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[quote author=”Leif”]The on-air 18ms delay is instant to everyone except the DJ!
///Leif[/quote]
You should see the delay in satellite television broadcasts. The "program out" is near instant (maybe a few ms when dealing with digital video/audio), but any satellite downlink return is delayed. Maybe 1/2 sec for SD analog and 2 seconds or more for digital HD. The viewer has no idea but it is very obvious in master control.Indeed. It’s funny to see field reporters on air, talking to someone in the studio. They kinda just stand there like birdhouses for 5 seconds before they respond to the question!
///Leif
Leif,
[quote author=”Leif”]Actually I could see it working at radio stations too.. You could have regular radios listening, with the 8ms feed feeding the DJ headphones. The on-air 18ms delay is instant to everyone except the DJ! [/quote]My thought was you were compromising the back end of the new version which has the two outputs (8ms and 18ms) to allow it to do all the processing in that 18ms as you explain here:
[quote author=”Leif”]Biggest difference: Breakaway Core runs in Low Latency mode (like in Breakaway Audio Enhancer), not Phase Linear mode (like in normal BBP). Low and high pass filters are also not phase linear.
The clipper back-end is also different — it’s closer to the "cpu optimized" mode of standard BBP, but further slimmed down with latency in mind. Distortion control is done at half filter length (meaning half the block size) compared to standard BBP.
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Because the clipping has to be done in very few stages to maintain low latency, each chain has to do more, and more quickly, and as such it can’t pack things as tightly right at the edge of the waveform, and that’s where standard BBP puts those tight, sharp transients.
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There’s actually also an ultra-low-latency mode which halves the filter length again, and cuts on-air latency down to about 14ms. However, it trades off more distortion control, and at these settings it’s no longer xylophone-safe
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I wouldn’t use the ultra low latency setting myself, quality is too important to me — but I’ll leave it in, for people to make their own decision. You could also turn down the final drive a bit, trade off some loudness and clean up the sound.Breakaway Broadcast Processor Plus (or whatever we’ll call it? BBPP? BBP Asio? Help, someone.) will also have a low latency studio output (pre-clipper) with less than 10ms delay (probably 8 or so). You’ll be able to choose on-air latency mode Low, Ultra-Low, or High (that is, maximum quality), while still having the low latency studio output.[/quote]
Maybe there could be an option for those who don’t care about the latency in the program/transmitter feed output and prefer the full features of the back end of BBP, unless that is in upcoming version.
With DAB giving us about 7 seconds delay from studio input to transmitter output the days of even thinking of studios monitoring off air is a thing of the past. Not that I am suggesting BBP is a DAB processor due to the cut off at 16K, but most FM chains monitor studio output, in some instances they have an extra processor in the rack just for the studio monitoring feed to give the off air sound (dynamics) back to the monitoring.
It would be good if you could outline, even in broad terms, what your plans are for Breakaway so we know what is in the "Pipeline" (so to speak) as to versions and features. I’m pushing the product to a few of our smaller stations who currently only have low level processing, some none other that peak control, but I’m waiting for it to come out of Beta phase and (as is the case) if there is a version with extra features coming then it is worth the wait to expand the capability into their broadcast facility.
Scott
Hi Scotty!
It’s not easy to predict the future, but here’s where I’m aiming:
Breakaway Live will get RTA and per-speaker 8-band parametric EQ, for true speaker equalization and a real quality improvement in listening. Live will also get the volume control popup and the toolbars from the consumer version, to facilitate high-end desktop use.
BBP ASIO (name to be determined) will indeed allow you to choose the full latency back-end, for the exact same audio quality as regular BBP, with studio monitoring inside the same program.
The more advanced versions of Breakaway Broadcast are also in the pipeline, and they will likely be available both as software + custom sound card, and as plug-and-play hardware units. Composite clipper, full control, and everything else I’m working on, will be available at some point.
The custom sound card itself will solve several problems — dc straight outputs with no more need for tilt adjustment and other calibration, plenty of i/o, simultaneous MPX and 48 kHz AES/EBU outputs on the same card, etc.
The versions designed to run with the custom sound card will not run without it, solving the other big problem in all this — no more need for copy protection/activation.
I will always take care of existing customers through rebates or otherwise, so there is no need to wait — you may buy what’s available whenever you’re ready to buy.
For example, BBP ASIO will be free for people who bought the Live + BBP package.
Best,
///LeifHi Leif,
Nice job man 😛
But I’ve got one question:
The software + custom soundcards will have the same audio-quality as the plug and play hardware-box units?
What I would like to say: You can make *almost* the same sound with the Software + Custom soundcard as with the Plug and play hardware-box units, so the same software(like the one who is running on the custom soundcard) is running on the hardware-bux units?Hi SDF!
No – if my hardware units had the same quality as existing hardware units, there would be no point in making them. The point is to ADVANCE the state of the art, and make them sound BETTER than existing units. 🙂
Best,
///LeifHi,
Okay, thank you for the answer.
So in the future I’m able to choose about software(Breakaway Broadcast) + custom soundcard or your plug and play hardware box with the software Breakaway Broadcast? And they are not the same… Could you tell me than what are the differences? Is it the software running on your hardware box/custom soundcard? And if the software is equal why I should buy a (more expensive?) hardware box what you’ll release?
Maybe the fact that you don’t need a computer? 😛
Please don’t blame me for mine probably stupid question. 😀Hi SDF,
the user interface may not be the same, but the audio will be. Why buy the plug-and-play hardware box? Because you don’t have the time to build and set up a stable computer!
Oh, you do have the time? Then buy the software + audio interface version 😉.
Best,
///LeifLeif,
Sorry for the delay in replying. The real world keep getting in the way. 🙂
[quote author=”Leif”]Hi Scotty!
It’s not easy to predict the future, but here’s where I’m aiming:[/quote]
Your outline sounds like Breakaway has an interesting and exciting future. I look forward to the developments.With the custom soundcard are you expecting to put some DSP onboard or will it be a high end sound card along the lines of the RME. Audioscience, Digigram (mainly the ones I work with) etc?
I "guess" if it is just a high end sound card then we’ll need to use those soundcards if you’re going to key the software to the hardware.
We’re currently putting together a 1 RU machine to conduct some in-situ tests. Maybe with solid state storage we’ll see the same reliability as our current audio processors. As long as Windows remains calm. 🙂
Scott
Hi Scotty!
If we do make a sound card, it will be completely custom, and have all the standard i/o you expect from an FM audio processor. I have no clue about the form factor yet — it could be anything from a pci card to a 1U rackmount box which connects to the computer by ethernet only!
Best,
///LeifHi all,
I have been following your conversation and I certainly hope this custom sound card, additional hardware box whatever it will become, will be compatible with both Macs and PCs. Indeed via ethernet, USB or Firewire….
So far so good I have been able to hook up two macs, obviously one of them is running XP and BBP, it works wonders but an external box still seems intriguing.
Leif a side question if I may, when can we expect updated or new presets in BBP or Live?
Thanks!
Zeb
Hi Zeb!
I develop on PCs only. Certain mass market products (such as Breakaway Audio Enhancer) makes sense to port to Mac, but it doesn’t make sense for the broadcast products. They’re intended to run on a dedicated machine anyway, and as such, it’s just a matter of installing the right operating system, and it will run.
Next release of BBP will have some updated presets, as well as improved clipper for cleaner voice!
Live will also have updated presets, but it will take a while. BBP will be updated first.
Best regards,
///LeifLeif,
[quote author=”Leif”]If we do make a sound card, it will be completely custom, and have all the standard i/o you expect from an FM audio processor. I have no clue about the form factor yet — it could be anything from a pci card to a 1U rackmount box which connects to the computer by ethernet only![/quote]We’re going to try an Audioscience card which has both AES and Analogue inputs to see which setup in the program chain will give best results, lowest latency, for studio monitoring. The machine was previously used as a server for something or other but as it was just recently replaced I was able to grab it before anyone else did. 🙂
We’ll use the current versions of Breakaway Broadcast and Breakaway Live to play with until the new combined version (Breakaway Studio??) is released for us to play around with. I’m thinking the results will open up some real possibilities for us to consider.
Then you’ll have to work on the DAB Version and Presets. 🙂
Scott
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