Canford Source Material Magazine - Nine (2023-2024) by Canford Audio

canford.co.uk

NINTH

EDITION 2023-2024

A Canford Production

USING WATERPROOF LAVALIER MICS FOR A SURF DOCUMENTARY

With Award-Winning Filmmaker Grant Thompson

CONSOLE DESIGN: Does analogue sound better than digital?

SAFE FROM HARM Noise cancelling headphones and hearing protection

BRADLEY WOOLLETT of Timeline’s Ealing Broadcast Centre

FIBRE SOLUTIONS

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For more information contact our sales team UK Sales: 0191 418 1122 sales@canford.co.uk International Sales: +44 191 418 1133 international@canford.co.uk canford.co.uk/Fibre-optic-cables-connectors-and-interfaces

WELCOME Welcome to Source Material 9! At IBC this year, there was something else to be proud about too. The Sonifex team surprised us with yet another UK Distributor of the Year Award. I believe this is our tenth in a row, testament to the ongoing partnership, no… friendship, that has endured over the last thirtyplus years. And cause for yet more celebration. Over the last twelve months, both Panamic and EMO turned fifty! Both brands remain very popular, clearly an indicator of high quality, relevant products.

I said in an interview last year that our industry is incredibly resilient and that I was confident that, together, we could weather any storm. Well, despite being faced with economic uncertainty, escalating global tensions, component shortages and supply chain issues, and in the face of a costof-living crisis in many parts of the world, we have come together as an industry to facilitate some of the largest, most complex live events the world has ever seen. We’ve all had a direct hand in making memories that will last a lifetime, and for that we should be proud.

This year, you’ll notice the magazine is a little different to previous issues. Based on the feedback you all kindly provided on issue eight, we’ve packed issue nine full of technical talk and bespoke, exclusive content from a number of industry giants. But, as always, Canford is about people, and my favourite article this year is ‘Our People’ compiled by our HR Manager, Beth. I’m told there were dozens of submissions – Canford really is full of interesting people. Enjoy.

Alan Wilson, CEO

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28 20

REBUILDING “OB1” with Tom Herrington of Zest4.tv

SAFE FROM HARM Noise cancelling headphones and the importance of hearing protection

PRESENTDAYPRODUCTION Introduce the MUM-8 Active Studio Monitor With a little help from Canford

ENHANCING BROADCASTING FLEXIBILITY AND EFFICIENCY: A Case Study on AMI’s KVM System Implementation.

A SIGN OF THE TIMES with Sonifex

BRADLEY WOOLLETT OF TIMELINE’S EALING BROADCAST CENTRE

TEN ORDERS, TEN LOCATIONS, NO SECOND CHANCES

SOUND DEVICES ASTRAL SERIES: Pushing the Bounds of Wireless Audio

Shure AONIC 50 (Gen 2) headphones

THE COMPLETE PICTURE FOR BROADCAST AUDIO with Shure

Engineered from decades of stage and studio experience, the second generation of the AONIC 50 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones deliver premium, high-fidelity audio with improved active noise cancelling technology, and up to 45 hours of battery life!

CONSOLE DESIGN: Does Analogue Sound Better Than Digital? with D&R Electronica

Winning couldn’t be easier. Simply scan the QR code or go to: https://www.canford.co.uk/News/851_ShureGiveaway fill in a brief survey, and you are in the draw.

CATCH UP WITH DACS FOUNDER DOUGLAS DOHERTY

Prizes courtesy of our friends at Shure Winners will be contacted via email on 1st February 2024

LVD SAFETY REGULATIONS with Neutrik

WIN

worth

£349

one of three sets of

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CONTENTS 33

SKB: HOW IT ALMOST ALL WENT UP IN SMOKE

LOCK IN YOUR POWER

BEGINNINGS

HOW TO SPECIFY THE DIRECTIVITY OF A SHOTGUN MIC with DPA

32-BIT FLOAT RECORDING with Zoom

USING WATERPROOF LAVALIER MICS FOR A SURF DOCUMENTARY

UNBREAKABLE CRANKING K&M introduce new wind-up stands

SONY MICROPHONE LEGACY: 60+ Years of Audio Excellence

AUDIOPRESSBOX Elevate your press conference

ADVANCED AUDIO AND PUBLIC ADDRESS FOR VENUES with TOA

LAYING DOWN THE LOOP with Contacta

THE IMPORTANCE OF AUDIO FOR CORPORATE BUSINESS with Audio-Technica

NETWORK AUDIO DISTRIBUTION IS VITAL IN TODAY’S MARKET A Conversation with Erik Tarkiainen – RDL President

AWARD-WINNING PRODUCTS TO ENABLE AND IMPROVE PRODUCTION WORKFLOWS with TSL

SETTING UP THE GLENSOUND GTM FOR AN ESPORTS TOURNAMENT

TECPRO, SOUNDS LIKE INTERCOM

GREEN-GO, SUPPORT AND TRAINING

NETWORKING, PACKET LOSS, AND SYNCHRONISATION

LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AND UPHOLDING BRITISH MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE with Rycote

‘HEY, MY DAD MADE THAT!’ 50 Years of Panamic Boom Poles

FROM STAGE TO THRILLS: The Not So Surprising Connection Between Theatre Enthusiasts and Theme Park Fanatics

OUR PEOPLE Canford is FULL of interesting people

ELC LIGHTING: DMX CONTROL AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

LANDE IP55 SAFEBOX CABINETS

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY EMO!

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REBUILDING “OB1” Zest4.tv are a multi-faceted production company offering bespoke and scalable solutions in the world of Outside Broadcast, Video Production, Audio & Talkback Solutions, and Live Streaming, as well as being go-to technical consultants and a very reputable (and well-stocked!) dry-hire company. By Erika Dobie, UK Business Development Manager at Canford I recently got in touch with Tom Herrington, Technical Director and Head of Outside Broadcast, at Zest4.tv to discuss a major revamp of the ‘OB1’ Outside Broadcast van. Tom: We’ve been performing a major upgrade on our ‘OB1’ van. We built it on a 7.2T IVECO Daily chassis. It has facilities for 8-10 cameras which makes OB1 perfect for sports, festivals, social media streams, or any other type of studio, venue, or outside event. Its smaller footprint allows us to slot it into smaller spaces, where larger expanding trucks can’t fit, but it’s still just as mighty, with three separate seated galleries for production (4 seats), engineering (2 seats), and sound (1 seat). This all started because we decided to upgrade the video matrix in OB1 from a Blackmagic 40x40, to a Ross Ultrix 72x72. We received the Ross equipment back in January 2023, but we had to wait until our current weekly OB contract had finished before we could start the build. We received the first Canford order in February. This was to pre-cable the Ultrix to the MUSA patch bay outside of the OB; we could chip away at this part in any spare time. Once that was completed, more Canare cable was then chopped into approximate lengths for other various bits of kit, and I terminated the micro-BNC ends and numbered each length. This meant that half of the job was already completed before I had to take OB1 off the road. By this point, 600 metres of BNC cable had been cut to length, numbered, and had a single end on. Good start!

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About a month before the OB1 build began, we placed another order for an additional 1000 metres of BNC cable, BNC patch panels, U-Links…etc. This all arrived in perfect time. May arrived, and it was now time to start the build! OB1 may be a, relatively speaking, small van, but it’s still a big project. I had two weeks to install a brand-new Ross Ultrix 72x72 with all new BNC cables to every item of kit. That’s 1200(ish) hand-crimped ends and around 1500 metres of BNC! I started by stripping out the old 3G purple BNC cable, which took a couple of days. We decided to go for the Neutrik (with coloured boots) twist lock BNC connectors for all CCU i/o. Because we move camera CCUs in and out of the OB all the time, I needed an easy and robust connector to help facilitate this. The coloured boots also make prep time much quicker and easier, because each CCU will look the same; the colours make identification a breeze. We’ve also used this connector on the back of engineering Sony OLED monitors, for the times where we have had to remove and access the rack from the other side during maintenance. And that about brings us up to date! Oh, we did use a handful of Mini/Din BNC connectors for the PCI cards on our MacStudio Ingest machine and VMix PC tower too. We are always continuing to innovate and make OB1 as versatile and robust as possible. We just finished adding 4x 12G BNC lines to the front of the cab so that we can run LiveUs or mini monitors directly from the MUSA patch, right into the cab. For more information on the wide variety of services that Zest4.tv offer head to www.zest4.tv Thanks again to Tom for his time!

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METALWORK SOLUTIONS • CUSTOM DESIGN • PANELS & PLATES • PRINT • ENGRAVE • Custom: Working with customers to develop bespoke, personalised solutions. Quality: Dedicated UK metalwork shop incorporating Painting, Laser Engraving, and Assembly. Quick: Short lead times due to our complete integration and our in-house design and development service.

For more information contact our sales team UK Sales: 0191 418 1122 sales@canford.co.uk International Sales: +44 191 418 1133 international@canford.co.uk 8

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canford.co.uk/Custom-panels

SAFE FROM HARM By Paul Power, Technical Support Engineer at Canford

Modern headphones include a range of functions like Google assistant, hear through or aware mode, and the ability to control playback from the earpieces, but one of the most common features is noise cancelling. History Noise cancelling is not a new technology; a patent was first filed in 1934 by Dr Paul Lueg (a Doctor of Medicine and Philosophy) which is considered as the first introduction to the idea of noise cancelling. The patent never came to fruition, and it wasn’t until the 1950’s when scientist Dr Laurence Fogel designed and created a headset for pilots. The headset was designed to reduce the noise of the helicopter engine in the pilot’s earpiece in order to improve communication. However, the noise cancelling we have today was pioneered by Dr Amar Bose, of the Bose corporation. Types of Noise Cancelling Noise cancelling uses active electronics within the headphone to process the sampled environmental noise. There are three main types of noise cancelling designs: • Feedforward • Feedback • Hybrid The feedforward design works by using a small microphone on the outside of the headphone, feedback uses a small microphone on the inside of the headphone, and the hybrid design uses a combination of the two. All of the designs rely on a DSP (Digital Signal Processing) chip to process the noise, invert it, and sum it with the in-phase component to effectively cancel the noise by means of destructive interference. The hybrid method provides the best of both feedforward and feedback noise cancelling technologies since the microphone placed within the earcup can continuously monitor what the user is hearing and correct for any errors, providing a more efficient noise cancelling circuit. Noise cancelling works best on steady state noise. For example: the drone of an aircraft engine or air conditioning

noise. Noise cancelling struggles with transient sounds like someone suddenly shouting, since the DSP requires time to process the audio. Further, there is a point at which noise cancelling is not as effective, generally this is around 1-2kHz. At these frequencies and above, it is the actual closed earcup of the headphone that provides passive noise attenuation rather than noise cancelling. In addition, noise cancelling requires power to work, so when batteries run out, there is no noise cancelling. Noise cancelling headphones could be confused as headphones that will provide hearing protection from environmental noise, however, most noise cancelling headphones do not follow any standards aligned to personal protective equipment. Hearing Protection Devices HPD (Hearing Protection Devices) form part of the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). They are simpler in design than noise cancelling headphones; most cases do not playback music and attenuate the environmental noise using passive isolation. There are other variations with respect to HPDs that use active electronics to allow low level sound to be heard by the listener, and louder sounds to be suppressed. There are two main types of HPD designs, those that use earmuffs, rather like a traditional headphone with headband, and the insert earplug types which are inserted into the ear canal. Construction The headband type HPD (that use earmuffs) are constructed of hard plastic shells which are lined with foam and sit around the ear creating a tight seal. Unlike noise cancelling headphones, ear defenders rely solely on passive noise attenuation; the dense plastic ear cup and the internally lined foam earcups help dampen resonances.

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Standards Unlike the previously detailed noise cancelling headphones, HPD’s must conform to BS EN 352 standards.

There are also the HML figures (known as the high, medium, and low) and the SNR (Single Number Rating) figures. For a typical ear defender headset like the Peltor X2, the HML values are:

Testing

H = 34dB

BS EN 352 does not detail the testing methods but refers to standards BS EN 13819-2:2020 and BS EN 4869-2:1995 which details the physical and acoustical test methods. Several parameters are checked during the physical properties test which involves checking the fitment of the headphones according to the manufacturers sizing (the majority of which are medium size), drop testing to ensure the ear defenders don’t break or crack, and checking the headband force and ear cushion pressure to ensure that they seal properly around the ear. Acoustic testing involves testing the attenuation and the insertion loss in an acoustic test chamber. 16 human participants are used to test the ‘subjective attenuation’, measuring the participants threshold of hearing with and without hearing protection; the attenuation value is the difference between the two measurements. Whereas objective Insertion loss measurement uses an acoustic mannequin with microphones in the ears to measure the noise with and without the ear defenders fitted, ‘the insertion loss’ is the difference in sound pressure level with and without the HPD fitted to the mannequin, this is only done for ear defenders that use earmuffs, not insertion type ear plugs.

M = 29dB

L = 20dB

And the SNR values are: SNR = 31dB These values can be used to predict the ear protection provided by the X2 before deployment to ensure that adequate protection is provided. There are several ways that this can be done. Frequency Weighting The way the ear interprets sound varies at different levels. (A) weighting on sound level meters are used for most applications but, at noise levels 100dB or more, the response of the ear is much flatter. As a result, low frequencies must also be taken into account using the (C) weighting to reflect the response of the ear at these levels more correctly. Figure 1 below shows the (A) and (C) weighting curves. The HML values can be used when the noise in the environment is dominant at certain frequencies. The protection at the ear is calculated using the (A) and (C) weighted noise levels.

The output of the measurements is the “Mean Attenuation” for octave band values for each of the 125Hz-8kHz, the “Assumed protection”, which are the values at each octave frequency minus the standard deviation. This information is used to calculate the octave band values of the protection that the HPD will provide. Table 1 below is an example of the values provided by 3M Peltor for the X2 HPD which uses earmuffs for example. 3M Peltor X2 Frequency Hz

125

250

500

1000 2000 4000 8000

Mean Attenuation 19.0 14.1 22.2 31.1 39.7

36.6

37.0

Standard Deviation 4.5

3.2

3.7

3.4

14.5 11.9 20.1 28.4 36.5

33.4

33.3

33.6

Assumed Protection

2.2

2.1

2.7

Table 1 Attenuation Values for 3M Peltor X2

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Figure 1 ‘A’ and ‘C’ Weighting Curves

Using the SNR figure, the protection at the ear is calculated by subtracting the SNR value of the ear defender from the measured (C) weighted noise in the environment. It is useful when there are only (C) weighted measurements available. Where the environment noise is dominated by particular frequencies, the HML and SNR figures are less accurate and the octave band method is more reliable.

Selecting the Correct Ear Defenders The HSE (Health & Safety Executive) in the UK provide general guidance on the SNR value required for a given environment noise level range, which can be seen in Table 2. Indication of protection Factors A Weighted Noise Level

Select a Protector with the Right SNR

85-90

20 or <

90-95

20-30

95-100

25-35

100-105

30 or more

Workplace Noise Frequency Hz

125

250

500

1000 2000 4000 8000

Unprotected Spectrum

Protected Spectrum

63.5 73.1 69.9 59.6 58.5

64.6

56.7

55.4

Table 4 Workplace Noise (Unprotected Spectrum & Protected Spectrum)

Table 2 Indication of Protection Factors

When selecting HPDs, over protection should be avoided. This is where HPDs reduce the level at the ear to below 70dB. This can cause problems for the user with respect to communication and interpretation of alarm signals etc. The HSE advises that HPDs that reduce the level at the ear to within a range of 70-80dB(A) is good. Table 3 from the HSE website summarises this. Noise Level at the Ear

Protection Rating Statement

Below 70dB(A)

Over Protection

70-80dB(A)

Good

80-85dB(A)

Acceptable

Above 85dB(A)

Under-Protection

To find the overall sound pressure level at the ear, the sum of all the octave band values 63Hz-8kHz are calculated, which in this case the (Protected Spectrum) at the ear is 68.8 dB(A), however, to account for real world applications 4dB is added giving 72.8dB(A), which is rounded to 73dB(A), this accounts for incorrect positioning of the ear defenders etc. Limitations There are limits to the protection that can be provided by HPDs. They will not provide greater than 40dB of attenuation at 2kHz because noise at these frequencies will enter through the skull instead. HPDs will provide greater protection at higher frequencies, but earplugs, fitted correctly, will provide greater low frequency attenuation than HPDs that use earmuffs, due to the insertion deep into the wearer’s ear canal creating a tighter seal. Noise cancelling headphones and ear defenders are very different and are intended for different applications. As can be seen, ear defenders go through extensive testing which allows the user to predict and be certain of the protection that they are receiving when using them, leaving nothing to chance.

Table 3 protection Rating Statement

Example Evaluation of Suitability of Ear Defender for Noisy Environment To make life simpler, the HSE provides a downloadable HPD calculator spreadsheet which can be found here https://www. hse.gov.uk/noise/calculator.htm. Using the values given for the 3M Peltor X2 in Table 1, the mean attenuation and standard deviation can be input into the calculator and the protection provided by the X2 can be predicted. Table 4 shows the result of the calculation. The workplace noise in the (Unprotected Spectrum) can be seen with the (Protected Spectrum) showing the values at the ear as a result of the hearing protection.

Level-Limited HEADPHONES Because prevention is better than cure. Especially when there is no cure.

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PresentDayProduction

Introduce the MUM-8 Active Studio Monitor With a little help from Canford By Adam Ironside, Marketing Manager at Canford

Anyone with even the most casual interest in studio recording, mixing, and mastering will have very likely come by Mark and James of PresentDayProduction. As well as being experts in Audio Mastering (Mark has been doing that since 1988), they also set up a YouTube channel in 2020 which has grown in popularity due to the informative and educational content they provide, often in a humorous and completely transparent way. The audio industry sometimes has a reputation for being full of snake-oil salesmen; the guys at PDP certainly aren’t pedalling. This story begins around 2022 when the guys were considering a move towards incorporating a Dolby Atmos setup but “couldn’t find a monitoring solution for under £10,000 a pair that satisfied (them) - and many at £10k a pair didn’t satisfy either”. At this point they decided to make their own! “Many months, over 35 test cabinets, and a whole heap of expert help later, we ended up with a design that beat the main mastering monitors we’d been using for years in every measurable aspect, including percentage of revisions, which is the only measurable aspect we really care about. Folks came in (to the studio), heard them, fell in love, and asked us if we could build them a pair in a more traditional studio-style cabinet. So, we set to work designing and refining the best studio monitor we could. The result is the PresentDayProduction MUM-8. The last monitor you’ll ever need to buy - and it’s fully upgradable as technology improves and your skills progress”. Featuring a Purifi PTT8 8 inch Aluminium bass woofer, a choice of either Silk or Beryllium BlieSMa midrange drivers and tweeters, and making use of Hypex N-Core amplifier modules, the MUM-8 certainly delivers a premium spec.

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To assist with the project, our metalworking team at our Portland (Dorset) site manufactured a unique, precisioncrafted 3U rack case as Mark describes below: “We recently brought a three-way active studio monitor to the market, the MUM-8, and as many studio monitors are destined for soffit mounting in a control room wall, or might be used on a ceiling for surround purposes, we decided we

Mark shares more on how the MUM-8 came to be

wanted an amplifier that could traditionally be placed at the rear of the speaker, or be removed and placed in a standard 19” equipment rack. We therefore needed a custom 3U rack case that was only 60mm deep, with cutouts for our circuit boards, connectors, and LED indicators that were accurate to within a fraction of a millimetre. We approached several companies, and ordered prototypes from many, all of which have experience with rack equipment for pro audio use, and Canford came out on top in every measurable aspect! The initial contact was friendly and helpful, the quote we received was extremely competitive, lead times were encouraging. The team at Canford answered all our questions, suggested a few changes and a twopiece design to ease with manufacture and, as we had no experience with ordering metalwork, interpreted our backof-an-envelope designs into superb and easy to understand technical drawings for our approval.

right through to delivering a superb final result. We have just ordered the second batch, and are pleased to be keeping manufacturing in the UK, and know that we need look nowhere else for a top quality product, backed up by the finest customer service.” And a final word from Martin Puckett – Production Manager at our Portland metalworking facility: “It was a real pleasure to work with the guys at PDP. We were quickly able to adapt and deliver a custom solution that matched their exact requirements. The final product looks so good, and the whole team are rightfully proud to have played a small part in making the MUM-8 a reality”.

A couple of weeks later we received a prototype case for testing, and everything fitted perfectly, first time. Canford then took care of all the screen printing for us on the production models, and our initial order of 30 units was delivered a couple of weeks later. By comparison, we waited three months for a single prototype from one competitor! The result is a fantastic product we are truly proud to present to our customers. The Canford team have been exceptional at every step of the way, from initial contact For more info on the MUM-8 monitor, head over to presentdayproduction.com. You can also preorder yourself a set of MUM-8s; the first batch sold out in no time.

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Enhancing Broadcasting Enhancing Broadcasting Flexibility and Efficiency: Flexibility and Efficiency:

A Case Study Study on on AMI's AMI’sKVM KVM A Case System System Implementation. Implementation.

AMI, mediamedia company dedicateddedicated to serving the AMI,a anot-for-profit not-for-profit company to disability serving community in Canada, sought to improve the functionality and flexibility the disability community in Canada, sought to improve the of their KVM system. To achieve this, AMI partnered with Matrix Video functionality and flexibilityand of their system. achieve Communications Corporation ThorvinKVM Electronics to To design and this, AMI anpartnered with system. MatrixThisVideo Communications implement innovative KVM case study examines the Corporation and Thorvin Electronics to design and implement challenges, solutions, and benefits of this collaboration.

The Matrix Matrix Video Communications Corporation, Corporation, in consultation TheSolution: Solution: Video Communications with Thorvin Electronics, proposed a solution that involved the use of in consultation with Thorvin Electronics, proposed a solution MuxLab's KVM system, specifically the 500770-TX/RX units with a that involved use of MuxLab’s KVM system, specifically the 500812 Networkthe Controller. The key components of AMI's KVM system 500770-TX/RX units with a 500812 Network Controller. The included:

key components of AMI’s KVM system included: an innovative KVM system. This case study examines the ◦ 12 units of 500770-TX (Transmitter) • 12 units of 500770-TX (Transmitter) AMI is a prominent company ofthat on entertaining, ◦ 12 units of 500770-RX (Receiver) challenges, solutions,media and benefits thisfocuses collaboration. units of 500770-RX (Receiver) informing, and empowering Canadians who are blind or partially sighted. ◦• 12 1 unit of 500812 Network Controller AMI broadcast is a prominent media company that infocuses on • 1 unit of 500812 Network Controller Their services include AMI-tv and AMI-audio English and AMI-télé in French. entertaining, informing, and empowering Canadians who are AMI's KVM system offers the desired flexibility for their shows and AMI’s KVM system offers the desired flexibility for their shows blind or partially sighted. Their broadcast services include AMI- workplace. Operators can easily control two monitors using a single and workplace. Operators can easily control monitors and mouse. This adaptability is crucial as ittwo accommodates The Challenge: AMI in required audio control in room and studio that keyboard tv and AMI-audio Englishanand AMI-télé French. using a single keyboard and mouse. This adaptability single offered maximum flexibility. They needed the ability to rearrange various personnel requirements, whether it's a small team orisacrucial as it accommodates various personnel requirements, whether The Challenge: AMI required audio configurations control room managing the displays. workstations and accommodate varying an personnel to operator support different shows. Additionally, AMI sought a system would it’s a small team or a single operator managing the displays. and studio that offered maximum flexibility. Theythatneeded allow operatorstoto rearrange control multiple displays withand ease,accommodate using a single The system was required to run reliably, supporting two shows per day, the ability workstations The system was required to run reliably, supporting two keyboard and mouse. configurations For controlling various displays,different Peter Slisarenko, varying personnel to support shows. seven days a week, with each show lasting 2 to 2.5 hours. A third show shows day, seven days week, show lasting to alsoper scheduled to run foraan hour.with AMI each reported that, since2the Sales Account Manager at Matrix Video Communications Corporation, was Additionally, AMI sought a system that would allow operators launch in show Januarywas 2023, has been suggested KVM features to work with two monitors, a keyboard, and a system's 2.5 hours. A third also there scheduled to runnofordowntime, an hour. to control multiple displays with ease, using a single keyboard demonstrating its robustness and reliability. mouse. AMI reported that, since the system’s launch in January 2023, and mouse. For controlling various displays, Peter Slisarenko, there has been no downtime, demonstrating its robustness Sales Account Manager at Matrix Video Communications and reliability. Corporation, suggested KVM features to work with two monitors, a keyboard, and a mouse.

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Kevin thethe Manager of Technology at AMI,atpraised the system's with Matrix Communications Corporation and AMI’scollaboration collaboration with Video Matrix Video Communications KevinSharpen, Sharpen, Manager of Technology AMI, praised the AMI's installation process. The MuxLab KVM system saved rack space and was Thorvin Electronics to implement the MuxLab KVM system has been a system’s installation process. The MuxLab KVM system saved Corporation and Thorvin Electronics to implement the straightforward to install. Although there were minor programming issues resounding success. The system's flexibility, reliability, and ease of use Kevin Sharpen, Manager of Technology atinstall. AMI, praised the system's MuxLab AMI's collaboration with Matrix Video Communications Corporation system been a capabilities. resounding success. The and rack space andtheMuxLab's was straightforward Although improved AMI'shas broadcasting With the addition during the setup, technical teamtoquickly resolved them.there This have greatlyKVM Thorvin Electronics to implement the MuxLab KVM system has been a installation process. The MuxLab KVM system saved rack space and was system’s flexibility, reliability, and ease of use have greatly were minor programming issues during the setup, MuxLab’s ease of installation and troubleshooting contributed to the project's overall of a third show to their schedule, AMI continues to leverage this innovative straightforward to install. Although there were minor programming issues resounding success. The system's flexibility, reliability, and ease improved AMI’s capabilities. the addition ofof use technicaland team quickly resolved them. This ease of installation KVM simplicity cost-effectiveness. solution to broadcasting serve its visually impairedWith audience effectively, during the setup, MuxLab's technical team quickly resolved them. This demonstrating have greatly the improved AMI's broadcasting capabilities. With the addition powerschedule, of technology to enhancetoaccessibility and AMI continues leverage this and troubleshooting contributed to the project’s overall a third show to their of a third their schedule, AMI continues to leverage this innovative easeGallant of installation and troubleshooting contributed to the project's overall inclusivity in show mediatosolution broadcasting. Troy fromcost-effectiveness. Matrix Video continues to provide support to AMI, innovative KVM to serve its visually impaired audience simplicity and simplicitythe andsystem's cost-effectiveness. KVM solution to serve its visually impaired audience effectively, ensuring proper performance and stability. The units have effectively, demonstrating of technology enhance and demonstrating the powerthe of power technology to enhance to accessibility Troy Gallant from Matrix VideoAMI's continues to provide support proven to be highly reliable, meeting broadcasting needs effectively. accessibility and inclusivity in media broadcasting. Troy Gallantensuring from Matrix continues to provide support toand AMI, inclusivity in media broadcasting. to AMI, the Video system’s proper performance ensuring the system's proper performance and stability. The units have stability. The units have proven to be highly reliable, meeting proven to be highly reliable, meeting AMI's broadcasting needs effectively.

AMI’s broadcasting needs effectively.

“ “

This solution was an excellent collaboration between all partners. Thorvin was pleased to work between with Matrix This solution wasElectronics an excellent collaboration Video in recommending the system and providing all partners. Thorvinwas Electronics wascollaboration pleased tobetween all This solution an excellent demonstration units for proof of concept. The partnership partners. Thorvin Electronics was pleased tothe work support with Matrix work with Matrix Video recommending also included MuxLab whoinprovided programming recommending the system providing forVideo reliable flawlessdemonstration performance. system andinand providing units forand proof demonstration units for proof of concept. The partnership ofPeter concept. The MuxLab partnership also included MuxLab from Thorvin added . provided programming support alsoJustiz included who whoforprovided programming support for reliable and reliable and flawless performance. flawless performance. Peter Justiz from Thorvin added .

Peter Justiz from Thorvin added.

” ”

MuxLab offers a complete line of AV over IP solutions. Visit our website to see the complete line.

MuxLab offers a complete line of AV over IP solutions. Visit our website toMuxLab see the line. offers complete a complete line of AV over IP solutions. Visit our website to see the complete line.

About MuxLab: MuxLab is a leading designer of value-added www.muxlab.com solutionsis for the pro designer AV and broadcast markets.connectivity Since Facebook:for /MuxLab Twitter: /muxlabincmarkets. Since 1984, MuxLab has About connectivity MuxLab: MuxLab a leading of value-added solutions the pro|AV and broadcast 1984, MuxLab has supported its main mission to provide Press: press@muxlab.com | Sales: salesteam@muxlab.com supported its main mission to provide customers with innovative, dependable and industry leading designs that are engineered in Canada. A forerunner of customers with innovative, dependable and industry leading Toll-Free (North America): 1 (877) 689-5228 the AV over IP evolution, MuxLab continues deliver comprehensive, IP-enabled systems for both commercial and residential installations About MuxLab: MuxLab atoleading of value-added www.muxlab.com designs that are engineered inisCanada. A designer forerunner of the game AV changing International: +1 (514) 905-0588 of all shapes and sizes. connectivity solutions for the pro AV and broadcast markets. Since Facebook: /MuxLab | Twitter: /muxlabinc over IP evolution, MuxLab continues to deliver comprehensive, 1984,changing MuxLab IP-enabled has supported to provide Press: press@muxlab.com | Sales: salesteam@muxlab.com game systemsits formain bothmission commercial and www.muxlab.com residential of all shapes and sizes.and industry leading customersinstallations with innovative, dependable Toll-Free (North America): 1 (877) 689-5228 designs that are engineered in Canada. A forerunner of the AV International: +1 (514) 905-0588 over IP evolution, MuxLab continues to deliver comprehensive, 16 Source Material by Canford game changing IP-enabled systems for both commercial and residential installations of all shapes and sizes.

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A SIGN OF THE TIMES By Craig Throssell, Head of Design, Sonifex Ltd

Studio signage has been an essential component of the broadcast studio environment since day one, but the physical signage itself has evolved over the years - from hundred-watt incandescent light bulbs housed in coloured plasic mouldings to attractive, low power RGB LED lighting using engraved plasics. In 2009, Sonifex released its offering of SignalLED studio signage to complement its mixing desks and audio interfaces. The stylish, energy efficient signs have remained a popular seller ever since, with over ten thousand units placed onto the market since their release. Whilst signage has evolved, both in terms of form and functionality, the means of controlling studio signage has remained quite traditional. Physical control lines (pulled to ground or shorted together to trigger the illumination) wired between the sign and the controlling equipment on D-sub connectors are often a thorn in the side of the weary installer, sighing as they reluctantly switch on their soldering iron. PoE Networking But PoE networking has made both control and power of studio signage much easier. Combining the newly released Sonifex AVN-GPIO with the SignalLED LDD range gives you network control (via Ember+ or UDP commands) of the sign illumination. This allows the signs to be controlled by studio equipment remotely and programmed to illuminate when respective “fader-up” or “call in progress” statuses are triggered on broadcast mixing desks or other studio equipment. It also allows you to put distance between the sign and the device controlling it, provided a common network exists in both places. This eliminates the need to run a specific control cable long distances between the two devices and saves valuable installation time. Remote Control of up to Five Signs The AVN-GPIO has ten configurable GPIOs, meaning that up to five 400mm LDD signs can be fully controlled from a single unit. If an external 24V DC supply is used, the AVN-

GPIO can also source DC power for all five of the signs via the terminal connector. This allows a studio wall sign array to be fully controlled and powered by a single AVN-GPIO. The internal PoE module is also capable of supplying sufficient additional 12V DC power to support a single 400mm LDD sign, making installation, wiring and control particularly convenient, and leaving eight GPIOs free for connecting other nearby devices. Web Server Control Once connected, setting up the control signals via the web server is simple. Control information can then be passed between two AVN-GPIO units across a network, allowing you to turn a button press in the studio into a mic-live illumination in the gallery. It is also possible to map the AVNGPIO outputs to Boolean parameters within the tree of a compatible Ember+ provider, and the sign illumination will react automatically whenever the state of the equipment changes. UDP commands/responses are also available, which give the user access to the same configuration options as those on the device’s GPIO tab of the web server. Far Reaching Applications In addition to physical remote replacement and signage control, the AVN-GPIO has another use up its sleeve. It can act as a PTP follower to a grandmaster clock, such as the Sonifex AVN-GMCS. This means that if you need accurate time-stamping of a GPIO transition, you can capture the event to within twenty nanoseconds accuracy. This is being trialled at a UK venue to provide accurate timing for high performance motorsport competitions.

For more information on the products mentioned, check the following: www.canford.co.uk/SONIFEX-SIGNALLED-ILLUMINATED-SIGNS-LED www.sonifex.co.uk/avn/avn-gpio.shtml www.canford.co.uk/Products/95-5931_SONIFEX-AVN-GMCS-GRANDMASTER-CLOCK-AES67-AoIP-PTP-RAVENNATXCO-accurate-rack-mounting

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24V DC 1A

LDD-40F2TX-REH AVN-GPIO

LDD-40F1OBT

LDD-40F1REH

Relay must be set to “DC Input”

LDD-40F2ONA-MCL Network Switch LDD-40F1TRF

AVN-GPIO

LDD-40F1MET

Relay must be set to “SYS DC”

PoE Network Switch

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BRADLEY WOOLLETT OF

TIMELINE’S EALING BROADCAST CENTRE By Ian Sadler, UK Business Development Manager at Canford Trusted by some of the biggest brands in the UK, Timeline are one of the best-known names in the industry. They offer an incredibly wide range of services, everything from outside broadcast, to editing suites and virtual production. It’s been a couple of weeks since I spoke to Bradley Woollett – Head of Engineering at Timeline’s Ealing Broadcast Centre, so I gave him a call for a catch up, and to find out what projects Timeline has him working on. Bradley: Ian! Always a pleasure. Ian: Hi Bradley. So, I should have warned you in advance, but this is an off-the-cuff interview for our Source Material magazine. Bradley: Oh right, okay! Let’s do it.

Ian: Can you give us a bit of Timeline history Bradley? It’s been what, twelve years or so now? Bradley: It’s actually more like seventeen years. How far back do we want to go? Timeline has always been set up to provide technical solutions for the broadcast industry. In the early days, there was a lot about tapeless broadcast solutions, replay servers, edit solutions…these days we offer a full suite of services: outside broadcast, managed service, systems integration, and studio hire here at EBC amongst other things. My involvement at Timeline is largely around the EBC side of things. Ian: EBC? That’s where you are based right, Ealing Broadcast Centre? Bradley: That’s right, I’ve been here about four and a half years now. Ealing Broadcast Centre is situated on Uxbridge Road in London. We provide a huge range of managed services for multiple clients, including ITV Sport and Racecourse Media Group. We have three large studios here which can be run either as hard sets or as full virtual, greenscreen spaces. We also provide ad-hoc studio hire for all kinds of different production clients. Ian: You recently had the Rugby World Cup there, right? Bradley: Yeah, that’s right. Actually they are still here at the moment. Throughout the group stages we used Studio One as a full VR set, as well as providing edit and other production facilities. At one point, there was about thirty rooms dedicated to the World Cup. As well as production spaces, some of the rooms were being used as dressing rooms, production offices, green rooms etcetera. Now that

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the World Cup has moved on to the knock-out stages, a lot more of the production is being done on site in France. Timeline are providing the outside broadcast solutions, and here at EBC we are continuing to provide edit facilities, the master control room, and media management services. Ian: EBC must be getting pretty big to facilitate all of that. How many floors do you occupy now? Bradley: It’s a six storey building plus a basement. The basement is the largest space, so we have our two biggest studios there – it’s about five and a half metres high too, so plenty of room. The smaller studios are still a good size though at about four metres high. Those spaces are commonly used by The NFL Show, British Basketball, and ITV Sport have done some stuff in those rooms too. We are in the process of building another studio, up on the fourth floor. That is going to be exclusively for the Racecourse Media Group. Ian: A huge operation. It’s an impressive building with some great facilities. Things are obviously going very well. Bradley: Absolutely, there is always plenty to keep me occupied.

Ian: How did you get involved with Timeline then? Bradley: Originally, I was working as a support engineer, supporting the managed service contract with Racecourse Media Group. In May 2021, we started building the new facilities here, quickly occupying all six floors of this building – at this point I became Head of Engineering at EBC. I look after just about everything really, from the critical facilities, like power and air conditioning for our data centre, through to MCR and broadcast engineering as well as overseeing the building projects. As I said, never a dull moment. Ian: Clearly there is a lot going on. I know Timeline has something like one hundred and sixty employees. Do you do everything in house? Bradley: We do. We provide the full suite of services, which many broadcasters don’t. For example: when we provide a managed service contract, we can provide the full service from day one, through to year five and beyond. All of our systems integration is done in-house, with our own team, only relying on freelancers or outside experts when we really need to. The systems integration is a huge benefit for us; we know these systems inside out, if something goes wrong, we can fix it. It’s designed exactly as we want it; we know where every cable goes. It saves considerable time and expense having our own SI team, and it is one of the things that really sets us apart.

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Ian: You mentioned new studio builds earlier. What kind of involvement has Canford had in that? Bradley: Canford really is the one-stop shop for everything. We always get made-to-order SMPTE cable from you, with a short lead time. Termination panels, I’ve bought literally hundreds of those, along with all of the connectors needed. What’s great is you have a wide range of connectors at varying price points, whether that’s Neutrik, TUK, or the Canford range. I’ve been really impressed with the new Canford BNC connectors, they are of at least equal quality to other brands, more affordable, and readily available. We are just about to take delivery of a load of PDUs from you too. That whole situation was a classic case of another supplier letting us down, which you’ve never done. When we first moved into EBC, there were six racks already installed. We just kept buying the same PDUs because they had the features that we needed, to be honest. However, on this occasion, the turnaround time from our usual supplier was just too long, so I contacted you Ian and you were able to supply a product that meets our exact specification, without compromise, in the timescale required. We also just took delivery of nine micro-MUSA jack-fields, which are great, and I’m going to need more for another systems integration project coming soon. I still need a tonne of U-Links actually Ian…

Ian: I’m sure we can sort that for you. I know there are lots of supply chain pressures at the moment across the industry, I’m glad we were able to help out. Back to EBC, you always seem to be doing more and continually evolving. Is that with an eye to the future? How do you think the industry is changing and what does the future hold from where you are standing? Bradley: I think, at least for us, we’ve had to become much more adaptable than in the past. Previously we’d build an edit suite, for example, which could take weeks and weeks of wiring, and that suite would be very rigid as to what it could do, it had a defined purpose. Now, not only are our edit suites more versatile, featuring both AVID and Premiere, but they can also be used for other operations such as replay centres, or even voice over booths. In one of the edit suites, we have a camera set up and a bit of lighting; some sports broadcasters use their own referee who can give feedback and opinion, in real time, on the decisions made in the game… they often use that edit suite. It’s the same for our production galleries (we have eight!). One week we can be doing remote production with twelve cameras for the Women’s Super League, and then next week it could be a corporate studio show with six SMPTE cameras. So yeah, it’s increasingly about being versatile, adaptable, and being able to use the facilities for multiple purposes, often with quick turnaround times.

Thanks again to Bradley for his time. We wrapped this interview up at about six o clock and he mentioned he was going to be there for another few hours to finish up his daily tasks. I’m off to watch the rugby…

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TEN ORDERS, TEN LOCATIONS,

NO SECOND CHANCES By Adam Ironside, Marketing Manager at Canford Since 2015, Swisscom Broadcast have been delivering the ICT infrastructure needed for huge events all over the world. From corporate functions, to the biggest of global sporting events, Swisscom makes it happen. In 2023, Swisscom was appointed as Event Network Integrator for the biggest women’s sporting event in the world. This tournament required several overlay infrastructures in 10 venues, and Swisscom Broadcast leant on Canford’s expertise for all of the overlay tactical cabling.

invoice, every aspect of the project was flawless. The support from Canford was exceptional, and much appreciated”. From a Canford point of view, huge credit must be given to Ian Farina (Shipping Manager) and his team for the effort they put into ensuring on time delivery. Ten orders, ten locations, and no second chances!

As the tournament would take place in Australia and New Zealand, one of the biggest challenges (besides the usual short integration time frame) was the very short amount of time available for physically delivering the products. As Canford is based in England, Swisscom had to very quickly spec the whole system to allow enough time to manufacture and deliver the required cabling. Jacques Baehler (International Programme Manager at Swisscom Broadcast): “The project was perfectly handled by Canford. From the first presale enquiry, through to the final

BUILD FACTS & FIGURES Timeframe: One Month Location: Australia & New Zealand 10 Stadiums 2 Data Centres 1 Broadcast Centre 5000 Working Days 1000 Network Elements to Manage 8800 LAN Ports 200km Cabling

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SOUND DEVICES ASTRAL SERIES:

PUSHING THE BOUNDS

OF WIRELESS AUDIO

Sound Devices is dedicated to developing products that are rugged, easy to operate, are versatile to fit a variety of live and recorded sound applications around the world, and – most importantly – maintain the most pristine quality of sound. The Sound Devices Astral series of transmitters and receivers pushes the bounds of wireless audio with unparalleled features, including SpectraBand technology – the only system available with a global tuning range of 169-1525MHz to utilize legal RF frequencies anywhere in the world. SpectraBand’s exceptional brick-wall RF filtering capabilities reject interferers from DTV and other nearby systems. Sound Devices’ proprietary NexLink allows for full long-range remote control of transmitters. There is no need for gain setting at the transmitter with GainForward, which gives the ability to fully set the gain at the receiver with no loss of audio quality. The AutoAssign feature automatically scans tuning bands for clean frequencies and assigns them to multiple channels. The frequencies are then automatically pushed to NexLinked transmitters, meaning it takes just seconds to assign multiple wireless transmitters. A20-Nexus The flagship product in Sound Devices’ Astral family is the A20-Nexus multichannel ultra-high performance truediversity wireless receiver that packs powerful features into just a half-rack unit. It comes with eight independent channels and can be expanded to 12 or 16 channels via four-channel software expansion plug-in with no additional hardware,

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either through a permanent purchase, or via rental that can temporarily increase the unit’s channel count when extra inputs are needed. The A20-Nexus receiver can be mounted in a standard 19-inch rack or be placed remotely near microphone transmitters due to its Power-over-Ethernet+ (PoE+) capability, its Dante audio-over-IP network ability, and its built-in web server that permits control via phone, tablet, or computer. The A20-Nexus receiver also features an integrated RTSA (Real Time Spectrum Analyzer), giving spectrum visibility at the same time as decoding audio. A20-Nexus Go The A20-Nexus Go is a compact 4-channel wireless receiver that can be expanded to 6 or 8 channels with perpetual or rented two-channel plug-ins. A portable or permanent audio solution, the A20-Nexus Go receiver was designed to be easy to carry in a bag or occupy only half a unit on a cart. Users can utilize the unparalleled 169-1525MHz SpectraBand global tuning range to quickly find clean and open frequencies anywhere, easily assign transmitters to those frequencies using A20-Nexus Go’s AutoAssign function, adjust audio gain as needed directly from the receiver using GainForward,

and keep tabs on any potential RF difficulties with A20Nexus Go’s integrated Real Time Frequency Analysis (RTSA) functionality. Combined, this makes A20-Nexus Go a versatile wireless hub packed with forwardthinking features that can replace multiple devices in any audio kit. A20-RX A two-channel slot-in portable truediversity wireless receiver, the A20-RX utilizes a 470-1525MHz global tuning range via SpectraBand. It is compatible with Sound Devices SL-2 and 8-Series mixer-recorders via SuperSlot, and using GainForward Architecture, lets gain levels be set via local trim control. A20-TX The A20-TX digital wireless bodypack transmitter is compatible with a huge array of input sources: lavs, dynamic, phantom-powered, and even AES42 digital mics. It works

with any AA battery chemistry (including Li-Ion) and its ultralow-power e-Paper display is viewable in sunlight and even when powered down. A20-Mini The tiny A20-Mini Digital Wireless Bodypack Transmitter is designed to be easily hidden under tight costumes while still delivering excellent sound quality. At less than 3 x 1.8 x 0.75in, the miniature transmitter can be fully controlled via remote app and NexLink, has a 470-1525MHz range via SpectraBand, long-range modulation, GainForward architecture, internal 32-bit float recording, and is compatible with all Sound Devices’ wireless receivers. For more information on the Astral wireless series, and all of Sound Devices products, please visit www. sounddevices.com.

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THE COMPLETE PICTURE FOR BROADCAST AUDIO In the fast-paced world of broadcasting, where every word and sound counts, having the right audio equipment is paramount. Shure, a name synonymous with audio excellence for nearly a century, stands at the forefront of providing top-tier solutions for broadcast audio needs. From the cutting-edge Axient Digital, including the versatile ADX5D, the powerful AD600, Wireless Workbench 7, and WaveTool software, Shure offers a comprehensive ecosystem of products that cater to the diverse demands of the broadcast industry.

which increases the number of available channels in crowded RF spaces, ensuring that broadcasters have access to clear, interference-free audio. Including Party Dial, a feature enabling users to quickly switch between RF channels to listen live to any Axient transmitter on air - add in AES256 encryption, and your audio will remain secure from any sources attempting to listen in.

Axient Digital: Setting the Gold Standard for Wireless Audio

Managing a complex wireless audio setup in a broadcasting environment can be daunting, but Shure’s AD600 Digital Spectrum Manager simplifies the process. AD600 delivers real-time, wide-band spectrum scanning and monitoring from 174 MHz to 2.0 GHz, spectrum analysis, and frequency coordination in a single rack unit. Six antenna connections deliver multiple coverage options while Dante connectivity provides advanced audio monitoring of your network. Use the USB port to export, import, or save backup scans, event logs, and other important data. The AD600 is an essential addition to your Axient Digital professional audio setup.

The Axient Digital wireless microphone system is a gamechanger for broadcast professionals. It combines pristine audio quality, rock-solid reliability, and advanced features that empower broadcasters to deliver flawless performances every time. Axient Digital features cutting-edge frequency diversity, which ensures uninterrupted audio even in crowded RF environments. With its Spectral Efficiency technology, Axient Digital offers more usable channels than ever before, allowing broadcasters to operate multiple wireless systems simultaneously without interference, and used extensively during Britain’s Got Talent and The Eurovision Song Contest In broadcast scenarios, where every word is mission critical, Axient Digital’s high-resolution digital audio ensures that every nuance and detail is captured and transmitted accurately. This ensures crystal-clear audio quality for on-air talent, ensuring that the message is conveyed with precision and clarity. Moreover, Axient Digital is designed with ease of use in mind. The ShowLink® Remote Control technology allows for real-time remote monitoring and control of transmitters, ensuring that adjustments can be made on the fly, without interrupting the broadcast. ADX5D: A Dual-Channel Diversity Receiver Built for Broadcast When it comes to ensuring reliable wireless audio reception, the ADX5D dual-channel diversity receiver from Shure is the perfect solution. Designed specifically for broadcast applications, the ADX5D offers exceptional performance and flexibility. Featuring two independent receiver channels in a single unit, the ADX5D ensures uninterrupted audio even in challenging RF environments. It’s equipped with High-Density Mode,

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AD600: The Command Centre for Broadcast Audio

The Essential Software Tools for Broadcast: Wireless Workbench 7 (WWB7): Wireless Workbench 7 is a sophisticated software, specifically designed for managing and optimising wireless audio systems. It serves as a central command hub for audio professionals, allowing them to monitor, control, and coordinate various Shure wireless devices such as microphones and in-ear monitors. WWB7 offers real-time monitoring, frequency coordination, and remote control capabilities, enabling users to fine-tune their wireless systems, mitigate interference, and ensure flawless audio performance. WaveTool: WaveTool is a specialised software tool for monitoring and troubleshooting wireless microphone systems. This software offers real-time monitoring and analysis of key parameters, including audio, battery status, RF signal strength, and frequency allocation, ensuring that wireless audio systems operate reliably and with optimal quality. WaveTool is an indispensable asset for audio professionals, providing the data and insights necessary to identify and address potential issues swiftly, making it an essential component of any setup where wireless microphones are in use.

THE COMPLETE PICTURE FOR BROADCAST AUDIO. ON LOCATION. IN THE FIELD. AT THE STUDIO. Shure iconic microphones and industry-leading Axient® Digital Wireless captures clear, clean, dependable audio in the most demanding broadcast and film situations. Discover more at shure.com/broadcast

ADX - Film and Broadcast Bodypack Transmitters

Wavetool - Audio Monitoring & Listening Software

Axient® Digital ADX5D Dual-Channel Wireless Receiver

Axient® Digital Wireless Systems

Wireless Workbench 7 - Free Pro Software for RF Coordination and Management

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CONSOLE DESIGN: DOES ANALOGUE SOUND BETTER THAN DIGITAL? By Duco de Rijk, Founder of D&R Electronica BV

TRANSISTORS, OP AMPS AND TUBES D&R started long ago (1972) by making mixing consoles that were equipped with tubes. One of the nicest features of these hot valves was that they sounded great. The sound was pleasantly warm, and overload was not an issue - with over 300 volts on the power rails and a bandwidth of up to 100kHz. Next, we experimented with transistors, but could not get the same sound as we had achieved with tubes. Today, we are using, in most of our consoles, integrated circuits – commonly known as ICs. There is a huge range of ICs on the market, and they all have their specific pros and cons. They are different from tubes and transistors, and sound different too. Some sound harsh, some are smoother. But, when connected to a high-end measuring system such as System-1, the specs are pretty much the same. So, what actually causes the differences that we are experiencing?

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We human beings are capable of perceiving sound in extremely small details. We can even notice tiny amounts of distortion - in the order of 0.001% of the nominal signal level. We are highly sensitive to the odd harmonics (such as the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th 11th and so on) of the fundamental frequency. A potential problem with ICs is that the crossover distortion at the output stage can produce not only dissonant harmonics, but also switching transients, especially when using a lower quality opamp. We have selected our opamps to behave in class A/B, leaning towards class A, resulting in a minimum of this distortion that we are so sensitive to. A well-known designer in our industry once described the following test to me that anyone can repeat if interested; the results are very surprising. This test confirmed what we already knew from experience, but, up until this point, had not been able to prove. Why does designing our consoles in this way improve the sound as dramatically as it does?

WIDE-BANDWIDTH DESIGN Imagine listening to a sine wave of 1kHz. This should be a nice, pure round sound like the tone of an old Hammond organ. Then switch this 1kHz sine wave to a square wave. Now you are listening to a sine wave plus lots of odd harmonics (such as 3rd, 5th, 7th and so on). Actually, on top of the 1kHz tone are, at a very low level, 3kHz - 5kHz - 7kHz - 11kHz…etc. The difference in perceived sound is quite clear to any listener, no mysteries here. Next, switch the fundamental 1kHz sine wave to… let’s say 12kHz. Again, a pure, very high frequency tone could be noticed. But now the funny part of it. If this 12kHz sine wave is switched to a square wave, we can still hear the difference between the sine and square waves, despite the higher frequencies being above 20kHz! I once heard a story about a specific transformer-based mixing console channel that sounded way better than the other channels of the same console… more “air” etc. The reason? A capacitor was causing a frequency boost well above 20kHz in that preferred channel. This channel had become the ‘vocal’ channel for all recordings, it just sounded…better.

THIS IS AMAZING This means that we can hear, or at least notice, signals beyond 20kHz when combined with other frequencies. Remember, the first harmonic content above 12kHz is 24kHz, followed by 36kHz and so on. These generated frequencies above 20kHz (even in small amounts) prove that it is important to have an audio system that has a bandwidth well over 20kHz. If you repeat this test for a fundamental of 12kHz square wave, the third order harmonic is around 36kHz. Even at this frequency, most experienced professional listeners could determine the difference between the sine wave and the square wave!

Amazing right? At least I was amazed, and immediately I knew why we should continue making our consoles have a bandwidth of 100kHz and higher. For as long as I can remember, we’ve trimmed our opamps to be stable at 40kHz square waves without overshoots and frequency roll off. We are of the opinion that if we tune our opamps this way, they are capable of amplifying any sum or difference of the fundamental frequency within the audio band without any colouration. Our reputation for perfect sounding consoles has proven we were right. The simple test described above proves that we are capable of perceiving sound information well above 20kHz and that this information absolutely leads to a warmer and richer sound. How we are experiencing this is still a mystery. It is an absolute fact that a small lift in frequency response of audio equipment well above 20kHz can easily give the listener the impression of more air or transparency. Based on this principle, we have designed our equalizers in a way that the upper band is lifting the fundamental frequency well above 20kHz if needed, resulting in a pleasant, sonic ‘air’.

DIGITAL SHORTCOMINGS Now it becomes easier to imagine why most digital consoles today sound harsh or flat and cannot touch the smoothness of a well-designed analogue console. It is easy to understand that equipment with frequency responses that sharply fall off at 20kHz might cause a perceived lack of warmth and openness. Imagine what a digital upper shelving high frequency control is doing when lifting those frequencies by 16dB just before they sharply fall off at 20kHz! I think that digital technology has a long way to go before it can come close to analogue audio. Think about this when you are ready for a new console!

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CATCH UP WITH DACS FOUNDER DOUGLAS DOHERTY By Gavin Drake, Sales Director at Canford

Canford and DACS go back a long way. Canford head office is situated just a couple of miles from DACS HQ, and we’ve been fans (and distributors) of their products for a long time. Their products are high quality, top-class, and legendary! I wanted to take some time to catch up with DACS founder Douglas Doherty, find out what new products are on the horizon, and thank him for some consultancy he recently did for us too. You founded DACS Audio over thirty years ago. How did it get started, and how did you transform it into the incredibly well-respected brand that it is today? Well… Our first project was the custom build of a D-A/ A-D system that was designed by Ron Berry at Durham University. Our full name, Digital Audio and Computer Systems, came about as a result of that project. Ironically, we now specialise in analogue equipment! From the start, I was always looking for the gaps in the products that were already available, extra thoughtful tweaks to lift the products; coupled of course with high performance. I can, with confidence, say that the audio quality of the HeadLite, based on user feedback, is unsurpassed by anything similar, and that our MicAmp has a quality of ‘reality’ that no other mic pre has. The Purity headphone amplifier has a depth, breadth, and accuracy unmatched by anything out there.

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I’d definitely agree that the quality and the uniqueness of the DACS product range has contributed enormously to your success. You offer a range of very neat and clever products which have been developed off the back of studio engineers searching for niche solutions that weren’t being met by the standard, off-the-shelf solutions. One of the ranges that Canford currently list is the HeadLite 3+ Headphone Amplifiers. Can you give us a little more insight into what the HeadLite 3+ offers, and why it was developed? The basic format of the HeadLite was described by an early adopter engineer/producer as ‘ideal’. Four inputs can be routed as 2 stereo or 4 mono feeds. Coupled with low crosstalk, this flexibility makes it a great workhorse for all sorts of audio environments. Over the years, we’ve made improvements to the performance of the inputs and outputs - with the prevalence of low-impedance, high-power, planarmagnetic headphones, we upgraded again, providing our Power+ channel. The HeadLite is an ongoing project that is in continual development.

Canford and DACS go way back. We’ve always been an ambassador for DACS, and a distribution partner too, but we’ve also been one of the main providers for many of the components and much of the custom metalwork that ends up as DACS products. How did this come about?

You have a lot of great legacy products that our readers will already be well aware of, but are there any new products that are currently being developed that you can share a little about? Ooh. Some good stuff coming through. Our Purity headphone amp is making its mark, and as the next product in the Purity range, we have designed an upgrade to the MicAmp (at its launch described by Hugh Robjohns as ‘simply stunning’). We’re also toying with a colouring mic pre. At the other end of the spectrum, we’re launching a range of Eurorack modules under the ‘F*ck with Sound®’ banner - I don’t need to tell you what they’ll be doing! Our legendary ring modulator (from the FREQue, or first FwS unit) will feature, as will a variety of other unique combination of effects. The clue really is in the name with the new Eurorack modules, hah. As well as creating innovative and useful products, you’ve always been big on service too. In fact, you recently spent a lot of time and effort in helping us to resolve the long-standing acoustic issues within our board room. This had perplexed us for many years and previously proposed solutions proved to be ineffective, or too expensive. You were able to provide some sound advice (literally!!!) and expert guidance regarding the changes we needed to make to the room in order to overcome the issues. Not only was this solution very cost effective, but it also worked wonders! Thanks again for that Douglas.

When I first encountered Canford, you were based in Stargate Industrial Estate. Great address! I remember (dimly) a tour of your new premises in Washington, as part of a group. We were mainly buying connectors and cable for installs then. It was great - we could ring up and order, then drive the 6.5 miles to pick it up. Technical Support meant we could discuss what we needed and whether our ideas would work. As our manufacturing operation developed, we needed metalwork. Mainstream metalworkers didn’t really click into pro-audio requirements. Canford did. You’ve always been willing to discuss details of your processes so that I could make sure the information we provided would result in a well-engineered product. Our Purity headphone amplifier (Hugh Robjohns described it as “Simply stunning” (again!) and another said, “one of the most gorgeous listening experiences I have ever had in my life.”) I remember presented a huge challenge for Canford. Precision laser cut body, a big volume control which had to be coated at the same time as the fronts (to ensure colour matching), careful screen printing… a beautiful end result; you rose to the task, as usual. I want to thank Douglas for his time, and of course for his friendship over the years! He really did do an incredible job in our boardroom too; I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Douglas and the DACS team to anyone looking for advice.

You are welcome. Over the years, DACS has developed a broad range of expertise, all centred on achieving the best possible sound. We offer a full acoustic consultancy/ treatment/sound system install service for bars and clubs, we design and build recording studios, manufacture our own treatment modules, and we acoustically treat existing spaces, such as your boardroom.

Source Material by Canford 31

LVD SAFETY REGULATIONS: New standards, obligations and potential liabilities in the field of power connectivity. As you will probably be aware, for some time power cables and power connectors have been subject to the health and safety regime described within the scope of the European Low Voltage Directive (LVD). The LVD covers electrical equipment operating with an input or output voltage of between 50 and 1,000v for alternating current, and 75 and 1,500v for direct current. Due to this range, the legislation applies to a wide range of electrical equipment for both consumer and professional usage; extending from mains appliance connection and interconnection cables, to the full gambit of physical AV and IT product types, including power amplification, signal processing, video and network infrastructure hardware. Regulations pertaining to specific objectives of the LVD, regarding power supply connection and interconnection cable assemblies and connectors, and electronic devices that fall under the scope of the directive, are addressed in the latest IEC/ UL 60320-1, EN/IEC 60799 and IEC/UL 623681 global safety standards. Cable assemblies, connectors, and devices that do not conform to these standards are ineligible for CE marking and cannot to used within or imported into European Economic Community (EEC) countries. By issuing a declaration of CE mark conformity, manufacturers or importers assume full legal responsibility and liability for the product’s compliance with the applicable health and safety legislation.

Under the LVD cable assemblies or ‘cord sets’ are required to conform to the EN/IEC 60799 standard. This standard specifies increased hazard reduction measures, particularly in the areas of potential ignition and ingression, with improved build requirements and materials specifications. Within the specification component connectors or ‘appliance couplers’ are required to be certified to IEC/UL 60320-1. In complying with the standard powerCON® FXX series (blue/ grey) and powerCON® TRUE1-TOP® connectors feature Circuit Breaking Capacity and discrete power-in and powerout keying, preventing intermating of power cables. The powerCON TRUE1-TOP series connectors are specified and engineered for outdoor application environments and over-moulded powerCON TRUE1 cable assemblies will become available from Neutrik during Q4/2023. International adoption of 60320-1 brings a reduction in the number of previously required certifications and is, therefore, beneficial to component manufacturers like Neutrik, as well as to cable assembly and device manufacturers, and certification agencies.

Relevant national, regional and municipal authorities – and in some instances insurance industry representative bodies – are intensifying health and safety checks at media and event technical services and supply companies. Liability and penalties for infringement may be extensive and severe; in the most serious cases resulting in the possibility of prison sentences.

In terms of AV and IT devices, the LVD directive requirements are now met by the IEC/UL 62368-1 standard. It too is effectively a hazards-based device review, with clauses within the standard specifically addressing electrical hazards such as injury and fire. The standard defines new required connector creepage and clearance distances, and the mechanisms by which enclosures prevent potential ignition from exiting a device in a damaging way. As with mains power cable assemblies, the required standard applies in both EEC territories and across the American continent. And as with mains power cable assemblies, mains power connector components require IEC/UL 60320-1 certification.

With connectors specifically falling under the scope of the LVD, Neutrik began a program of re-designing and reengineering its range of power connectors several years ago, introducing new series to replace older non-compliant products that it no longer supplies. Neutrik is currently the only manufacturer worldwide with a complete portfolio of cable connectors and chassis certified according to the latest IEC 60320-1 as required by the LVD.

IEC/UL 60320-1 is now the legal requirement for all mains power connector components within cable assemblies and AV and IT electronic equipment for European and American markets. International adoption of 60320-1 brings a reduction in the number of previously required certifications and is, therefore, beneficial to component manufacturers like Neutrik, as well as to cable assembly and device manufacturers, and certification agencies.

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SAFE CONNECTIONS – SAFE POWER Safety-standard-compliant brands by the Neutrik Group

Certified Power Connectors In- & Outdoor connectors and cords powerCON® TRUE1® TOP L

Fully IEC EN 60320-1 compliant thus accepted for power cords as per IEC EN 60799 powerCON® TRUE1® TOP L certified for cables H07RN-F3G2.5 or SOOW 12/3 (USA)

Power Turtle XO and Power Strip XO New: power meter for voltage and current. TRUE1 TOP in and out | IP65 | IK10 | UL94-V2 Rugged power distribution in- and outdoor

powerCON® FXX New design for easy and fast assembly

www.neutrik.com

www.contrik.com

HOW IT ALMOST ALL WENT UP IN SMOKE SKB have a long and rich history with the music industry. In fact, their first large order came in 1979; 2500 cases for a limited-edition Fender Stratocaster being released that year. Despite being synonymous with the music industry, almost anyone, in almost any industry, will have surely come across SKB at some time in their careers. Although they started out with guitar cases, the company have moved on to provide protective cases designed to house broadcast and sports equipment, computers, cameras…you name it. The Canford exhibition toolkit is even housed in an SKB case. But all of this almost didn’t happen. SKB’s plans literally went up in smoke when, in 1977, they ‘forgot’ about a vacuumformer that was running and returned to find their whole workshop destroyed in the fire. Thankfully, company founders Dave Sanderson and Steve Kottman didn’t give up, and today we have some of the best cases on the market.

By Ian Winter, Product Manager at Canford

Source Material by Canford 33

IN YOUR POWER

UNIQUE & UNIVERSALLY FITTING LOCKING IEC C13 & C19 CONNECT By Aidan Hennis, Product Manager at Canford

The IEC Lock and IEC Lock+ range from Scolmore have been incredibly successful product lines with Canford over the years; they are an invaluable addition to any outside broadcast, recording studio or data centre application and many of our customers have taken advantage of their benefits. Their simple locking mechanisms are specifically designed to prevent the accidental disconnection of critical applications in areas where uninterrupted power is essential. Power interruptions can have a devastating and costly effect on many businesses, the IEC Lock and Lock+ provide an inexpensive solution to a potentially expensive problem. The IEC Lock plugs feature an integral locking system - An internal latch clamps to the earth pin creating a secure connection which is resistant to accidental disconnection and vibration.

The IEC Lock C13 and C19 outlets round out their solution to securing your vital power chain applications. Pressing the red button on the outlets and pushing a standard IEC plug into the IEC lock outlet locks the product into position, pressing the red button releases the IEC plug from the outlet. All solutions ensure that power connectors cannot be accidentally pulled or vibrated out and are quick and easy to disconnect, with no additional tooling required.

NOW COMES WITH A DUAL Highly recommended! LOCKING FEATURE The IEC Lock+ offers additional benefits including a release mechanism (which is accessible from all sides) and is easily identifiable due to the red coloured release handle.

PREVENT ACCIDENTAL POWE UNIQUE & UNIVERSALLY FITTING

OF MISSION CRITICAL PRO AV, TOURING & BROADCAS LOCKING IEC C13 & C19 CONNECTORS

NOW COMES WITH A DUAL Authorised distributors: Canford Audio Limited LOCKING FEATURE

call: 0191 418 1122 I email: sales@canford.co.uk I visit: www.can

PREVENT ACCIDENTAL POWER LOSS

SourceOF Material IEC Lock Advert.indd 1 AV, TOURING & BROADCAST EQUIPMENT MISSION CRITICAL PRO

Authorised distributors: Canford Audio Limited call: 0191 418 1122 I email: sales@canford.co.uk I visit: www.canford.co.uk/IEC-Lock Source Material by Canford

www.ieclock.com

BEGINNINGS By Chas Kennedy, former CEO at Canford

We have recently passed the 50th anniversary of the beginning of land based commercial radio in the UK, on 8th October 1973, a date which is key to the existence of Canford. Iain Elliott, Canford’s founder, joined the fledgling industry in 1974, shortly after graduating at Durham (where he had developed an interest in student radio). As the industry developed, and more and more stations were licensed, Iain began to consider the prospects for a related business. He quickly noticed that there was a lack of certain communal support services, such as for small parts and other components required by the stations. The BBC, for example, made these parts available to all regional and local BBC studios from a central store in Chiswick. Iain’s busy work life didn’t allow him the time to develop his thoughts on the various possibilities until a crumbling bone in his leg saw him hospitalised for a few weeks, unable to walk. Despite his frustration with this enforced constraint, it gave him some time to develop a number of ideas and, although the name came later, Canford Audio was born! Some of the product ideas in Canford’s earliest incarnation were based on items that may have been more difficult for those early commercial stations to access, such as wooden consoles to house studio equipment, or to provide services that were unique to commercial broadcasters. Early successes included acoustic tables for studios. The manufacture of these tables and studio consoles was made possible by the availability of a talent pool of skilled craftsmen who found themselves seeking new employment due to the shrinking local shipbuilding industry. Unexpectedly, the quality of some of those early products led to the earliest sales to the BBC.

Of the services which were contemplated, one in particular became an iconic part of early Canford – that of cartridge collection and recycling. One issue that the commercial stations had, which didn’t affect the BBC in the same way, was the huge number of audio cartridges (carts) in circulation. This was because many of the commercial campaigns were produced, often in London, and then sent out recorded onto cartridges, often in multi versions, to each of the ever-growing number of licensed stations. Over time, the sheer number of carts began to clog the system and a system of collection, sorting, and return to origin was needed. Enter Canford. Weekly visits by the Canford team became a landmark service for the business. Additionally, Canford’s efforts to restore, reload, and recycle damaged or unidentified carts was one of the earliest examples of a recycling business!

This piece was written by Chas Kennedy, a former CEO of Canford and another early entrant in commercial radio. His first (brief) meeting with Iain Elliott was when they were both in charge of their adjacent outside broadcast vans during the visit of President Jimmy Carter to Washington where, by perfect coincidence, Canford is now headquartered.

Source Material by Canford 35

HOW TO SPECIFY THE DIRECTIVITY OF A SHOTGUN MIC

Article courtesy of DPA Microphones: Mic University https://www.dpamicrophones.com/mic-university

When it comes to capturing pristine audio in challenging environments, interference tube microphones or shotgun microphones - stand out as the go-to solution for professionals in various fields, including film, broadcast, field recording, sports and wildlife sound capture. These specialized microphones are designed to mitigate unwanted noise and deliver excellent sound quality. Describing Directivity When we describe the directivity of so-called first-order directional microphones (wide cardioid, cardioid, super cardioid, etc.), we use the shape of the polar pattern to characterize it. This is possible because all these patterns should stay relatively constant at all frequencies. This is, of course, only sometimes the case, but that is what the designers aim for. We record a polar pattern under anechoic (reflection-free) conditions. To do this, the microphone is mounted on a special turntable. Then, a tone generator creates the test signal through a loudspeaker placed at a distance at the same height as the microphone. As the microphone rotates, the output signal is recorded continuously, or per, say, 5°. Open cardioid

Omni

Wide cardioid

0º

5 dB

Figure 1: 1st order polar patterns in logarithmic presentation (dB-scale).

Figure 2: DPA setup in an anechoic chamber at the Technical University of Denmark. Yellow circle: Microphone. Red circle: Loudspeaker. Blue circle: Turntable.

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Cardioid

Super cardioid

Hyper cardioid

Fig. 8

There are two ways to measure a polar pattern. It can be measured using pure tones (sine waves) at one specific frequency or averaged over a number of frequencies within a given range, i.e., per octave band or 1/3 octave band. Alternatively, it can be measured using noise (for instance, pink noise), which contains all frequencies produced simultaneously and then filtered in octave bands or 1/3-octave bands.

From a psychoacoustic perspective, using noise or averaged frequencies in octave bands or fractions of octave bands is better for directivity measurements (especially for shotgun microphones). The averaged plots are more related to the perception. However, this is a matter of taste and practice as long as you are informed about the measurement conditions.

High-quality, first-order mics will only present minor differences between the methods, as their patterns are roughly constant or only slightly changing throughout the frequency range. First-order polar patterns are easy to read as the microphones’ acceptance angle (the angle inside which the pickup only drops by 3 dB, also called the opening angle) are easy to see if the scale is appropriate. It is most important in the 1-4 kHz frequency range. Usually, the acceptance angle is defined at 1 kHz if nothing else is stated.

Figure 5: Example of same shotgun measured with pure tone and averaging 1/3 octave and 1/1 octave band.

Distance Factor (DSF), Directivity Factor (DF or Q), and Directivity Index (D or DI) Besides polar plots, other terms for directionality include Distance Factor, Directivity Factor, and Directivity Index. Using these three “factors” to describe microphones’ directivity may seem somewhat confusing. However, they become meaningful if we take a closer look. Distance Factor The distance factor (DSF) roughly describes how far away we can position a directional microphone compared to an omnidirectional microphone to maintain the direct-to-diffuse field ratio. It can be considered the “reach” of a microphone in a reverberant environment.

Figure 3: 1st order cardioid polar patterns with marking for acceptance angle (-3 dB re 0° @ 1kHz).

Studying first-order polar patterns, we can see the frontal pickup lobe and perhaps a back lobe, if the microphone is more directive than a cardioid. In the case of the figure-ofeight pattern, the front and the back lobes are equal in size. 2017 - 8 kHz 0° 30°

330° -5.0

60°

However, the polar plot becomes lobar at high frequencies when we look at the response of the interference tube microphones. “Lobar” or “lobe-shaped pattern” means the polar plot now exhibits more than two lobes.

Imagine a sound source and a microphone in a room. Suppose the distance from the sound source to an omnidirectional microphone is 1. In that case, a cardioid microphone can be positioned 1.73 times from the sound source to achieve the same balance between direct and diffuse sound (given that the microphones have the same sensitivity). Therefore, a cardioid mic’s distance factor (DSF) is 1.73. The distance factor is related to the signal’s amplitude. See the diagram below for other distance factors.

300° -15.0

90°

Source

120°

240°

Omni

150°

210° 180°

Source

270°

-25.0

1.39

Wide cardioid

1.56

Open cardioid

1.73

Cardioid

1.90

Super cardioid

2.0

Hyper cardioid

1.73

Fig. 8

Figure 4: Example of lobar polar plot.

It can become very messy to read polar plots with many lobes. Further, it does not sound what it looks like unless you listen to pure tones. The sound experienced as a broad or narrow band signal might differ significantly from the information displayed in a polar plot based on single sine waves.

Figure 6: Distance factor (DSF) of 1st-order microphones.

Source Material by Canford 37

Directivity Factor The directivity factor (DF or Q) is defined as the ratio of the energy picked up on-axis to the energy picked up in all directions. Directivity Index The directivity index (D or DI) is the directivity factor (DF) in dB: (DI = 10* log DF). The table below shows the polar pattern name and the associated DSF, DF, DI, and Acceptance Angle. Polar pattern

Distance Directivity Directivity Acceptance factor Factor Index angle (DSF) (DF) (DI) (-3 dB)

Omnidirectional 1.00

1.00

0.0

360°

Wide cardioid

1.39

1.92

2.8

177° (±88.5°)

Open cardioid

1.56

2.42

3.8

149° (±74.5°)

Cardioid

1.73

3.00

4.8

131° (±65.5°)

Supercardioid

1.93

3.71

5.7

115° (±57.5°)

Hypercardioid

2.00

4.00

6.0

105° (±52.5°)

Figure-of-eight

1.73

3.00

4.8

90° (±45°)*)

Figure 7: Theoretical directivity response of a shotgun (black curve); here, an ideal hypercardioid (blue curve) combined with the interference tube (red curve).

Shotgun mics exhibit a directivity that changes with frequency. This is why it is problematic to name the directivity of a shotgun after standard polar patterns like, e.g., supercardioid. This term would only be valid up to a particular frequency. Instead, it is better to express the directivity as DI vs. frequency either in a curve or in numbers.

Table 1: Polar pattern vs. DSF, DF, DI, and acceptance angle. *) The figure-of-eight also has a similar acceptance angle to the rear).

Directivity of Interference Tube Microphones As mentioned, in principle, the interference tube microphone consists of the 1st-order cardioid element and the tube. Ideally, the directivity of the cardioid is constant with frequency, whereas the interference tube increases directivity with frequency. Looking at the design may leave the impression that the outer tube and its slits create interference. However, it is actually the inner mesh and its density that are responsible. The outer tube is a hard shell that protects the soft inner mesh. That said, the outer tube must have slits all the way around. If not, the directivity may change with the rotation of the microphone. Combining the two components yields a constant directivity up to a particular frequency and a raise above the corner frequency of the directivity. As the interference tube gets longer, the corner frequency gets lower. In general, longer interference tubes provide higher directivity. However, the mesh’s density also influences directivity; this is one reason, although the 2017 Shotgun Microphone looks shorter than others, it still provides high directivity.

Source Material by Canford

Figure 8: DI vs. frequency of 2017 Shotgun Microphone (High resolution, 1/3-octave band, and 1/1 octave resolution.

63 Hz 125

250

500

6.6

8.2

11.2 13.3

Acceptance angle 105° (-3 dB)

16k

105° 105° 105° 105° 90° 80° 50° 25°

Table 2: 2017 Shotgun Microphone’s DI and acceptance angle vs. frequency. (The built-in high-pass-filter makes 63 Hz irrelevant).

Conclusion There are several ways to specify directivity. Standard 1st-order microphones are usually described by their polar pattern - cardioid, supercardioid, etc., because their directivity is fairly constant with frequency. For these mics, it is easy to read the polar plot and the acceptance angle. Shotgun microphones – or interference tube microphones – can better be described by the directivity index (DI) as these microphones increase the directivity from a given frequency and up.

Source Material by Canford 39

32-BIT FLOAT

RECORDING 32-Bit Float Recording: Zoom has been making audio recording equipment for many years. The brand is trusted world-wide by sound designers, musicians, podcasters, filmmakers, location sound professionals, electronic news gatherers, and pretty much anyone who creates. Zoom’s latest recording devices, such as the popular F series and M series, incorporate 32-bit float recording. Let’s explore what 32-bit float recording is, how it works, and its advantages for making audio recording easier and more flexible.

Understanding 32-Bit Float Recording Before delving into 32-bit float recording, its useful to quickly explain some digital audio recording concepts. In digital audio, sound is represented as a series of discrete values or samples, typically measured in bits. Traditional digital audio recording systems use 16-bit or 24-bit formats. These formats define a finite range of values to represent the amplitude of an audio signal. For instance, a 16-bit recording system provides 65,536 discrete values to represent the amplitude of a sound wave, and 24 bit has over 16.7 million levels, which sounds a lot but can still have problems. In contrast, 32-bit float recording uses a floating-point format to represent audio data. Floating-point numbers allow for a much larger and more flexible range of values. A 32-bit float can reproduce a vast dynamic range, from near silence to truly ear-splitting loudness, with great precision. A key advantage of 32-bit float recording is that it virtually eliminates the risk of clipping when the input levels are set too high, or if there is an unexpected loud sound that exceeds the maximum amplitude for the bit depth, giving you distortion (and the need for a retake!). In 32-bit float recording, if a signal exceeds the defined range, it is simply “floated” to an appropriate value, preventing distortion. This makes it exceptionally forgiving for recording situations where the audio levels might vary. Similarly, if the signal is too quiet, you can simply turn the level up in post-production without the usual problems and artifacts.

Source Material by Canford

By Simon Lowther, Managing Director at Soundservice-MSL Distribution

Applications in Simplifying Audio Recording – Workflow Improvements for the User 1. Recording: One of the most significant advantages of 32-bit float recording is the huge headroom it provides. Audio engineers no longer need to obsessively monitor and adjust input levels to prevent clipping. This simplifies the recording process and enables you to focus on the content being recorded. 2. Post-Production Flexibility: 32-bit float recordings offer unparalleled flexibility in post-production. Since the dynamic range is so extensive, you can adjust levels, apply effects, and manipulate audio without worrying about introducing artifacts or losing quality. This flexibility simplifies the editing and mixing process and can lead to higher quality audio. 3. Sound Quality Preservation: Unlike traditional 16/24-bit recordings, which require careful gain staging to maximise signal-to-noise ratios, 32-bit float recordings maintain high quality even when recorded at lower levels. This simplifies the recording process, especially in lessthan-ideal environments. 4. Multi-Tracking Management: When recording multiple tracks simultaneously, it’s common to encounter level imbalances between tracks. 32-bit float recording eliminates the need for precise level matching, streamlining the setup process and reducing errors. In conclusion, 32-bit float recording has huge advantages for the user and gives better results overall. From a workflow perspective, knowing that you won’t have to constantly monitor the levels and can focus on what you are recording is a big benefit. As is the ability to quickly start recording without having to adjust levels on the equipment. This will be a big help to journalists, documentary filmmakers, musicians and anyone making quality recordings quickly in the field. Similarly, the straightforward setup of a recording device working in 32-but float has clear benefits for anyone working in organisations where the equipment is used on multiple jobs or shared in a team.

INTRODUCING THE F3 FIELD RECORDER With 32-bit ﬂoat recording, the F3 effortlessly captures the quietest raindrops and the loudest explosions. Its small footprint allows for this recorder to be placed anywhere, as you capture and monitor up to 192 kHz of high-quality audio.

ZoomUnitedKingdom

zoomunitedkingdom

www.zoomcorp.com Exclusive distribution in D, A, CH, DK, GB, PL, EE, LV, LT, BG, HU, BE, NL, L, GR, CZ, SK: Sound Service European Music Distribution | www.sound-service.eu | sales@soundservice-msl.co.uk Source Material by Canford 41

Photo credit: Grant Thompson

USING WATERPROOF LAVALIER MICS FOR A SURF DOCUMENTARY By Award-Winning Filmmaker Grant Thompson

Three years into filming a documentary at the big wave known as Mavericks, I realised I was missing out on one of the most critical aspects of our story: the sound of the lineup. When I began the project, I was purely focused on creating cinematic slow motion footage, but it took learning to surf the wave myself – and experiencing the lineup first hand – to realise how important documenting dialogue in the water would be to bringing audiences into an authentic experience of this notorious big wave.

After researching and reaching out to all the comparable brands in waterproof sound, I have been tremendously impressed by VT’s goal to create products which push the boundaries of recording sound in the most extreme water environments.

While the Mavericks film will still be in production for another year, I was thrilled to be able to use my Voice Technologies VT500X lavalier microphones on another water film, a portrait of the legendary surfer Gerry Lopez. For those who don’t know him, Gerry is a combination of Yoda and Michael Jordan for the surfing world. For this project, I used the microphones to do interviews in the water with Gerry and his friends, and then I left the microphone on Gerry for his whole session to record whatever would happen. For me, this was one of the most crucial elements of the film and the verité sound we gathered was instrumental in building the final scene.

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Photo credit: Grant Thompson

Grant Thompson / Award-winning filmmaker www.grantthompsonfilms.com Link to the film: www.surfline.com/surf-news/wwgdwhat-would-gerry-do/153806

More information about Voice Technologies: www.vt-switzerland.com Photo credit: Katie Dubois

ERP R O O AT F W

IPX 8 CERTIFICATED

VT500X

R FO R 24 HOU

ons? i t a u t i es Extrem her about ot Don‘t b ymore! an water

Waterproof Omni Lavalier Microphone

WWW.VT-SWITZERLAND.COM Source Material by Canford 43

UNBREAKABLE CRANKING

One of the most exciting new products König & Meyer has introduced in recent years are the new wind-up stand models: ‘3000’ and ‘4000’. In general, wind-up stands can be real life savers, they are versatile and space saving, but some of them come with a few inherent problems. What are these problems? And how can they be mitigated? Klaus Werner (Project Manager – Research & Development) of König & Meyer explains. The problems with wind-up stands. Whenever you want a stand to carry a load greater than around fifteen kilograms, an extension tube pushed up by hand is no longer sufficient. This is when you’d typically need the support of a mechanically operated stand of some kind. For that, there are several different technologies available, but most manufacturers use internal wire ropes, but this can pose a few problems. Firstly, pulleys have to be accommodated in the stand. The space needed for this requires large tube dimensions which make the stand larger, and heavier, than it would otherwise need to be. Secondly, the narrow deflection radii of the winding devices (and pulleys) can also significantly shorten the life of the ropes. Thirdly, to ensure optimal performance and safety, these parts need to be inspected, serviced, and replaced regularly (in line with the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule) which can be time-consuming and costly. And finally, as these stand typically fall under the category of ‘mechanical equipment’, they must be inspected by a specialist person at regular intervals.

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So how can this be avoided? Is there a better solution? Our Research and Development department set out to find exactly that. We analysed the strengths and weaknesses of existing stands and checked all component parts for areas of potential improvement. This led us to create, amongst other things, modified foot constructions, a brand-new locking system, and modified internal guides. For years we have already been using a sophisticated crank technology which makes use of perforated mast segments as a means of support (instead of cables), and a mechanical worm gear. For the first time, we have been able to include some of these innovations into our brand new wind-up stands. The load is transported by the intuitive, and easy-to-operate, crank system which requires very low operating force. In addition to this, it was imperative to comply with the German safety standard DIN56950-3. In force since 2015, this standard describes the safety requirements for stands and truss lifts and is a requirement of many professional associations.

What are the real benefits of this for the user? Well, due to the design of the drive units, the stands are almost completely maintenance-free! High maintenance costs associated with time-consuming replacement of steel cables are no longer necessary. Our new stands are incredibly strong and durable; the specified load capacities of 35kg for the lighting stands and 40kg for the ‘3000’ and ‘4000’ series wind-up stands refer to the required tilt safety, and not to the actual load capacity of the stands. In other words, all mechanical components are only slightly stressed and not operating anywhere near their maximum limit, which greatly increases durability and longevity. All of the stands have been thoroughly tested with multiples of the specific centric loads. There were no signs of defects or problems. In principle, the stands are nearly indestructible. Furthermore, with our new wind-up stands, the crank can be removed by means of a patented quick-locking system which prevents unauthorised use. Are there any other additional features you are yet to mention? Yes. For example, the required diameter for the feet / base of the stand is guaranteed by a preset position when the feet are extended, ensuring absolute stability. With thew new, patented AutoLock system we have implemented a safety feature which has made it even more convenient for the user. We’ve also made adjustable adapters available for the ‘3000’ and ‘4000’ models which allows compensation for uneven floors, stairs, steps, slopes…etc… which means these stands can be used almost anywhere.

Is there a particular target audience for these stands? They can be used by almost anyone, almost anywhere. They are suitable for solo entertainers and for larger concerts. You’ll find them in use at outdoor festivals and indoor theatres. They can be used for lights, stage backdrops, speakers….anything that requires a higher operating position because of the location. Oh, they are also practical for film and photography too. How do you feel after spending such a long time in the research and development process of these stands? Incredibly proud. As project manager, these stands really are my babies and we’ve had very encouraging feedback from our customers. We know many musicians who are transporting stands in their cars or vans on a daily basis, and they are really benefiting from how light these stands are. They tell us how easy they are to use and handle too. Our goal was to create lightweight and compact stands with a low base height, easy operation and high load-bearing capacity that conforms to strict safety standards, and we’ve done just that!

Source Material by Canford 45

Built to last More than 13 feet high

The K&M Wind-Up stands

Professional Wind-Up stands with a height of 10 and 13 feet and innovative dual crank mechanism. Since no cables are needed, the stand is completely maintenance-free. Optional leveling leg for uneven surfaces, steps and stairs. Made in Germany - 5-year warranty.

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C-80 Pure Sound. Pure Emotion. pro.sony/c80 Source Material by Canford 47

SONY MICROPHONE LEGACY: 60+ Years of Audio Excellence In 1958, Sony released the C-37A, a microphone that was mainly developed for broadcast applications. But, even today, lovingly maintained units can still be found in many music studios worldwide. The tradition continued with the C-38B and C-800G, two condenser mics that went on to become legendary in the music industry. Building on this heritage of excellence, the C-100 (& newest addition the C-80), equipped with a new capsule design by Japanese audio engineers, were released. And the rest, as they say, is history.

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The release of the very first product for professionals from Sony was the C-37A in 1958, which was the first domestic vacuum tube condenser microphone. Dr. Heitaro Nakajima, drew up the basic concept of using a 6AU6 pentode wired as a triode instead of the AC701 triode found in other popular microphones at the time. The resulting sound – more honest and detailed. The C-38B inherited features such as a -8 dB attenuator pad and low-cut filter when it was released in 1970. The immediacy needed in broadcasting is provided by a FET-equipped circuit for low crossmodulation distortion in the head amp, which also reduces distortion from loud input. And to this day, more than 50 years later, the C-38B is still manufactured as a mic true to Sony ideals. In 1992, two new condenser mics with large-diaphragm capsules were introduced: the C-800 and C-800G. Behind the C-800G lies a now-iconic heatsink, which helps reduce low-frequency noise and distortion, contributing to the mic’s pure, clear sound, which is still loved today by R&B singers and rappers worldwide. 26 years after the introduction of the C-800G, highresolution sound sources have become widespread in the field of music production. Sony developed the C-100, a studio condenser microphone for recording high-resolution sound sources, with a wide bandwidth of 20 Hz to 50 kHz. The sound quality was adjusted with the cooperation of engineers from Sony Music as a reference microphone that realizes the sound that artists and creators originally intended to deliver as faithfully as possible. And in response to diversification of recording situations, the C-80 was released in 2022. A condenser microphone designed for home or smaller studios, inheriting the high-quality sound from technology cultivated in both the C-800G and C-100 microphones. The C-80 uses the same diaphragm material as the C-800G, to achieve vocal recording with a strong presence that does not subside when mixed with other instrument sounds. The overall straightforward and natural sound means the C-80 is excellent for vocal, instrument and voice recording. Browse the whole Sony range: www.canford.co.uk/Sony

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AudioPressBox AudioPressBox stands as a prominent European manufacturer of professional audio distribution amplifiers. For a decade, AudioPressBox have been delivering cuttingedge solutions to the global market, earning their reputation as an industry leader. An annual presence at both the ISE and InfoComm US exhibitions provides an opportunity for professionals to explore the innovation AudioPressBox has to offer. AudioPressBox has distributors in more than 60 countries, with Canford serving the United Kingdom market. AudioPressBox is dedicated to delivering audio distribution amplifiers with a primary focus on two distinct categories: portable and fixed installation solutions. Portable solutions, specifically tailored for governmental and sports institutions, as well as rental and staging companies, have been instrumental in enhancing audio quality at press conferences. These solutions empower to achieve unparalleled sound distribution. Fixed installation solutions, on the other hand, have become the preferred choice of system integrators. AudioPressBox excels in offering a wide range of devices that are both Analog and Dante-enabled. This adaptability ensures seamless integration into various setups. The AudioPressBox devices are used at the most prestigious events and institutions around the world while offering unique connectivity options including USB-C and Dante.

representing diverse European nations. The ability to send the signal via Dante controller makes it very easy to manage every single press conference. The use of AudioPressBox products extends to heads of state, including presidents and prime ministers, who rely on their portable units. A popular choice among this group is the APB-224 C which has 2 MIC/LINE Inputs with a Phantom power for the MIC Input, 24 MIC/LINE switchable outputs which are balanced and individually transformer isolated. The unit is a 2-channel one with outputs divided to BUS A and BUS B for bilingual press conferences. What is more, the unit offers a built-in rechargeable AccuPack (operation time up to 20 hours) which allows them to organize the press conference without the need of electricity both indoors and outdoors. AudioPressBox is a professional tool for press conferences ranging from the smallest events up to the largest and most prestigious summits. Fuelled by a surge in demand and invaluable feedback from customers, AudioPressBox remains dedicated to an unceasing quest for innovation. This unwavering commitment drives this European manufacturer to craft cutting-edge solutions that consistently answer the market’s call.

One notable example is the deployment of four rack-mounted Danteenabled APB-D216 R-D units within the European Council. These four 2-channel Dante devices facilitate the transmission of up to 8 channels, each supporting a different language, to journalists Picture: European Council

Picture: President of Portugal

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COMMUNICATION, SOUND & SAFETY SOLUTIONS AIRPORTS

PUBLIC ADDRESS & VOICE ALARM

CONFERENCE CENTRES

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES FACTORIES

HOSPITALS/HEALTH CARE HOTELS

INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES OFFICE BUILDINGS

RAILWAY STATIONS RESTAURANTS RETAIL

STADIUMS

TRANSPORT HUBS VENUES

www.toa.co.uk

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WIRELESS SOLUTIONS & IP AUDIO

Advanced Audio and Public Address for Venues The audio industry has seen great changes in recent years as to what sound venues require, not only for performances, but to provide a safe and informative environment for visitors and staff alike. Venues that invite the public into their spaces have to not only think about the entertainment quality of their events, but the ability to provide clear messaging for both announcements and safety. When designing systems for these applications, we have to look at the most flexible, robust, and safe systems. We need to think about the complexity of spaces within multifunctional venues playing host to different sized events. There are many areas to consider: stage, Front of House (FOH), backstage, and function rooms, so having bespoke designed systems for both performance and public address, specifically for the venue, gives that flexibility and provides a unique system for that space. We also need to think about ease of operation, the way venues manage their technical teams, and the vast array of different events they have to deal with. For performances, a dedicated wireless system provides the best option for both performers and for use in multiple spaces. A receiver system can be adapted to a variety of transmitters: handheld, head worn, or lapel. From a performance point of view, this gives the greatest freedom of movement. From a venue point of view, these robust systems are transferable to multiple of spaces and types of events, whist providing exceptional quality. For general communication, venues will install a PA system to allow for announcements and music. However, we have seen an increasing trend to include voice evacuation within these systems. So why is this important? In the event of an incident, staff need to be able to communicate effectively and quickly. Voice evacuation has significantly replaced traditional bell sounding systems with research indicating that people react 75% more to voice delivered instructions than hearing a bell. A PA/VA system not only provides the venue with traditional audio: voice announcements when an event is about to start, ambient background music and performers show relay, but also allows staff to control incidents and evacuate in a safe way through the same system. In large venues, the ability to zone areas makes evacuation much more structured so that staff can guide in the most appropriate direction or hold in a ‘safe’

area. Using 100V line enables connectivity between microphone, amplification and speakers. PA/VA systems provide the solution to the challenge of evacuating many people at one time, and provides a safer way of relaying important information with less risk. It allows staff and emergency services to control situations in a much better way and direct people away to a place of safety, reducing stress, and enabling those in control of the situation to execute their action plan. So, what is voice alarm? It is a public address system linked to a fire alarm that is triggered in the event of a fire or emergency. Using pre-recorded messages, or live announcements, they are designed in the event of needing to evacuate a building to help in the safest possible way.

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Voice alarm is regulated by British Standard BS5839-8. Design, build, installation, maintenance, and commissioning should all adhere to this standard as best practise. All new installations must use independently certified EN-54 products. For speakers, power supply equipment, control and indicating equipment, this is a legal requirement for voice alarm. Voice alarm is divided into five categories. Systems should be designed within these categories to meet the requirement of the end user: V1: Fully automatic evacuation V2: Ability for live emergency messages V3: Ability for zonal live emergency messages V4: Manual controls V5: Specially engineered systems A combined public address and voice alarm system is a life safety system, and no design should put lives at risk. This is why we have an expert technical team who are available to advise installers on the best options for individual projects to ensure they adhere to the BS5839-8 standard. From site survey and design, to commissioning and hand-over, they can support projects with their expertise in this field, including training in 100V line, voice alarm systems and standards and product specifications. We know providing individual and bespoke solutions for venues is key to giving the best operating systems. They need to meet the demands of the venue whilst being simple to operate to manage customers, support staff, and provide the best performance quality in a safe environment. For performance, our Trantec Rack ‘n Ready systems come in following combinations, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 receivers, with any configuration of belt pack or handheld transmitters, built in 19” professional flight cases to make them portable and robust. The S5.5 Series can be combined to provide up to 24 channels and is the ideal wireless performance and public speaking system.

For public address and voice alarm, our VX-3000 series is a reliable and energy-saving voice alarm system certified to all relevant EN54 standards. Its design, with its low number of system components, allows for easy installation and rapid system configuration whilst being energy efficient, using class-D amplifiers and modern power supply technology. Its scalability makes it suitable for both large and small applications and this system has been installed globally in airports, office blocks, venues, transport hubs, and healthcare facilities. Our developments in IP have been significant, IP-A1 Series. There is a growing demand for IP network audio products that are compatible with Video Management Systems (VMS) or SIP-based Communication Systems when designing public address and voice alarm systems. This allows clear, prerecorded voice messages or live voice announcements that can be automatically, or manually, triggered by VoIP (Voice over IP), SIP phone systems, IP camera systems, and image sensing or motion detection video systems. TOA/Trantec systems are designed to be expandable to add to projects should they develop. In the UK, our VX-3000 Series PA/VA and Trantec rack n ready systems are designed and custom-built in our workshop where they are rigorously tested before being dispatched to clients or to site. As a global manufacturer of commercial audio and security equipment, we provide professional acoustic solutions, public address and voice evacuation in over 120 countries. Our partners and clients benefit from our many years’ experience and expertise in these key audio areas, creating acoustic sound fields for millions of people to make lives safer, communication easier, and audio entertainment more pleasurable. For further information please contact marketing@toa.co.uk

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LAYING DOWN THE LOOP Hearing loops are the go-to technology for use as an assistive listening solution. Installing them is easier than you might think. Shelley Rolfe from Contacta Systems shares the lowdown on loops. Hearing loops can transform the lives of the 12 million people living with hearing loss in the UK, making education, worship, business, travel, and entertainment more accessible. They allow people to hear the sound that really matters to them rather than amplifying all the noise in the room.

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The Future of Accessibility In the fast-evolving landscape of AV technology, inclusivity is paramount. Hearing loops are a beacon of accessibility in the long-term, already implemented in countless AV installations globally. Like many AV systems, planning hearing loops into a build at the earliest stage makes for the best outcome. But it’s a misconception that once the flooring is laid and the ceiling tiles are in, hearing loops are out. A skilled engineer will be able to install a hearing loop in most settings where the technology meets the needs of the listeners – where the signal is to the industry standard, and users receive high-quality, clear sound. In-person planning Planning hearing loop systems begins with a site visit. Whatever impression you get from plans or blueprints, there is no substitute for visiting the space you need to loop. There is often an element in the room that isn’t on the plans which can impact on a loop’s performance. While you may be able to see the steel sub-frame that could cause metal loss to the signal, the air conditioning unit, and the interference it creates, might be less obvious. In the case of retrofitting, you need to see what fixtures and decorations are in place; what can be lifted or moved easily, locations for amplifiers etc. It’s also important to assess any neighbouring spaces. There could be a need to prevent overspill into rooms above, below, or next door either for confidentiality or comfort. While there are a lot of factors to consider, the barriers to installing hearing loops are few. From new developments to heritage buildings, the right skills and an attention to detail mean cabling, microphones and amplifiers (also known as loop drivers) can be elegantly concealed. Top tips for a seamless installation Hearing loop cabling is commonly laid on the floor with adhesive tape. Look at whether the flooring can be lifted and easily re-laid. There may be a crawlspace beneath the floor or cabling could be chased into the grouting of a tiled floor or wall. If cabling must sit within the room, lay it along skirting board and colour-match it to the paintwork.

The loop layout – a perimeter loop around the edges of a room or a series of smaller loops for a phased array design may affect how and where you decide cabling is placed. The Yehudi Menuhin School in Cobham, Surrey, is a good example of tailoring a loop installation to the aesthetics of a building. For a venue as large as this 300-seater hall, we would have normally recommended a phased array layout for both the ground floor and upper seating area. However, we were reluctant to cut repeated grooves into the wood floor. A perimeter loop was the solution for both areas, using different current strengths to account for metal loss in the tiered seating on the first floor. Both could be powered by our V12a dual output hearing loop driver. False ceilings are the ideal spaces for concealing microphones and they often allow for placement that ensures sound pickup across the space. Floors can also be an ideal location if used on a stage or other raised platform. There are several ways loop drivers can be installed to suit the space. Rack-mounted, wall-mounted, or simply in a cupboard. The key thing will be to make sure the driver has sufficient power to create a loop signal to the IEC 60118-4 standard. And that’s the key thing. Loops are the only assistive listening system with a recognised industry standard. They are universally recognised the world over and offer discreet, latency-free access to desired sound. While new technology is in development, people with hearing loss need access now.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF AUDIO FOR CORPORATE BUSINESS Over the last few years, there has been an increasing awareness that good audio is crucial in corporate AV installations. The prevalence of remote working - the ubiquitous Zoom calls, Teams meetings, and hybrid working arrangements we’ve grown accustomed to – has played a significant part in this. People are realising that without decent audio it’s impossible to concentrate in meetings, or to communicate effectively between office conference rooms and home workers etc. It’s not just a “nice to have” - it’s essential to the smooth running of a business today. More widely, the general public has become accustomed to great audio everywhere – from personal audio devices to TV broadcast and in cinema – so expectations of what the corporate AV environment should be delivering are increasing. As such, installers really need to think about the entire audio signal chain during a project. It’s all well and good for remote workers to be listening in to meetings wearing a decent headset, but if the office meeting room is an echo-y space where attendees have to shout into a distant laptop mic, the meeting’s going to be a disaster. It will be hard to follow what’s going on and very tiring to listen to.

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There are various innovative technologies that play a part in improving AV in challenging corporate situations where both office- and home-based workers need to meet virtually. Beamforming, for example – which is employed in the Audio-Technica ATND1061 Ceiling Array microphone – allows a microphone to isolate and “follow” a meeting participant around a room as they’re speaking. That allows an unprecedented level of control over meeting audio and much improved quality, particularly for remote workers. The ATND1061 has six individual output channels, with up to 32 user-defined pickup zones delivering the flexibility to cover a wide variety of room sizes from conference rooms

and boardrooms to other, smaller and less formal meeting spaces. Zones can be configured to ensure coverage of priority participants in known locations, or unplanned and non-priority parties (exclusion zones can also be set in software to avoid sources of unknown noise such as airhandling systems). The ATND1061DAN is also Dante-enabled, a reflection of the interest in networked audio that continues to develop as the requirements to connect and control various devices in corporate AV grows. The ease with which network devices can be added and the level of control afforded is a game-changer for any size of installation and something that customers really appreciate. Even in fairly simple AV installations, there might be multiple audio sources that need to be combined, so there has been a need to develop digital mixing solutions alongside new microphone technology, for example. The way that audio solutions are being used today has driven a requirement for products to be easy to use by members of staff who aren’t necessarily AV professionals, so innovation has to be matched to usability. Additionally, because of the

wide variety of situations in which audio products might be employed, flexibility is a key consideration - another element that has to be balanced with everything else. Products like the Audio-Technica ATDM-0604a Digital SmartMixer - which might sit at the heart of an installation that includes the ATND1061LK (which is equipped with our proprietary Audio-Technica LINK protocol for audio and control over IP) for both online and face-to-face conferences etc – is designed to offer exactly this blend of usability and power. Just as they expect great audio these days, customers also have an expectation of excellent user interface design. And the ATDM-0604a’s offering of app, browser, or front panel control exemplifies the requirement to offer not only a comprehensive feature list (six mic/line inputs, balanced and unbalanced stereo outputs, USB audio input/output, fourband EQ and compressor/de-esser for each input system), but also user-focussed control options, even for non-AV staff. We’re in exciting times for the corporate AV industry, with new technologies allowing for creative solutions to customer needs – and with careful planning we can deliver great audio, flexibility and an excellent user experience simultaneously.

/ Beamforming Ceiling Array Microphone

ATND1061 A Mic for All Meetings The ATND1061 Beamforming Ceiling Array Microphone is a state-ofthe-art, professional conferencing solution for meetings of any size – from boardrooms to classrooms. Capture every person speaking in a room with clear, natural audio that reduces distracting environmental sounds. Recognised as a trusted solution by many of the industry’s top technology brands.

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NETWORK AUDIO DISTRIBUTION IS VITAL IN TODAY’S MARKET

A Conversation with Erik Tarkiainen – RDL President By Ian Winter, Product Manager at Canford

Over the last three decades, RDL has earned a reputation for building high performance audio products that are trusted in mission critical systems around the world, as well as in every type of commercial installation imaginable. Erik Tarkiainen, the President of RDL, joined the company a year ago. As we are the exclusive UK distributor for RDL, I wanted to take a little time to get to know him a bit better; starting with what persuaded him to join RDL in the first place. Erik. Thanks a lot for taking some time out to chat to me. You’ve held some very prestigious positions with prominent manufacturers in the Pro Audio industry, including most recently Vice President of Global Marketing for Harman Professional. What influenced your decision to become RDL’s President? RDL has such a great reputation for product quality and customer support, that it was an honour to be entrusted to further that legacy, while also seeing the opportunity to increase awareness for the brand through marketing and business development initiatives. RDL products are well-known for their quality and reliability; what would you say is the greatest contributor of the product’s reliability? We credit our product’s reliability to the hands-on attention they receive while being produced here at our Prescott, Arizona headquarters. Manufacturing onsite allows us to closely monitor the quality of the materials and components we use, as well as control every step of the production process. This close supervision of each step of the manufacturing process ensures our products will perform to RDL’s standards, which we believe is the highest in the industry.

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It certainly shows, I don’t recall ever having an issue with an RDL product. Thinking about the wider industry, what do you believe is the leading technology in our industry today? AV-over-IP or transmitting audio-visual data over standard computer networks. This technology rose to the top in the last decade. Audio transport systems like Dante, and standards like AES67, helped manufacturers collectively adopt this technology, making it the most popular today. We believe it will continue to evolve and grow over time. In response, RDL has developed over 70 unique Dante interfaces, not counting colour variations, making us the industry leader in Dante endpoint technology. You mentioned evolving audio transport systems technology. Can you tell me a little more about how RDL are supporting this? Several large AV manufacturers offer a wide variety of products plus their own cloud-based platforms and design software. Together, they help simplify the design process, even for complex, large-scale projects. These platforms are very popular with today’s commercial system designers. Fortunately, many integrate with Dante, which can support third-party devices such as RDL’s Dante interfaces. To accomplish this, a plug-in (software add-on) must be developed to allow the third party’s products to be configured and controlled within the primary manufacturer’s design software. Otherwise, it can be difficult or near impossible to configure both manufacturer’s products in one system.

Q-SYS is one of these manufacturers who have their own platform and design software. To support our customers, we’ve developed a Q-SYS plugin. The great benefit here is that both Q-SYS products and RDL’s DD-RN Series interfaces can easily be combined into a system design and configured within the Q-SYS environment, greatly simplifying the design process. Will Q-SYS be your ultimate target in terms of platform design support? No, Q-SYS was first, but RDL’s goal is to support and partner with all the relevant platforms.

Download Plug-In Here

New Q-SYS Plug-In

For RDL’s Software Configurable Interfaces RDL, the Leader in Dante Audio Endpoint Interfaces, Proudly Announces the Release of Our Q-SYS Plug-In: RDL DD-RN SERIES NETWORK AUDIO INTERFACES •C onfigure and Control RDL’s Software Configurable Dante Interfaces within Q-SYS Environment. • S upports DD-RN-Series Wall-Mounted Bi-Directional Dante Interfaces. • Adjust Input Gains, Output Levels, and Enable Phantom Power. DD-RN Series Dante Interfaces Includes:

• Assigned Plug-ins Generate Model Specific Control Features. •P lug-in Available for Download Through Q-SYS Designer - Asset Manager.

DD-RN31

DD-RN40

DD-RN42

Available in White, Black & Stainless Steel.

For more information contact our sales team UK Sales: 0191 418 1122 sales@canford.co.uk International Sales: +44 191 418 1133 international@canford.co.uk www.canford.co.uk/RDL Source Material by Canford 61

Award-Winning Products to Enable and Improve Production Workflows TSL Power - High-quality, affordable Power Distribution Units (PDU) Take control of your power with TSL’s award-winning range of Power Distribution Units. We are now back in stock and ready to serve your power distribution needs with our latest C-Series range of PDUs. The PDU14C model is available in either 20A or 32A versions, incorporating 14 outlets (individually fused), LED status indicators per outlet, plus a thermal resettable over-current protection switch to help guard against catastrophic overload to protect the integrity of your system installation. Compact 1RU size, constructed of steel, these high-quality units offer a rigid platform, with power bus-bar construction, and soldered connections (not crimped), that deliver unrivalled reliability in all applications. Prices start from £270. Our latest D-Series range of intelligent power distribution units provide all the functionality you need to centrally control, manage and configure your rack-based equipment. From single rack installations to multi-rack data centres or across multiple locations, the units deliver efficiency improvements by enabling the centralisation of engineering functions and early fault diagnosis. A dual-input (A-B) variant is optionally available. Introducing InSite as Universal Intelligent Infrastructure Management (UIIM) for effective power management InSite discovers and connects devices over SNMP or Modbus to display control and alarm status. InSite is the ideal solution for broadcast applications and data centres - it’s agile, quick to deploy and low-cost. Broadcasters can cost-effectively monitor and manage power usage across facilities with InSite, TSL’s proprietary software standards-based monitoring, reporting and alarm notification UIIM system that runs in-browser. Its configurable virtualised infrastructure management system can remotely monitor multiple facilities wherever they are located. It’s non-vendor-specific to avoid vendor lock-in. When combined with TSL’s new intelligent power distribution unit range, it can also facilitate a reduction in power usage and cost, thereby supporting sustainability goals and compliance requirements.

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“For many years, TSL has had a range of PDUs and also a DCIM software solution, both of which were primarily purchased as risk mitigation tools,” says TSL CEO Matthew Quade. “In terms of surge protection, all of our PDUs have individually fused outlets, meaning if one item goes down, the rest of the equipment is protected and stays up.” TSL Audio – award-winning Audio Monitoring In addition to our award-winning audio monitors, TSL’s latest MPA1-MIX-NET-V-R won TVB Europe’s ‘Best-in-Show’ award at IBC2023. The MPA1-MIX-NET-V-R incorporates native IP ST 2022-7 and ST 2110-30 supporting fully redundant networking connectivity. Our best-selling MPA1 product range is a hit with customers empowering broadcasters to deliver top-tier, uninterrupted production experiences, whether it’s a high-stakes live mobile sporting venue, studio production or playout facility.

TSL Control - seamlessly enable existing or new infrastructure to create best-in-class workflows. TSL Control offers a modular range of broadcast control solutions to help customers manage a wide range of their live production needs including; the transition to IP, protocol translation, universal device control, router control, server/ clip control, SNMP monitoring, dynamic ad insertion, camera delegation, disaster recovery systems, monitoring control (firing presets, creating salvos), graphics management, scheduled actions, and secondary events. We specialise in an ability to work with 3rd party equipment from a huge range of existing and legacy vendors, excelling in protocol translation and NMOS integration. TSL enables control, monitoring and management layers to smoothly work together whether it’s on-prem, on-location, virtualised or in the cloud. Get in touch with TSL to find out more about our award-winning products.

Audio MPA1-MIX-NET-V-R is our latest Audio award-winning native IP audio

Audio. Control. Power. Audio. Control. Power.

monitor that incorporates fully SAM-Q-SDI brings the freedom to redundant networking ST-2110-7 monitor SDI, AES and analogue audio from our wide range of best-selling sources with maximum operational audio monitors. efficiency. Offering multiple modes and upgradable licences within one unit, with pin protection and a customisable feature-set.

Control 14 modular, individually deployable; Control award-winning control products: IP transition, dynamic ad insertion, device IP control, Control Buddy a powerful yet compact tally,isprotocol translation, control system that can be used standalone router control, DDR control, machine or integrated with a larger 3rd party control control routing, SNMP, hardware system. It can perform simple or complex panels,and disaster recovery, presets and functions is perfect for flyaway kits, salvos, graphics small production tasksmanagement and one button and applications. scheduled actions.

Power TSL’s award-winning power Power distribution units are compact in size and constructed of steel delivering unrivalled reliability. TSL’s basic power distribution units areCombined compact in size and constructed with InSite software for of steel. With a rigid platform, remote control, monitoring and power bus-bar construction reporting, they are the ideal, agile, and no crimped cables. They low-cost solution production, offer unrivalled reliabilityfor in all broadcast and AV applications. applications.

To find out more more about about TSL’s TSL’s full full range range of of solutions solutionscontact contact Matt Matt Plant Plant: To find out T. +44 7771564 543610 713 E.E.sales@tslproducts.com sales@tslproducts.com 44 1628 tslproducts.com tslproducts.com

Audio. Control. Power.

SourceMaterial MaterialbybyCanford Canford6359 Source

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Setting up the Glensound GTM for an eSports tournament The GTM combines key functions required by eSports into a single unit and makes the most of the simple audio transfer and routing available across a Dante/AES67 network. In this ever-growing eSports market, this is how you would go about making the most of GTMs at your event. By Marc Wilson, Managing Director of Glensound The Network

Remote Control & Configuration

We won’t look at this in detail but as the GTM is a Dante network unit, you will need to have a network in place with enough PoE capacity in the switch to power the number of GTM units required (consumption of each GTM is under 15W). It is preferable that this is a dedicated network of course.

Configuration of each individual GTM is performed using the Windows 10/11 app - GlenController. Multiple GTMs are visible at one time, and they can be named for the correct team or player. GlenController will allow the engineer to remote control the gain level of each individual player and set the level of their headphone sources. These functions can be locked locally if required. GlenController is used for further configuring the game audio source, team comms mix, and headphone monitoring.

Most eSports tournaments would involve 15 units. This is normally two teams of six, with each having a coach, and then an overall referee. As the teams are usually 6 players, it is normal to have a PoE switch at each team area to reduce the amount of cabling required. Network connections on the GTM are available via a primary and secondary wired copper connections that both offer PoE and are on standard RJ45 connections.

Game Audio eSports tournaments are played on many different gaming platforms, which means that the game audio can originate from different hardware. The GTM gives you five separate game audio sources, of which 3 are local connections: analogue audio, digital audio (SPDIF), and USB. Connections to these are available to be monitored by the player, and they are also sent into the Dante network. This means that each individual

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game audio can be then recorded, streamed, or played out in the arena as cameras switch. There are also two network sources for game audio: Dante, or optional HD-SDI. Multiple channels of audio can be taken from the Dante network. There is a loop out of the SDI input to allow connection to the gamer’s video screen. Whichever game audio source is selected, it will be available on the ‘GAME’ pot on the GTM. This allows the gamer to select their own desired level for the game audio source selected. Team Comms Mix Creating a mix, so that all members of the same team can communicate during a game, would typically be carried out with an external mixer and sent back to the players for monitoring. On the GTM this is managed within the system directly. Within GlenController, select each GTM to be a player, coach, or referee unit. Then, within player settings, set the team number and player number of the GTM. This allows the selection of the team mates to be mixed in the ‘TEAM’ section. Within the ‘TEAM’ section on GlenController you can now mix up to 13 sources. If the GTM is being used by a player, typically you will only include the other teammates in this mix. This is an individual mix per GTM player. The additional sources are for the other situations that the GTM may be used. For example, if a referee is using the unit, the ‘TEAM’ mix will be the return audio of both teams’ coaches. Whichever mix is used, it will be presented to the player on their ‘TEAM’ level control to monitor at their preferred level. This is an overall level control of the whole team mix that was configured in GlenController. Headphone Monitoring

via the TRRS. Most tournament rules require an over ear second pair of headphones, so these would connect via one of the jack sockets. Each headphone amplifier is actually a two-channel mixer between the output of the GTM mixer and a white noise generator. In the scenario above, you would route the game audio to the TRRS output for gaming earbuds or a headset, and white noise to the headphone outputs for the over ear headphones. Although this is the normal configuration for most tournament rules, we suspect in the future that the ability to wear a single pair of headphones, and mix game audio and white noise onto them would, be the preferable option. If you designate the GTM as a referee unit, the top push button on the panel can now perform a special function. When the referee presses this in between games, they will turn on white noise to all of the players’ units to prevent them from hearing any discussions in the arena. The integrity of the game is all important with GTM, so there is a further enhancement to the white noise function by adding a noise gate to each microphone, to further prevent any undesirable background audio being shared on the team chat. Audio Routing All audio routing is via the standard Dante Controller (or relevant AES67 controller). A GTM is shown as 16 sources and 16 destinations on Dante Controller, and audio can be routed to/from as required. Show Time

eSports usually require gamers to wear two pair of headphones; one for the game audio and a second pair for white noise. White noise is normally sent to the players between games so that they cannot gain any competitive advantage from over hearing anything being discussed in the arena. GTM manages this requirement directly.

The GTM is now ready to go. As the same unit is used by all participants at an event, and that can include arena announcers too, many tournaments have a backup unit that can be swapped into any location if need. Three major functions of an eSport tournament have now been managed by one box, and your engineer can just continue to monitor levels during the tournament all from within GlenController.

There are two headphone amplifiers. One is presented on two paralleled jack sockets at 6.35mm and 3.5mm. The second is presented as a 3.5mm TRRS socket. Typically, the player would be using a gaming headset/earbuds and connect

If you would like any advice on how to configure GTM for your eSports event, please get in touch with Canford and they’ll be very pleased to help.

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TECPRO, SOUNDS LIKE INTERCOM

By Charles Phelps, Technical Support Engineer at Canford

The original Technical Projects range of intercom equipment was designed to enable two-way conversations over a wired analogue link between operators working in various positions around a venue. When Canford acquired the designs in 1986, and renamed the system “Tecpro”, it didn’t take long for technicians to recognise the benefits of an affordable, reliable, and simple to operate communications system. Whilst other intercom brands have come and gone, Tecpro has stood the test of time, and continues to be manufactured by Canford to the same high standards. A “two-wire”, “party line”, or “ring” system enables several people to take part in the same conversation. Each participant can hear all other participants on the same circuit whilst simultaneously being able to talk to them; commonly referred to as ‘full duplex’. A basic Tecpro communication system comprises of a power supply and two or more outstations/beltpacks. An outstation may be wall mounted, free-standing, or rack mounted, usually with a built-in loudspeaker and possibly a microphone. Beltpacks are intended for personal use and work only with a headset. Outstations and beltpacks connect with two core screened microphone cable which carries system power, audio, and various control signals. Tecpro has a reputation for reliability, built to withstand the rigours of continuous professional use on the road. With a fully analogue audio path, the sound quality is clean and clear with next to no latency, allowing conversations to be easily understood, with a consideration for easing listening fatigue over periods of extended use. There are many fully functioning Tecpro devices still in daily use and, despite a few scrapes, scratches, and the occasional tyre mark, they continue to operate normally and should continue to do so for many years. We are rather proud of that... It is in fact the Tecpro headsets that provide its distinctive sound. Tecpro Headsets are tailored to aid intelligibility, even in loud environments, effectively reducing low frequency pick up and rolling off very high frequencies;

helping to isolate clear speech reproduction. Low frequency content can impair intelligibility and, in extreme cases, cause distortion due to the additional power requirements. High frequency content can increase audible width, which is surplus to requirements. Reducing this, whilst retaining the important “S” and “F” consonants, being desired refinement. Dual & Single Muff Headsets 100 Series. Super light-weight headset with low clamping force for reduced fatigue. 27-135 DMH135

200 Series. Robust construction, with only two moving joints, and a passive noise cancelling microphone on flexible a steel-reinforced boom. 27-210 SMH210 27-220 DMH220

300 Series. Improving on the renowned durability and comfort of the 200 series with dual-chamber, foam-filled ear-shells and a 320° boom for left- or right-hand use and with 0° microphone mute. 27-310 SMH310 27-320 DMH320

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GREEN-GO, SUPPORT AND TRAINING By Charles Phelps, Technical Support Engineer at Canford Canford are the UK and Ireland distributor for Green-GO and we would be delighted to support you with this product range. For all things Green-GO, please contact us via: greengo@ canford.co.uk and for the latest updates from Green-GO please visit: manual.greengoconnect.com

Green-GO differs fundamentally from other intercom designs which use a central matrix or routing-engine at their core. Instead, each outstation holds all routing data, system set-up, and user preferences. The peer-to-peer nature of Green-GO makes the system highly flexible and genuinely scalable, allowing for efficient setups even on existing network infrastructure. The smallest possible Green-GO system consists of only two devices and a PoE network switch. From there, the system can quickly scale by simply adding or removing devices and growing your network. This, coupled with a highly configurable, proprietary software, makes Green-GO a great option for most applications. This decentralised design, paired with the diverse range of potential applications, calls for an assortment of required settings and functionality. To achieve this, the version 5 Green-GO Control software provides a tactile, intuitive, and streamlined configuration tool; setting up and monitoring the system has never been easier. Because of this, a basic setup should be achievable with little effort but, where requirements extend, an understanding of the workflows, implications, and tools available is

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best accomplished through applicational conversations, implementation, and development. Continuing to work with users through a variety of site based and virtual tools to achieve pertinent functionality is a significant part of having a reliable intercom solution. Exhibiting alongside a daily seminar programme at Plasa Show 2023, Green-GO’s more public exposure as a flexible, interoperable solution aroused its potential for a variety of unique applications. The high level of interest we received at the show reinforces our involvement with support and training, engaging with new and current users to review the tools available that enable the product to fulfil requirements in a clean and reliable manner.

In combination with our current efforts, we would like to engage with a wider audience through targeted workshops, providing an opportunity to develop systems knowledge alongside other industry colleagues within the Green-GO community. Starting from the ground up, and then developing into areas of interest, with practical elements, the intention is for these sessions to be free and open to everyone. Please express your interest via: www.canford.co.uk/ News/837

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT:

Green-GO Radio Interface The RDX Radio Interface offers a user-friendly way of communicating with several external radios (walkie-talkies). The RDX provides all necessary analogue through digital conversion, audio processing and switching of transmit/ receive functions, ready to connect with a dedicated cable to a ‘captive’ radio transceiver, which then provides communication with ‘mobile’ (connected by radio) transceiver users. In this way a single radio channel provided by the captive handset becomes a single dedicated group on the Green-GO network. www.canford.co.uk/GREEN-GO-DIGITAL-INTERCOMSYSTEM-Radio-interface-station

GREEN-GO COST EFFECTIVE, SCALABLE IP COMMS

FREE WORKSHOP Are you interested in an all-day, FREE workshop where we can take a deeper look at the Green-GO ecosystem?

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NETWORKING, PACKET LOSS, AND SYNCHRONISATION By Charles Phelps, Technical Support Engineer at Canford Even the best laid plans are not immune to interference. Building redundancy and headroom into your networks, via solutions such as VLANs (virtual local area networks), trunking and secondary networks, offers a specified level of QoS (quality of service), but can lend itself to its own set of considerations for synchronisation inherent in many larger IP networks. The time it takes for a piece of information to transmit from sender to receiver can be defined as the propagation delay. This varies not only based on the length and type of medium/cable, but the number and capabilities of hops/ nodes/junctions in the route/path. Most communications over IP have some form of reply and it is this time from sender to receiver and back that is commonly considered as latency. As you might imagine, with multiple routes between multiple nodes, there can be an inconsistency in communications. This differential potential is typically taxonomised as jitter. Generally, the lower the latency, the quicker information is received, but with a higher potential impact of jitter. Vice versa; the higher the latency (usually achieved through buffering) the more consistent information is received, with a consideration for delay. Many network services rely on clocks to establish synchronised demultiplexing to best achieve reliable, stable services. For this reason, most nodes will converse a timecode segment to their operation and packetisation, which network services then utilise and can adjust to stabilise connections. NTP (network time protocol) works to provide UTC (coordinated universal time) referencing GPS (global positioning system) within a tolerance of milliseconds, commonly seen in WANs (wide access networks AKA “the internet”). PTP (precision time protocol), with an accuracy of microseconds, re-calibrates offsets through multi-point references, accommodating for the sensitivities of a LAN (local area network aka “internal system communications”). On a given network, there are many ways for encapsulating and transporting data. Where we have multiple devices to

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communicate with, sending a bespoke connection to each end point (unicast) can become cumbersome in data bandwidth and sender port processing throughput. To counteract this, sending the same data to all end points for the receiver, irrespective of requirement (broadcast), alleviates the sender putting more strain on the network backbone throughput, leaving it up to the receiver to validate appropriateness. Achieving a balance between the two, many networks utilise services such as IGMP (internet group management protocol) to moderate traffic between specified end points (multicast), grouping communication via routed subscription.

By predefining the type of network traffic, through networking architecture classification techniques such as Diffserve (Differentiated services), we can better prioritise time sensitive services such as clocking or media streaming over services such as web traffic or file transfer. A packet marking precedence policy, ToS (type of service), is established to dictate the classification of traffic queuing through an IP network. In combination, consideration for what and how data is transported and managed for a given network is becoming more necessary within the AV industry. Stacking multiple services on the same IP network, that potentially incorporates a much greater remit than the legacy equivalents, is now commonplace. The appropriate management of this infrastructure is the key to the reliability and efficiency of the implemented design. Priority None

Low

Medium High

Service

Class

Decimal

Standard

CS0

Data

CS1,AF11-13

8,10,12,14

Operations

CS2,AF21-23

16,18,20,22

Video

CS3,AF31-33

24,26,28,30

Interaction

CS4,AF41-43

32,34,36,38

Signalling

CS5,EF

40,46

Routing

CS6

Network

CS7

MADE IN UK

Super-Softie ®

Unique design, superior performance The Super-Softie® represents a completely unique approach to the slip-on windshield. Unlike conventional slip-on fur windshields, the Super-Softie® sports a unique aerodynamic shape with specially designed 3D-Tex® material. This provides a new level of windshield performance with unparalleled durability, ease of maintenance and long-term reliability.

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LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AND UPHOLDING BRITISH MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE For anyone familiar with the demanding field of on-location sound recording, the name Rycote resonates as a symbol of unwavering quality and reliability. Rycote has been delivering top-tier equipment designed to endure the harshest environments and daily wear and tear since 1969. We take immense pride in being a brand trusted by sound professionals worldwide. Our journey over the last five decades has been a testament to the unwavering dedication and relentless innovation of the Rycote team. We have consistently evolved our product range, ensuring that we not only meet but exceed the everevolving needs of our community, all while maintaining an unrelenting focus on capturing exceptional professional audio. One of our greatest achievements has been in the realm of microphone shock mounting and wind noise protection solutions. Rycote has set industry standards in many areas, tirelessly developing industry-leading products, such as Cyclone, Super-Softie and Modular Windshields. These products are designed to strike that delicate balance between eliminating wind and handling noise while preserving a microphone’s natural frequency response.

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What truly sets Rycote apart, and a fact that might surprise some, is our commitment to British manufacturing. For over 50 years, our complete range of wind protection and shock mounting products has been proudly crafted in the United Kingdom, a tradition we continue to uphold. Recently, our Rycote production facility found a new home in Ashby-De-La-Zouch. This move represents a significant milestone in our journey. The state-of-the-art facility allows us to incorporate cutting-edge technology into our manufacturing processes while guaranteeing that the products you trust and adore will continue to meet the highest quality standards for years to come.

The upgrades to our new facility are designed to enhance the user experience. These include highprecision cutting machines, ensuring improved product consistency. We’ve also added a cutting-edge hemianechoic chamber, complete with a wind tunnel for dedicated product testing, taking our commitment to quality to new heights. Our production processes have been refined and enhanced, further improving our quality standards. Additionally, we place a strong emphasis on environmental responsibility, which our new facility supports by helping us actively reduce our resource consumption and carbon footprint. In terms of capacity, we can now produce up to 365 windjammers each day, allowing us to promptly respond to the ever-changing requirements of on-location sound professionals. However, one of the most vital components of our commitment to quality is our dedicated team of highlytrained staff. Our skilled workforce take great pride in producing and assembling Rycote products, often investing several hours of meticulous hand craftsmanship into each item. This human touch is an integral part of what makes Rycote products stand out.

As a proud member of The Videndum Group, a conglomerate home to several premium brands, we share an unshakable commitment to quality control. Every Rycote product undergoes rigorous checks to ensure it meets the high-quality standards synonymous with our name. At Rycote, we never stop striving for perfection. We actively seek input from our community, as our users’ experiences and insights are invaluable to us. We are eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and requirements. Whether you want to learn more about our products or wish to have a conversation with our team, we invite you to get in touch or even schedule a visit to our brand-new facility. Rycote remains dedicated to delivering outstanding audio solutions that stand the test of time. We are committed to both listening to the needs of our community and to preserving the tradition of British manufacturing excellence. Together with our unwavering focus on quality and innovation, we are wellprepared to continue serving sound professionals worldwide for many more years to come. www.rycote.com

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Panamic

HAND CRAFTED CARBON FIBRE BOOM POLES • LIGHTWEIGHT • SUPERBLY BALANCED • SILENT OPERATION •

Nylon Web Handle & Rubber End Cap

Adjustable End Stops

Titanium Tip

Nylon Bushes & Locking Rings

Assist in protecting the carbon fibre construction.

Unique to Panamic, each section houses an Adjustable End Stop. These keep joints tight and eliminate the risk of rattle noise.

Tough and corrosionresistant whilst being approximately 1/3 the weight of an equivalent stainless steel tip.

Silently operating whilst helping to prevent jamming, sticking, and binding.

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For more information contact our sales team UK Sales: 0191 418 1122 sales@canford.co.uk International Sales: +44 191 418 1133 international@canford.co.uk canford.co.uk/Panamic

‘HEY, MY DAD MADE THAT!’ 50 YEARS OF PANAMIC BOOM POLES. WELL, 51 TO BE EXACT. By Adam Ironside, Marketing Manager at Canford In 1972, Colin Charles (Sound Recordist) set up Panamic with the aim of providing a high-quality, lightweight, premium alternative to the existing popular boom poles. Each pole was carefully constructed, by hand, from the highest quality carbon fibre – a practise which is still in full effect today. Over the last five decades, Panamic boom poles have appeared on the sets of legendary flim-makers Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg, they’ve been used in the harshest of environments (from subzero temperatures to the top of volcanoes), and in TV studios all around the world. When Colin finally retired in 2007, Canford acquired Panamic and moved production down to our Portland facility. We quickly realised we were going to need a go-to person for all things Panamic, and we certainly found someone! That man was Alan Greaves and this is his sixteenth year as our Panamic expert. If you’ve bought a Panamic pole in the last sixteen years, it has certainly passed through the hands of Alan. I recently interviewed Alan to find out a little about him, and what goes into making a Panamic pole. “I was working with fibre optics at the time, making various Alan Greaves connectors and bits and pieces when I saw an advert in the local paper for a new job on the isle of Portland where I live”, begins Alan, “so I had to take a look. Now here I am sixteen years later and still loving every minute of it”. Once the raw materials come in, it takes around four days to make a batch of ten poles and I wanted to know a bit about the process. How do we make these Alan? “It’s a lot of really hands on work”, explains Alan, “but a lot of fun. I’m making between twenty and thirty poles (of various

shapes and sizes) every month, so it is pretty constant. Over the years I’ve tweaked some processes and streamlined a lot of the workflows to make this as efficient as possible without compromising, in any way, on the Panamic quality that our customers trust. But some processes still take a long time. The glue, for example, must be left to fully cure for at least twenty-four hours. There’s a lot of other manual work that goes into it too. Many of the parts we receive are not made to measure, so I have to do a lot of turning to get the parts down to the right size in order to meet the exact specification that our product requires”. With Alan being a family man and father to three sons, I was also curious to find out if any were planning to follow in his footsteps and continue their father’s legacy. “Well,” starts Alan, “sort of. My eldest, he’s a lecturer and my second son is studying for a career in marketing, but my youngest, he’s just about to start at Weymouth College where he will be studying film and TV. So, chances are he’ll come into contact with Panamic poles very early on in his career and he can proudly say: ‘Hey, my dad made that’”.

Loyal Panamic users all cite the same reasons for continuing to use our boom poles: “I can honestly say the Panamic pole has never let me down during my entire career”. “I have only owned one boom pole in my entire 30-year career: a 3-section Panamic mini. That is a testament to how good Panamic boom poles are”. “As a career boom op, I want a pole that will last me for my entire career, and I know without a doubt that I can trust Panamic booms to be extremely durable and reliable”. Try one for yourself: Panamic.net

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FROM STAGE TO THRILLS: The Not So Surprising Connection Between Theatre Enthusiasts and Theme Park Fanatics By Tim Wappat, Software Development Manager at Canford

Since I was a toddler, I’ve been attending live theatre shows. Back in the 1970s cheap theatre tickets were more cost effective than a babysitter, and that’s where my lifelong fascination with the world of theatre began. I was captivated by the enchanting atmosphere and the communal joy of experiencing a performance with others. From a very young age, I aspired to a career in technical theatre.

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People who have a deep appreciation for the theatre and live performance often find themselves drawn to theme parks and roller coasters. Both theatre and theme parks offer a thrilling escape from everyday life. Just as theatre transports audiences to different worlds, through storytelling and dramatic performances, theme parks provide an immersive experience through themed environments and adrenaline-pumping rides. The sense of wonder and suspension of disbelief common in theatre, aligns with the suspension of reality that roller coasters and theme park attractions deliver, creating a unique and captivating form of entertainment. In his book “Creating my own Nemesis,” John Wardley, a prominent figure in the development of numerous UK theme park attractions, delves into this link between theatre, showmen, and attractions. Furthermore, both theatre and theme parks share a fundamental commitment to storytelling. Whilst theatre relies on script and performance to convey narratives, theme parks utilise intricate design, scenic details, and themed attractions to tell stories. Those who appreciate the art of storytelling in the theatre can also admire the creative storytelling techniques employed in theme park design. The thematic consistency and attention to detail in theme parks contribute to a sense of immersion that parallels the emotional engagement often experienced in live theatre; making theme parks an appealing destination for those who cherish compelling narratives. The element of surprise and anticipation is a common thread connecting theatre enthusiasts and theme park enthusiasts. Just as theatre-goers eagerly anticipate plot twists, musical scores and character developments, theme park visitors eagerly anticipate the twists, turns, and drops of roller coasters and the immersive sound track of the theme park. The audience’s shared sense of excitement, and the ability to experience moments of suspense and exhilaration, make both theatre and theme parks appealing choices for individuals seeking to escape the ordinary and embrace the extraordinary. In essence, these enthusiasts find joy in the thrill of the unexpected, whether it unfolds on the stage or on a coaster track. The overlap between the technical aspects of staging a show and creating a theme park attraction is a fascinating blend of art and engineering. Both endeavours require meticulous attention to detail, creative problem-solving, and a commitment to creating immersive experiences.

In the world of theatre, technical professionals handle lighting, sound, set design, engineering, and special effects to bring a performance to life. Similarly, in theme park design, experts in engineering, architecture, and multimedia collaborate to craft attractions that seamlessly transport visitors to different worlds. The utilisation of cutting-edge technology, whether it’s the precise synchronization of lighting and sound in a modern theatrical production, or the development of innovative ride systems in theme park attractions, showcases the shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the realm of entertainment. Thus, the technical mastery and ingenuity required in both theatre and theme park design underscore the intricate relationship between these two seemingly distinct forms of entertainment. Membership in the European Coaster Club (EEC) offers the chance to embark on global adventures in search of the next thrilling experience, as well as the opportunity to host special guests from the industry to discuss their passions and projects in depth. Imagine this: Canford Audio’s equipment is trusted by the very parks and attractions that thrill-seekers like us love to visit. These theme parks, known for their cuttingedge rides and immersive experiences, rely on top-notch systems to enhance the excitement and immersion of their attractions. So, as a rollercoaster enthusiast, it’s like knowing that the heart-pounding screams, dramatic music, and thrilling sound effects that make our favourite rides unforgettable are made possible, in part, by the components provided by Canford Audio. It’s a fascinating connection that adds a whole new layer of appreciation to the world of theme park thrills!

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OUR PEOPLE By Beth Routledge, HR Manager at Canford

At Canford, we strive to build great connections with our employees through employee engagement initiatives. We also have a genuine interest in finding out more about the human aspect of individuals; understanding how people tick and what their passions are.

In my first 12 months here, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to find out more about some of our Canford team members, their interests, and passions. Let’s take a look at what some of them get up to outside of work...

Priyanka Bhardwaj I have worked as an Electronics Test Engineer with Canford Audio since February 2022. My day typically involves testing various products offered by Canford, ranging from simple communication cables to a complex system (such as the Tecpro Master Station).

Moira Cairnie My name is Moira and I’ve been working at Canford for 33 years. My role is HR Officer and, working in a busy environment, it’s good to be able to do something that is a little different when not at work.

Outside of work, I enjoy making vegetarian dishes that are both traditional and modern in India. I also don’t hesitate to experiment with other cuisines, adding Indian flavours and hotness to foods like pasta, pizza, salads, and sandwiches. My passion for cooking can be summarised as “Kitchen is your own lab; keep experimenting”. This lab of mine starts at circa 5 a.m. for a fresh breakfast and lunch, and is followed by dinner preparation in the evening. I primarily cook for family and friends. Both I and my husband are big foodies and,

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at times, enjoy collaborating in the kitchen. Being away from my homeland, India, pushes me to go the extra mile in keeping the authenticity of traditional Indian food by procuring native spices from selected states of India.

I appreciate the worklife balance offered by Canford, and the seamless support from my line manager, Shawn Pretorius. These factors give me the flexibility to celebrate and enjoy all of the traditional Indian festivals to the fullest. My Instagram page is kitchenz_koolz if you’d like to get some inspiration!

My hobby is needle felting. I was inspired by Kirstie Allsopp – ‘Queen of Crafting’, through a craft show she presented on TV. I’ve been told that I also resemble her! I’m not so sure about that, but it will depend on who thinks that and their ‘Location, Location, Location!’. I couldn’t resist. Needle felting is the art of transforming wool into anything you like; usually for me it’s animals, figures, and flowers. The great thing about it is that if it goes ‘pear-shaped’, you can change it to something else. There are different types of wool; roving, carded, and Merino. You have different needles you can use. These are barbed needles (very sharp if you miss and hit your fingers or hand) and they push the fibres

together to mould a shape. I use YouTube, Etsy, and Pinterest for ideas. Mostly I make things for family and friends to give as gifts at Christmas and birthdays. Needle felting is very therapeutic, fun, and rewarding when you see the finished article. Through COVID, it was a great distraction, and some of the items that I’d worked on could take as little as a few hours to a couple of weeks to complete. I’ve got to say that all this crafting is quite good fun. Some of the creations take on their own little character and it’s good for the mind and soul.

I’m no Kirstie Allsopp, but practice makes perfect!

Julie Carney Since I was quite small, I spent a lot of time at the local Phoenix theatre in Blyth – my Mam and Dad were both heavily involved in amateur dramatics so, as a result, I got dragged along. Rather than just sitting around, I got involved. I enjoyed performing in many a pantomime and many of the youth productions – my highlight was playing the part of Annie when I was about 13 years old – the time when curly perms were all in fashion and yes, I had to contend with a real Labrador dog on stage! I tried as much as possible to keep being involved but when I moved to Sunderland, the commute to Blyth for rehearsals just got too much. The last productions I did in Blyth

Carl Griffiths Whilst I’ve been working at Canford for almost 28 years now, I’ve also been a member of the local Sea Cadet Unit for almost as long.

were highly entertaining though, being part of the chorus in Jesus Christ Superstar, and a dancer in Copacabana. I sadly didn’t do anything for a little while whilst spending time as “Mam” as well as being busy at work. After a while, I thought it was time to do something for myself again, so I took the plunge and went along to the Royalty Theatre in Sunderland. Community theatre is such a joy, and they all made me feel extremely welcome. Since joining, I have been on stage in quite a few plays including Calendar Girls (I will let you guess which one I played), Mary Shelley, A Bedful of Foreigners, and Steel Magnolias to name a few. Over the last 7 years,

I haven’t been on stage as much, with the exception of the annual Musical Nights (which have been great fun being able to sing and dance as well as raising money for local charities). It certainly keeps me young… and fit. It has been a pleasure for the last 2 years, being able to share the stage with my daughter. I’m hoping she may grace a professional stage in the future as she is currently studying at Italia Conti!

Whilst not on stage, I look after the box office for all shows, and I am a member of the executive committee; helping to keep everything running as smoothly as possible. I am hoping to get my confidence back and get back into plays now that I have more time on my hands. Who knows…the Royalty Theatre is fast approaching its centenary anniversary (in 2025), so we have lots of exciting things planned.

almost like a second full time as many opportunities as possible; from Boating to First job itself. Looking after 30, 10-18 year olds certainly has Aid, Seamanship and STEM. its challenges, but at least I I’ve carried out various get to send them home at roles within my time in the the end of the day. Someone Sea Cadets, and five years definitely lied to me when ago I was appointed as they said it was “two nights a Commanding Officer. My week and the odd weekend”. main task is to ensure the smooth running of the Cadet While it’s a challenging The Sea Cadets aims to role, getting to see the Unit, and ensure the safety give our 10-18yr old young development and progression people the best possible head and training of the Cadets of our young people and Adults under my care. start in life, through fun and throughout their time in the adventurous nautical activity What would I say is more Sea Cadets is very rewarding. based on the customs and challenging, Canford or the Seeing them do things they traditions of the Royal Navy. Sea Cadets? I’d say the never thought they would do, They certainly do that, and I originally joined the Sea Sea Cadets for sure. Being makes it all worthwhile. Cadets as a New Entry Cadet we try to give our Cadets a Commanding Officer is back in 1993, at the age of 15. After reaching the age of 18, it was time to give something back. So, I took the decision to become an Adult Volunteer and pass on the knowledge and skills that I’d learned to the next generation of Cadets.

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Adam Ironside

Barry, Jason and George

As well as being Marketing Manager at Canford, I’ve been a musician for a long time. I currently play guitar in two bands: Ultimate Whitesnake – a leading tribute to the legendary Whitesnake, and LN – a Pagan/Viking Metal band, as well as a recording project: Priory of Sion.

Wing-chun is a southern Chinese style of kungfu that focuses on close quarter, hand-to-hand combat using simultaneous attack and defence. This style of sophisticated fighting is based on simplicity, the economy of

For the last three years or so I’ve also ran a small project recording studio, with a partner, where we specialise in recording drums, mixing, and mastering… which is growing steadily.

motion, and the centre line theory. Wing-chun is different to other styles of fighting as it uses a no-nonsense approach, eliminating the need for elaborate movements. It was made famous by the legendary Bruce Lee who demonstrated its power with the oneinch punch (a must see if you’re interested on YouTube). The three of us primarily practise for self-defence, but it has other great attributes too, such as fitness, socialising, and respect for one another.

Oh, and I do a little Tai Chi and Feng Shou (Kung Fu) on the side.

by Canford • XLR • RJ45 • DATA & COMMUNICATION • RF • Manufactured to our meticulous specifications and quality requirements, Canford Connect is a growing range of high quality, cost-effective connectors. Reliable: Secure, stable connection eliminates EMI and cross-talk, ensuring optimal performance. Robust: Die-cast body with industry standard latch locking mechanism. Realistic: Incredibly cost-effective, without sacrificing quality.

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For more information contact our sales team UK Sales: 0191 418 1122 sales@canford.co.uk International Sales: +44 191 418 1133 international@canford.co.uk canford.co.uk/Canford-Connect

ELC LIGHTING:

DMX CONTROL AT YOUR FINGERTIPS By Charles Phelps, Technical Support Engineer at Canford ELC LIGHTING, founded in 1994, provides DMX over IP solutions in the form of nodes, controllers, recorders and splitters, alongside network switches and proprietary software.

DMXLAN NODES convert and control over ArtNET, sACN and ShowNET protocols. Providing remote programming and monitoring, HTP merging, priority merging, full soft patch (channel by channel), DMX channel control and support for WYSIWYG, ESP Capture. DMX CONTROLLERS offer scene capture and recall functions, through a variety of panels with faders, buttons or DIN controls, giving access to 512 DMX channels with a total desk capacity of 126 chase step lengths and times. Additionally the Show Store GBX providing a standalone 4 DMX universe recorder and playback for accurate reproduction of 99 automated shows up to a maximum of 24 hours. DMXLAN SOFTWARE is the backbone of the ELC system, enabling configuration and monitoring in real time, with access to all the parameters of the fixtures available in the lighting network. This includes applications for configuration (DMXLAN), setup wizards (EASYSETUP), and specific product function editing (XLAN & AC612 Editors) DMX is an acronym for Digital Multiplex and is a way of communicating with intelligent lighting and effects

fixtures through a unidirectional asynchronous serial data transmission. Each fixture within a given “universe” takes information from this stream, based on their predefined DMX address/es. Traditionally, DMX addressing is a manual process, consisting of methodically working through the setup, formatting each device individually and noting the configuration for input into the control solution. To speed up this process, ELC Lighting developed RDM-QR. Using a mobile app (available for iOS and Android), addressing a fixture is achieved by entering the fixture number and then scanning the devices RDM-QR code for the ELC node system alongside the dmXLAN application to take care of the rest. Once the system is online, the next step is usually to confirm via testing. Control can be achieved in a variety of ways, historically consisting of a lighting console in a fixed position. Meaning that to identify and confirm specific fixtures usually becomes a two-man job. Enter ELC lighting, the testing capabilities of the dmXLAN software or Fixture Tester iOS app in combination with ELC nodes offers a tactile, portable way to illuminate a fixture without having to turn on the lighting desk. Additionally achievable via dedicated hardware in the form of the FocusHand or dmXLAN buddy, as intelligent DMX-512 remote controllers, offering wireless control of one or more DMX channels, 50 storable groups and 51 storable scenes as well as a channel level control, ensuring full freedom of workflow.

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LANDE IP55 SAFEBOX CABINETS Lande Rack Cabinets and Canford Audio together are probably the largest suppliers of 19” IP55 Rated cabinets in the UK. So why are IP rated 19” Cabinets so popular, what are the applications? The Lande SAFEbox IP55 Wall Cabinets are used in environments where protection against dust, moisture (rain), frost and wind ingress is required to protect electronic equipment. Options for cabinet heaters are available for extreme cold temperatures (i.e. project installations in Finland, Northern Europe) plus fan modules and air conditioners when heat is generated from equipment or hot environments (several projects in the Middle East). All cabinet vents have filters to allow air flow but protect against ingress, doors have a gasket to seal against ingress. SAFEbox IP55 are available in 7U up to 26U heights, two depths 450mm and 600mm, option to floor mount with a plinth. SAFEbox IP55 cabinets have been installed in many sports stadiums (many in the Premiership football clubs stadiums), also used in Germany for the Bundesliga for goal line technology, all supplied by Canford. IP55 SAFEbox were used pitch side at the Qatar 2022 World Cup for IT and camera cable connections, also used at British Open Golf Championship plus many external music festivals and concerts in the UK.

Lande IP65 Floor Standing Cabinets In addition to IP55 rated Cabinets, Lande and Canford also offer IP65 Floor Standing Cabinets for more extreme environments, i.e. coastal installations where wind, rain, salt and dust are all issues, in order to protect installed electronic equipment, ideal for projects in sea ports, container ports, and extreme manufacturing environments. The Lande IP65 Cabinets are available in 4 x different versions depending on the installation environment • Z275 Steel Hot dip galvanized zinc coating • AISI 430 Stainless Steel • AISI 304 Stainless Steel • AISI 316L Stainless Steel IP65 Cabinets can used roadside for IT and telecom connections where cabinets are subject to all weather conditions. All Manufactured by Lande and available from Canford for delivery in the UK, across Europe and the Middle East. Lande Rack Cabinets are the largest 19” cabinets manufacturer in Turkey, producing 1000 x cabinets per day. Lande and Canford have been working together since 2015 with Canford being Lande’s specialist distributor in the broadcast and AV sectors.

The SAFEbox IP55 are also used in industrial applications, manufacturing and warehousing, several national supermarkets use SAFEbox IP55 in their warehouses to protect IT equipment against dust. SAFEbox IP55 are also used to help the environment, at wind farms across the UK, installed in remote out building protecting monitoring equipment against dust and moisture Other applications include restaurant kitchen projects, garage projects, and in education (used in out-buildings at several college projects).

Source Material by Canford

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ANNIVERSARY Since 1973

Happy birthday EMO! This year, EMO turned 50. By Adam Ironside, Marketing Manager at Canford Founded in 1973, EMO Systems has become synonymous with the live events industry – particularly live music. It is almost impossible to turn up at any venue in the UK and not find the legendary problem solver that is the EMO DI Box somewhere in the engineer’s toolkit. History on EMO is not easy to come by, but with a bit of digging I’ve been able to find that they really started out as a PA company. There are photos online from around 1975 at Durham’s Dome Festival featuring a large EMO PA system. Bands such as local legends Prefab Sprout, White Heat, and the Steve Brown Band all played through that PA system in the mid-70’s.

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The range quickly expanded to include DI boxes, mic splitters, switchers, phono preamps, phantom power supplies, cable testers…everything that one might need to get a live event up and running. EMO quickly built a reputation for being excellent quality and incredibly reliable, perfect for life on the road. In the year 2000, Canford acquired EMO Systems. Ian Elliott had long been friends with the company owners and a huge fan of their products, the acquisition made perfect sense. Today, EMO continues to be well-liked and hugely respected in the industry. We’ve developed brand new product ranges (with assistance from some of our key customers) and updated old designs, but one thing has always remained the same: our commitment to quality.

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BUILT FOR HARD WORK • RACKLIGHT • MICROPHONE SPLITTERS & COMBINERS • LINE SPLITTERS • PHANTOM PSU • D. I. BOXES • Legendary: EMO has been synonymous with the audio industry since the 70’s. Quality: High quality components and hardware for optimal signal transfer. Reliable: Simple, rugged, analogue designs that stand up to the rigours of touring life.

For more information contact our sales team UK Sales: 0191 418 1122 sales@canford.co.uk International Sales: +44 191 418 1133 international@canford.co.uk canford.co.uk/EMO