AES Standards News Blog

Project AES-X213,  MADI over twisted-pair cabling, has been initiated.

This project seeks to add twisted pair connectivity to AES10 in addition to the current connectivity options.

A twisted-pair interconnection should lead to further simplification of multichannel audio connectivity and significant cost reductions. 1. Interface cost reduction allowing for use in low and high channel capacity applications. 2. Allows use of commonly available Category 5 (or better) cabling infrastructures. 3. Smaller footprint for device connectors, allowing for high density connectivity. 4. Easier implementation, as the most of the coding is done by a cost effective and readily available Ethernet PHY. 5. Galvanic isolation for copper based AES10 interfaces. 6. Guarantees immunity from obsolete, boutique and expensive components 7. Optionally allows for standardized control using 10/100MB Ethernet on the same cable/connector as MADI. 8. Optionally allows for devices to be remote power over the interface using PoE phantom power.

http://www.aes.org/standards/meetings/init-projects/aes-x213-init.cfm

 Project AES-X212, HRTF file format, has been initiated.

This project seeks to standardize a file format to exchange binaural listening parameters in the form of head related transfer functions (HRTF). The format will be scalable to match the available rendering process. The format will be designed to include source materials from different HRTF databases. 

Binaural listening is growing fast, because of growing sales in smartphones, tablets and other individual entertainment systems. The lack of a standard for HRTF exchange means each company's data is unreadable by others.

Interest in 3D audio is rising, and binaural listening could be the very first 3D audio vector with sufficient fidelity of HRTF.

With a standardized HRTF file format, each company could contribute its best algorithms, providing good personalized capture and/or rendering, allowing the consumer to choose its best combination of technologies for the best quality of experience.

http://www.aes.org/standards/meetings/init-projects/aes-x212-init.cfm

 Project AES-X210, Open Control Architecture (OCA), has been initiated.

The project was proposed by the OCA Alliance and is scoped to specify a scalable control-protocol architecture for professional media networks. The initial version will address audio aspects only, but it is intended ultimately to expand the scope to video through collaboration with a video-oriented standards body. The output intent is a standard.

OCA is an architecture for control of media network devices in all kinds of professional media networks, from very small to very large, and possibly with critical functions, including life safety. If OCA is widely adopted, the entire professional media systems industry will enjoy the well-known benefits of multi-vendor interoperability for all scales and types of media network applications.

AES-X210 has been assigned to AES SC-02-12 Working Group on Audio Networking.

http://www.aes.org/standards/meetings/init-projects/aes-x210-init.cfm

AES-2id-2012, AES information document for digital audio engineering - Guidelines for the use of the AES3 interface, has been revised.

This document provides guidelines for the use of AES3, AES recommended practice for digital audio engineering — Serial transmission format for two-channel linearly represented digital audio data, together with AES5, AES recommended practice for professional digital audio applications employing pulse-code modulation — Preferred sampling frequencies, and AES11, AES recommended practice for digital audio Engineering — Synchronization of digital audio equipment in studio operations.

This revision was made to harmonize with the multi-part revision of AES3 published in 2009. It contains updated references plus previous corrigenda and addenda. Operational modes no longer supported in AES3, such as "Minimum" implementation of channel status” have been identified. References to new operational features, such as those specified in AES41, AES52, AES55, and AES62, have been added. 

AES-11id-2006 AES information document for preservation of audio recordings - Extended term storage environment for multiple media archives, has been reaffirmed. 

This information document provides guidelines for archivists faced with storing a variety of audio, still image and moving image media in a single storage environment.  This circumstance is faced by many archivists in small and medium size archives that must preserve and make available the wide variety of media from nitrate film to optical discs.  These guidelines provide recommendations to harmonize storage recommendations contained in standards and recommended practices published by the AES and the International Standards Organization (ISO).

http://www.aes.org/publications/standards/

 AES6-2008 (r2012), AES Standard - Method for Measurement of Weighted Peak Flutter of Analogue Sound Recording and Reproducing Equipment has been reaffirmed.

Weighted peak flutter is measured using a 3150-Hz tone transmitted through the equipment. The tone is frequency demodulated, frequency-response weighted, peak-to-peak detected, time-response weighted, and read out on a two-sigma statistical voltmeter over a period of at least 5 s.  

A toleranced graph and table give the frequency-response weighting. The preferred statistical voltmeter is described; it replaces the earlier quasi-peak meter.

This standard has technical requirements identical to IEC 60386 Ed.1 1972 as amended by IEC 60386-am1, 1988. Measurement results according to this standard are identical to those made according to the older standards originally published as IEEE Std-193, IEC 60386 Ed.1 1972, CCIR 409-2, and DIN 45 507.

http://www.aes.org/publications/standards/

The next step in pushing forward audio over IP in broadcasting and other professional audio media has been taken: a collaboration between the Audio Engineering Society and the European Broadcasting Union with the goal to further develop packet-based audio network standards. 

The focus of the work lies on audio interoperability over high-performance IP networks. The proposed standard defines an interoperabity mode applicable to a number of existing audio networking technologies including the EBU’s ACIP-standard. The EBU represents the technical interests of an important user community who will be a significant beneficiary of this technology.

Building on previous and continuing ACIP and ACIP2 work in the EBU, AES work is proceeding in task group SC-02-12-H under project AES-X192. The group is chaired by Kevin Gross. The group already includes some key ACIP2 members. A draft of the proposed standard is being reviewed in the task group.

A formal liaison officially called "Next generation AES/EBU interface based on IP technology" has recently been established. Within ACIP2, Sonja Langhans will support and manage this activity with experts from ACIP members and manufacturers.

EBU members and manufacturers are welcome to participate. For further information visit the task-group web site at www.X192.org. To participate, please follow the links at www.x192.org/join/; membership in SC-02-12-H is open to any directly and materially affected individuals.

In 2007, the European Broadcasting Union published a technical interoperability specification, Tech 3326, intended for audio over IP contribution devices. This was the output of the EBU ACIP project group which had regular meetings for 6 years with EBU members (broadcasters) and manufacturers.

Partly Inspired by this project, in 2009, the Audio Engineering Society launched a standards project to set an interoperability standard for high-quality audio with PCM over high-performance IP networks. 

Considering these two groups with similar scope, the EBU proposed to establish a close liaison between AES and EBU with the goal to define a common AES/EBU standard for Audio over IP networks in professional environments for both, Local Area Networks and long distance WAN.

The AES Standards Committee is the organization responsible for the standards programme of the Audio Engineering Society. It publishes a number of technical standards, information documents and technical reports.

Working groups and task groups with a fully international membership are engaged in writing standards covering fields that include topics of specific relevance to professional audio.

Membership of any AES standards working group is open to all individuals who are materially and directly affected by the documents that may be issued under the scope of that working group.

Complete information, including scopes of working groups and project status is available at http://www.aes.org/standards.

A new standard, AES59-2012, AES standard for professional audio - Audio application of 25-way D-type connectors in balanced circuits, has been published 2012-08-18

This document describes a standard contact assignment and gender convention for users of the 25-contact D-type connector as a multi-channel balanced audio interconnection, in analogue or AES3 digital form, to facilitate interconnection of equipment from different suppliers using standardized cables. The intent is to simplify the rapid and reliable interconnection of equipment in temporary installations, perhaps using rented equipment, although the method may be extended to permanent installations where appropriate.

http://www.aes.org/publications/standards/search.cfm?docID=92

A Call for Comment on DRAFT REVISED AES-2id, AES information document for digital audio engineering - Guidelines for the use of the AES3 interface, was published on 2012-08-16.

http://www.aes.org/standards/comments/cfc-aes-2id-xxxx-rev-120816.cfm

 A Call for Comment on reaffirmation of AES-11id-2006, AES information document for preservation of audio recordings - Extended term storage environment for multiple media archives, was published in accordance with our 5-year review policy on 2012-08-16.

http://www.aes.org/standards/comments/cfc-aes-11id-2006-reaff-120816.cfm