IBC: SSL reveals fully-networked broadcast production system

Solid State Logic is set to unveil System T, a new ‘fully-networked broadcast audio production environment’, at IBC 2015 in Amsterdam later this week.

According to SSL, System T provides the power to handle large-scale productions in a multi-platform delivery-driven future. A range of hardware and software control interfaces can be placed anywhere on a network with up to three consoles or control interfaces accessing a single or fully mirrored redundant pair of processor cores. Multiple processor cores can be used on a single network, while control interfaces and processing resource can be re-configured to suit daily requirements.

Routing and I/O is Dante-based, with System T featuring the first consoles to use the new Dante HC (High channel) connectivity, with plug-and-play discoverability and interoperability playing key roles in its design.

Antony David, managing director of Solid State Logic commented: "System T is a technology at the beginning of its life – a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach to broadcast audio production that enables broadcasters to plan for the future, and adapt in the future. 

“Dante has more than 220 licensed partners already and at IBC reaches the 500 commercially available product landmark, and is still growing,” he continued. “It’s a complete technology, with a control and configuration API, so it was the obvious and best choice as the primary infrastructure for the routing and I/O aspects of System T. With that and the development of our future-proof, CPU-based Tempest core, plus our innovations in control, we’re asking broadcasters to stop and think about the future.”

Networked I/O

The Dante AoIP network, integrating the AES67 transport standard, offers large-scale routing and remote control of a range of Dante-compatible I/O devices. System scaling requires only additional networking switch capacity – not expensive proprietary routing hardware.

System T is designed to fit anywhere, thanks to proven SSL Network I/O products and bridging technologies (analogue, AES, MADI, SDI), including in existing traditional TDM-based routing infrastructures. This will allow broadcasters to manage their migration to network-based audio transport and routing without dismantling existing provision and without compromising on audio quality.

Networked Core

The Tempest processor core is the heart of the System T mix engine and uses SSL’s patented Optimal Core Processing for real-time, 64-bit CPU-based, floating point mixing and processing. Each processor core can handle up to 3,072 inputs and outputs and provides 800 fully processed, fully configurable mix paths, 192 mix busses, 800 EQs, 800 dynamics, and 400 delays. Multiple Tempest cores can be connected anywhere on the network (including separate fire zones if required) and used as mirrored redundant pairs or as additional processing resources that can be allocated around the network to any System T control devices. Paths, processing, and routing can be dynamically allocated in real time without interrupting audio.

Networked Control

A range of System T control interfaces can also be connected anywhere on the network and incorporate multi-touch and gesture-driven screen technology, hardware control, and ‘intelligent, intuitive workflow’, the company says.

Broadcasters can specify configurations to suit a range of environments, from a large surface with dual operator/dual monitoring provision to remote hardware panels, to SOLSA (SSL’s remote on-line and off-line control application) run from a PC. The System T hardware panels and touch-screen driven software environment benefit from nearly 30 years of SSL design research into TV production operation.

Additional feature highlights include a large internal FX rack with own dedicated DSP, featuring dialogue noise suppression, dynamic and tonal shaping, reverbs, analysers, and signal generators; enhanced Dialogue Automix with nested groups capability; bus-based mix-minus feeds; built-in KVM switching to bring external computer display and control to console touch screens; and more.

System T will be on show at IBC 2015 in Hall 8, D83 at the RAI in Amsterdam from 11-14 September.

http://www.solidstatelogic.com