Axia's latest product is Axia iQs. This product is based on Docker's container virtualization technology. The possibilities with virtualization are endless, but are sometimes difficult to apply to real-time audio applications such as a broadcast mixer. Thanks to the Axia iQs this is about to change: virtualization is for everyone!
The first iQs: Enkhuizen FM
The very first Axia iQs will soon be delivered in the Netherlands. Jan de Vries of Enkhuizen FM is the first and absolutely wanted to be the first. 'We have been looking forward to a product like the Axia iQs for a long time. Now that the product is on the market, we really want to be the first'.
Jan and his colleagues started looking for a solution to be able to work on the same mix from different locations, remotely, in May 2020. An important condition for Jan and his colleagues, is that the product is Audio over IP. The Telos Alliance product range had already been gone through several times, but until the end of last year no suitable solution had emerged. At the end of November 2020, Telos Alliance came out with the brand new Axia iQs, a product that Jan and his colleagues had actually been waiting for months.
The new Enkhuizen FM is bringing local radio back to Enkhuizen. The previous local radio station of Enkhuizen, merged into a regional partnership. So the official local radio for Enkhuizen has become regional. Together with a group of radio enthusiasts, Jan decided to start Enkhuizen FM: a new local radio for their beloved town. This local radio came about with one condition: it must be technically perfect at once. Jan: 'We know from experience that a 24/7 radio stream simply takes a lot of time. Because we want the best of the best, we ended up with Triple Audio.'
De professionele apparatuur die aangeschaft is door Jan en zijn collega’s, is vergelijkbaar met dat van een landelijke omroep. Jan: ‘We horen van mensen om ons heen vaak de vraag ‘dit kan toch veel eenvoudiger?’. En dat klopt ook. Maar, als echte radio-liefhebbers, hebben wij gekozen voor de beste kwaliteit. Op die manier hoeven wij er in de komende tien jaar niet naar om te kijken.’
The professional equipment purchased by Jan and his colleagues is comparable to that of a national broadcaster. Jan: "We often hear people ask us 'this can be much simpler, can't it? And that is true. But, as true radio lovers, we have chosen for the best quality. That way we won't have to look back in the next ten years.'
Axia in combination with Telos
The Axia iQs will soon be placed in the central rack in Enkhuizen in a Telos Alliance AE-1000, this is small, compact and ready-to-use device.
So Jan is going to use the Axia iQs to bring different AoIP sources to the Telos Z/IPStream R/2. In theory, this was already possible in the 'old-fashioned' way (switching), but this sometimes didn't go quite right. Jan: 'We have several Audio over IP sources, such as non-stop sources; this is a playout system that plays nonstop music. But also fixed studios, where live playing is done by means of a codec via the Telos Z/IP ONE. For people who don't have a fixed Z/IP ONE in one of their studios, we use connections through Luci. That way you can get on the stream through the Telos Z/IP ONE, which is in the rack with us'. The Telos Z/IP ONE is therefore used in two ways: as a fixed connection in the studio and as a dial-up connection via Luci.
The problem with this current method, is that you have to be very careful that the switching is clean. You change the source to another, but because of this hard switching you have a high chance that it will be heard on the stream. 'Actually we change switching with the Axia iQs to mixing, and so this problem is history,' says Jan. 'Moreover, you can control the Axia iQs from any location, something that is very important to us'.
‘The biggest advantages of Axia iQs are the remote operation, the economical price and the possibility to easily expand in the future if needed. I expect that a lot of AoIP users with somewhat smaller installations can enjoy this very much.'
Axia iQs
The Axia iQs opens many doors. The product fits into any (home) studio, because it is available on any (HTML-supported) device. The iQs is comparable in functionality to Axia iQ and Axia iQx, but in terms of price it leaves these two consoles far behind. Because iQs is software-based, the price is a lot lower. Check our webshop for all prices..
In the clouds
Whether you're building your setup at home, at the broadcaster, or in the cloud, the iQs fits anywhere. Because the iQs can also work as a Docker container, you can make an instance active anywhere, including in the cloud. Is virtualization and the cloud not quite your thing? No worries, because the Axia iQs can also be delivered pre-installed on the Telos Alliance AE-1000. Just connect your network and power and your entire Livewire+/AES67 mixer is "ready to mix"..
Bottom line
So, in short: the Axia iQs is functionally similar to the Axia iQ and iQx, but the form is completely different: virtual instead of physical. For example, with the Axia iQs, choose a Docker container or a Telos Alliance AE-1000. In addition, the Axia iQs is unique in that it is fully Livewire+/AES67! Last but not least: the price. The Axia iQs starts with four faders as a basic license, and can be expanded per four fader channels. So the product can be set up completely according to your wishes. Curious how this might look for you? The engineers at Triple Audio are happy to discuss it with you. Get in touch with us through the form below!