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Overwhelming and growing, the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) is Europe's largest convention dedicated to all things broadcasting and media production and distribution. The show returned to Amsterdam post-COVID in 2022, to attract 37,000 visitors and 1000 exhibitors. Not surprisingly, 2023 numbers were up, with more than 43,065 attendees from 170 countries visitors and more than 1,250 exhibitors. (For reference, this year's NAB Show in Las Vegas, NV, which is the largest trade show in the same content, media, and broadcast space, received 65,013 visitors, with a smaller number of exhibiting companies: 1,208).

The event reminded me of the shows I attended years back: an overwhelming city of exhibits, engineers, salespeople, and the best and most advanced equipment and applications the industry can imagine. Of course, unlike the audio conventions I normally attend, this one was dedicated mainly to the broadcasting industry, where everything revolves around the creation of content that includes audio but with video at the forefront. And all of that now packaged in a digital, networked, cloud-based wrapper.

It's September and time for IBC, and all attendees seemed to share the same sense of joy and an enthusiasm to be back. It was also good to see the old RAI/Europahal entrance - clear of the ugly expansion "tents" that it once was forced to build to accommodate increasing numbers of visitors and exhibitors.

From September 15-18, the Amsterdam RAI convention center was once again a busy hub for trade shows, with the IBC being one of the most important events for the city every year.

The IBC is focused on global media, entertainment, and technology industries, and the 2023 edition was once again a vibrant event, packed with visitors and exhibitors doing business. The discussions and presentations all mentioned IP, cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), and collaboration. Movies, TV series, games, live sports, and live broadcasting always have involved large teams and complex organizations. In the post-COVID content industries, everyone is converging around the word "collaboration," now that organizations have learned to value decentralized operations and interconnectivity as a way to increase resilience and productivity.

At IBC2023, the discussions also involved the need to share knowledge and experiences about the new and fast-changing economic realities of the media industry, embrace innovation, and push new boundaries in media technology. No longer an environment dominated by the public or large private broadcasters as it once was, IBC is now a place where media organizations such as Warner, Disney, Netflix, and Bloomberg, meet side by side with game producers and podcast and online content creators. And it's also the place where highly innovative media technology startups and research institutions get to exchange views with the largest news organizations, freelance reporters, and journalists. A vibrant environment with "a real sense of purpose,” as the Chief Executive Officer of the IBC, Michael Crimp, described.

A visit to IBC is normally a valuable opportunity to see the latest and greatest in cameras for all production needs. These days, the largest booth at the show is from Blackmagic Design where they announce new revolutionary cameras, which this year included the new Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K high-end digital film camera. But this year, the Australian company was the talk of the show because it announced "Blackmagic Camera," a digital film camera for the Apple iPhone that gives content creators the same tools used in feature films, television, and documentaries. Available from the Apple App Store, free of charge. Professional audio options include VU or PPM audio meters, and AAC, IEEE Float or PCM audio recording, at 44.1kHz or 48kHz sample rate. Of course, it supports external microphones.

All in the Cloud

In an industry that pioneered global reach, and is increasingly connected worldwide, it is also not surprising that the priorities are as much about the quality of the content, as they are in the efficiency of delivery. An industry where both technology suppliers and media organizations are not afraid to embrace innovation when it serves their purpose - where the highest standards of quality used in production work side by side with the most efficient processing, compression, and lowest latency media streaming technologies.

At IBC2023 there was a prevalence of companies that offered cloud-based broadcasting systems. Broadcast studios were distributed as relatively small mobile/portable units all interconnected and online. Why build an expensive fully mobile studio in a large truck and drive that to an event, if you could have some compact audio and video registration units with a simple control unit at the location, all connected to the studio in real time?

As an example for the radio broadcasting side of things, take Jutel's RadioMan, a fully cloud-based system that does everything from content creation and management, workflow management, and distribution. The system has browser-based user interfaces on the workstations and mobile devices.

Jutel is a company from Finland, founded in 1984, which became a global player with its JUTEL RadioMan automation software. Today, Jutel is one of the most experienced suppliers of radio station automation and digital radio broadcast solutions globally, and RadioMan evolved to become a "radio-as-a-service" solution that serves both large national broadcasters and the smaller local stations.

The result of intense cooperation with radio stations, RadioMan is now a multichannel radio solution, capable of performing all radio operations in the cloud. The most recent version even enables regional radio operations and cloud distribution without any on-premises equipment.

At IBC2023 Jutel introduced the RadioMan Clipper, a new tool that allows journalists to record and edit audio via an intuitive mobile app, with added capabilities using a browser-based multitrack editing interface. Clipper is available for both iOS and Android devices and integrates directly with RadioMan for contribution and live transmission.

Another interesting example of this trend on a larger scale comes from Lawo with its HOME applications suite. The German company offers distributed content creation, distribution, accounting, and whatever is needed to manage your audio and video broadcasting system. All you need locally are the controllers and gateways, and the audio-related hardware.

As a pioneer in IP video, audio, control, and monitoring technology for the broadcast industry, Lawo introduced the concept of HOME Apps for media infrastructures, a collection of device management software applications that deliver exceptional processing capabilities with minimal compute power and energy consumption, serving the needs of networked systems. Lawo’s HOME Apps support mixed formats and protocols, from SMPTE ST2110 to NDI, and can easily adapt to new format requirements as these become relevant. Running seamlessly on standard servers on-premises, in remote data centers, or in the public cloud, these HOME Apps redefine versatility in media processing.

A Lawo mc2 compact digital mixing console, which now expands with the support of Power Core interfaces with MADI front ports, and dynamic recognition of DANTE, Ravenna/AES67, and more. These Power Core units support extended audio IO capabilities and enhanced gateway configurations to any cloud-based or networked systems, through integration as a proxy in HOME Apps.

IBC is always a good opportunity to meet with the Neutrik Group and the latest connectivity solutions and mobile power distribution systems from its Neutrik, REAN, and Contrik brands. The company displayed a new generation of Dante/Line I/O devices, expanded beam fiber optic connectivity systems, and all-weather power distribution systems.

Neutrik and REAN together are now offering a new series of power connectors certified to the latest IEC/EN/UL/CSA 60320-1 standards and approved as components for power connection cord sets and interconnecting cord sets according to EN IEC 60799:2021. These specifications make them compliant with the requirements of the Low Voltage Directive (LVD) within the European Economic Area.

In the new powerCON and REAN X series power connectors, all certified to the latest international safety standards, the connectors feature circuit breaking capacity and discrete power-in and power-out keying, preventing intermating of power cables. The IEC/EN/UL/CSA 60320-1 certified powerCON TRUE1-TOP (True Outdoor Protection) connectors are specified and engineered for outdoor application environments.

Displayed at IBC2023 for the first time were upcoming over-molded powerCON TRUE1 cable assemblies. This product line offers PowerCon assemblies with an over-mold cable entry meeting the requirements of IEC 60309-1:2021. This relieves end users from having to fabricate their own PowerCon assemblies and ensure that all relevant safety requirements are met.

The new Neutrik powerCON and REAN X Series with EN 60320-1 certified connectors for indoor and outdoor use can be used for outer cable diameters from 6mm to 16mm and conductor cross-sections from 1.5mm² to 2.5mm². Over-molded powerCON TRUE1 cable assemblies were displayed for the first time at IBC2023.

Another major reason to visit IBC is to find all major microphone suppliers (mostly all in the same hall), displaying an extended range of solutions that most times are not found at other shows. Specialized broadcast and field-production microphones are displayed and available for testing, instead of hidden in the background.

Microtech Geffell was showing the new M 330 wide-cardioid that expands the M 300 small-diaphragm microphone series, now comprising microphones with four different polar patterns, matched with a range of accessories to create a complete recording system for various applications, including stereo and 3D audio. The German company also highlighted its line of measurement solutions, including the MMS 212 microphone with extended protection against moisture, dust, vibration, and extreme temperatures. Also shown was the MMS 214 model to measure very low sound pressure levels. Both measurement microphones can be calibrated with standard calibrators and can be connected to measurement systems with an IEPE supply.

It was also interesting to see Shure showcasing an expanded range of wireless production solutions, including its latest Axient Digital ADX5D dual-channel portable receiver, the Axient AD600 Spectrum Manager rack unit that offers real-time, wide-band spectrum scanning and monitoring for frequency coordination. Shure also highlighted its latest Wireless Workbench 7 software, which offers a full suite of RF spectrum management tools in one place, providing full command of compatible wireless devices. At IBC Shure confirmed the acquisition of Wavemark, a software company from Finland, and demonstrated the integration of its audio monitoring and listening software solutions with vast applications in live productions.

Shure also showcased its full range of TwinPlex subminiature (5mm) omnidirectional lavalier and headset microphones, which include a dual-diaphragm design and can handle the most critical environments in all professional applications.

Schoeps showed an update to its Colette range, with the new CMC 1 miniature amplifier, an alternative to the renowned CMC 6, fully compatible with all existing MK capsules and Colette active accessories. Similar to the older CMC 6, it has a very high maximum output level of 135dB SPL (with the MK4 capsule) while consuming no more than 2mA from a 48V phantom supply. Connectivity is XLR (CMC 1U) or CMC 1L with a miniature Lemo. The XLR version is 60% smaller and 40% lighter than the CMC 6. Finally, the CMC 1K is a version with a fixed 8mm diameter 5m cable with a choice of XLR or 3-pin Lemo, the latter allowing direct connection to P12/48 body pack transmitters.

At IBC, Sennheiser previewed its new MKH 8030 RF condenser microphone with figure-eight pick-up pattern. The MKH 8030 will not only unlock M-S, double M-S, and Blumlein stereo recording options, but will also be a great choice wherever the highest attenuation of neighboring sound sources is required – be it a PA system whose sound needs to be eliminated or an adjacent instrument that must not be picked up.

Fraunhofer, always good for cutting-edge technology, was showing several interesting developments, one of which was the Audiovisual Identity Suite, a media analysis solution for large volumes of audiovisual data using simultaneous face and voice recognition. By analyzing broadcasts or recorded material the solution can generate an overview of when and how long a specific person (e.g., a politician) appeared on a show. The system tells you how long someone appeared in the picture, the amount of time he/she spoke, whether the subject was facing the camera or not, and so forth. This makes it possible to analyze a vast collection of media archives to select where a certain person of interest will appear. Very large data sets can be presented in an easily digestible form of “heat maps,” with the networks and programs at the Y-axis, and dates and times at the X-axis.

Developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology (IDMT), the Audiovisual Identity Suite is a comprehensive solution for media analysis of large volumes of audiovisual data and generates all types of automatic metadata.

At IBC2023, Fraunhofer (HHI) also showed how the most recent Versatile Video Coding standard (H.266/VVC) significantly improves the quality of video streaming. Unlike the ongoing debate in the audio industry about completely eliminating non-lossless codecs if at possible, in the video industry all efforts converge toward getting better quality from more efficient codecs. According to the Fraunhofer institute, the H.266/VVC higher coding efficiency will enable emerging use cases of dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (DASH) of multi-resolutions for live and cloud-based applications. The demonstrations included live encoding of 8K, 4K, and 2K streams on a recent Apple Mac Studio.

And to focus on cutting-edge audio applications, Irish company Antennaware showcased its innovative antennas for low power Bluetooth LE Audio and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) connectivity. The company claims to have solved the “body blocking” problem, where the body of the wearer of a BLE or UWB transmitter restricts the antenna pattern and propagation, significantly decreasing transmitter energy. Antennaware’s new, small antennas wrap the radiation around the body, so the effective antenna pattern is almost 360 degrees, and they claim a link budget increase of 10dB to 20dB.

The focus for these BodyWave antennas is to enhance new wireless audio applications, including microphone acquisition and headphones using highly efficient, very low power technologies such as Bluetooth LE Audio and UWB. These can serve both consumer applications as well as specific professional use cases. At IBC, AntennaWare promoted the technology for audio content acquisition in professional applications, where the requirements around quality, latency, and robustness have restricted more cost-effective solutions.

Of note, AntennaWare launched the latest version of its BodyWave UWB antenna (6.5GHz/Channel 5 and 8GHz/Channel 9) at IBC, meeting the requirements for smaller form factors. This UWB solution is of particular interest for the broadcast audio sector as it offers the ~5Mbit/s required for linear PCM at 24-bit 48kHz or 96kHz.

During IBC2023, New Zealand's Virscient debuted its LiveOnAir cutting-edge wireless connectivity solution, designed to cater to the demands of professional live performances, including digital wireless microphones. LiveOnAir supports 24-bit and sample rates of up to 96kHz digital audio transmission with a range of narrow- and wide-band RF transceiver options to support short or long-range applications using Bluetooth LE or UWB with ultra-low latency, precisely using Antennaware's antennas.

AntennaWare’s BodyWave antennas are designed to address two of the major causes of dropouts experienced by wireless wearables worn close to, or on, the body – body blocking and detuning. By generating waves that flow efficiently around the body, BodyWave antennas support a wireless communication link where others fail, resulting in an increase in NLoS link budget of between 10 and 20dB.

And speaking of wireless connectivity, as a market leader in RF wireless audio systems for professional and broadcast applications, Sennheiser is creating strong momentum for the arrival of its latest technology. Sennheiser is touting the merits of WMAS, an acronym for Wireless Multi-Channel Audio Systems, a technology and system approach that Sennheiser has been developing for more than 10 years. The WMAS technology uses broadband wireless to enable more robust wireless transmission in multichannel applications, such as during big live events. The German company is currently having meetings with regulatory bodies and promoting demonstrations to high-profile wireless users and decision-makers. Without a scheduled commercial launch, at IBC WMAS was front and center in all Sennheiser activities.

Without exception, today's digital wireless systems, when they work, they work very well, unless they don't. And most of the time, the problem is the RF spectrum saturation. New Jersey-based Radio Active Designs is capitalizing on that to expand the use of its VHF based, AM modulated pager system. As CEO James Stoffo underlines, “Everybody is leaving VHF, it’s empty there!” Nomen Est Omen: Many of Radio Active Designs’ customers are nuclear power plants.

An important workflow benefit to analog is the nature of true “broadcast”: unlimited numbers of beltpacks can receive the base stations’ transmissions from a single antenna, and conversely, the base station can receive transmissions from any and all beltpacks. There is no calculations or limitations regarding pack to transceiver node loading as with digital intercom systems, and thus no deploying additional transceiver nodes just to accommodate additional belt packs.

And moving on to one of the most important demonstrations at IBC2023, CEDAR Audio from Cambridge, UK, demonstrated its VoiceEX voice extractor, which really is an advanced noise reduction system. In most noise reduction systems, you must thread a fine line between accepting just a bit remaining noise, or cutting into the sound you really want to keep. At the limited demo that was available, CEDAR seemed to have made quite some progress here; I was able to dial out the noise without perceptibly changing the wanted sound. The system, as should be expected, is on artificial intelligence and trained models that "learn" to recognize patterns of signals and noise and what the operator tries to accomplish.

As CEDAR highlighted this goes well beyond what standard AI-based noise reduction techniques have enabled so far. "A new standard for real-time audio noise reduction," says Gordon Reid, CEDAR's Managing Director.

CEDAR Audio demonstrated a massive advancement in AI-powered noise reduction with the introduction of the VoicEX voice extractor. With just two controls, one to determine the loudness of the background and the other to control the loudness of the speech, the noise goes away without affecting the timbre of the voices.

IBC2023 Personal Curiosities

While noticing references to new codecs and more efficient video and audio compression methods at IBC2023, I ran into the booth of a company by the name of Compress2X (https://compress2x.com) where a large sign said: 99.7% video compression.

I walked up to the rep and said: "I don’t believe you." So, he showed me. He showed a 50GB hi-res movie; then pressed Compress and the output file was down to 500MB. Not exactly 99.7% but impressive, nevertheless. I could not detect any deterioration in the video, but admittedly circumstances were not ideal for a critical review. This was the very first time Compress2x demonstrated this video and photo compression solution in public. CEO Soerinder Dataram told me they were working on a similar product to compress audio files and since the company is located a stone’s throw from my residence in Belgium, I will research this in the future and report back.

Exciting my curiosity, WellBuying from Taiwan, showed me a large variety of multicolored lighted switches, touch/capacitive switches, and pushbuttons. But its PS031 series had it all. The square switch face is actually a small 64 x 32-pixel display that can be programmed via an SPI connection. That means that the face can show an indication or label that dynamically can be adapted to the equipment state or operational situation and of course also when it is pressed. Common in today's sophisticated mixing consoles and television equipment, but nevertheless fascinating for an audio builder.

The International Broadcasting Convention is a large and overwhelming event. But I can’t think of a better way to get a complete and detailed insight of what’s going on in the industry at the highest professional levels.

The SonicEdge transducer - a cutting-edge microspeaker based on a unique MEMS technology that generates sound using active ultrasound modulation - introduces a completely new class of MEMS speaker devices, which can deliver constant volume velocity across audio frequencies and beyond. The article details how to model the transducer in lumped-element and finite-element acoustic simulations and how to tailor a desired SPL response using acoustic features. Acculution has partnered with SonicEdge to design projects using these disruptive microspeakers for acoustic design, which represent a paradigm shift in their operation and acoustic integration. This article was originally published in audioXpress, August 2023.

Read the Full Article Now Available Here

This article focuses on the M25 mkII 1" silk dome surface-mountable tweeter from Stereo Integrity, a North Carolina-based company. Founded in 2001, Stereo Integrity is an OEM speaker driver manufacturer that also designs its own range of hi-fi amplifiers, sold directly online. Transducers include subwoofer models from 12" to 24" diameters, as well as an 11" shallow mount subwoofer, along with a line of components drivers. This includes a 1" dome tweeter (M25 mkII), a 3" carbon fiber midrange, plus 6.5" and 8" midbass woofers. Stereo Integrity sent its high-end tweeter design, the M25 mkII, which features a 25mm silk dome diaphragm and surround, a dual-magnet neodymium motor, a black anodized aluminum motor housing with a tuned rear chamber, two-layer CCAW wound voice coil, and a compact 50mm diameter face plate with a steel anodized grill. While the mounting ring is intended primarily for car audio mounting situations, it also facilitates mounting to custom aluminum plates for home audio. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, July 2023.

Read the Full Article Now Available Here

audioXpress October 2023: Digital Login

Audio Product Design | DIY Audio Projects | Audio Electronics | Audio Show Reports | Interviews | And More. Read Table of Contents

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