configuration and use of multiple distributed units within a MADI network, Wohler has outfitted AMP1-MADIe with an Ethernet connection and offers a free, downloadable software GUI that enables multiple units to be controlled and configured from a single PC workstation. Operators can also store and retrieve system configurations via a front-panel USB connector. A clear, LED-backlit LCD display shows simultaneous metering and monitoring of any eight user-selected channels, with instant access to eight stored configurations of any eight channels for easy navigation among all 64 channels in a MADI stream. www.wohler.com