Aeta Audio Systems claims to have the industry’s first professional mobile HD Voice codec with AMR-wideband support, in the shape of its its Scoopy+ codec/mixer/recorder. Scoopy+ enables location reporters to deliver audio to a far quality that is possible with 2G and 3G networks.
HD Voice claims higher-quality voice transmissions by extending the frequency of range of traditional or narrowband voice calls (300Hz-3.4kHz) out to what Aeta is calling ‘wideband audio ranges’ (50Hz-7kHz).
‘Crystal-clear, high-definition voice reports are what mobile reporters have been waiting for,’ says Aets GM, Christophe Mahoux. ‘HD Voice technology makes live radio reports a more natural experience, by taking the strain out of listening to poor-quality audio. There’s a distinct difference between the high quality of HD Voice and traditional narrow band: with HD Voice the sound is so clear that it feels as if you are in the same room with the reporter.’
Scoopy+ supports HD Voice submission where AMR-wideband is available, and automatically switches from wideband to narrowband (standard GSM or UMTS) where necessary, without introducing noise into the signal. While live broadcasting in HD Voice significantly increases audio quality, it does not add to broadcasters’ costs by requiring extra bandwidth.
In another claimed ‘first’, Scoopy+ also supports LTE in 800MHz, 1800MHz and 2600MHz mobile networks. LTE (Long Term Evolution) allows high-speed transmission of data and live or recorded reports, providing a significant advantage both in remote areas and in cities, through improved network capacity and speed with lower latency than 3G networks. International LTE field tests in countries such as Austria and Germany were successful.
Trialed extensively in Europe with HD Voice, Scoopy+ and the Scoop4+ studio unit are being touted as the industry’s first professional audio hardware codecs to support AMR-WB. Both the portable Scoopy+ and the rack-mounted Scoop4+ can be configured with AMR-WB for a flexible solution allowing both reporters and callers to talk shows (if using AMR-WB-equipped phones). Both units provide a choice of available networks (IP/LL/ISDN/GSM/3G/POTS) and algorithms (G.711, G.722, MPEG Layer II, AAC) with automatic negotiation (5AS), in addition to support for AMR-WB.
More: www.aeta-audio.com
