Neutrik Americas has announced the debut of the NA-4I4O-AES72, a new four-channel AES72 compliant stagebox for transmitting microphone levels, analog line levels, AES3, DMX, or intercom over one single Category cable.
Loaded with four male and four female XLRs in the same housing, NA-4I4O-AES72 provides any combination of input and output signals such as 2 in/2 out or 4 in/0 out. Since input signals are also present at the XLR outputs, the device can be used as a splitter for monitoring and similar applications. The NA-4I4O-AES72 also provides two etherCON ports for the Category cable connection. One is the primary; the other serves as a feedthrough to loop the signals to other devices.
Each NA-4I4O-AES72 stagebox input has two switches: a ground lift switch to prevent possible ground loops, and a polarity inversion switch to correct any polarity flips within the signal path. The unit can also pass phantom power when STP cabling is used. Further, the NA-4I4O-AES72 is AES72 compliant using the standard’s Type 4E wiring scheme.
Offerring the same form factor as NEUTRIK’s DLINE products with a thick rubber protection cover, the NA-4I4O-AES72 can also be mounted to tabletops, trusses, or 19-inch equipment racks using NEUTRIK’s optional accessories. The device’s dark appearance, where the XLR and etherCON input latches are a non-reflective black, makes it suitable for use on stages and other environments where low visibility is desirable.
Neutrik Americas VP of technology Fred Morgenstern states, “The AV community has increasingly embraced Category cabling for transmitting up to four signals. The cost and setup time savings versus using four discrete balanced cables are significant. Plus, Category cabling’s tight twisting has proven to be excellent at noise rejection. So, ironically, while large analog snakes are dying out, these all-analog AES72 devices are thriving for four-channel applications.
“NEUTRIK’s NA-4I4O-AES72 has an ideal AES72 feature set,” he adds. “Its input and output connectors enable the device to function bidirectionally without the complexity of requiring separate input and output devices. This allows for simpler cabling since send and receive channels can be carried over one cable. It also facilitates easy signal splitting, for example, to send one signal to a remote location over Cat cabling while also monitoring that signal locally. The ground lift and polarity inversion switches are great additions, and the device features the same rugged form factor that has made NEUTRIK’s DLINE Dante devices so popular. Add all that up, and I expect the NA-4I4O-AES72 to be a hit.”
Go here for more specifics on the new NA-4I4O-AES72.
