Blade 4 — Wheatstone‘s fourth-generation WheatNet IP I/O unit — is designed to enhance the intelligent AoIP network by combining studio facilities, creating new workflows and reducing the need for costly studio hardware. The addition of Reliable Internet Stream Transport (RIST) has given it an extra punch.
Blades are the I/O units that form the core of the WheatNet IP audio network, which can include over 200 interconnected elements.
Blade 4 features a comprehensive AoIP toolset, including audio processing, codecs, mixing, routing, control, and operating system, all within one rack unit. It offers optional dual OPUS audio codecs for streaming between studio facilities, home studios or transmitter sites and an updated CPU with GPU graphics acceleration for running customized scripts, apps and virtual interfaces directly on the unit.
Lower latency, higher quality
RIST is an open-source protocol for real-time audio and video transmission that enhances network security and reliability. RIST provides lower latency and higher quality audio streaming over the public internet, where links are less reliable, and distance adds delay.
WheatNet uses UDP as opposed to TCP as a transport protocol because it is a simple message-oriented protocol that can transport audio and control data at very low latency. Wheatstone says it can reduce WheatNet IP network packet timing to 1/4 msec for minimum latency in part because of UDP multicasting, which means that local audio transport and studio controls are almost instantaneous.
But what if broadcasters want to live-stream audio and control data in real-time across the public network, where links are less reliable and distance adds more delay? That’s where RIST becomes important. RIST adds error correction and packet recovery to UDP multicasting, so, by using WheatNet IP, they can transport audio across the internet with very little latency and, in many cases, using high-speed links available today.
Blade 4 magic
And that’s where Blade 4 does its magic. Blade 4 is fully AES67 compliant, ensuring interoperability with a wide range of AES67 devices and supporting SMPTE ST 2110, including NMOS discovery. It integrates I/O, control and audio tools in one AoIP unit for tasks such as streaming audio, mixing sounds, processing feeds, controlling consoles and triggering mix-minus presets by show, location or talent.
At the upcoming IBC2024, Wheatstone will demonstrate the WheatNet IP audio network, streaming software for provisioning and processing streams on a local server, and a DMX console system for seamless transition from analog to AoIP.
Wheatstone is at stand 8.D91.
These stories might interest you
Audioarts introduces 8-channel console
Rohde & Schwarz to showcase transmission solutions at IBC2024
