Additional Capability Added for Camera Intercom Support Using Analog and Dante®
WARSZAWA, POLAND – Sebastian Pawlak launched Pawlaki Pro Audio to distribute audio products to top broadcasters in Poland, including the popular Eleven Sports Network. When a longtime supplier stopped offering a popular audio mixer/distribution product, Pawlak turned to Studio Technologies, manufacturer of professional audio, video and fiber-optic solutions. The company offered to add a software-based feature to support his need using the Model 5412 Audio Interface, a Dante®-compliant platform that provides excellent audio quality for Audio-over-Ethernet (AoE) network applications.
Pawlaki Pro Audio needed to replace an analog audio interface used with cameras and associated control units that carried four-wire intercom audio, mixing up to eight sources to one output and distributing one return source to up to eight destinations. This legacy product had been commonly used in Poland, as well as in worldwide markets, but became difficult for Pawlak to provide to his clients.
“It was a widely used tool in this region, especially in outside broadcast van applications,” said Pawlak. “Suddenly, the manufacturer’s product was no longer available, which presented us with a problem. Most intercom systems we offer provide digital audio transport via Ethernet, so we asked Studio Technologies if they had a compatible product. Following our suggestions, Studio Technologies suggested its Dante-connected Model 5412. The company made a few software changes and provided us with an excellent solution. The product ended up doing more than we expected, providing the needed features along with the flexibility to select just the number of channels required.”
Studio Technologies, at no additional charge, was able to quickly develop a firmware update to its Model 5412 that provided a perfect solution for Pawlaki Pro Audio.
The new capabilities are now part of the standard features offered by the unit. Using a browser-based menu selection, users are able to achieve the required intercom interface function. The Model 5412 is available in two versions, the -01 with eight inputs and outputs, and the -02 with 16 input and outputs versions. Both support analog line-level input and outputs with audio transport via Dante. Three Gigabit Ethernet interfaces and both AC mains and 12 volt DC powering allow support for a wide range of installations.
According to Pawlak, the Model 5412-01’s new flexibility allows it to be used as an eight-port intercom interface unit, as well as for six- or four-port applications. Remaining channels can be used for standard analog to and from Dante interfacing applications. Additionally, he highlighted the benefits of the unit’s compact, lightweight enclosure, which mounts in one space of a standard 19-inch rack.
“The Model 5412 has matched our previous interface solutions while also offering additional features in just one rack unit,” explained Pawlak. “Having that functionality along with less space, less weight, and a lower price is invaluable for applications using outside broadcast trucks.”
The first Pawlaki Pro Audio customer to use the Model 5412 is Eleven Sports Network. The station is part of Polsat, the biggest private broadcaster in Poland. The Model 5412 has served as the perfect replacement audio interface, as the network needs both analog and Dante capabilities.
“Our customers have already put the Model 5412 into their current and future budgets, thanks to its functionality,” said Pawlak. “Looking at market needs and the future of audio technology, Studio Technologies will be my number one audio interface for customers in Poland and worldwide.”