Announcing new technology partnerships with Jünger Audio, Dolby, New Audio Technology and TiMax, SSL aims to streamline the creation of complex Next Generation Audio (NGA) through the integration of its established control surfaces with third-party processing platforms.
‘OSC [Open Sound Control] is a commonly used protocol for integration with external object-based immersive systems across broadcast, theatre and live applications,’ says SSL Broadcast Product Manager, Berny Carpenter. ‘Object-based presentations give greater control over the live experience, both for those creating content and also those consuming it. This implementation not only provides XYZ positional controls but can also map unique functions and parameters from each system.’
SSL has also been working closely with a number of companies to develop more streamlined NGA workflows. At IBC the company is highlighting integrations with Jünger Audio and Dolby to manage broadcast Atmos production workflows, with TiMax Spatial for live sound and theatre use, and with Germany’s New Audio Technology for both live and broadcast applications, including Fraunhofer’s MPEG-H standard.
‘Up to five independent rendering systems can be simultaneously configured on the same System T console,’ Carpenter says. ‘New systems can be added at any time, and users can define the OSC commands to communicate with a particular piece of equipment so it will work with any compatible system out of the box.
‘System T’s implementation gives broadcasters the flexibility to plan for a more accessible future and can facilitate a huge range of immersive audio production applications.’
Meanwhile, Open Sound Control (OSC) support provides real time control of audio objects using the familiar System T user interface for a range of external renderers. SSL and Jünger Audio have also been working in partnership with a major European broadcaster on a project to enable real-time switching of S-ADM Dolby Renderer presentations and speaker layouts directly from the operator position at the console. Although Jünger Audio’s technology is already well established for the creation of Dolby Atmos distribution streams for S-ADM production workflows, SSL says integration with its AIXpressor processing unit simplifies NGA authoring for operators—particularly in setups where a mixing console is already part of the production environment.
‘S-ADM adoption is gaining ground and broadcasters are all looking for ways to develop NGA content to deliver more value,’ Carpenter says. ‘As more broadcasters look to append their coverage with immersive and accessible content, System T can easily integrate with best-in-breed technologies to streamline otherwise complex NGA production workflows.’