IBC 2024: Calrec launches trio of major new products

Calrec Audio is celebrating 60 years of putting sound in the picture at IBC2024 and marking the occasion with three major product launches that deliver the ultimate in flexibility to broadcasters, wherever they are located. The significant products they have now introduced are the compact Argo M console, the ImPulseV cloud audio mixing solution and True Control 2.0. All three products will be launched and represented by D2N Technology Solutions in Australia.

D2N Technology Solutions MD Jason Owen said, “The compact Argo M console, ImPulseV cloud audio mixing solution and True Control 2.0 are truly groundbreaking and game changing solutions. We are delighted we will be able to introduce them to our clients and the market in the near future.”

Argo M – All of Argo in a compact package

Built on the same multi award-winning technology that powers Calrec’s established Argo platform, the new Argo M brings the exact same feature set and operational familiarity as the larger Argo Q and Argo S consoles in a compact 24- or 36-fader footprint. Designed for small to medium applications and adopting the same “everything anywhere” approach, Argo M is a plug-and-play SMPTE 2110 native console.

Argo M features integrated DSP processing and no networking or PTP sync required for independent operation. It also has built-in analogue and digital audio I/O and GPIO, 3 x modular I/O slots for further expansion, and a MADI I/O port via an SFP.

“The introduction of Argo M not only delivers Calrec’s renowned heritage and feature set at incredible value, but it enables more broadcasters to take advantage of Argo’s award-winning flexible IP technology,” says Sid Stanley, General Manager at Calrec.

“All our broadcast customers are looking for more flexible workflows while still having the right monitoring and metering tools in front of them without the need for ancillary equipment. Argo M helps them to redefine their production models and retain all that in a cost-effective way. It caters for a variety of workflows; cores and surfaces can be geographically diverse to enable remote and distributed production, as well as supporting interoperable networking and stage-box interfacing via AES67/ST2110-30 with ST2022-7 dual-network/packet merging redundancy with either 1G or 10G connectivity.”

Argo M supports 5.1.2, 5.1.4, 7.1.2 and 7.1.4. immersive paths for input channels, busses, metering and monitoring as standard, and the same familiar Calrec Assist UI for remote control on a standard web browser. Meanwhile, the Calrec Connect AoIP system manager makes IP streams easy to manage and adds essential broadcast functionality.

It is available with 304 or 356 internal DSP processing paths, while external ImPulse and ImPulse1 processing cores can expand processing capacity to 432 DSP paths as well as provide additional redundancy. This enables customers to expand Argo M as their production demands grow. With up to four Argo surfaces able to share access to a pair of redundant ImPulse cores, Argo M can also connect to an existing ImPulse core alongside other Argo surfaces to create multi-console environments. While the introduction of ImPulseV gives Argo M access to cloud-based DSP packs, with scalable and secure cloud-native DSP processing core and control software on demand.

ImPulseV – Cloud-based DSP processing software on demand

Following its development preview at NAB, the ImPulse V cloud-based DSP processing core provides a virtualised Calrec audio mixing engine in a cloud native AWS environment.

Leveraging a patented x86 CPU optimal core processing (OCP) technology to operate in a virtualised Linux environment, ImPulseV is optimised for low latency throughput, providing real-time responsive, efficient and deterministic audio processing, control, routing and mixing.

With no requirement to buy into new control architecture, ImPulseV uses the same interfaces that Calrec customers are already familiar with. Impulse V supports direct surface connections from Calrec Argo platform products: Argo Q, Argo S and Argo M as well as the Calrec Assist web UI. In addition, True Control 2.0 can be used to control Impulse V from any True Control 2.0 enabled console: Argo M, Argo S, Argo Q and Type R.

The standard 128 DSP pack at launch provides up to 128 Channels, 16 Groups, 8 Mains, 32 Tracks, 32 Auxes, 64 Direct Outputs, 128 Inserts and path delay on all Channels, Groups, Mains, Tracks and Auxes. ImPulseV supports stereo, 5.1 and full immersive formats up to 7.1.4 with 9.1.6 monitoring, and any channel or bus can be mono, stereo, 5.1, 5.1.4 or 7.1.4, providing a full toolkit for immersive productions and Dolby Atmos workflows.

“The benefits of cloud-based production are well defined and enable broadcasters’ rapid deployment to get on air faster,” says Stanley. “But with ImPulseV, broadcasters get something else; they get Calrec as a trusted partner. Our five-time Emmy-winning support team are well resourced to help broadcasters go from a proof of concept to full deployment in the cloud.”

ImPulseV enables broadcasters to deploy audio mixing instances as needed to meet the demands of a range of events, while its economical OpEx cost model can enable broadcasters to cover second and third tier sports which may not have been economically viable.

“The introduction of these three new products at IBC 2024 give broadcasters far more power and flexibility. Connecting and controlling geographically diverse cores and surfaces with zero latency for monitoring/IFBs, and providing control using a combination of proprietary, hybrid, IP, third-party and cloud connectivity delivers next level technical capability,” adds Stanley.

True Control 2.0 – Expanded 2^nd generation remote production capability

Calrec’s True Control 2.0 builds on Calrec’s RP1 True Control implementation to provide expanded levels of control in two key areas.

Firstly, it provides users with far greater levels of remote control without the limitations of mirroring or parallel controlling, with control of an expanded feature-set including EQ, dynamics, routing, direct outputs and delay.

More fundamentally, it gives broadcasters unparalleled flexibility to scale their remote productions as needed by expanding the number of products it works with. True Control 2.0 is available on Type R, ImPulseV, Argo M, Argo Q and Argo S, allowing any of these products to remotely control any other True Control 2.0 enabled product. Moreover, any one of these controller consoles can access up to five other consoles simultaneously.

“This is a new flexible approach to audio mixing,” says Stanley. “The ability to control anything from anywhere is an incredibly agile way to work because it provides access to more cores, more faders/surfaces, and more control from more locations. It simply gives our broadcast customers more options.”

True Control 2.0 enables users to control multiple consoles across different venues and extending control to Calrec’s Assist headless utility also allows broadcasters to access core functionality even when no physical faders are available. At IBC2024, Calrec will be demonstrating True Control 2.0 across multiple consoles on the Calrec stand, with an Argo Q delivering control to an Argo S, a 36 fader Argo M, a 24 fader Argo M on an ImPulseV core and a Type R.