NEP SELECT MERGING’S ANUBIS FOR VEP
Virtualized Editing Platform chooses the “Swiss Army Knife of Audio”
From left to right: Jasper van Eif, Chris Hollebone, John Guntenaar
Amsterdam: September 2019. NEP is a global media technology giant with an enviable reputation for innovation. Quick to see the benefit of the cloud for its operations around the globe, NEP’s centralized platform is based on an all IP infrastructure that allows the sharing of resources over multiple remote locations, such as production facilities, studios and external venues. IP installations are easy in theory, but efficient operation depends on the careful selection of some small but vital components. Not for the first time, a major broadcast facility has discovered how Anubis from Merging Technologies can fulfil a vital role. So convinced was the technical management team that this device would fit the bill, they placed an order for 50 units.
The Master Control Centre is located at Hilversum in the Netherlands and this is where technical decisions are made. NEP’s Lead Solutions Consultant is John Guntenaar and his mission was to try to find one box that served a number of functions and provided the right features for NEP’s Virtualized Editing Platform. Obviously, it had to be capable of working in an ST2110 environment and be able to receive and transmit AES67 streams. It also needed to provide a way to listen to the streams on headphones or speakers and be able to control the volume. A valuable added bonus was having on-board mic pre-amps for voiceover recording. The ability to handle a large number of streams that can be increased by adding additional Merging I/O was also nice to have, as was the fact that Anubis functionality is controlled by software that can be updated, allowing for development and expansion in the future. Lastly, Anubis is a robust desktop unit that looks rather neat. John Guntenaar added; “I spent a lot of time looking at various units that did part of the job, but my goal was to find a one-box solution if at all possible. I was intrigued when Jasper van Eif from MSV told me about Anubis. When we checked it out, we were really delighted that it did so much and that Merging was ready to make some small customization to tick yet more boxes for us.”
Merging’s President, Claude Cellier remarked; “Our original idea was that the Anubis Monitor Mission would appeal more to an existing client base that would already have other Merging I/O. What has surprised us is how quickly a number of major broadcasters have realized that Anubis is the perfect device for remote and centralized production in a complex IP environment. It is not often you can say that you are delighted to be proved wrong.”
Jasper van Eif is the Sales Director of Merging’s local distributor, Maarten Sound & Vision and the recipient of this significant order. Jasper has been involved in selling Merging products for many years and offered this opinion; “Anubis is an exciting product because it is not only very affordable, but we discover more applications every day. It is already remarkably powerful and extremely versatile for such a small box, but the really interesting element is the potential for future software development to manage different ‘missions’. It is the salesman’s dream product.”
For information on the Anubis, please visit this link.
Merging Technologies is a Swiss manufacturer with over 25 years of experience in developing groundbreaking, professional Audio and Video products for a wide range of entertainment and media industries. With a dedicated user base in the elite end of the music, film, television, mastering and performances industries, Merging is committed to developing product ranges with unrivalled quality and flexibility, no matter what the application. Merging builds tools for people who want more from their systems, have an inherent need to push boundaries, and believe that quality always comes first.
RAVENNA is a solution for real-time distribution of audio and other media content in IP-based network environments. Utilizing standardized network protocols and technologies, RAVENNA can operate on existing network infrastructures. RAVENNA is designed to meet the strict requirements of the pro audio market featuring low latency, full signal transparency and high reliability and is fully AES67 and ST2110 compatible. With a capacity of nearly 8 x MADI streams over a single Gigabit Ethernet link, it is also the first and only Layer-3 based IP audio protocol with full support for high-channel count DXD and DSD signals.
While primarily targeting the professional broadcast market, RAVENNA is also suitable for deployment in other pro audio market segments like live sound, install market and recording. Possible fields of application include (but are not limited to) in-house signal distribution in broadcasting houses, theatres, concert halls and other fixed installations, flexible setups at venues and live events, OB van support, inter-facility links across WAN connections and in production & recording applications. http://ravenna.alcnetworx.com
NEP provides its clients with the technology, people and know-how that enable them to produce the world’s biggest events and to broadcast these to a global audience. The media technology business is world leader in the field of outsourced production solutions and supplies various products and services for remote and centralized production, studio production, playout, video display, host broadcasting, post production, media asset management, Digital Media Services and end-to-end OTT solutions. More information: www.nepgroup.com
