ZWOLLE, Netherlands — Windesheim University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands has modernized its broadcast training studios with a new installation built around Axia Quasar consoles from Telos Alliance and Livewire+ AoIP networking. Dutch systems integrator Triple Audio designed and installed the system as part of an effort to ensure that students train on the same technology used in professional broadcast environments. The installation now connects multiple studios and production spaces used by students learning radio presentation, journalism and multimedia production.
Located in the historic city of Zwolle in the eastern Netherlands, Windesheim emphasizes practical media education. Students working in the broadcast facilities learn the creative side of production — including presenting, interviewing and developing program content — while lecturers and technical staff oversee the operational side of the studios. According to Triple Audio, the facility includes radio studios, television studios, radio and TV control rooms, audio control rooms, call-in booths and voice-over rooms that operate together within a shared production environment.
The new installation links these spaces through Telos Alliance’s networked audio infrastructure. Axia StudioEdge network interfaces provide local audio I/O at each studio, while Axia Infinity intercom panels enable communication and coordination across production spaces. Together, they allow students and instructors to work across multiple integrated radio, TV and podcast workflows.
Replacing an aging studio system
Before the upgrade, the university’s broadcast training studios relied on older Axia consoles and a legacy intercom platform that had served the facility for many years. While the system had effectively supported the teaching environment, the equipment had reached the end of its practical lifecycle. The university decided to modernize its studio infrastructure while remaining within the Telos Alliance ecosystem, which is already familiar to instructors and engineers. “The original infrastructure consisted of outdated equipment, including older Axia mixing consoles and intercom systems,” Michel Vollmuller, Triple Audio’s project coordinator, said. “To ensure continuity and reliable operation, we upgraded the studios with new equipment within the Telos Alliance ecosystem.”
For Windesheim, reliability was a key factor in the upgrade. Broadcast teaching environments run on tight schedules, with multiple classes using the studios throughout the day. Equipment must therefore operate consistently so that students can complete production exercises without delays.
The choice for Quasar came from familiarity, continuity and reliability
Michel Vollmuller, Triple Audio’s project coordinator
Windesheim has worked with Axia networked audio technology for many years, gradually adopting successive generations of the platform. Over time, the facility moved from early xNode I/O hardware to Axia Element and Axia Fusion consoles before selecting the latest Axia Quasar system for this phase of the upgrade. According to Volmuller, this long relationship with the platform helped make the transition straightforward. “The choice for Quasar came from familiarity, continuity and reliability,” he said.
The center of the studios
The Axia Quasar platform forms the centerpiece of the new production environment. Quasar consoles combine modular control surfaces with networked mixing engines connected through the Livewire+ AoIP protocol. This architecture allows audio sources to move between studios across an IP network while maintaining the familiar workflow of a traditional broadcast mixing desk.
At Windesheim, the Quasar consoles operate alongside Axia StudioEdge I/O endpoints and Telos Infinity IP intercom panels that provide additional control monitoring and communication across the Livewire+ network, allowing different studios and control rooms to manage signals within the same networked infrastructure. According to Triple Audio, this integration enables coordinated production across the facility. “The Telos Alliance AoIP portfolio offered reliability and consistent workflows,” Vollmuller said. “Because we had previously selected Telos, we replaced equipment one-to-one without changing how the studios operate.”
The Telos Infinity IP intercom panels and VSet telephone interfaces support communication between studios and control rooms and allow students to practice radio call-in workflows commonly used in talk radio and live broadcast formats. “The control room and studio floor can communicate selectively,” Vollmuller said. “That targeted communication helps students and instructors coordinate productions more smoothly, especially during live broadcasts.”
To ensure the studio connected seamlessly with the university’s IoIP network, Triple Audio installed a Netgear switch, replacing the previous Cisco unit. Dell computers run all the software, and Triple Audio’s Smart Control manages the smart lighting and the set lighting used as live indicators.
Network integration
Windesheim had already adopted the Livewire+ AoIP network during earlier phases of its studio development. Because the network infrastructure remained in place, Triple Audio integrated the new consoles, intercom panels and phone systems without changing the underlying routing structure.
During the installation, some legacy equipment remained on site as part of the university’s technical archive, while operational components were replaced with modern Telos Alliance hardware connected through the networked system. “All outdated equipment has been replaced where necessary,” Triple Audio said, “so that all studios and control rooms collaborate optimally.”
Training requirements for the new system were relatively limited. Bart Oude Bruinink, Windesheim’s head of technology, received a short walk-through from Triple Audio engineers before exploring the platform directly. According to the integrator, his experience with broadcast technology allowed him to quickly understand how the system works.
With the new infrastructure now in place, Windesheim is considering further developments, including a dedicated podcast production studio optimized for student projects. “Windesheim is considering building a more futureproof podcast setup so that students have a space optimized for producing podcasts,” Vollmuller said.
This story originally appeared in the May/June 2026 edition of RedTech Magazine. You can read or download that edition for free here.
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