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Yamaha CL series uses Dante to access NXAMP
point-to-point, however – for example, let’s say it’s just going AVB from one mixer to another; or from a mixer to a preamp in a rack via AVB – then that suddenly makes a lot of sense.” Because AVB was designed 75 percent for audio and video, and 25 percent to control data, Karpowicz believes it will always have the edge over its competition; and
functionality in the product is highly compelling.” Harman’s Sean Karpowicz believes
that it’s just a matter of time before everyone goes down the AVB route. “The reason Cisco and the other
network router people haven’t yet come onboard is backwards compatibility – that was their issue: the older routers and network hardware not working. We are still waiting for the routing, the switching, the hubs – and yes, that is currently the weak link,” Karpowicz admits. “But if you look at some recent developments in pro-audio manufacturers, you can see it’s coming: Avid’s stuff is now all open AVB [for the S3L and SC48], and if you think of their video side, AVB could also be huge for them there, too. From my point of view, I’ll be amazed that if in two years we haven’t seen a huge push for AVB. It won’t mean the end by any means for Dante, Ravenna, and all those guys – it’s just that it will become the solution.” According to Karpowicz, AVB has
more promise in what it offers – a major plus point, he says, is that it is an open standard. “AVB is not one company’s
protocol, and that’s a huge thing. Recently, Dante announced a new update, and we had to update the firmware on our cards – we didn’t know that was coming until it arrived, whereas AVB is more of a democracy, so to speak,” he smiles, pointing to my laptop. “It’s everywhere too – look at your MacBook – those Ethernet ports are AVB-enabled already; all Apple has to do in theory is update the firmware, and you’re good to go. Really, the potential is massive.” Currently, Karpowicz insists, from a
26 November 2013
Harman standpoint, it’s also about embracing all protocols, to make sure that everyone is happy: “We are agnostic: Dante, Rocknet, AVB, Ravenna – they’re all good in our book; we have to provide our installers and customers everything they need, and that’s all fine by us. But as we see it, if we can provide cheaper hardware by not paying licence fees – which we can with AVB as it doesn’t require any – then we can make our own designs through an open protocol and deliver better prices to our end users. “I won’t pretend that AVB isn’t expensive right now compared to other solutions – but there are reasons for this, and those will change the more people start using it: OK, it’s Gigabyte first of all, so it will be expensive, but as soon as it becomes a mass product, the cost will come way down. On the flip side, this is why Dante is currently the standard – it was quicker to market than AVB, it’s driven by profit, and it’s a fine solution that works well now. But if I was an end user, I know that I would prefer an open source platform with competitive pricing.” Karpowicz believes that if there is a
clear benefit then people will fork out and buy the switches they need to accommodate AVB, because it will be worth it in the long run, though he admits that on a consumer level, it’s not always going to work that way. “I think for big installers or major
venues, it doesn’t matter whether the automotive industry is behind AVB in a major way or not, but on a consumer level, let’s say you’ve got a $2,000 mixer, and you’re asking someone to buy a new router that’s three times the cost of their regular Netgear N100 router – well, that’s just not going to stand up,” he says. “If it’s
like Kennedy, he says that the wireless potential – as long as it’s super-solid – will add even more weight to AVB.
WHO’S ADOPTING WHAT?
Network capabilities have become somewhat indispensable in today’s world of digital live sound; here’s what some of the leading console manufacturers are creating and/or adopting:
Although Harman is firmly behind AVB, Soundcraft’s range of digital desks accommodate a string of audio protocols including MADI, Dante, CobraNet, [Riedel’s] RockNet, and BSS’s proprietary BLU-LINK.
Yamaha’s CL series consoles feature separate console and I/O rack components that communicate via the Dante network, which the manufacturer deems the quickest and most efficient for design and deployment of capable systems, from the most basic to the highly complex.
Roland Systems Group’s V-Mixing System for its digital consoles is centred around REAC (Roland’s Ethernet Audio Communication), a proprietary transmission protocol for low-latency, high-quality digital audio transfer. REAC is a 24-bit, 40 x 40 channel protocol that communicates via Cat5 and is said to be immune to the hums and buzzes typically found in analogue systems.
Allen & Heath’s iLive series of digital consoles has audio I/O option cards for Dante, MADI, Waves, and the manufacturer’s proprietary Ace protocol, which allows for multichannel record/playback, FOH/monitor splits, use of Waves plug-ins, and connection to Allen & Heath iLive systems (for more, see our review of the Allen & Heath GLD-112 on page 40).
Midas uses AES50 as its default audio protocol and the Klark-Teknik DN9650 network bridge caters for everything else, including AES50, MADI, Dante, Aviom’s A-Net, CobraNet, and EtherSound.
DiGiCo supports a range of protocols through interface cards and its Solutions range of products. Console support includes MADI, Optocore, Aviom, and Dante while the solutions boxes provide MADI/USB connectivity, plus a variety of optical and multi-console connection options.
The company’s big new offering is its collaboration with Waves Audio called DiGiGrid. This encapsulates a range of solutions based on the Waves SoundGrid realtime networking and processing platform and the AEB (Audio Exclusive Broadcast) protocol, which includes the SoundGrid DSP server. There are current bridging solutions for MADI and Avid HDX. SoundGrid is scheduled for full AVB compliance.
www.audiomedia.com
“I don’t see a world where there
isn’t going to be AVB; with Dante, you have to use the Audinate software, therefore to an extent you have to be pretty IT-savvy; but with AVB, of course, it’s a case of putting one AVB card in your stage box, and another AVB card in your console, and away you go. There are no configuration issues whatsoever to worry about; it all talks together, which is fantastic. “I think it will be one truly amazing product that utilises AVB that will do it – once somebody breaks serious new ground, the others will follow; we know it’s going to be there, it’s just when and how – what will be that watershed moment, I wonder?”
www.avnu.org www.harman.com www.peaveycommercialaudio.com www.soundcraft.com www.avid.com
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