Vortex Communications is giving owners of Glensound ISDN mixers an opportunity to upgrade to mobile IP connectivity.
CallMe-G is a fully-integrated update compatible with most manufacturers’ codecs that support Opus, G.722 and SIP. It adds a specially-designed codec board within the unit and replaces the rear panel to accommodate the RJ45 ethernet and USB connector for mobile connectivity. The keypad remains operable for dialing, and users can access the CallMe QuickDials with a single button push. Furthermore, the upgrade maintains all existing capabilities, including battery operation.
Vortex says it has already upgraded close to 100 units for broadcasters in the United Kingdom, giving a new lease of life to the Glensound units.
There is significant scope for the upgrades. Vortex estimates there are more than 10,000 GSGC5 ISDN sports outside broadcast mixers out in the field, many of them still in regular use. It says integrating IP connectivity with ISDN can give those units a new lease of life, especially with the addition of mobile IP connectivity and extended battery life, which is now more than seven hours.
Intrepid freelance journalists may find Glensound ISDN mixer units online for a few hundred pounds, which, when upgraded, will provide full-blown IP audio connectivity at a fraction of the cost of a new unit.
Vortex will demonstrate the CallMe-G at IBC2022, Hall 8 F60.