Australia’s 2NBC FM Revamps Studios for 30th Birthday

Broadcast Components has installed the new radio studios based on AEQ AoIP technology at 2NBC FM. The community radio station based in Peakhurst, Sydney, broadcasts at 90.1 MHz and is available online. More than 100 volunteers operate the station. It has two on-air studios, a dubbing studio and a large music library. Anton Bregovic is its president and John Clarke is its director.

2NBC FM hired local company Broadcast Components and its team lead by Sean Pritchard to evaluate and develop the technical infrastructures and the construction of new studios. After studying several different options, they selected a system based on Dante AoIP technology. Australian firm Audinate developed the technology, which integrates into AEQ equipment.

AEQ explains that the station’s two main studios now use AEQ Capitol IP mixing consoles, with specific functions for radio usage, such as monitor cut, on-air signaling, mic, analog and digital inputs, and several outputs for programming.

All the equipment in each studio (except for the local inputs and outputs for mics, headphones and monitoring) integrate into the IP network.

Each AEQ Capitol IP audio mixing console includes the Capitol Screen visualization and operation-aid software tool, displaying the VU meters, clock and channels’ configuration on an external screen. In addition, every console features a built-in double-digital phone hybrid option with AEQ technology for call management. It also handles on-air and off-air conversations between two calls and the studio.

The station is also using an AEQ Netbox 8 AD interface with analog, AES and USB I/Os to the Dante network. This, the company says, allows for the integration of exterior audio inputs and outputs to transmitters. The broadcaster uses the Netbox8 unit to convert formats, so any analog or digital source can take part of the AoIP multichannel network.