The rapid adoption of AoIP needs more innovative tools to make sure that streams are arriving safely and a UK company, Nixer, has been providing solutions since 2017 and already has an impressive range of Dante tools. However, rather quickly requests were received from customers for high channel count solutions for RAVENNA too. There was a clear need to monitor channels from multiple networks in a broadcast master control environment. The challenge was met by the company’s RL Series that can be specified RAVENNA or Dante and the four models cover from 64 up to 256 channels from a single operator position.
The design of the RL series demanded a practical solution to being able to easily cater for both network protocols. In their search for a proven solution, Nixer discovered the Merging ZMAN which is pin compatible with the Audinate Brooklyn 2 board. It also offered the high channel counts that the design demanded and after a more in-depth evaluation, the Nixer team decided that ZMAN was the ideal fit. The deployment has been easy and results have been 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 done on internal or external speakers or headphones and the high-resolution touch screen offers comprehensive metering and status information. All this is contained in a 1RU 19” enclosure with redundant power supply sockets on the rear panel. On the same panel are the analog 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.
Some companies are reticent to share what OEM solutions they have adopted and even resist listing their products on industry databases. Not so with Nixer who working with Merging and their OEM program decided to join the RAVENNA partner program and 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.”
