UK company, Nixer, has been providing AoIP solutions since 2017, and has an extensive range of Dante tools. Requests from customers for high channel count solutions indicated a clear need to monitor channels from multiple networks in a broadcast master control environment – a need met by the company’s RL Series, which can be specified Ravenna or Dante in four models of 64 up to 256 channels from a single operator position.
The design of the RL series demanded a practical solution to cater for both network protocols. Nixer turned to the Merging ZMan, which is pin compatible with the Audinate Brooklyn 2 board, and also offers the high channel counts that the design demanded. The deployment has been easy, and results described as excellent.
The RL Series is automatically ST2110 compatible with ZMan, and the next target is to include NMOS IS-04 and IS-05 during this year, as well as a remote control option using iPad via Wi-Fi. Monitoring can be on internal or external speakers, or headphones, and the high-resolution touchscreen offers comprehensive metering and status information.
All this is contained in a 1U-high 19-inch enclosure with redundant power supply sockets on the rear panel. On the same panel are the analogue outputs, AES3 I/O and the appropriate number of Ethernet ports to represent the number of channels in the individual models. All of the units can operate at 44.1kHz, 48kHz and 96kHz.
While some companies are reticent to share their choice of OEM solution, Nixer has worked with Merging and has joined the Ravenna partner programme to be open about their technical solution.
Seeing the value of being part of the wider AoIP community was important to CEO, Nick Fletcher: ‘The fastest way for a small, growing company like Nixer to keep abreast of developments is to join with other Ravenna partners where we benefit from the experience of companies like Merging Technologies who have met the technical challenges as they have developed. We greatly value this relationship.’
