Newest console starts at under $10,000 US
18 August 2010, Cleveland, Ohio USA
Axia Audio, the originator and leader in IP-Audio technologies for broadcast, will debut its latest console in Asia at BIRTV in Beijing. Called iQ, it is engineered for either standalone studios or networked applications. An 8-fader iQ console lists for $7990.00 US MSRP; a 14-fader iQ with dedicated 6-line Telos phone system costs just $11,980.00.
“We’ve been working hard to make sure broadcasters’ money goes farther, and do so without compromise,” says Michael Dosch, President of Axia Audio. “I spent nearly a year in China setting up operations to manufacture products to our stringent quality standards. Now, with our Asian operations online, we will be introducing a range of exciting new products, of which iQ is the first.”
The iQ system is a family of console frames with different capabilities. Users start with the 8-fader iQ Main Frame, then add frames with phone controls, programmable routing controls or more faders to create consoles with up to 24 faders. Frames plug into the iQ Core, a fanless, convection-cooled console engine with audio I/O, console CPU, logic, mix engine, power supply and Ethernet switch. Backup power with auto-switching is also available.
iQ’s rich feature set includes 3 dedicated stereo Program buses plus a stereo Utility bus that can be used for phone calls, off-air recording, or as a fourth Program bus. There’s automatic mix-minus on every fader, Show Profiles that instantly recall talent’s favorite settings, Record Mode one-touch recording, and Talkback. Construction details include Axia’s hallmark ultra-smooth faders, aircraft-quality switches, and beefy extruded-aluminum frames. High-resolution, ultra-bright OLED displays used for meters and fader source information can be read instantly from anywhere in the room.
iQ is designed for standalone installation, but also includes a bulletproof, purpose-built Ethernet switch designed specifically for IP-Audio applications. This switch naturally has 100Base-T Ethernet ports for easy connection of Livewire partner products, but also features Gigabit ports for connection with other networked studios. Up to 4 iQ Cores can be daisy-chained without an external Ethernet switch.
iQ features include:
- Four stereo mixing buses.
- Record Mode one-touch off-air recording.
- Automatic per-fader mix-minus.
- Event Timer with auto-start/auto-reset functions.
- Studio and Control Room monitor controls.
- 4 Show Profile “snapshots” to save and recall commonly-used configurations.
- Intuitive talkback system that lets operator talk with talent, guests, remote hosts and telephone callers using board mic and cue speaker.
- Switchable VU/PPM program meters.
- High-resolution OLED displays.
- Premium-quality 100mm. conductive-plastic faders.
- Long-life rotary encoders and aircraft-quality switches with LED lighting.
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Expandable via three iQ Expansion frames:
Telco expansion – 6 faders plus 6-line Call Controller with Status Symbols™ and DTMF keypad for direct control of the latest Telos broadcast phone systems
Fader + Button expansion – 6 faders plus 10 programmable film-cap keys to control external devices, trigger routing salvos, send contact closures and more
8-Fader expansion – doubles the capacity of the iQ Main Frame
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Flexible mounting system allows desktop, cutout, or rack-mount use.
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Hardened, fanless power supply.
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Ultra-reliable embedded console CPU and DSP mixing engine.
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Built-in I/O with:
4 Mic inputs with selectable Phantom power
16 Analog ins and 8 Analog outs with 24-bit, 256x oversampling A/D converters
2 AES/EBU ins and outs
4 GPIO logic ports, each containing 5 inputs and 5 outputs
I/O is expandable using standard Axia audio nodes.
6 100Base-T Livewire ports for single-cable Livewire connections to Telos phone systems, Omnia audio processors and other Axia gear, as well as broadcast equipment from partners like Nautel, ENCO Systems, BSI, 25-Seven, AudioScience and more — see AxiaAudio.com/partners/ for full list.
2 Gigabit Ethernet ports with SFP for copper or fiber network connections.
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Single-cable connection to optional iQ Backup Power Supply provides failsafe secondary power with automatic switching.
Axia broadcast consoles have become the fastest-growing brand of consoles in the industry, with over 1,500 studios online worldwide. The Axia IP-Audio system allows broadcasters to build audio networks of any size using switched Ethernet to connect a few rooms, or an entire facility. Axia networks have a total system capacity of more than 10,000 audio streams, and can carry hundreds of digital stereo (or nearly a hundred surround) channels over a single CAT-6 cable, eliminating much of the cost normally associated with wiring labor and infrastructure.
Axia products include the popular Element 2.0 modular broadcast console, the PowerStation integrated console engine, the IP-Intercom system, a family of “audio nodes” that allow easy mixing and matching of digital, analog and microphone audio, and a comprehensive suite of network administration and routing control software.
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Axia, a Telos company, builds Ethernet-based professional IP-Audio products for broadcast, sound-reinforcement and commercial audio applications. Along with the popular Element 2.0 modular console for on-air, commercial production, audio workstations and personal studios, Axia products include the PowerStation integrated console engine, intercom systems, digital audio routers, DSP mixers and processors, and software for configuring, managing and interfacing networked audio systems.