HARMAN’s BSS Audio Introduces Soundweb Contrio Control And Media Server: Provides Advanced Control Capabilities for Professional Audio Networking

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Raising the performance threshold of large-scale professional audio networking in stadiums, arenas and large fixed installations, HARMAN’s BSS Audio today debuted its Soundweb Contrio system control server at InfoComm 2014. Now, integration professionals have the ability to design network architectures that place advanced system control, system management and media server functionality at a central point of the network and, in doing so, build systems that are more efficient, more practical and better performing. At just 1U rack space, the Soundweb Contrio server is a headless system controller device fully configurable with HiQnet Audio Architect™ software as part of the HARMAN Architectural Media Systems solution. Backwards-compatible with BSS Audio’s Soundweb London family, the Soundweb Contrio server is the first product within the new Soundweb Contrio family that will ultimately provide enhanced processing capability and greater flexibility for a variety of applications.

Advanced system control

The Soundweb Contrio server enables comprehensive system control logic configuration, both with a similar ‘wiring’ design environment as exposed in Audio Architect for existing Soundweb London devices, and a new open scripted Lua environment. The overall system is made even more efficient by running a logic system separate from the audio devices, which frees up processing capability and reduces the amount of hardware required.

System-wide presets can be configured at the parameter level, enabling a very precise level of detail in the creation of system reset functionality.

An event scheduler enables comprehensive preset recall – whether at a system level, a device level or at a parameter level.

The Soundweb Contrio server also provides a single network clock to provide an accurate synchronization of all HiQnet devices on the network.

System management

The server includes a system self-healing functionality. By monitoring the Ethernet switch and ports to which all devices are connected, a day-to-day operator need only replace a device on the same switch port and the server will automatically remotely configure all the addressing and configuration of the new device to match the old. In this way, it is not necessary to launch a software application to add replacement devices to the system.

The Soundweb Contrio server monitors all HiQnet devices and logs all warning or error conditions. The event logs of individual devices are also aggregated to provide a centralized monitoring location for the full system.

The server can send email information regarding the logged events, the degree of severity configurable within Audio Architect.

Media server

The Soundweb Contrio server supports both HARMAN BLU link and Audinate Dante™ audio transports in order that it can fit appropriately with a variety of system configurations.

In addition to its ability to recall system-wide presets, the event scheduler enables message playback over the audio network.

As with the Soundweb London series of products, the Soundweb Contrio server is configured within HiQnet Audio Architect – HARMAN’s common control software application for all devices in a sound system, from microphone to speaker. To facilitate system setup, HiQnet Audio Architect is unique in its graphical representation of the installed sound venue as the system design environment.

The Soundweb Contrio server runs an embedded version of HiQnet Audio Architect and is therefore immediately capable of providing integrators and end-users comprehensive management of all system presets, backup, storage of specific venue setup modes, event aggregation and scheduling.

“The Soundweb Contrio server provides audio professionals, systems integrators and end users with the best of both worlds,” said Iain Gregory, Market Manager, BSS Audio. “It provides enterprise-grade architecture and performance functionality coupled with a simple, intuitive user ecosystem comprising headless devices and wall controllers. The Soundweb Contrio server is the critical first step in enabling systems designers and their customers with exactly the right tools when they each need them.”

“By leveraging the power of HARMAN Audio Architect, and the vast number of devices from microphone to loudspeaker it now controls, we are providing the strongest possible foundation for the Soundweb Contrio server and delivering the most comprehensive audio system management platform available to date,” stated Adam Holladay, Market Manager, System Development and Integration Group, HARMAN Professional.

The Soundweb Contrio server is the first of the next generation of backward-compatible BSS Audio products and is designed to work in conjunction with BSS Audio’s new series of Soundweb Contrio wall controllers. The controllers are available in white or black and provide visual feedback for end-users to easily manage and adjust audio operation in a specific environment.

The headless appliance is just 1U rack space high and features a 500GB solid-state drive.

The Soundweb Contrio server will be available in September 2014.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 15,200 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2014.

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HARMAN’s Soundcraft Releases Si Expression/Performer/Compact Software Updates with BSS Soundweb London Control and Other New Features

POTTERS BAR, United Kingdom – HARMAN’s Soundcraft today announced that its new Si Expression/Si Performer V1.6 software and Si Compact V3.1 software is available for download. These new software updates offer several new features and improvements to Soundcraft Si Series consoles, including BSS Soundweb London preamp control, external clocking via option cards, selectable input solo modes, Select follow solo, pre-dynamics global bus send, knob bubble pin, and momentary on.

With the V1.6/V3.1 software update, Si Expression, Si Performer, and Si Compact have powerful new features specifically geared to improve performance for networked audio and monitoring applications. All console software updates can be accessed from the appropriate product page on the Soundcraft website (www.soundcraft.com).

In addition, updated user guides for the Si Dante Card, V1.6/V3.1 software update, and Mini Stagebox 32 are now available from the Soundcraft website.

Additionally, supporting How-To videos on the V1.6/V3.1 features are now available on the Soundcraft YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/soundcraftuk).

HARMAN designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,800 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.7 billion for the last twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

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HARMAN’s BSS Audio introduces a cost effective addition to the Soundweb™ London Processor Line

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands – HARMAN’s BSS Audio today announced the addition of a cost-effective signal processor to its acclaimed Soundweb™ London family of digital signal processors. The new Soundweb London BLU-50 represents a premium, open-architecture solution in the form of a highly flexible, cost-effective and scalable package.

The BLU-50 is a half-rack width processor that offers a fixed configuration of four inputs and four outputs, configurable signal processing, logic processing and BLU link. The device can be powered with the included 12VDC power supply but can accept 12-48VDC via a terminal block connector. The BLU-50 can also be powered with PoE+ via the Ethernet port, allowing the device to be powered, configured, controlled and monitored using a single Cat 5e cable.

The analog inputs of the BLU-50 provide software configurable gain in 6dB steps up to +48dB per channel and software selectable Phantom Power per channel. Phantom Power, Signal Present and Clip information per channel is easily accessible, without the requirement for a PC, from clear front panel LED indication.

The BLU-50 features BLU link, a low latency, fault tolerant digital audio bus of 48 channels, which uses standard Category 5e cabling giving a distance of 100m between compatible devices. Fiber media converters can be used to increase the distance between devices to over 10km (6.2 miles) using single mode fiber.

The BLU-50 is configured, controlled and monitored from HiQnet Audio Architect™ or HiQnet London Architect™ and is compatible with other members of the Soundweb London family. Its 48 channel BLU link bus represents channels 1-48 of the larger 256 channel BLU link bus when integrated with the BLU-800, BLU-320, BLU-160, BLU-120, BLU-BIB and BLU-BOB devices. Up to 60 BLU link compatible devices can share channels on a single bus.

As with other Soundweb London devices, 12 Control Inputs, six Logic Outputs and an RS-232 port allow the BLU-50 to be integrated with other compatible devices.

“With so much capability packed into such a small device, combined with its powering and mounting flexibility, the BLU-50 is the most versatile and affordable open-architecture processor we’ve created to date. The BLU-50 further extends the scalability of the Soundweb London platform and represents a major milestone in the broader applicability of open-architecture solutions,” stated, Iain Gregory, Market Manager for installed sound, HARMAN Signal Processing.

HARMAN designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,800 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.7 billion for the last twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

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HARMAN’s BSS Audio at the Heart of Audio Upgrade for England’s Coventry Cathedral

COVENTRY, United Kingdom – In need of a complete overhaul of its audio signal distribution, the historic Coventry Cathedral recently underwent a major upgrade, bringing it into the digital age with a HARMAN BSS Audio Soundweb London system. The famous Coventry Cathedral, which was destroyed during World War II and eventually rebuilt, has been a place of Christian worship for over 1,000 years. The installation was handled by AV provider RaceTech AV led by Robin Dibble, head of audio engineering and responsible for an upgrade to the church’s audio system 20 years ago. All BSS Audio equipment was supplied by UK HARMAN distributor Sound Technology, Ltd.

With an outdated analog audio system, the quality of the cathedral’s audio was suffering. When Dibble was brought back to update the system, he knew a BSS Audio Soundweb London solution would be the best for the needs of the facility. “With our original solution, no matter what area of the Cathedral a microphone was plugged into, the system was inherently time aligned in both directions, both up and down the length of the building,” remembered Dibble. “We used a huge rack of hand-wired summing amps, signal delays and modular automatic microphone mixers.”

More than two decades later, the same solution is easily attainable with modern digital electronics from BSS Audio. “This provides greater reliability, lower energy consumption and lower running costs,” added Dibble.

Dibble deployed a BSS Audio Soundweb London BLU-160, configured with 16 mic/line inputs. By expanding the I/O capacity with an 8-input BLU-BIB and two 8-output BLU-BOB breakout boxes, Dibble was able to increase the routing capability to 24-in/16-out, using BSS Audio’s BLU link digital audio bus between devices.

“Using Soundweb has made everything so much easier,” Dibble explained. “What was previously a huge issue, with so many channels requiring EQ and delay, is now a breeze — and there is so much processing power that just one BLU-160 is operating at only 52% capacity. And since the entire solution is built into Soundweb, it provides a completely different way of optimizing the sound.”

“As for BLU link, this provides big system cost savings as there are no network switches, no extra cards and it’s self redundant. The result is a better sound quality, and I have only had positive comments, as no one believed such a sound as this would be possible,” added Dibble.

The base for this system is installed in a console near the rear of the cathedral, for use by the clergy. In addition, the equipment rack, which houses the amps, DSP and radio receivers, is in a dedicated room immediately in the back.

Within the church, the reaction to the upgrade has been overwhelmingly positive as well, “The audio installation provided by RaceTech has greatly improved the audio quality of our corporate worship and the diverse range of events the Cathedral hosts. The sound is clear and evenly distributed, and the system is coping well, utilized in isolated areas for small gatherings through to full congregations of 1200 people,” said Jenny Thurston, Head Verger for Coventry Cathedral.

For Dibble, the BSS Audio Soundweb London system has made the whole process incredibly straightforward. “The BSS experience is never anything other than positive. I have never looked elsewhere as this has been by far the most cost-effective solution.”

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 14,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.3 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013.

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HARMAN’S BSS Audio Handles Audio Processing and Networking for Wisconsin’s Life Church

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Since its founding in the year 2000 with 35 people attending a service in a high school auditorium, Wisconsin’s Life Church has enjoyed continued growth. It now occupies two locations and in May 2013 completed an expansion of its Germantown facility from 17,000 to 42,000 square feet, and the church can now accommodate more than 2,000 people. As part of its expansion, Life Church installed a completely new sound system, with HARMAN’s BSS Audio Soundweb London BLU-100 signal processor handling all signal processing and networking throughout the facility.

Lafayette, CO systems contractor Summit Audio Systems (www.summitintegrated.com) specializes in installing audio, video, lighting and acoustics for the worship market. In 2011, Summit teamed up with the management of Life Church to begin the design and build process for the church’s expansion. Shane Beeson, Church Relationship Manager for Summit A/V noted that Life Church wanted a worship center that would be architecturally beautiful, with the look of a prestigious performing arts center, yet have the acoustics to support everything from the pastor speaking to a full “rock and roll worship experience.” In addition, the audio needed to be distributed throughout the facility.

Beeson chose the Soundweb London BLU-100 signal processor along with a BLU-BOB output expander because of its flexibility, ease of use and quality. “BSS Audio provides a high-quality product that is powerful but also has a software platform that is easy to program,” he noted.

The BLU-100 handles all the audio processing for the worship center facility. In the sanctuary, the BLU-100 processes the output to the main, delay, down-fill and front-fill speakers and subwoofers, and it also processes and routes the audio to the main lobby, entranceway and other areas.

One of the benefits of the BLU-100, Beeson notes, is that it can interface with other BSS Audio products to create a system that is scalable to the number of inputs and outputs needed for a project. “For the Life Church installation, the BLU-BOB gave us the ability to expand the BLU-100 to provide the additional outputs we needed,” Beeson said. “The BLU-BOB gave us more outputs at a cost savings that was significant compared to a larger DSP option. Thanks to this capability, BSS Audio provided the flexibility we needed to get the job done on time, to spec and on budget.”

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 14,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.3 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013.

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