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The Future Of Signal Transmission?
Interesting times - here's one guy's take…
I work at what I like to call the "interface" business; that is, my U.S.-based company (Pro Co Sound) designs, manufactures and/or distributes a wide range of cabling, connector and related products in the professional audio marketplace.
After a great deal of rumination, a conclusion has become quite evident: I'd better be ready to move into the audio transmission business rather than the audio cable business. We could pretty much be forced to transition out of the standard cable construction business within the next 10 years.
Overseas suppliers are likely to take over our current core business, and/or more "things audio" will be wired with CAT5 (and its successors along with fiber optics) as opposed to traditional cable. The days of long copper runs (coming from floor/wall pockets, stage wall plates and conventional snakes) are probably numbered.
CAT5, I believe, was created as a move by the copper wire companies to keep fiber optics out of their way. Fiber has tremendous advantages over copper in certain senses. The copper folks realized they were going to lose market share, and thus developed dielectrics and geometries into their cables to tremendously advance the amount of supported bandwidth.
Sound contractors, and increasingly, live sound personnel, are comfortable with copper, and increasingly, CAT5. At the same time, we're seeing the limited physical flexibility and lack of sturdiness of fiber troubling to some users.
In the digital realm of audio, when more control is added to a signal, that signal slows down. This leads to questions of how much information we really want or need to shove down a piece of cable.
Weight, time, simplicity and economics are the driving forces for digital transmission in both live and installed audio. The live realm needs instantaneous delivery of audio with no latency and provisions for control, along with easy setup and light weight. For install purposes, contractors want digital transmission systems that are (at least) 60 percent to 80 percent less labor intensive than a typical analog system.
FORCED ANALOG
Current CAT5 supports up to 64 channels, with the protocol then determining how fast the signal is being sent. The increasing number of affordable 56-channel mixing consoles on the market is largely determining the situation.
The wire industry is ready to provide wider bandwidth with CAT6E, offering 40 percent greater capacity than CAT5. This increases transmission capability from 100 MHz to 1 GHz, providing capability of up to 640 channels.
It makes no sense to create the fabulous digital consoles we're now seeing while being forced to connect them to the "real world" in the analog domain - this diminishes the strength of the digital concept. Digital is here to stay, so we all have to work out the comfort level for practical, everyday use. (And this, in turn, must be paired with the judgment of good ears to tweak sound so it reflects all of the positive qualities of analog, i.e. "warmth.")
When it comes to interconnect, more specifically, connector input/output options, the choices (or lack thereof) largely depend upon the guts of the equipment manufacturers. For example, Electro-Voice (EV) uses Neutrik Speakon connectors as the only option on many of its loudspeakers. This means no binding posts or jacks.
But I'm told that a primary factor in EV's decision to go this route is that Neutrik now offers a Speakon connector with a 1/4-inch jack in its center, so the user gets an extra option. A specific Crown power amplifier model also offers Speakon only, which backs up the belief held by many that Speakon is the best route to go.
Longer and longer CAT5 transmission lines are now being used as the comfort level grows. At the same time, we saw that portable users were concerned with CAT5 flexibility and responded with a product called ProCAT5.
It also seems a sure bet that we'll keep seeing more and more digital signal transmission systems hitting the market within the year. The providers of these transmission systems have slightly different design concepts, all currently tailored to serve specific niches. Peak Audio CobraNET, for example, thinks in terms of the system in total and provides remote accessibility and monitoring.
Aviom, on the other hand, is doing an interesting job in the realm of personal stage monitors. Meanwhile, my company sees a dual concept, making all 64 channels in a system available for personal monitoring.
IN A DOGFIGHT
An interesting debate surrounds CAT5 versus Ethernet protocols. While this is likely to be a dogfight for years to come, there needs to be a way for them both to be interoperable and compatible. Eventually, one or the other will probably win the day, largely through better marketing. (Think Beta versus VHS.) Or the battle might be won by the cheapest product meeting baseline standards of performance and reliability.
To this point I've seen three design standards for rugged CAT5 connectors, which is a good sign that the audio industry's unique needs will be met. (Just look at the difficulties we constantly create for ourselves, as evidenced by different connectors for microphones, instruments and loudspeakers, with no real standards.)
I recently stopped by Sweetwater Sound in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to check out the company's "Gearfest," and saw balanced audio cables with 3.5-millimeter stereo mini plugs. Another company was providing patch bays with 3.5-millimeter TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) 1/8-inch jacks instead of using old school (and more expensive) TT mill spec plugs.
Thus we're now faced with the introduction of semi-pro terminations into the pro world. Frankly, these have no business in our market, and are likely to become a nightmare for manufacturers and end users alike.
When (and/or if) China decides to get better at dimensioning between English and metric standards, and is able to measure the two more accurately, compatibility will improve. But for now, we're seeing the influx of all types of non-standardized connector sizes and materials from overseas. While this hasn't increased to alarming proportions, it's definitely here to stay.
Both of these points directly play into the concept of real estate on the back of devices for I/O and patching. The battle for miniaturization or entirely different connectors will be ongoing.
Unfortunately, the pro audio industry will remain somewhat in the "trickle down" position when it comes to technology. Many of our answers regarding signal transmission have been, and will continue to be, derived from the medical and military fields, to name just two.
All of this leads me to the power of knowledge. Audio people must become educated on these issues. If not, we'll be faced with the choice of relying upon "outsiders" with certain biases toward a particular industry such as electrical contracting, video or information technology.
Three decades ago, my friend Greg Hockman said, "Music is a product of the technology of the times, and if the technology is here, we're going to use it. If not, we're not ready for it, because we're not big enough to develop and use it by ourselves."
We may never get total consensus in recognized standards for all forms of signal transmission, but the key to its future is certainly greater education about what we have available and what we want it to do.
Charlie Wicks is founder and president of Pro Co Sound, based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He encourages your feedback on this discussion at c-wicks@procosound.com.
