New upgrades for Barix IP suite

AoIP expert Barix has introduced a range of new features for products in its IP Audio Client (IPAC) portfolio to provide greater control and integration for users and SIs. The updates are available on the company’s IP Former TPA400 decoder, the Exstreamer M400 decoder and the Exstreamer MPA400 decoder/amplifier.

New functionality includes integrated scheduling for recurring announcements, rotational advertisements, and background music playlists; a REST-based application programming interface (API) for integration with third-party solutions; a built-in parametric audio equalizer; and RTP stream forwarding.

Barix says that the new scheduling features offer three types of scheduled audio playback. Recurring “fixed time” messages can be quickly and easily scheduled across a week, while “rotations” enable multiple messages such as advertisements to be played in a specified order and interval. Lastly, playlists of files stored in the devices’ internal storage can be scheduled for background music playout. Scheduled playback can be prioritized relative to other decoder sources such as live streams and paging messages, ensuring that critical announcements such as emergency notifications and SIP calls will take precedence over scheduled content.

The new REST API allows developers to seamlessly integrate IPAC decoders with their own custom management systems and software applications. The API also enables local automated control of IPAC units from other embedded devices.

The new four-band parametric equalizer enables users to fine-tune the frequency response of the audio output from IP Former TPA400 and Exstreamer MPA400 devices, while Barix claims its new RTP forwarding feature enables the main audio output of an IPAC device to be streamed to a specified destination via multicast RTP.