Remote Broadcast Solutions for Sports & Live Events

1. Remote Broadcast Solutions for Sports & Live Events Aaron Read : WEOS, HWS Derek Jones : WGLS, Rowan Making your broadcast sound like the pros…or BETTER: the pros and cons! Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/ College Broadcasters, Inc – Fall 2008 Conference

2. Whad’ya Got Now? • Does the name “Max-Z” sound familiar? • Some other, similar, telephone-based device? • These devices are often simple to use & durable, but provide TERRIBLE audio quality. • It’s no good to broadcast a game if listeners tune out b/c they can’t understand the sportscaster! Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

3. Technology Marches On • Recent years have seen two major “themes” of remote broadcast methods emerging. Both are thanks to the Internet • The IP- or POTS-Codec Method • The Laptop+Webcast Method • Also: ISDN, Marti RPU, Fiber Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

4. The POTS Codec Method • POTS = Plain Old Telephone Service • Think fax machine or dial-up modem • Dedicated hardware uses a regular phone line to make a “data call”. • Ever hear this sound before? • Some examples: • Comrex Access, Bluebox, Vector, Matrix, Hotline • Tieline Commander, iMix • Telos Xport Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

5. POTS Codec Plusses • Telephones are everywhere! • Most sports arenas have a POTS line. • Sound quality generally is much better than telephone audio. • Audio is low-delay / bi-directional • Works well with existing broadcast gear • Relatively easy to use – does require training. Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

6. POTS Codec Minuses • Requires a true POTS line, these are getting rarer thanks to VoIP, PBX, Centrex • EASY TO MISUNDERSTAND!!! • “Sure we’ve got a phone for you!” • Oops, it’s a PBX and therefore USELESS • Need an ATA (Analog Terminal Adapter) • Broken copper, bridge taps, wet lines can all wreak havoc and are difficult to fix. • POTS Codecs are expensive: $2000-$6000 for a pair is not uncommon. Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

7. POTS Codec over cellphones • Some older models had “POTS over Cellphone” • Worked great, but required GSM C.S.D. • CSD = Circuit-Switched Data • Only offered by T-Mobile, AT&T (Cingular) • GSM CSD is rapidly being phased out by telcos in favor of 3G / IP. • Don’t buy a POTS codec based on CSD! Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

8. The IP Codec Method • As POTS gets trickier, and internet-over-cellphone gets more common, IP Codecs have exploded! • Use IP-based audio & thus work over the internet. • Wired ethernet, Wi-Fi, 3G cellphone, dial-up modem • Some examples: • Comrex Access / Tieline iMix G3 or Commander G3 / Telos Zephyr Z/IP / AudioTX STL-IP / Musicam Suprima / APT Worldcast / AEQ Phoenix Mobile / Marti Digital Cellcast Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

9. IP Codec Plusses • Tend to be very flexible, often can connect via multiple means • Frees you from tyranny of the remote location’s telco. It’s not perfect, but it’s REALLY nice. • Audio can be near-CD quality. • Low-delay, bi-directional means live conversations between remote and studio. • Fairly future-proof…IP audio is here to stay as an overall concept (thanks to VoIP) Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

10. IP Codec Minuses • Extra flexibility = more complicated to use. • Training required / Need tech-savvy users. • Can be very unreliable – proper setup and integration on BOTH ends of the network is essential • Internet is inherently unreliable in general – you never feel “safe” about your connection. • IP Codecs are expensive: $3000-$8000 for a pair is not uncommon. Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

11. The Laptop + Webcast Method • Surprisingly common – esp. in commercial radio. • Take a laptop with some internet connection to the site. • 3G/Internet-Over-Cellphone via PCMCIA card or USB. • Use Shoutcast or Windows Media Encoder to encode a webcast feed of your game audio. • Play the stream using a regular computer @ studio. • IFB is done via cellphone, or just through training. Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

12. Webcast Method Plusses • Bang for the buck: Very cheap if you already have the computer / laptop. Shoutcast software is free. 3G internet card is useful for lots of things besides just this. • Audio quality CAN be CD-quality, typically it’s not that good, but is still quite good (much better than a telephone anyways) • Flexibility of a laptop lends itself to audio conditioning (compression/EQ) prior to encoding. Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

13. Webcast Method Minuses • One-way audio with high delay (10 to 100 seconds) so no bi-directional audio. • Usually not as reliable. • Webcast algorithms not designed to maintain connection no matter what. • Usually no pro audio on laptops. • Laptops more fragile (in general). • BTW – not safe to use laptop for web surfing while encoding. Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

14. Webcast Method: Barix Boxes • Purpose-built Shoutcast boxes. • Instreamer & Exstreamer • Excellent devices for permanent audio feeds (stadiums, meeting halls). • Esp. over campus LAN. • Not bad over public internet, either. • Physically small & tough: metal case, no moving parts, no HDD or PS fan to fail, no OS to hack. Designed to recover automatically from power failure or loss of stream. • ~$500-$600 for a In-/Exstreamer pair. • www.barix.com Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

15. Smartphones & Skype • Skype is free VoIP software. • Works entirely over internet. • SkypeOUT/IN allows calls to/from phones. • Subject to internet connectivity, but generally better audio quality. • Many 3G smartphones can run Skype. • iPhones / iPod Touch won’t natively, but there’s ways to do it (Fring, et al) Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

16. Other methods: ISDNIntegrated Systems Digital Network • ISDN uses special digital phone lines. • Very mature, reliable technology…CD-quality audio w/ low delay (bi-directional!) • Commonly used by NPR stations. • ISDN is being phased out by telcos for IP. • Codecs are expensive ($2000-$5000 pair) Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

17. Other methods: Marti RPURemote Pickup Unit…not always by Marti, but Marti is very common • RPU is a FCC-licensed transmitter system typically around 450 MHz w/ 30 watts • (FM band is 87.9-107.9 MHz) • One-way only, but zero delay • Range = 5 - 20 miles w/LOS • Mature, reliable technology. • Gear is expensive & it’s a hassle to obtain license. Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

18. Other methods: FiberOptics • Physically limited by location of fiber. • Fiber is often pretty common on campuses • Campus IT typically likes fiber; provide better support. • Near-bulletproof reliability. CD-quality audio, bi-directional, near-zero delay. • Expensive: fiber codecs run $4000-$6000 / pair • Ideal for permanent installs: stadium, meeting halls, STL • One example: Sundance Systems’ FIBOX www.lightwavesys.com Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

19. Going old school – plain POTS • Working on a budget? • Need dirt-simple technology? • Needs to be universally understood? • Don’t care quite as much about audio quality? • POTS is for you! Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

20. Plain POTS – tips & tricks • Like POTS Codecs – you need to make sure you’re getting a true POTS line. • Ask for a line for a fax machine or computer modem. Not an “office phone”. • Some POTS devices will work with office phones. JK Audio has several: • THAT (Telephone Handset Audio Tap) • Innkeeper PBX (handset hybrid) • www.jkaudio.com Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

21. POTS mixers – do it right! • Lots of mixers with POTS interfaces, mic mixers and headphones all built-in. Perfect for sports and other remotes. • JK Audio RemoteMix Sport • Marti GX500 • Older: Zercom Max-Z & Comrex Buddy Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

22. POTS mixers with cellphones! • Despite even lower audio quality, the flexibility & freedom are NICE. • Frees you from any local telco worries. • Some mixers support bluetooth connection to your cellphone. (JK Audio Bluepack, other JK Audio) • Helps ensure best-possible audio. • Review in Radio World by CBI’s own John Devecka/WLOY • Ideally – get a mixer that can handle cellphones as well as landlines. (Conex FJ500, Circuitwerks MICTEL, etc) Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

23. All Sports NUMBER ONE Problem • AUDIO LEVELS OVERLOADING! • Sportscasters get excited and tend to shout. This distorts audio / sounds bad! • REALLY bad on regular POTS or cell. • Invest in a mic processor / limiter! • Rolls CL151 • Behringer MDX2600 • Presonus COMP16 • Even an inline -10dB pad helps! Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

24. The Engineer’s ToolboxCase Study of WEOS • WEOS does MANY live events/sports. Often two at once (WEOS & WHWS) So we have SEVERAL tools at our disposal. • Comrex Access: Boswell Field, Cozzens Field, McCooey Field, Bristol Gym, lectures @ Albright Auditorium, live concerts from The Smith, and many sports games on the road. • Comrex Vector: McCooey Field, many sports games on the road. • Fiber: (via old Comrex Buddy Mixer) Boswell Field, Bristol Gym. • Fiber: STL, also incoming RPU feeds from the RX antennas. • Barix Boxes: lectures @ Geneva Room, City Council meetings, lectures @ MPR in Student Center. • Telos Xstream ISDN: Geneva City Ice Rink, The Smith Opera House. • Marti RPU: commencement, random remotes (Congressman’s speech), random on-campus events, hockey backup. • Total count? 1 Access, 1 Vector, 1 Xstream ISDN, 1 Zephyr Portable ISDN, 2 Marti RPU’s, 3 Barix boxes, 5 Fiber links (4 permanent, 1 floating)… …and it’s not enough for all the events we do! Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/

25. Q & A – plus some URL’s for you • www.jkaudio.com • www.rolls.com • www.bswusa.com • www.zZounds.com • www.presonus.com • www.fring.com • www.skype.com • www.weos.org or wgls.rowan.edu • www.friedbagels.com/blog • Aaron’s blog – contact him here • www.friedbagels.com/cbi/ • Download these slides • www.comrex.com • www.telos-systems.com • www.tieline.com • www.aptx.com • www.musicamusa.com • www.audiotx.com • www.shoutcast.com • www.lightwavesys.com • www.martielectronics.com • www.aeqbroadcast.com Download these slides: www.friedbagels.com/cbi/