Audinate plans to incorporate AES67 transport, as published by the Audio Engineering Society in September 2013, into its Dante media networking solution.
The AES67 standard provides interoperability recommendations for professional quality audio networking in the areas of synchronisation, media clock identification, network transport, encoding and streaming, and session description. ‘Audinate does not see networking protocols as competing technologies, but more like tools in a media networking toolbox,’ says Audinate CEO, Aidan Williams. ‘From the beginning, Audinate has incorporated and built upon standards to develop the Dante solution. AES67 will provide another option for interoperable Layer-3/IP-based audio networks in the future.’
Dante already implements a Layer-3/IP-based transport, but AES67 will provide an alternative open standard using the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). To achieve interoperability, AES67 mandates a specific RTP payload format for delivering audio over IP networks, as well as methods for exchanging information about audio streams.
RTP is already used extensively in communication and entertainment systems that involve streaming media, such as VoIP telephony, video conferencing, and IP television. RTP is also a routable L3 transport, so it is possible to send synchronised audio over multiple subnets for routed campus networked applications.
The implementation of AES67 is billed as response to requests for an open IP-based transport option as part of the Dante solution. AES67 can take advantage of Ethernet switches with IEEE-1588 precision time protocol support, but unlike some other network standards, does not depend on specialised switches in order to operate.
Audinate’s announcement is endorsed by a number of major pro audio OEMs. Among them, Bosch has selected Dante for it networking technology in its Omneo networked products.
Yamaha has also selected Dante as the default networking solution for a number of products due to its automatic discovery of devices, descriptive text-based labelling, audio channel routing, control and monitoring, and its high and scalable networking. ‘Adding AES67 support re-affirms our decision that Dante was the right networking choice for future-proofing media networks,’ says Terry Holton, General Manager at the Yamaha R&D Centre.
Focusrite has adopted Dante for its Rednet modular Ethernet networked audio interfac: ‘Dante can interoperate with the largest ecosystem of pro audio equipment, and having AES67 will extend that capability even further,’ says Rob Jenkins, Technical Director at Focusrite Audio Engineering.
SSL, meanwhile, has recently launched its first Dante networked product: Solid Stale Logic fully supports Audinate’s plan to provide an AES67 option for Dante devices.’ says Niall Feldman, SSL Director of New Products. ‘Interoperability was a primary decision in SSL adopting Dante for Network I/O products and we are pleased the addition of AES67 will add further devices to the hundreds of compatible products already available.’
Audinate expects to deliver the AES67 support as firmware update to OEMs in initial Dante products within 12 months.
More: www.audinate.com
