UK system integration specialist Broadcast Networks has supplied Ascent Media with two of its purpose-built AMU-8HD Audio Monitoring units, which are designed to monitor broadcast audio in the High Definition environment.

The AMU-8HD is an 8-channel Bar-graph meter with Dolby D/E decoder option, 2 x HD/SD SDI inputs, 8 AES input pairs and 8 stereo analogue inputs. It also has 4 AES output pairs, 4 stereo analogue main outputs (variable), 4 stereo fixed outputs and a stereo analogue monitor output. The unit is designed to offer full control and easy set-up. The LCD menu system allows flexible signal routing to the main outputs, monitor outputs, meters and Dolby decoders as well as displaying all Dolby metadata, I/O calibration, channel trim levels and many other engineering functions. All 8 outputs are level-controlled and have independent volume control via the front panel. Inputs can be routed to any output and all settings can be saved for instant recall at a later date.

Ascent Media has installed its AMU-8HD units in its new Media Centre, which was opened at the end of 2007 in the company’s Stephen Street facility. One AMU-8HD has been deployed in a live presentation suite, while the other is installed in an Ingest/QC desk. Both are being used for 2 channel monitoring of audio, for example selecting stereo pairs of an input and routing them to the stereo analogue monitor output.

Alexander Farrell, Media Centre Technical Operations Manager, says: “The units fulfil the task of enabling us to select particular stereo pairs within a multi-channel source with both HD and SD sources. They are used in both SD and HD as we have a mixture of content passing through our Media Centre.�

Ascent Media’s new Media Centre provides ingest, transcode, archive and delivery services as well as directly supporting the company’s European Transmission Centre (ETC), which provides outsourced file-based transmission services to the company’s broadcast clients.

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