Preco announces a major addition to the range of Tieline broadcast audio codecs. The Tieline Genie is a six channel IP codec designed for IP-based studio-to-studio and studio-to-transmitter links. Other applications include multicasting over compatible IP networks, receiving UP audio streams from remote broadcast codecs, and (with an optional expansion card) 5.1 surround sound or 6-channel audio distribution.Tieline has a strong record for innovation as a manufacturer of broadcast-quality digital audio products, comments Preco's , Sarah Lenson. The Genie is one of the most versatile audio-over-IP codecs ever introduced. It is a no-compromise design with up to 24-bit 96 kilohertz sampling, dual 1 gigahertz Ethernet ports, dual redundant power supplies and a user-programmable audio mixing matrix.
The Genie is designed for round-the-clock operation and can handle up to 50 simultaneous stereo connections, adds Preco's Director of Engineering and Technology, James Thomas. All broadcasters will soon need to migrate from the existing IPv4 internet infrastructure, which has restrictive 32-bit addressing, to the new IPv6 protocol that supports a potentially enormous population of 128-bit addresses. The Genie is fully compatible with both types of network.
Silence detection combined with automatic switchover ensures that a backup audio source can be put online if an incoming channel goes down. Other features include a low-latency in-band RS-232 auxiliary data channel, a user-programmable rules engine and multi-language support (English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese). MP3 or uncompressed WAV files can be imported quickly from a USB flash drive.
An entire network of Genie codecs can be configured and supervised from a remote computer using Tielines Codec Management System. This can be deployed to create and manage primary and backup connections, view audio signal levels and check IP statistics. Individual codec settings such as algorithms, jitter buffers and forward error correction can also be adjusted.
Tieline's SmartStream IP technology provides advanced network management tools which respond dynamically to variable conditions over lossy IP networks, especially in situations when quality-of-service control is unavailable on a network or delivery path.
Rear-panel connections include two balanced analog XLR inputs and outputs, an AES3 stereo digital input shared with the channel 1 analog XLR input, Enhanced apt-X stereo and 5.1 surround, simultaneous channel 1 and 2 analog/digital audio out, BNC wordclock sync, 6.35 millimetre analog mic/line input with switchable phantom power, 6.35 millimetre headphone/auxiliary-output, four control inputs and four optically-isolated alarm or device-control outputs.
The Tieline Genie occupies a 1 rack-unit chassis and is compatible with Session Initiation Protocol and compliant with the EBU N/ACIP tech 3326 standard for audio delivery over IP.
