LAS VEGAS – Studio Technologies, manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, will unveil three new announcer consoles that feature ST 2110 support at NAB 2025 (Booth N2672). The new announcer consoles each offer advanced features but differ in the number of talkback sender (output) channels, with the six-talkback-channel Model 5536, four-talkback-channel Model 5534 and two-talkback-channel Model 5532.
Each provides a combination of high-performance analog and digital audio capabilities with an extensive set of user features and configurable resources, making them ideal for broadcast, sports, eSports, live event, and streaming applications. Requiring only minimal connections for deployment, the new line provides one on-air talent with all the resources they need to support a wide range of scenarios.
The units support the SMPTE® ST 2110 suite of standards to implement audio-over-Ethernet networking connectivity. For enhanced network reliability, redundant stream performance following the ST 2022-7 standard is also supported. Housed in a compact, rugged, steel enclosure, the units are intended for tabletop use, small enough for use “court-side” or in a crowded booth, yet flexible enough for numerous remote production workflows.
All three models integrate directly into ST 2110 environments. With just a PoE (Power-over-Ethernet) Gigabit Ethernet network connection, a microphone, and a pair of headphones, a complete broadcast on-air position can be created. With the addition of a second Ethernet connection, enhanced ST 2110 performance can be achieved using the ST 2022-7 Redundant Streams standard. The Model 5536 supports ten ST 2110 receiver (input) channels and an integrated sidetone function that allows users to easily create their desired headphone audio mix. An eleventh ST 2110 receiver (input) channel allows an alternate talk microphone audio source to be created.
“Our new announcer’s consoles were designed to meet three main goals: supporting the ST 2110 standards, providing great audio quality, and offering simple use with an extensive set of configurable features,” says Gordon Kapes, President of Studio Technologies. “These new announcer consoles use the ZMAN module from Merging Technologies to provide its ST 2110 performance. By partnering with Merging Technologies, Studio Technologies is able to provide solid ST 2110 performance that’s been field-proven over many years. And on-going development efforts have led to a continuous stream of ST 2110 improvements. Additionally, users will enjoy clear and ‘click-free’ audio that should help their on-air performance.”
An independent Gigabit network interface provides access to the products’ management web pages. By using a standard web browser, support personnel can quickly and easily “customize” a unit’s operation. “The ability to handle both day-to-day and specialized situations makes them unique in the market. For example, the push button switches and rotary encoders can be independently configured with multiple choices that range from simple to quite advanced,” adds Kapes.
The Model 5536, Model 5524 and Model 5532 have a compact enclosure with overall dimensions of 6.7 inches wide (17.0 cm), 3.2 inches high (8.1 cm), and 6.1 inches deep (15.5 cm). Main, secondary, and FPGA (programmable logic) firmware can be updated on all three products, using the USB port on the back of the unit; the ST 2110 firmware can be updated via one of the Ethernet connections.