Archive News
2008
Project – UK Parliament House of Lords Committee Rooms
Nearing completion, this project utilises both the new ‘Net Serial Controller’ and ‘Vision Switcher’.
The BCD Net Serial Controller reads the active microphones from the Glensound conference audio system and decides which Camera to use.
A typical set-up would be that one camera will be set to a general wide angle shot whilst the automated cameras pan to the microphone in use. When the Camera is in position the Vision switcher cuts to the Camera.
Up to 50 Cameras can be controlled, but the system is optimised for four.
The database of cameras is programmed at installation for the correct pan/tilt/zoom settings for each Microphone position, and groups of Microphones. Up to 64 settings may be stored, allowing the unit to choose a shot, emulating a television director. A Sony Joystick Controller can be used to steer the Cameras, or the settings may be entered directly.
Thereafter the system will run automatically.
The BCD Vision switcher synchronises and switches the Camera feeds, and embeds the Audio to produce the final Committee room output. A minimalist system could conceivably use this unit on its own, as it is capable of monitoring four Audio feeds.
Project – Audio Outside Broadcast Trucks (with a twist)
We are pleased to announce out involvement with the development of six Outside Broadcast Trucks with IPE (Independent Project Engineers), for BBC Radio Outside Broadcasts.
These trucks will include 4 x Installer 48 Racks with Distribution cards, Installer cards with piglets (DA / AD/SRC ), remote control mic-amplifiers and remote control amplifiers.
In addition we are developing a new comms talkback system where the sound engineer can talk directly and simultaneously with the outside source venue or base.
Most Master clock generator systems can take Video reference and create Audio clocks from that; The twist is supplied in the use of the new BCD Wordclock DA, which takes Audio reference and creates a Video reference signal!
2004
Goodbye Windsor
BCD moved from posh Windsor to the other side of the tracks late in 2003, and British Telecom did their best to stop our customers getting through to our new numbers. Normal service has now definitely resumed.
Hello Fibre
BCD's experience with AES over fibre paid off this year with an order for 240 channels worth to connect the BBC Radio W1 site with Western house over the road. Dual Fibre-conversion Eurocards were used, packaged into 3U racks with dual power supplies.
RMOS XY Controllers
BCD's RMOS controller has been used to produce a custom control system talking industry standard protocol to enable dedicated Headphone and Recording XY controllers to control a large state of the art DSP mixer. A simple data and power pair connect the panels back to the control rack, and further panels may added at a later date…
INSTALLER-48 AND PIGETS AT WORLD SERVICE
A further two racks of 32 digital to analogue conversion with AES distribution adds to the existing 96 channels worth already present. The racks will interface the new Digital Studios with the apparatus room. 48 Analogue to Digital converters packaged in 3U will also be supplied to assist in interfacing the analogue studios.
2003
The ALT-1 Adaptive Microphone Amplifier has become the preferred solution for Journalist work-stations in many European countries; most units include the remote 'TAKE' option button. Originally designed to fulfil a custom order for 10 units, orders during 2003 have resulted in over 1200 units having been sold, with Spanish broadcaster TV Catalunya taking a further 50 units to add to their existing complement, and other orders from installation companies and broadcasters in the U.K. and abroad, including 16 for Saudi Arabia.
BCD Audio's proven RMOS Express provided a custom monitoring system for the Central Transmission area of the BBC World Service. Four identical workstations are capable of monitoring 64 stereo or mono sources each, with push-button and alphanumeric display. Each workstation has comprehensive audio monitoring facilities and an interlocking system between the single main stereo loudspeakers and the local small speakers. All active electronics were packaged into two 3U crates for reliability. The control panels communicate with the racks through BCD's RS485 control system to minimise installation wiring. The unit was produced with standard BCD audio cards and a customised control surface.
Also produced for the BBC World Service was a 96 channel AES and analogue distribution system. The system is connected at the outputs of an AES router, and includes AES distribution, digital to analogue and stereo to mono conversion. Whilst all of the elements could have been provided by the Piglet range, in order to keep the rack space required below 9U a new circuit board was considered, and designed for the job.
BSkyB has been a regular BCD customer for many years, and in 2003 BCD designed and built a custom cleanfeed and IFB system for BSkyB's Millbank studios. Based on the RMOS system and previous cleanfeed systems produced for BSkyB, the requirement was realised using only two RMOS168 audio cards to achieve the talkback interruption of 16 channels of cleanfeed, and the insertion of talkback from eight different destinations. Further cards provided the gain control of these OS chains. All talkback control is achieved with 1U panels communicating back with BCD's RS485 system.
Additionally, a mono 32 into 24 router was included to route the outside sources. This was controlled by local XY control panels, and also by new BCD Audio PC software. The software communicates with the switcher via RS232 , and this PC may also communicate with up to 15 other PCs using the existing corporate network. Through this path, the router in Millbank may be controlled from BSkyB's base in Osterley Park.
An excellent example of the efficient packing density of the Piglet range was provided by an Installer-48 system for ATG Broadcast. The requirement was to interface 10 analogue VHS machines with a stereo AES router. Altogether 10 analogue to digital converter Piglets and 20 digital to analogue converter Piglets were packaged into a single 3U rack with space to spare.
The 3U Amplifier-16 system using a variety of BCD Eurocards was used to meet a requirement for 3 monitoring units for BBC Cardiff. The units provide remote VCA faders, red-light logic, and talkback facilities, thus completing all the miscellaneous facilities required to complete the Radio Studios. A similar unit is also being provided for the new BBC Mailbox studios, with additional Studio A/B switching and monitoring selection.
2002
August press release - BCD Audio at IBC2002
Good Bugs from BCD
The BCD Audio "Jitterbug" is a compact, hand-held device housed in a robust belt-pack box, and provides many facilities previously only available from mains-powered bench test equipment.
Systems installers and maintenance engineers testing and debugging interconnections and equipment need to measure frequency, voltage levels and jitter in digital audio signals, and also view AES status flags and error messages.The Jitterbug has been designed to meet these requirements in an economic and ergonomically attractive package.
A simple menu system offers eight options, including an analogue headphones output switchable between left, stereo, right and mono operation. The high visibility LCD panel shows wordclock or sample rate frequency to 1 Hz accuracy, jitter to within 2nS and AES signal levels to 1dB resolution, with the option of a simple bargraph for AES signals. Levels may be measured at a higher resolution by using an external PC.
The BCD Audio "Humbug" is the complementary product to the Jitterbug, and uses identical packaging to provide a wide range of digital audio signals at various levels and frequencies. The output level ranges from 0dBFS down to -99dBFS in 1dB steps, with a preset at -18dBFS, and the signal frequency ranges from 2Hz to 20KHz, with a preset at 1KHz. Sampling frequency may be referenced to external wordclock or to AES signals or internally selected to 48KHz or 96KHz. A phono socket accepts external wordclock or sends out a TTL wordclock signal derived from internal or AES sources. The unit may thus be used to synchronise external equipment, and may be controlled remotely using an external PC via an RS232 connection.
September press release - Radioman interface
BCD Audio has received a contract from the Oxford Sound Company for over 80 sets of custom-designed changeover units which will provide a seamless transition from analogue to digital operation when IBM Jutel Radioman systems are installed in a major London broadcast centre.
The BCD unit can interface with at least three generations of audio console and enables the existing fader start mechanisms to operate the old and new system without requiring jumper or software changes. The unit switches all of the required logic and audio feeds between the two systems, facilitates dual-redundant operation of the new playout system, and interfaces the on-air and other GPI interfaces.
The unit was designed so that when the current analogue tape machines are no longer required, the tape changeover module can be easily removed, leaving a clean installation.
2001
April Press release - BSkyB orders three BCD Audio RMOS Express systems
Windsor-based broadcast custom audio specialists BCD Audio recently secured three more orders for their highly successful RS485 network based RMOS Express routeing and monitoring system from U.K. satellite broadcaster BSkyB.
BSkyB Head of Sound Vaughan Rogers was "very satisfied" with his first experience of the RMOS Express system installed in Studio 6 in 1998, and subsequently ordered additional systems for Studio 7 and Studio 2 early in 2001. The third 2001 BSkyB order is for a system to be fitted in a new multi-camera SNG truck being built by SISLink.
Gary Pearce, Head of Links for Sky News, commented "As always, the comms system was proving to be the most difficult part of the design. We wanted a system which would cope with our ever increasing needs but which would be simple in operation, and Vaughan Rogers recommended BCD Audio. They came to the rescue with a bespoke 20 x 20 matrix system which enabled us to comfortably design the comms requirements for our new vehicle."
BCD Audio's RMOS Express is a highly flexible, configurable, remote controlled audio routeing, mixing and monitoring system with a system capacity of up to 128x64 on four layers including analogue and digital audio with remote level control and data, and is compatible with standard BNCS protocol.
August Press release - BCD Audio at IBC2001
Exhibiting solo for the first time at IBC, but well known to many broadcasters in the U.K. and throughout Europe, BCD Audio designs and manufactures a wide range of specialist audio products, many of which are unique in the industry.
The "Black Box" range began with the ALT-1 Adaptive Microphone Amplifier, of which over 700 are now in service with broadcast companies from Sweden to Spain, controlling the levels of news reporters and contributors with superb quality in unattended installations. The range now includes the ITB-1 and ITB-2 digital format converters, the DTG-1 digital tone generator and the SRC-1 sample rate converter, all packaged in standard 'belt-pack' size extruded boxes and using external D.C. power.
Installer-12 and Installer-48 are 1U and 3U rack systems designed to provide systems installation companies with those vital analogue, digital and format conversion interfaces which can often be overlooked at the contract specification stage. Both sizes accept any of BCD's wide range of standard Eurocards, including DAs, VCAs with serial or DC control, solid state and relay matrix cards, tone generators etc. The 1U Installer-12 unit houses up to 4 Eurocards, and the 3U Installer-48 up to 16, and any combination of cards may be specified as required.
Installer System installations during 2001 included equipment for BBC Studio TC3, BBC Millbank and BSkyB TV.
BCD Audio's RMOS Express system is a development of the Installer range, and uses a high-speed RS485 network to interconnect up to 63 remote control panels with a central rack unit housing up to 32 audio routeing, switching, mixing and processing cards. Each control panel can have up to 64 illuminated pushbuttons, alphanumeric LED or LCD displays and up to 16 rotary controls, and the system can be used to construct highly sophisticated, customised remote controlled audio routers and mixers for applications such as ring main monitoring, talkback and outside source selection for radio and small television stations.
During 2001, BCD Audio RMOS Express systems were installed in BBC Studio TC3, BBC Millbank, BSkyB TV and several U.K. commercial radio stations.