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ISE 2019: Networks Expanded. Audio, Video, Control, and More.
by Joao Martins

ISE 2019: Networks Expanded. Audio, Video, Control, and More.

During my time at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2019 show, I looked closely at how companies are dealing with the transition to IP networks, how prevalent some proprietary technologies still are in commercial installation and AV in particular (e.g., HDBaseT), and how manufacturers are introducing new products and concepts to integrate those networked systems, in particular those protocols that support AES67 audio and the latest SMPTE ST-2110 suite of standards in general.
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ISE 2019: First Impressions. The Force is Strong with This One
by Joao Martins

ISE 2019: First Impressions. The Force is Strong with This One

The weather forecast for Amsterdam from February 5 to 8 couldn't have been grimmer. And the arrival to Schiphol Airport welcomed visitors with the first signs of snow... And yet, when the 2019 edition of Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) opened its doors, no matter the cold, wind, and the rain, the crowds started to flow in impressive numbers to an expanded RAI Amsterdam exhibition complex.
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Audio Collaborative 2018: Music Market Outlook - Changes and Opportunities
by Joao Martins

Audio Collaborative 2018: Music Market Outlook - Changes and Opportunities

For this edition of The Audio Voice I am wrapping up the summaries I have been writing following the Audio Collaborative 2018 conference. The event dedicated to the latest audio trends was successfully promoted in London, UK, for the fifth consecutive year by market research firm Futuresource Consulting . I'll try to summarize some key content and add some context and perspective, this time focusing on the panels on trends and opportunities in the music market and the gaming sector.
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Audio Collaborative 2018: Live Sound, Pro Audio, Artists, and the Audio Industry
by Joao Martins

Audio Collaborative 2018: Live Sound, Pro Audio, Artists, and the Audio Industry

For the fifth consecutive year, market research firm Futuresource Consulting promoted its Audio Collaborative conference, a highly successful event dedicated to the latest audio trends. This year, Audio Collaborative 2018 was an all-day event, held in London, UK, on November 8, 2018. In this article I look at another two of the sessions, the panels discussing live and touring trends, and how the pro audio industry can leverage opportunities in the consumer space; and try to summarize some key content, and maybe add some context and perspective.
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Audio Software Quo Vadis? Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Used in Audio Tools
by Joao Martins

Audio Software Quo Vadis? Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Used in Audio Tools

When we look at Adobe's portfolio of solutions, in a family of 21 core software programs, there is one for audio: Adobe Audition. Audition, used for audio recording, mixing, and restoration software, was acquired from Syntrillium Software in 2003 and was previously known as Cool Edit Pro. Recently I did an interview with Adobe's Audio Product Manager, Durin Gleaves, to understand why and how exactly the company is evolving its software using artificial intelligence and machine learning.
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Voice Pervades the Smart Home: Futuresource Conference Panel Roundup
by Futuresource Consulting

Voice Pervades the Smart Home: Futuresource Conference Panel Roundup

At Futuresource Consulting’s recent Audio Collaborative event in London, Simon Bryant, Director of Research at Futuresource moderated an expert panel entitled "Voice Pervades the Smart Home – Who will have control?". Consisting of executives from Amazon, Sound United, Netgem UK, Roku, and Linkplay, the panel debated and defined some of the key challenges and opportunities for voice assistants in the home.
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The Analog Compact Music Cassette Is Making a Comeback!
by Joao Martins

The Analog Compact Music Cassette Is Making a Comeback!

As audioXpress reported back in October 2018, there's a company again surfing the analog wave trend, successfully selling new reel-to-reel tapes for audiophiles, studios, and archives, and it has now decided to offer new blank music cassettes and is making available bulk cassette tape for duplicators. RecordingTheMasters launched the new FOX C-60 Analog Compact Music Cassette in the retail market and audioXpress interviewed Jean-Luc Renou, CEO of Mulann at the recent Audio Engineering Society convention in New York to learn more.
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There's Growth to Come! Audio Collaborative 2018 Key Takes
by Joao Martins

There's Growth to Come! Audio Collaborative 2018 Key Takes

Once again, and for the fifth consecutive year, market research firm Futuresource Consulting promoted its highly successful Audio Collaborative conference dedicated to latest audio industry trends. Combining the latest market research intelligence, this is a unique opportunity to share the latest insightful industry trends among key industry influencers and discuss how services, hardware, and content is shaping the future of the audio landscape.
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Getting to True (and Non-Captive) Wireless Stereo
by Franz Dugand

Getting to True (and Non-Captive) Wireless Stereo

Wireless stereo earbuds are super-convenient but are locked into proprietary solutions. Consumer-friendly solutions need to be interoperable. In the world of wireless earbuds we fairly quickly recognized, after Apple introduced AirPods, that earbuds connected by a strap were truly unconvincing in their claim to be truly wireless. Why did those other products even start with a strap? Mostly to keep power consumption down and to synchronize between left and right speakers, both of which become trickier if the speakers are really unconnected.
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IBC 2018 Report: Audio-Over-IP at the Crossroads of Next Generation Audio
by Joao Martins

IBC 2018 Report: Audio-Over-IP at the Crossroads of Next Generation Audio

In my previous report on IBC 2018, I addressed some key technology trends from the IBC show in Amsterdam (September 13-18, 2018), in the perspective of audio technology, content production, and distribution. Of course, on the backbone of all the tremendous changes that are currently happening in the media business, broadcast, and professional production, the topic of audio-over-IP (AoIP) and the ongoing transition to fully IP-enabled operations in all platforms - traditional linear television, radio (digital, hybrid, virtual, etc.), and new over-the-top and on-demand streaming services - is front and center.
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