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Virtual audio mixing with the Axia Audio iQs virtual audio console at KFM Network.

Over the last 24 years our little local radio station grew from serving a single city to having a network of 13 radio stations with studios in five cities.

Whether we were doing a live remote down at a local car dealership or trying to air live content from another city, it always involved having an operator in a local studio monitor levels and turn channels on or off on the board.

Then COVID hit, and addressing concerns that had lingered for a very long time became urgent. Fortunately, we had been researching options that would afford multiple personnel the flexibility to monitor, operate and execute full control of the network from any remote location.

[Read more Radio World articles about audio consoles and mixers]

Remote control of on-air programming has been around a long time, so that was no issue. Remote operation of control room mixers has been around a little while, and remained an option. But to truly give full control of the entire radio station (and network) to all our on-air staff consecutively narrowed things down to only a few options.

We wanted the ability to “do radio” without a “physical radio station.”

One of them was a clear winner. We took the leap and ordered the Axia iQs virtual mixing console. In a nutshell, the iQs is a 1RU computer that is routed to a central switch. It utilizes as many xNode Livewire digital network interface units that you may require, each capable of four inputs and four outputs of digital or analog audio signals along with GPIO options all routed to the switch.

Once set up, you have a virtual mixer that you can operate from a touchscreen monitor in a traditional radio studio, or from a laptop in your house, or from a cellphone on your boat. At your disposal are all of the capabilities of a large-scale studio (or network of studios), and you are able to configure and control them from anywhere.

The xNodes have a proven track record of reliability, but having a small one-rack unit replace a four-foot radio console with 300 wires attached to it was a bit of a stretch. And to think that the only cable attached to this “virtual console” was a single about the width of a straw.

Removing the miles of cables running to our studio and replacing a $20,000 18-fader digital console with a touchscreen monitor took a little faith. Especially when we were told that we were the first station in Canada to do so.

We anticipated a steep learning curve and were prepared to spend a month converting our main studio, four sister studios and 13 broadcast locations. But the engineers at Telos Alliance have made this system so user-friendly that we were using it within seven days of installation.

Axia has made this system user-definable and expandable. iQs has our staff amazed at its simplicity, our engineer thrilled with its flexibility and our accountant happy as a clam with the price.

Radio World User Reports are testimonial articles intended to help readers understand why a colleague chose a particular product to solve a technical situation.

Info: Cam Eicher at The Telos Alliance at 1-216-241-7225 or www.telosalliance.com.

 

The post User Report: KFM Takes Leap of Faith With Virtual Mixing appeared first on Radio World.

The FCC’s Media Bureau is extending comment and reply deadlines for the update of the 2018 Quadrennial Review.

Originally set July 1, for Aug. 2 (comments) and Aug. 30, (reply), the new deadlines are now Sept. 2 (comments) and Oct. 1 (reply).

[Read: FCC Wants More Input Before Finishing Rule Review]

On July 12, the FCC was petitioned by Common Cause, Free Press, the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council, the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, and the National Association of Broadcasters for the extension. The groups suggested the dates accepted.

According to the FCC, “The Joint Filers explain that, as more than two years have passed since the original comment cycle in this proceeding was completed, there have been many economic and legal developments in the media industry in that time. The Joint Filers state that they and other interested parties need additional time to address the many complex economic and legal issues through research, updates to previously filed material, and new information.”

[Read: Further Relaxation of Ownership Seems Unlikely]

The Media Bureau said that while it doesn’t normally grant extensions, “an extension should enable interested parties to present more complete and thoughtful comments to the commission, we agree with the joint filers that both the parties commenting in the proceeding and the commission should benefit and that the extension should not disadvantage any party.”

 

The post FCC Media Bureau Extends Deadlines for 2018 Quadrennial Review appeared first on Radio World.

Marking the company’s 25th anniversary, RME has launched the Fireface UCX II, featuring 40 I/O channels in a compact half-rack size.

The unit offers up to 20 recording and 20 playback channels, SteadyClock FS, built-in parametric EQ, USB direct recording and full standalone functionality.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

The Fireface UCX II houses two mic/line preamps in XLR combo configuration on the front panel, along with two digitally controlled line/instrument inputs, followed by a headphone jack, various control buttons, a display, and the main volume knob. At the rear is a set of 10 analog balanced line inputs and outputs, MIDI I/O, ADAT I/O, AES/EBU and S/PDIF I/O, USB 2.0 as well as a switchable Word Clock I/O.

The onboard digital DURec (Direct USB Recording) functionality allows any input or output of the Fireface UCX II to be recorded directly to a USB storage device. This means DURec uses the integrated DSP which provides standalone operation without the need for a computer.

SteadyClock FS on the unit is the latest clock and jitter rejection technology from RME. Based on a femtosecond clock, SteadyClock FS reportedly reduces jitter when converting from and to analog over digital formats.

The unit also comes with the TotalMix FX DSP mixer offering routing and monitoring options, as well as the DIGICheck analyzer allowing it to measure and analyze the digital data feed in both directions.

Send your new equipment news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

Info: www.rme-usa.com and U.S. distributor www.synthax.com

 

The post RME Launches Fireface UCX II USB Audio Interface appeared first on Radio World.

Acoustical design in podcast and webcast studios is the topic of an upcoming online presentation by the AES NY Section.

It will be presented by Sam Berkow of SIA Acoustics, a division of Robert Derector Associates, and hosted by David Bialik.

“When considering setting up a podcasting studio, equipment selection is often the first, second and third consideration. However, to achieve high-quality sound, the acoustics of the space should also be considered,” the organizers wrote in an event summary.

“We will discuss the design issues of smaller studios. Issues of room acoustics, acoustic isolation and ambient noise levels all should be part of the planning for a pod/webcasting facility. Practical solutions for addressing these issues will be presented.”

It will be shown on the AES NY Facebook page on Wednesday July 28 at 3 p.m. Eastern, and is open to anyone to watch.

 

The post Berkow to Speak About Designing Podcast Spaces appeared first on Radio World.

Dan Dickey, left, and two of the company engineers are shown at a large NASA/JPL Deep Space Network communications antenna.

Continental Electronics says high-frequency radio communications can be used to protect the satellite network that provides connectivity for America’s military.

The manufacturer, which is noting its 75th anniversary, notes that satellites are susceptible to jamming, eavesdropping and futuristic warfare tactics such as electronic A2AD, or “Anti-Access/Area Denial,” attacks.

But it says Wide-Band High-Frequency (WBHF) technology in particular can help ensure secure communications.

Given Continental’s history in broadcasting, Radio World caught up with President Dan Dickey for an emailed update.

Radio World: Dan, happy 75 to Continental. Radio engineers familiar with Continental will be interested in learn about what the company is doing in the area of wide-band high-frequency technology.
Dan Dickey: For Beyond Line of Sight Communication (BLOS), the military has been using high-frequency technology since the 1930s. Typically, these radios would transmit with a bandwidth of 3 kHz. This equates to a slow 9600 bps data transfer rate.

When you put this into perspective, this is slower than dial-up modems we used in the early 1990s.

CEC has developed a state-of-the-art, solid-state transmitter capable of operating at 48 kHz, which equates to a transfer rate of 240 kpbs. This provides a much faster data link, and with the known resilience of HF BLOS communication, old HF communication networks are becoming new technology again. It has become a resilient alternative to vulnerable satellite communication systems.

CEC’s digital HF solid-state transmitters incorporate many features that CEC has proven in the field for other transmission bands for other applications. CEC has applied its vast digital signal processing experience to create a very linear, low-noise system. CEC’s HF broadband experience makes operating anywhere in the 2 to 30 MHz range fast and effortless.

In addition, by implementing our proven solid-state amplifier liquid-cooling approach, CEC is offering an extremely efficient and power-dense solution, requiring much less floor space than previous air cooled systems.

RW: Who are the typical users of this technology?
Dickey: The military and disaster response teams use high-frequency radios for communications. This is a very robust and secure form of long-distance communication that does not rely on satellites. Instead, it uses multiple HF transceivers in various locations to form a digital wireless network, except the distances between nodes is hundreds or thousands of kilometers.

With the growing threat of satellite jamming and manipulation, HF communication is seen as a low-cost secure alternative. However, higher transmission bandwidth is needed to carry the desired payloads across long distances. In the past, 3 kHz was a typical bandwidth for the analog HF communication links. With WBHF, the payload bandwidth is extended up to 48 kHz allowing more information to be transmitted increasing the value of this robust form of communication.

RW: Can you give an example of a recent sale or installation that typifies this application?
Dickey: We are in the process of assembling a prototype system for testing and evaluation. We will be releasing more information on our solution in coming months.

RW: A common comment we hear is that “shortwave is dying.” You presumably feel otherwise, so how would you answer such comments?
Dickey: It is true that over the past several decades, the number of shortwave broadcasters has reduced.

Our opinion here at Continental is that many of the European and American broadcasters believe that they can reach their audience or listeners via the internet.

However, this is not true for many listeners outside of North America, Europe and developed Asian countries, such as Korea and Japan.

Imagine how many billions of people in Asia, Africa and South America do not have access to the internet. Typically the broadcasters who want to reach these people across oceans and borders are either nonprofit or government broadcasters. People in these regions rely on shortwave radio to receive information. Many of these systems have been in operation for many years and we are seeing an increase in demand to upgrade these transmitter systems.

RW: Is Continental still active in making and selling to the broadcast marketplace?
Dickey: Absolutely. CEC remains true to our broadcast origins back to our founding in 1946. We continue to supply shortwave transmitter systems around the world, with our most recent installations in Korea, Saudi Arabia and most recently, a complete 500 kW transmitter system in the U.S. CEC also re-entered the TV market in 2017 with our CTX line of transmitters.

RW: What else should we know about Continental’s current direction and business strategies?
Dickey: Organized in 1946, CEC is celebrating our 75th anniversary this year. There are thousands of CEC transmitters installed around the world. Today, Continental Electronics offers a full range of products for LF, VLF, HF, VHF, FM, S and X Band as well as high-power amplifiers for any applications in such markets as medical, science, industrial, government and military communications, space communications, PNT (navigation), and radar to name a few.

When customers need a high-power RF solution for their application, they come to Continental Electronics.

 

The post Continental Highlights Benefits of WBHF Technology appeared first on Radio World.

A sample workscreen in PromoSuite Digital.

PromoSuite announced a product that it says enables radio stations to manage their digital creative process with customizable workflows.

“PromoSuite Digital allows teams to create, approve and post all digital assets from start to finish, without ever having to leave the platform,” the company said in an announcement.

CTO Chris Bungo was quoted saying the offering gives clients the ability to create custom order forms and workflows for each of their digital channels including websites, social media pages and YouTube channels.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

It’s described as a collaboration platform that connects members of a digital team who are involved in the process of selling, producing, approving and placing digital assets.

It was developed by a team led by VP, Product Design and Development Rey Mena.

PromoSuite Digital, PromoSuite Production and PromoSuite Promotions are built on the company’s PromoSuitePlus platform. The company says functions independently but can also work cohesively together. PromoSuite Promotions will complete the PromoSuitePlus platform next year.

Send your new equipment news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

Info: https://promosuite.com

 

The post PromoSuite Introduces Digital Workflow Product appeared first on Radio World.

The Petitioner has requested the substitution of UHF channel 20 for VHF channel 6 in the DTV Table of Allotments.

The Petitioner has requested the substitution of UHF channel 15 for VHF channel 7 in the DTV Table of Allotments.

The Petitioner has requested the substitution of UHF channel 20 for VHF channel 13 in the DTV Table of Allotments.

Media Bureau grants a motion for extension of time in the 2018 Quadrennial Review record update to extend the comment and reply comment deadlines until September 2, 2021, and October 1, 2021, respectively.

Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 21 for channel 12 at Portland in the DTV Table of Allotments.

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The Petitioner has requested the substitution of UHF channel 19 for VHF channel 10 in the DTV Table of Allotments.

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KOFI, Inc. enters into consent decree to resolve political file investigation.

Wayne Radio Works LLC enters into Consent Decree to resolve political file investigation.

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On Monday (7/12), Cumulus Media surrendered the license for a Class D AM serving the Oregon city of Eugene. The official silencing of this station came just one month after its 59th birthday, and it also sees the extinguishment of its FM translator.

While “The Valley” could be floored with the decision, the company’s News/Talker serving the market is poised to benefit.

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