Studer has announced the Vista X digital mixing console and Infinity Processing Engine.
At the heart of the Vista X, the Infinity DSP core uses CPU-based processors to provide huge numbers of DSP channels for large-scale, high-resolution audio processing and mixing – more than 800 audio channels may be processed in a single CPU-based board. CPU processing provides a scalable system, faster development of new signal processing designs, very high channel counts, full system redundancy without a single point of failure, and the possibility of running third-party algorithms.
The Vista X retains the Vistonics and FaderGlow user interface, providing control of 800 or more audio DSP channels and more than 5,000 inputs and outputs.
According to Studer: ‘The impetus behind Infinity was the desire to create a DSP engine that not only offers superb sonic quality but is adaptable and flexible to meet the changing demands of the market. The attraction of CPU technology as used on most computers has resulted in huge worldwide R&D investment in this technology. As such, these chips are not only extremely reliable in operation but also result in a doubling of processor power every 24 months (Moore’s Law).’
The Infinity engine provides 12 A-Link high-capacity fibre-optic digital audio interfaces, providing more than 5,000 inputs and outputs. The new D23m high-density I/O is used to break out the A-Link connections to analogue, digital and video interfaces. The A-Link interface also provides direct connection to the Riedel MediorNet distributed router, allowing many Infinity systems to be connected together with router capacities of 10,000 square or higher.
A further design consideration is to avoid the possibility of a single fault causing loss of audio. ‘Taking a lead from the ‘fly by wire’ aircraft industry with multiple redundant processors flying the airplane, the new Vista X console features four processors, offering complete redundancy of the control surface,’ says Studer. ‘Now, the Infinity Core, with a combination of CPU-based DSP and A-Link audio interfaces, offers N+1 redundancy of the DSP engine and I/O with instant switchover between main and standby system without audio break.’
CPU-based DSP means it is now economically viable to provide two independent DSP cores running in parallel with ‘instant’ changeover in case of failure. The provision of two engines overcomes potential single points of failure offered with traditional TDM-based systems. This new design also offers the possibility of two complete Vista X surfaces to be working on the same project at the same time. This allows very large, dual language or multi-format productions to be undertaken.
Alongside the Vista X console, Studer has released several technological innovations including the A-Link audio interface system.
‘In developing the Vista X and the Infinity Core, we needed to provide a suitable audio interface system to connect the huge number of audio channels,’ says Studer Product Director, Andrew Hills. ‘Out of this need came the development of the A-Link digital audio interface.’
A-Link is a fibre-based audio interface that uses a 3GBit/s data rate to offer 1,536 audio channels per connection. A new PCI express card has been designed to fit into the Infinity Core's server board. This card is fitted with 12 A-Link interfaces capable of supporting more than 5,000 inputs and 5,000 outputs, and offering the I/O interface counts required of the processing engine.
A white paper expanding on this new technology is available.
More: www.studer.ch
