BOULDER, CO – Kevin Gross, who conceived and developed CobraNet and has helped QSC deploy Q-LAN, is chair of the new "X192" AES standards task group addressing the need for interoperability between products of many different manufacturers.
Gross noted that X192, once implemented, could to provide manufacturers with the means to remain with the network technology they are invested in, while also interfacing with products that support other networks.
X192-enabled devices using existing protocols, including the IEEE 1733 variant of AVB, Dante, Livewire, Q-LAN and RAVENNA, to be interoperable – able, Gross noted, able to exchange audio data while operating under various proprietary Layer-3 protocols.
Alternately, Gross added, manufacturers may find that X192, once fully developed, will meet all their criteria and may decide to implement it as their only networking protocol. QSC Audio Products, LLC and Telos Systems' Axia Audio division have become sponsoring members supporting Gross's work.
Gross added that manufacturers and users can both benefit by using Layer 3 network technology and applying existing IP protocols such as IEEE 1588, RTP and DiffServ as a way to meet the challenge of distributing high channel-count, low-latency, uncompressed digital audio, with benefits including compatibility with off-the-shelf network hardware, scalability, manageability and acceptance by IT professionals.
"When you're working in the IP environment, there are a limited number of ways to mix and match existing pieces to implement an audio network," Gross noted. "So it's inevitable that IP-based solutions will have similarities. As I surveyed various implementations it became apparent that these similarities provided an opportunity for interoperability."
The task group membership is comprised of representatives from prominent audio manufacturers including ALC NetworX and members of the RAVENNA consortium, network equipment and component manufacturers and key end users.
"We strongly support Kevin's efforts," said QSC VP of marketing Gerry Tschetter. "Two years of field experience with the Q-LAN protocol used by Q-Sys networked audio products have proven to us that an IP based approach to networked audio is the right solution. We are looking forward to working with Kevin on an interoperability definition that expands options for the industry."
Clark Novak, marketing manager for Telos Systems and Axia Audio added, "Telos and Axia have advocated standards-based audio networking since we pioneered Livewire in 2003. The development of a networking standard whose benefits all broadcasters can enjoy is the logical next step for the industry. We're delighted to be a charter member of the X192 group."
Gross' experience includes involvement with the systems and network design in projects utilizing audio networking , including Wembley Stadium, the U.S. Senate, the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and theme parks such as Disney's Animal Kingdom and Tokyo DisneySea. Gross also holds several patents, has written papers and articles and presented on numerous AV networking topics. In 2006 he was awarded an AES fellowship for his contributions to digital audio networking.
For more information, please visit www.x192.org.
