(Top) The L-Acoustics P1 audio processor is now Milan certifed. (Bottom) The P1 AVB Milan-ready measurement platform
Later this month, at the Audio Engineering Society’s 147th convention and exhibition held at NYC’s Javits Center, L-Acoustics team members will be leading and/or participating in seven AES presentations, several of which will focus heavily on AVB (audio video bridging) networking and newly Milan-certified solutions, including the L-Acoustics P1 processor.
The first event, presented in room 1E13 at 9:00am on Wednesday, October 16, will be a networked audio track panel session titled, “Solution-Based Approaches for Networked Audio in Live Production.” Moderated by Sound & Communications Editor Dan Ferrisi, L-Acoustics Director of Electronics Genio Kronauer—one of the most recent members of the Avnu Alliance board of directors—and fellow panelists from Meyer Sound, Solotech, and other companies will share “how to” tips on working with Milan and AVB networking and practical use-cases from end users implementing Milan in live sound projects.
Kronauer will also participate in an Avnu Alliance-led session on October 16 for the Live Production Stage, starting at 2:00 pm (LS04), titled “Milan Protocol: Deterministic AV Networks,” sharing an overview of the Milan product philosophy and benefits for the market, as well as case studies of live sound installations using a Milan network.
That same day, at 1:30pm in room 1E12, L-Acoustics Product Manager Scott Sugden will deliver a sound reinforcement track event titled, “Large-Scale Loudspeaker System Calibration from Simulation-Based Design to Onsite Tuning.” The presentation will cover, among other things, the efficient implementation of the manufacturer’s Soundvision Autosolver tools, the benefits of Milan-compliant AVB networking as offered by P1, and the brand new M1 measurement platform, part of the upcoming LA Network Manager 3.0 release.
In the year since its debut, the multifunctional P1 AVB processor and measurement platform has firmly established itself as an indispensable tool for many audio pros. Designed from the very start to be compliant with Avnu Alliance’s new Milan interoperability protocol, P1 became one of the very first two products on the market to officially receive Milan certification through Avnu Alliance as a fully compliant Milan device earlier this year.
“Milan represents the pro AV industry coming together to define common protocols and ensure seamless interoperability between products, regardless of their brand,” says Kronauer. “What L-Acoustics and our fellow industry-leading manufacturers did with Milan was to take IEEE’s open AVB standard to a truly reliable and convenient ‘plug-and-play’ level—you simply connect a device and it works every time. This allows our users to focus on what they do best, which is creating amazing audio-video experiences for their clients and audiences.”
Designed to optimally deal with the real-time needs of professional media transport, Milan is a standards-based, user-driven deterministic network protocol that takes into account the specific needs of the pro AV market for moving time-sensitive, high-quality audio, video, and data across the network. Once network connectivity is established, Milan reserves bandwidth specifically for deterministic delivery, which ensures that users will never have a dropout or loss of information during a show or live performance.
Over the past year, numerous audio professionals have already enjoyed Milan’s benefits that the L-Acoustics P1 has provided, including tours for Hugh Jackman, Mark Knopfler, Madness, and Rammstein, as well high-profile installations at the Wells Fargo Center—home to the Philadelphia 76ers—and the iconic Hollywood Bowl.
According to Hollywood Bowl Principal Mixer and Sound Designer Fred Vogler, “There's a different show here almost every night and we have to stay on top of it every time. The Milan processors are easy to use and have a fidelity and a resolution that is really high. I've heard other types of digital transmission—we had AES in here—and it seems like the AVB Milan protocol is cleaner with enhanced fidelity, which makes it sound more natural. Also, in discussion with tours and other sound design folks that come through, we never get any pushback. We have to rely on it daily and alter or change it if necessary, so it is comforting to know that it's easy to use, has a great sound, and is something that, industry-wide, people are comfortable using.”
As a founding member of the Milan initiative, L-Acoustics has been able to build Milan into all of its amplified controllers and audio processors, concurrent with the development of the Milan standard.
The P1 processor is a unique, three-in-one unit that serves as a front-end processor, an audio matrix and bridge, as well as a system measurement and tuning platform, all in one convenient, robust package. The P1 takes the complex and hardware-intensive task of system optimization and streamlines it to a single piece of hardware, fully integrated with the industry-leading LA Network Manager software platform.
As a signal processor with equalization, delay, and dynamics, its four analog line inputs with premium A/D conversion assure the utmost sound quality. Integrating 20 inputs and 16 outputs in one rack space, the P1 can matrix, bridge, and distribute AVB, AES/EBU and analog audio. Time-aligned redundant signal distribution guarantees artifact-free sound with the click of a button.
Updates to LA Network Manager will leverage P1’s four microphone preamps to create an analyzer that is aware of all system parameters. This technology enables system tuning without additional noise.
A full schedule of L-Acoustics-related presentations at AES includes:
Wednesday, October 16 - 9:00 a.m. - Networked Audio Track Event, NA01: “Solution-Based Approaches for Networked Audio in Live Production” moderated by Sound & Communications Editor Dan Ferrisi, with L-Acoustics Director of Electronics Genio Kronauer serving as one of the panelists, along with Patrice Lavoie (Solotech), Jamie Pollock (Firehouse Productions / Kore Audio Design), Tim Boot and Rob Mele (both Meyer Sound), and Morten Lave
Wednesday, October 16 - 1:30 p.m. - Sound Reinforcement Track Event, SR01: “Large-Scale Loudspeaker System Calibration from Simulation-Based Design to Onsite Tuning” presented by L-Acoustics Product Manager Scott Sugden
Wednesday, October 16 - 2:00 p.m. - Live Production Stage Session, LS04: “Milan Protocol: Deterministic AV Networks” presentation from Avnu Alliance and Milan Workgroup members, including Genio Kronauer (L-Acoustics), along with Tim Boot (Meyer Sound), Henning Kaltheuner (d&b audiotechnik), and Morten Lave (Adamson Systems Engineering)
Wednesday, October 16 - 4:30 p.m. - Room Acoustics Paper Session, P04-7: “Optimum Measurement Locations for Large-Scale Loudspeaker System Tuning Based on First-Order Reflections Analysis” presented by L-Acoustics Applied Research Engineer Samuel Moulin, Director of Scientific Outreach Etienne Corteel, and Head of Education Programs François Montignies
Thursday, October 17 - 4:00 p.m. - Live Production Stage Session, LS13: “Object Based Audio for Musicals - Case Study: Broadway Bounty Hunter” presented by Sound Designer Cody Spencer and L-Acoustics Application Engineer Jesse Stevens
Friday, October 18 - 10:30 a.m. - Acoustics & Psychoacoustics Session, AP05: “How to Organize Unbiased PA/SR Shoot-Outs” presented by Scott Sugden, in addition to Eddy Bøgh Brixen (DPA), Malle Kaas (Women in Live Music), and Bob McCarthy (Meyer Sound)
Friday, October 18 - 4:15 p.m. - Sound Reinforcement Track Event, SR08: “Your Noise Isn't My Noise: Improving Sound Exposure and Noise Pollution Management at Outdoor Events” chaired by University of Derby’s Adam J. Hill, with panelists including Etienne Corteel (L-Acoustics), Bob McCarthy (Meyer Sound), Elena Shabalina (d&b audiotechnik), and Andy Wardle (University of the Highlands & Islands)
Saturday, October 19 - 11:30 a.m. - Sound Reinforcement Track Event, SR09: “Improving Education and Knowledge Transfer in Sound Reinforcement” chaired by d&b audiotechnik’s Elena Shabalina, with panelists including Etienne Corteel (L-Acoustics), Adam J. Hill (University of Derby), Malle Kaas (Women in Live Music), and Manuel Melon (Le Mans Université)
