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Wheatstone has begun shipping its Blade 5 I/O and Mix Engine architecture for the WheatNet IP audio network. The platform adds network and mix-engine redundancy designed to keep studios operating through equipment, link or network-switch failures.
Primary and backup Blade 5 Mix Engines operate as synchronized mirrors connected by a high-frequency heartbeat. If the primary engine fails, the mirrored unit takes over immediately, avoiding the delay associated with starting and switching to a conventional hot standby.
The I/O Blade 5 provides hitless path redundancy through two Ethernet connections, with audio traveling across both network paths simultaneously. Wheatstone says that if a switch, cable or network path fails, audio continues over the remaining path without packet loss, interruption or operator intervention.
Each 1RU I/O Blade 5 includes redundant power supply capability, dual Ethernet ports and two onboard audio clip players. Integrated tools include audio processing, Opus codecs, utility mixers, AES67 compliance, onboard metering and routing and logic intelligence.
Broadcasters can add Blade 5 I/O units to existing WheatNet IP networks or use Blade 5 Mix Engines with Wheatstone’s Arcus, Strata, Tekton, LXE and GSX consoles. The architecture can also serve as the foundation for new WheatNet IP studio installations.
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