The latest release from Lawo, v5.8, provides RAVENNA AoIP integration for Neumann DMI-8 digital microphone interfaces. The company also recently introduced two new interface products. The first is the 981/65 interface card for the modular Nova73 processing and routing core providing native Dante support for the company’s mc² consoles. In includes four redundant Dante ports with 64 channels each, resulting in a total capacity of 256 audio channels per card.
The second is the Nova37 compact 3RU router; with eight RAVENNA/AES67 and eight MADI I/O connections, it supplies a maximum of 1536 x 1536 cross-point connections. The unit can connect with mc² compact I/O stage boxes, each with 32 mic/line inputs, 32 line outputs, eight AES3 inputs and eight AES3 outputs, eight GPIOs, a RAVENNA port, and a MADI port.
Stage Tec has unveiled Platinum DSP, a DSP for its mixing consoles that can handle up to 700 audio channels and 128 buses at a 96 kHz sampling rate. The unit is backwards compatible, capable of increasing channel counts in existing consoles.
Also, the new NEXUS modular router can be cascaded, and it can also be configured with communication interface boards, relay interface boards, and data forwarding boards. Further, it can route Dante, AES, MADI, S/PDIF, ADAT, analog, and more. The companion software supports up to 31 base devices with a maximum resource count of 4,096 inputs and 4,096 outputs.
Roland Pro A/V has debuted the XI-WSG Waves SoundGrid expansion card for its line of OHRCA (Open High Resolution Configurable Architecture) consoles.
The XI-WSG has three ports for connection to Waves SoundGrid Servers, allowing for low-latency, redundant audio connection and direct connection to a PC for SoundGrid control without need for an external network hub. The card also accommodates 64 inputs and 64 outputs for integrating Waves plugin processing as well as multi-track recording and playback with the M-5000 console.
Speaking of the M-5000, it offers 128 channels of configurable mixing with a range of digital snake options, 40-channel integration with Roland M-48 personal mixers, stand-alone multi-channel hardware recording with virtual rehearsal, and Dante, MADI and proprietary REAC networking.
SSL has introduced the Live.L200, the third console from the company for sound reinforcement applications. It provides 144 audio paths, 24 VCAs, and a 4 x 32 input/24 output matrix. Onboard connections include 12 mic/line inputs, 12 line outputs, four pairs of AES/EBU and eight MADI ports. Additional analog, AES, MADI and Dante I/O is available through stage boxes and network bridge devices.
Recently released v4 software for the Live console series implements direct gain compensation I/O sharing for SSL network I/O stage boxes. Existing SB 8.8 and SB i16 boxes as well as the new SB 32.24 box can all now be controlled directly from any Live console. They can also be shared between Live and System T broadcast consoles.
The Midas PRO X provides 168 inputs and 99 mix or 103 output channels simultaneously. AES50 connectivity allows scalability for up to a total of 288 network inputs and 294 network outputs. Integration comes via networks, such as Dante and CobraNet, using the Klark Teknik DN9650 network bridge.
The more recent NEUTRON-NB network bridge expansion module, compatible with the PRO X delivers a multi-channel interface between two third-party networks and point-to-point interfaces. Adding the NEUTRON-NB module to the PRO X delivers up to 64 additional bidirectional channels between two independently clocked domains, which can operate at different sample rates. With a 10-port AES50 interface, overall the NEUTRON-NB provides an additional 240 bidirectional channels at 96 kHz sample rate, and the ports can be freely routed for further network expansion.
Additional Choices
There are also several top-quality options separate from consoles, and they can also be utilized to make “specialty signal runs” to particular locations. Link USA, for example, has long facilitated the Dante protocol with a range of stage boxes, interfaces and switches in the DGLink Series.
The latest from Link is the new AES Drive Mini DGLink that interfaces eight AES/EBU inputs and outputs to Dante. This handy single rack unit supplies four pairs of XLR I/O and two locking etherCON connectors.
Focusrite has added the A8R to the RedNet line of Dante interfaces, which supplies eight channels of analog I/O and two channels of AES/EBU. Inputs and outputs are remotely configurable for +18 dBu or +24 dBu signal levels. Access to the eight channels of analog I/O is provided via dual rear-panel DB25 connectors, while two XLR connectors handle the AES I/O. Dual network connections are provided on locking etherCON connectors.
The ES4 from Whirlwind is a digital snake system consisting of a transmitter with 16 balanced mic/line inputs and eight line level outputs joined by a matching receiver with 16 line level outputs and eight line level inputs. All inputs have variable gain controls and LED level monitoring. The system can be can be configured for CobraNet, EtherSound, Dante, or AVB formats by simply changing out network modules.