AES collaborates on next-generation audio over IP with EBU

The Audio Engineering Society and the EBU have announced a collaboration officially entitled ‘Next generation AES/EBU Interface Based On IP Technology’, with the intention of producing a new common packet-based network standard for linear PCM audio.

Both organisations have a history of successful collaborations. Published initially in 1985, the AES3 standard, also known as the AES/EBU interface, is a fundamental standard for the transport of digital audio signals between professional devices. The new liaison is a continuation of this work, which is designed to benefit the pro audio industry as a whole.

The central AES/EBU focus is on audio interoperability over high-performance IP networks, with the further goal of interoperability with the EBU’s common framework for audio contribution over IP, ACIP. The initiative is partially inspired by the ACIP project group’s interoperability recommendations for audio over wide-area IP networks. Through the ACIP2 group, chaired by the IRT’s Sonja Langhans, the EBU represents the technical interests of a significant user group for the new standard, the public broadcasters of Europe.

Work has already started within the AES, with the project known as AES X192. The group is chaired by Kevin Gross, while a recently published draft is now being discussed among project participants, including some ACIP2 members.

New participants to the project are welcome. EBU Members or manufacturers working in the broadcast sector can begin by joining the ACIP2 project group. Meanwhile, others can contact the AES task group SC-02-12-H directly, which is open to any directly and materially affected individuals.

For further information visit www.X192.org. To participate, please follow the links at www.x192.org/join/; membership in SC-02-12-H is open to any directly and materially affected individuals.

The 133rd AES Convention, which takes palce from October 26th–29th at SF’s Moscone Centre, will introduce a dedicated, Networked Audio Track chaired by noted engineer and long-time AES member, Tim Shuttleworth. The six Workshops and Tutorials developed for this event will feature key participants, including Langhans and Gross, who will address many of the workflow issues and related concerns of interoperability.

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