Explore Vegas' Past at the Neon Museum

When you think about night life in Las Vegas, particularly during the Rat Pack era, one of the first things that usually comes to mind is those amazing neon signs. They were everywhere, and can still be recalled on popular films of the time such as “The Godfather,” the 1960 “Ocean’s 11,” and the James Bond movie, “Diamonds are Forever.” While neon signage had been a staple of downtown streetscapes in America since the late 1920s, it was always different in Vegas. In a city where over the top is the norm, the signs were not only bigger, but their design and display had been elevated to an art form.

Topics: nab 2017, Las Vegas, Neon Museum

NAB 2017: Surviving the Show 

I've been attending NAB for the past ten years, and off and on before that. It seems like a long time until I talk with people who haven't missed a show in 40 years or more. It’s a big week, and it’s beneficial to prepare ahead. So I’ve devised a plan for surviving NAB with most of my sanity intact, one that I tweak and refine every year when I get home. Of course, the show changes over time as well, so it's a bit like trying to hit a moving target. If this is your first show, then some of the things I've learned the hard way may be beneficial for you at NAB 2017.

Topics: Telos Alliance, nab 2017, Las Vegas

Omnia, Axia Announce Major Product Launches in Advance of NAB 2017

Never content to take our position as industry leader for granted, the Telos Alliance this week announced two new game-changing broadcast technologies in the lead-up to the broadcast industry's largest trade show. The Omnia VOLT™, a versatile new 1RU broadcast audio processor, and the Livewire+ AES67 IP-Audio Driver, the first AES67-compliant IP Driver, represent our continued innovation and dedication to providing the dynamic broadcast tools the industry is asking for. Both products will have a major impact on their respective market segments, and will make their debut at NAB 2017, next week at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Topics: broadcast audio processor

TWiRT 344 - Swedish Thai Radio with Kennet Andhersån

Kennet Andhersån grew up in Sweden, and worked in Swedish radio stations. Now he’s building and consulting stations in Thailand, plus developing software for broadcasters. Get a new perspective on radio engineering as Kennet joins Chris Tobin and Kirk Harnack for This Week in Radio Tech.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, audio, audio quality

Omnia at 20: Innovate. Disrupt. Repeat.

“Nothing changes but the changes.” That expression is a good summary of the first 20 years of Omnia Audio. Rather than the linear evolution of a single product line, the history of Omnia is more about bringing new concepts, leading tech, and fresh ideas to the party. Hence, our current slogan – Innovate. Disrupt. Repeat.

The story of Omnia begins in two places at about the same time, one being New York City; the other, Cleveland, Ohio. The year was 1985.

Topics: broadcast audio processor

Is Your Equipment Fully AES67 Compliant?

AES67 compatibility and compliance are not one in the same. This short guide explains the difference, and why you should care.

One of our goals at the Telos Alliance is to further the adoption of AES67, the standard for audio-over-IP designed to allow interoperability between various IP-based audio networking systems, like our own Livewire+ AES67, Ravenna, Q-Lan, and Dante. So we hear the terms AES67 compliance and AES67 compatibility thrown about a bit, often with reckless abandon. And while they may sound the same, the difference between compliance and compatibility is huge. Here, we’ll spell out those differences and explain why it matters.

Choosing an AoIP format for a Broadcast Production Facility with AES67

When talking about Audio-over-IP it is important to stress that we are not discussing something new. In fact, AoIP has been a part of the radio broadcast landscape for well over a decade. It was pioneered by the team at US-based Telos, led by the late Steve Church. Called “Livewire,” this AoIP protocol debuted at NAB in 2003. Since the introduction of that first low-latency, contribution-quality format, many other protocols have followed.  However, the sheer amount of choice and conflicting marketing messages associated with each new protocol can be extremely confusing to potential adopters. The true benefits of an IP-based audio system are easily compromised by an inability to choose ‘best-of-breed’ equipment simply because ‘device A’ doesn’t support the protocol adopted by ’device B.’

Vintage Audio: PalmPilots m100 and m515

2016 marked the 20^th anniversary of the release of the Palm Pilot, the first commercially successful PDA, or Personal Digital Assistant. The event passed without much fanfare or recognition. What little there was probably got drowned out by press on the latest iPhone, Google Android or BlackBerry. But the truth is, these devices owe a lot of their conceptual identity to that landmark device that hit the streets in the mid-1990s. This Found in the Attic explores the history of PDAs, the Palm company and the PalmPilots m100 and m515. PDAs are a subset of the larger personal electronics revolution, which began in the 1970s.

Topics: Electronics, Vintage Technology, PDAs

TWiRT 343 - Where's that Satellite with John Bisset

John Bisset is here! He’s the guy who writes the “Workbench” column in Radio World. Always quick with great ideas for radio engineers, John joins us to talk about moving your satellite dish, preparing for the worst when that doesn’t work, and more tips from the master of the workbench!

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, audio, audio quality

High School Station Bullish on Axia

In recent years, low-power radio stations have hit the FM band all across the U.S., from larger cities to remote outposts and all points between. One such LPFM is WNBI, or Bison Radio, affiliated with New Buffalo Area Schools on the shores of Lake Michigan – part of the “Michiana” area in the corner of southwest Michigan, not far north of the Indiana line.

Broadcasting a mix of older and current music, along with high school sports, local news, and special features produced by the students, WNBI-LP started as an extension of Radio Harbor Country, which included WRHC and WRHZ in nearby Three Oaks, Michigan, providing additional programming for residents of the New Buffalo area. Since hitting the airwaves two years ago, the Bison Radio has been well-received by the local community.