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PA technology has been used as standard in the field of fixed PA installations for a long time now. In the digital age, however, requirements made on PA applications are changing. Buildings should be smarter, cables almost invisible and speakers preferably be controlled from one central control panel. In fact, most digital mixers already feature a network interface. This means that Audio over IP solutions become more and more important, even on stage where analogue systems have dominated the scene so far. They also become increasingly easier to operate and are available at a more and more attractive price. We are going to explain why.
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AoIP stands for Audio over Internet Protocol and is a solution for transmitting digital audio signals via IP network (usually a Local Area Network = LAN). The sound is divided into little digital packets and then transmitted to its destination using the network infrastructure. The IP address ensures that each audio packet is sent to the correct destination (usually a speaker), even when several different destinations are used (multiple speakers). Once there, the receiving station must be able to unzip the audio packets and assign them accordingly.
The audio signal uses the same connection as all other data in the network: e-mails, backups, the merchandise management system, all Internet traffic. Separate lines for announcements and background music are not required.
This solves 2 problems:
Especially in buildings in which a LAN network runs through all the rooms anyway, AoIP is worth considering.
Above all, AoIP means freedom for the user:
In order to implement a PA application via local AoIP, you will need an IP network. A direct LAN connection should be preferred. Other types of network transmission (WLAN, PowerLAN) often result in latencies and thus, are less suitable. For example, an AoIP network can consist of the following components:
With these components, it is possible to implement a PA application with ceiling speakers. Users should preferably have basic knowledge of computers and network. For example: how an IP address is made up, how a user can access the router from the PC and configure the network. This knowledge may be useful for the installation. For users with little prior knowledge, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is quite useful.
The DHCP assigns IP addresses automatically which facilitates setup and administration of an IP network. Basic knowledge about networks can, however, still be useful for the running operation.
Conclusion: with an increasing number of fixed installations featuring a network, AoIP will also spread and must be further developed.
With the right prerequisites, AoIP is convenient to use and easy to maintain. Particularly for office buildings or educational institutions in which a fast network infrastructure has already been set up, AoIP is usually the most economical solution for your PA application. However, there is also a disadvantage of AoIP: IP networks were initially not designed to be used for real-time transmission of data. We can notice that at every football World Cup: our neighbour watching football via terrestrial TV may cheer 3 seconds before us. A slight delay can be expected if we stream the broadcast because optimum packing and unpacking of files takes a little time, even longer with high quality (i.e. more data). Live events with a latency of a few seconds are unthinkable, too. However, the solution for such projects has already been found. It is called Dante® and is a network protocol specialised for audio transmissions.
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