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[Tuesday at NAB]
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Radio Gear Taps Wireless, Internet Technology
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by Mary Ann Melody,
~ April 15, 2008
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NAB DAILY NEWS
With so many big, brawny pieces of equipment filling up a radio station’s studio and control rooms — consoles, mixers, mics and the like — the smaller support gear sometimes can get lost in the shuffle.
But radio engineers know the truth: No words or music get on the air without every piece of equipment performing as it should each and every time.
Studio accessories, loggers, traffic and billing software, sales tools and other specialty radio equipment continue to rub elbows with their larger counterparts at the 2008 NAB Show. If your station is in the market for any of the above, the show floor offers products that take every advantage of this digital age, including high-speed data rates, wireless transfer and Web-based interfacing.
BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY
The world of wireless has found its way to studio accessories, thanks in part to the ubiquitous Bluetooth wireless technology and its ability to connect mobile phones over a secure, short-range radio frequency.
Two new products by JK Audio feature Bluetooth: the BluePack wireless interview tool and the RemoteAmp Blue stereo headphone amplifier.
The BluePack’s belt pack design facilitates live, breaking news interviews using a reporter’s cellphone equipped with Bluetooth. The unit acts as a professional microphone preamp and headphone amplifier, and features a 3.5 mm stereo line input and output.
The RemoteAmp Blue allows station monitoring through a cellphone equipped with the wireless technology. It is a listen-only connection ideal for voice-band IFB or full-bandwidth stereo music listening.
“The audio quality of traditional telephone interviews and breaking news coverage continues to decline with the use of cellphones and Internet telephony,” said Joe Klinger, president of JK Audio.
“Bluetooth wireless technology allows a field reporter to use a professional microphone to substantially improve the quality of the cellphone call or interview. While still a telephone-bandwidth connection, it’s a step in the right direction.”
The RemoteAmpTwo stereo headphone amplifier being introduced by JK Audio is a listen-only connection featuring separate volume controls for XLR, and 3.5 mm line input jacks for a mix of mono and stereo sources.
New headphone amps can be found in other show booths, including Henry Engineering’s new MiniPod headphone amplifier, a self-contained unit with headphone jacks and volume control. What makes this product unique is that it can be used with or without a headphone distribution unit.
The Mixer Mate is Henry Engineering’s answer to snag-ins that can occur when using a live music or PA-type mixer. The product’s three key functions are on/off control of up to four mics; the ability to mute the monitor when a mic is in use; and control of “on the air” studio warning lights.
HIGH SPEED, HIGH RATES
With sample rates now able to top off at 192 kHz, advances and enhancements to digital audio products seem boundless. Radio Design Labs is taking the cue and introducing four pieces of equipment featuring 192 kHz high-speed technology.
The HR-DAC1 digital-to-analog audio converter is designed for stations needing high-quality audio from an AES/EBU, AES-3ID or S/PDIF digital audio source. The unit automatically detects inputs on any of its four input jacks.
The HR-DDA4 digital audio distributor decodes, re-clocks and transmits input to four individually buffered outputs. Digital audio formats and sample rates from valid sources are received with no phase-lock or bit errors.
According to the company, the HR-UDC1 universal digital audio converter converts signals between consumer and professional formats. All professional and consumer, emphasis and sampling frequency bits common to the S/PDIF and AES/EBU standards are inserted into the output data stream.
The RDS HR-DSX4 digital audio switcher features solid-state switching with input fed through one of its three jacks. The selected input is decoded, re-clocked and transmitted. The unit’s switch enables the appropriate output jack and any required electrical and data format conversion.
LOGGERS, ENCODERS
The advancement of audio logging equipment follows other market trends: equipment that uses Web-related features like e-mail alerts and Internet audio file servers.
Designed for compliance, proof, audit, programming and management, the BlackBox digital audio logger, monitor and alert system from Pristine Systems comes equipped with 16 stereo channels of logging.
“A variety of WAV audio devices and tuner boards are supported,” said George Thomas, president of Pristine Systems. “PDs and consultants will find everything needed for quick review or detailed analysis of the entire market.”
Want the option to listen to radio as in real time? BlackBox allows switching between multiple stations and also offers audio and RF signal monitoring.
With the continued growing use of the RDS standard, Inovonics introduces its third-generation 720 RDS/-RBDS Dynamic RadioData Encoder. The unit sends “flags” to identify the station, its programming format and other station characteristics, while displaying instant scroll messages as seen by listeners.
“RDS has become almost ubiquitous, even in the United States,” said Jim Wood, president and chief engineer of Inovonics. “There is no reason, technical or financial, for a broadcaster not to implement RDS on his station.”
In addition, broadcasters can transmit audible emergency traffic safety messages “that will override reception of other stations or even interrupt CD or MP3 playback,” Wood said. “These are features that increase the broadcaster’s presence and may serve as sources of additional revenue.”
To continuously produce a clean signal while switching between internal and external sources presents challenges. One workaround is the new ESE ES-188 network time protocol master clock and time code generator. According to the company, the unit is designed to lock local facilities to external time sources when a slight time offset is needed.
The 188 is a 1 RU that displays day of year, hour, minute and second; multiple types of time code are produced by the unit and output on the rear panel. The ES-188 interfaces with new or existing computers, automation systems or third-party clock systems.
AD SALES, BILLING
Bid4Spots, a relative newcomer to the NAB Show, will have no tangible product on display; instead it will detail how attendees can sell last-minute radio airtime. Bid4Spots is a marketplace for radio stations to sell their unsold inventory sales.
Dave Newmark, the company’s chief executive officer, states, “Radio continues to be an attractive, proven medium for advertisers.” The company recently reached $8 million in sales transactions since its inception less than three years ago.
Bid4Spots points to this as a marked jump in fresh revenue and new-to-radio advertisers who are active in the Bid4Spots market arena. So far, 2,600 terrestrial broadcasters have jumped on the Bid4Spots bandwagon, according to the company.
Consumers love choices and the NDS RadioGuard promises that; it’s a conditional access system that allows HD Radio users to tap into their choice of music, pay-per-listen events (such as live concerts) and other services, such as radio reading services for the visually impaired.
Introduced at the 2007 NAB Show, RadioGuard offers something for management too. A demo in the NDS booth this year will feature targeted advertising, or ad substitution. One radio will receive a broadcast stream while other radios will substitute ads targeted to the specific listener. This capability will be available by the 2009 NAB Show.
RadioTraffic.com brings the total package when it comes to traffic and billing software for radio stations. The company’s EmailMyTimes.com automatically e-mails clients when their ads air, and is compatible with all standard traffic and billing software and studio automation equipment.
“EmailMyTimes.com software automatically analyzes tomorrow’s log and e-mails ad times to your advertisers,” said Dave Scott, chief executive officer with The Dave Scott Companies. “It can work for all your stations, including HD-2 and Internet streams.”
Scott said he thinks the greatest advantage for a product like this is saving time and money while utilizing the Internet.
“Internet connectivity … lets sales people see and sell immediate avails via PDA or laptop while on the street with advertisers,” Scott said. “Internet also allows order entry without travel time and allows traffic people to work from home.”
The company’s Radio-Traffic.com is a traffic, billing and advertising order entry system that comes standard with auto-transfer of prospects to orders, a prospect contact manager, editing and Internet customer service.
Summit Traffic will have its Summit Traffic Version 3.3, featuring real-time avails and spot scheduling. Touted as a complete traffic, sales, inventory and billing system, users can specify spot placement by time, program or daypart.
SIGNAL PATHS
Cable and connector makers have not been immune from the digital revolution. These manufacturers have leapt into the fray introducing new technologies, upgrading cable and connectors and making once alien items such as Cat-5 cable a common spec for broadcasters. Zip cord is no longer acceptable.
Neutrik has long been a ringleader in this transition. For this year’s NAB Show, Neutrik is showing an even more rugged and weatherized version of the Optical-Con fiber optic connector. Called the IP65 Rated OpticalCon, it is hardened against dust and water jets. Neutrik also is showing the 32-amp PowerCon power connector for power systems.
Belden’s latest is a new single-pair AES/EBU digital audio cable in its Brilliance line, the 1353A. The cable is aimed at permanent installation in radio and television studios.
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