NTP Technology will demonstrate its latest digital audio conversion and network-based distribution products at the Prolight + Sound show in Frankfurt, 10-13 April. Exhibiting on stand 5.1 E72A, the company will be represented by Kim Vangsgaard and Frits Vroom.
NTP Technology DAD AX32 analog/digital/analog interface
Centrepiece of the NTP Technology exhibit will be the DAD AX32 analog/digital/analog interface. Key features include greater compactness (32 channels in 2U), ultra-flexible system configuration and IP audio networking.
“The AX32 allows no-compromise audio recording, mastering, post production, and future-proof archiving,” comments NTP Technology Sales Director Mikael Vest. “An entirely new feature is the inclusion of IP audio capabilities handling up to 512 channels on a 10 gigabit per second Ethernet link. This uses the highly robust Audinate Dante technology successfully employed in our Penta 725 IP audio routing system. Refinements in the AX32 design deliver even higher sound quality than its predecessor, the AX24, which is currently the worldwide reference standard for the highest quality audio recording and playback.”
Up to 32 microphone sources now be accommodated into the AX32 and forwarded as full-bandwidth uncompressed channels to the control room along a single Category 5 cable. This ensures complete freedom from the RF interference and HF signal loss inherent in long-run analog cables, as well as taking up far less space.
The AX32 is equipped with AES/EBU and MADI inputs and outputs plus a Gigabit Ethernet IP interface for use with a Dante Virtual Soundcard for PC, Apple Mac and other Dante-compatible devices. It is also fully compatible with Avid’s Pro Tools|HDX multitrack workstation. A versatile interface structure allows the analog-to-digital, digital-to-analog and digital-to-digital converters to be assigned to any digital interface, as well as patching between the interfaces on a channel-to-channel basis.
The flexible control features of the AX24 using NTP Technology DADman control software are retained in the AX32 and supplemented by a larger control screen which interacts with four adjacent pushbuttons to allow adjustment of key converter parameters from the front panel. Full remote control can be accomplished using NTP Technology’s DADman software or via Ethernet. The AX32’s preamplifier parameters can be represented on the channel strip of third-party audio production consoles and workstations.
Compatible with all standard sampling rates up to 384 kilohertz, the AX32 allows production of future-proof master-quality Digital eXtreme Definition (DXD) and Direct Stream Digital (DSD) audio data formats as well as 44.1 to 192 kilohertz formats commonly used for audio editing and distribution.
The AX32’s optional ultra-low-noise microphone preamplifier incorporates analogue gain control in 3 decibel steps as well as digital gain control with 0.25 decibel precision. Dynamic range of analog to digital and digital to analog conversion is 126 decibels. The preamplifier’s equivalent noise floor is -132 decibels.
NTP Technology Penta 721 routing and networking interface
The Penta 721 routing and networking interface allows digital audio distribution via IP-based Gigabit Ethernet. A full-bandwidth uncompressed audio routing network can be established quickly and easily, connecting multiple remote sites such as regional broadcast stations through a local or wide area network. This versatility makes the Penta 721 ideal for use in permanent installations, at temporary stage venues or for outside-broadcasts. For sound studios, IP audio networking offers more flexible and less costly networking than the traditional AES/EBU, AES50 or MADI point-to-point systems. The IP audio protocol used in the Penta 721 is powered by Audinate Dante technology and is compatible with Dante-compliant third-party products.
Up to 512 channels with latency of less than a millisecond can be routed via the Penta 721 on a 1 gigabit per second network, or additional channels if the network capacity is higher. The interface is TCP/IP controlled via one or two Ethernet ports. Signal sources and destinations can be configured onscreen via any standard browser using NTP’s RCCoreV4 routing control software.
Each Penta 721 chassis incorporates eight AES/EBU input/output channels plus up to three MADI input/outputs, two IP Audio Ethernet inputs/outputs, and an interface allowing direct operation from Avid Pro Tools. Dedicated control software compatible with Microsoft Windows can be employed for controlling and setting up the Penta 721 on a unit-to-unit basis when less advanced operation is required.
Available now at 2,790 euro, the Penta 721 occupies a 1U chassis and can be fitted with a single or main-and-redundant dual power supply.
NTP Technology Penta 720 modular audio embedder/de-embedder
NTP Technology’s Penta 720 is a 2U modular audio interface which provides embedded audio inputs/outputs via video SDI plus analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion. The Penta 720 includes a 1024 x 1024 multiplexer and is able to route all inputs and outputs via up to three MADI I/O connections or IP audio. Designed for use in production studios, outside broadcast vehicles and public-event venues, it comes with eight channel AES3 I/O channels, MADI, two IP audio Ethernet I/Os and an Avid Pro Tools interface.
Up to eight optional cards plus an optional mini module can be incorporated in the Penta 720 to match specific operational requirements. The range of available plug-in cards includes an eight-channel analog input interface, eight-channel analog output, two-channel SDI/HD/3G embedder interface, two-channel SDI/HD/3G de-embedder interface.
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