Network Connectivity, Configuration And Control Take Center Stage At Pro Light & Sound: Harman Professional Leads Panels And Educational Sessions At Frankfurt Summit

As networked audio and video transform every element of systems integration for touring, fixed installation, studio design and MI, Harman Professional reaffirms its commitment to universal connectivity with leadership of the AVnu Alliance for A/V Standards-Based Networking, and also its determination to provide audio professionals with a highly intuitive yet powerful configuration and control protocol with HiQnet System Architect™.  Underscoring this dual commitment to make the network more useful and more usable, the company will sponsor or participate in two important events at Pro Light & Sound in Frankfurt next week:

HiQnet System Architect – Architecting The Next Generation In Audio System Design Software
Where: Room: Transparenz 2 at the Portalhaus
When: 9:45am, Wednesday March 24
Speakers: Adam Holladay, Iain Gregory

An overview of the new audio system design and workflow philosophies introduced in the next generation of HiQnet System Architect software, which together with the configuration of Ethernet AVB network dramatically impact the design process for the system designer.

The future of A/V Standards-Based Networking: IEEE 802.1 Audio/Video Bridging (AVB)
Where: Room: Frequenz 2 at the Portalhaus
When: 3:45pm, Friday March 26
Panel discussion with members of the AVnu Alliance: Adam Holladay for Harman + representatives from Avid, Meyer Sound, Broadcom and LabX

This panel discussion will explore the role of the IEEE 802.1 Audio/Video Bridging (AVB) Standards in the professional AV industry, as well as consumer electronics and automotive applications. An in-depth explanation of AVB and related IEEE standards will be presented, followed by a discussion of the advantages of an open non-proprietary technology, the role of silicon makers to ensure a cost-effective solution and the critical role that a compliance program will play to ensure interoperability of AVB devices.

Commenting on the sessions, Adam Holladay, Market Manager for Harman International’s System Development and Integration Group (SDIG), noted, “Like all technology businesses, the economic health of the professional audio and video industries has been driven by innovation. We firmly believe that there is massive potential for highly innovative, cost-effective, easy-to-use and efficiently deployed network technology to transform and grow our business and that of our customers!  Today, we’re advancing network functionality with HiQnet, the AVnu Alliance and AVB and we’re transforming design and usability with System Architect. These events at Pro Light & Sound will be valuable educational opportunities for the community of AV professionals to learn more about these important initiatives.”

Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com), designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment products for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. Harman International maintains a strong presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, and employs more than 11,000 people worldwide. The Harman International family of brands includes AKG®, Audioaccess®, Becker®, BSS®, Crown®, dbx®, DigiTech®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson®, Revel®, QNX®, Soundcraft® and Studer®. Harman International’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NYSE: HAR.”

Massive Harman Professional Audio System Provides Fitting Platform For China’s National Day Spectacular

In a compelling demonstration of the high performance and depth of integration of Harman Professional audio components, Hong Kong-based ACE Professional Sound and Lighting, deployed an extremely large integrated audio system featuring components from JBL Professional, Soundcraft, Crown Audio and BSS Audio and configured using Harman HiQnet System Architect™ to support China’s National Day celebrations.  Held October 1– the 60th anniversary of the 1949 revolution — this year’s celebrations featured 200,000 participants, an array of large, festive floats representing cultural, sporting and national successes and culminated in a 60,000-person evening rendition of “I Love China” in Tiananmen Square accompanied by a 300,000-shell fireworks display.

Overall sound design was delegated to Radio Film and TV Design Institute of the China Media Group, with the bulk of audio-specific systems integration shouldered by Hong Kong-based ACE Professional Sound and Lighting.  Although the sheer magnitude of audio logistics outstripped the capabilities of any single supplier, ACE contributed the lion’s share – roughly 80% – of all audio gear deployed in and around Tiananmen Square, with near universal reliance on highly integrated systems from Harman Professional.  All told, equipment supplied by ACE included nearly 700 JBL loudspeakers plus more than 480 Crown amplifiers, 57 BSS Audio DSP units, and 46 Soundcraft analogue and digital mixing desks.

“We’d also supplied systems for the 50th anniversary in 1999,” says ACE Vice President Bingo Tso, “but this year’s project was perhaps ten times as large.  The size of the systems, along with newer technologies – line arrays, digital consoles and DSP amplifiers – made it extremely important to have everything working together.  Fortunately, using HiQnet System Architect™, all the Harman Professional equipment integrated perfectly.”

During the parade, the total street frontage requiring audio coverage measured nearly 10 km.  Coverage would have been a simple task, except that the stands adjoined a 17 m wide moat.  To cover the broad expanse, ACE configured fourteen short arrays, each with two JBL VerTec VT4888 3-way cabinets atop a VT4882 subwoofer, with each combination driven by three Crown I-Tech 4000 amplifiers.  The array produced ample power to cross the water, while the “short stack” configuration remained discreetly out of TV camera view.  Two larger but well-disguised arrays, each with eight JBL VerTec VT4888 and four VerTec VT4882, covered the gate tower structure, with augmentation on the VIP balcony from 56 JBL MS26 cabinets on the floor and additional JBL AC16 cabinets mounted overhead, again powered by Crown I-Tech 4000 amplifiers.

For broadcast sound, the discrete live sources, numerous submixes, and prerecorded material converged on a 96-input Soundcraft Vi6 digital console.  Activity at the primary live sound control room (located at the gate stands) revolved around dual Vi6 desks, one with 96 inputs and a second with 64.  A second audio control position (equipped with the same combination of Vi6 desks plus a 48-input Vi4) was set up in Tiananmen Square specifically for the mammoth orchestra and chorus.

“The snapshot memories and internal processing on the Vi6 desks proved extremely useful,” notes Tso.  “As we had so many different signal sources at various distances up to a kilometer or more away. We used the on-board processing for EQ and to time-align sources to a common zero point.”

The live mixes were either delivered directly to the BSS London loudspeaker drive processors, or, for the longer hauls, first distributed through a fiber optic matrixing and distribution network.  In most cases, analog cables paralleled the digital or fiber optic ones as a safety net.  “We had signal redundancy at nearly all levels,” notes Ben Lui, ACE’s assistant general manager for pro sound.  “For example, the new Crown I-Tech HD Series amplifiers have built-in signal sensing with automatic switching.  If the digital signal had failed for any reason – though it never did – then the amplifiers would have instantly switched to the analog inputs.”

The many other distributed main loudspeaker systems and monitoring systems spread through the expansive site would require a small book to catalogue in detail.  However, in brief, we can note that much of the street-side coverage was provided via custom-made (in China) column speakers designed specifically to blend with the ornate lampposts on which they were mounted.  Low-mid drivers were domestically manufactured, with the 4”-diaphragm HF drivers supplied by JBL. The complement of approximately 100 lamppost speakers was powered by racks of Crown I-Tech 5000HD amplifiers mounted in the Great Hall of the People, adjacent to the Square.  Hundreds of additional loudspeakers – drawn from JBL’s PRX, SRX, VRX and Control Series – were assigned duties along the avenues, in VIP rooms, at entrances and exits, around parade marshalling points, and for monitoring in performance areas.

Dozens of supplemental audio mixing points were required as well.  For the parade, 22 small analog mixers (mainly Soundcraft GB2R) were placed along the parade route to, picking up ambient sound and routing into the Nexus fiber optic snake system.  Additional compact digital consoles (Soundcraft Si2 and Si3) were at the hub of smaller indoor and outdoor systems for the various parties and meetings surrounding the main celebrations.

Harman Professional Debuts HiQnet System Architect™ Version 1.9: Adds New Troubleshooting, File Management, Customization Capabilities

Further advancing Harman HiQnet™ audio network configuration and control protocol, Harman Professional today launchedHiQnet System Architect™ Version 1.9, a free download which delivers a host of new features including network troubleshooting tools, file compression and management and advanced control panel customization, to name just three. According to Rick Kreifeldt, Vice President, Harman Professional Systems Development & Integration Group (SDIG), today’s introduction comes just as
the community of registered HiQnet System Architect users exceeds 20,000.

“It’s fitting that we pass the threshold of 20,000 registered users as we continue to add new features and improvements to System Architect,” Kreifeldt said today. “I believe our commitment to systematically evolve and improve System Architect is a key reason that audio professionals continue to deploy HiQnet systems in an expanding array of applications. The improvements do not stop here, however, and we will continue to listen to the community of contracting and tour sound professionals to make HiQnet System Architect the most current and progressive configuration and control tool available.”

As new members join the community of registered HiQnet users, Harman continues to add new devices to the HiQnet portfolio. Control of the three models of the new Crown I-Tech HD Series will be possible with the device plug-ins included with System Architect 1.9, which support the configuration of the FIR filters and LevelMAX™ limiters included in the new flagship touring amplifier, the algorithms for both of which were co-developed with BSS Audio. System Architect 1.9 also brings with it the fourth member of the Crown XTi Series – the XTi 6000, taking the total number of shipping HiQnet devices to 94 and the total number of System Architect-controlled devices to 67.

High among the new additions is a Network Troubleshooting tool, which actively monitors the network, diagnoses and alerts of any problems and, where possible, automatically resolves the problem or, if manual intervention is required, provides specific instructions on how to address the problem. In addition to providing real-time monitoring and alerts, the tool also creates a backup log of any IP address changes which were made in the event that the previous configuration is required to be restored. One welcome use case will be for those less experienced with network
configuration who have the frustrating situation of a HiQnet device being connected to the PC but not showing up in System Architect due to a network configuration error. The Network Troubleshooting tool will see the device, and work with the user to resolve the issue in a few simple steps.

Also new to Version 1.9 is a compressed file format which dramatically reduces file sizes - in test cases as high as a ratio of 100:1. Separately, a new utility installed with System Architect 1.9 enables advanced users to expand and explore the contents of a saved file and thereby edit individual custom panels in an XML editor, and update images offline, etc. The same utility recompresses the file for opening again in System Architect.

Working closely with the user-base of tour sound and contractingprofessionals, SDIG engineers have carefully enhanced the Custom Control Panel design experience. This includes a more automated mechanism of creating controls on a panel and assigning them to system-wide parameters. By dragging any device parameter from the System Explorer tree or Advanced Parameter Search utility and dragging onto a Custom Control Panel in the design environment, the user will be prompted with a concise list of only the appropriate controls to which it can be assigned. In user tests this mechanism has proved a significant impact on the time taken to create Custom Control Panels. The same mechanism has been implemented for enhancing Custom Control Panel navigation panel: shortcut controls can instantly be placed on a Custom Control Panel simply by dragging the appropriate panel icon from the panel toolbox.

Other Custom Control Panel additions include a freshly-designed Parameter Address Editor dialog, which primarily provides a mechanism for editing parameter assignments of pre-existing controls, but the layout of which is also perfectly suited to enabling fresh parameter assignments. SDIG has also added the ability to copy and paste just the visual elements of a control without copying any parameter assignment. Together these enhancements serve to speed up not just the functional design process of a
panel, but also the visual design element.

Additional user interface enhancement includes new window management improvements, offering menus to cascade all open windows or select an active window from a list. Concentrating further on user experience and interaction, a Device Arrange Tool in the Venue View enables the reordering of a selection of devices by device name, device type, device address or device brand.

Harman Pro Group HiQnet™ Sustains Impressive Momentum With 16,000 Registered System Architect Users

LAS VEGAS, Nevada- Underscoring the consistent, widespread adoption of Harman HiQnet™ system configuration and control protocol among audio professionals in the contracting and touring communities, the Harman Pro Group System Development & Integration Group (SDIG) today announced that the total HiQnet-enabled product count now stands at 90, including the new Crown Macro-Tech i Series. In making the announcement, SDIG Vice President Rick Kreifeldt announced the release of HiQnet System Architect™ Version 1.70.1 and also pointed to the fact that the worldwide user base of System Arcihtect now exceeds 16,000 registered users.

“The HiQnet platform is becoming one of choice for successful audio professionals because the protocol and System Architect provide real value in designing, integrating, automating and operating an audio system,” Kreifeldt explained. “The success that we are experiencing is down to our customer’s feedback and input and can also be attributed to the reality that HiQnet is as much a business acceleration tool as it is an audio system management tool. HiQnet makes audio professionals more efficient, more consistent, higher performing and it cuts costs in setup, programming, training and labor.”

Among the new features added to HiQnet System Architect is the ability to control BSS Audio Soundweb™ London devices from System Architect Custom Control Panels by importing individual parameters from a design file open in HiQnet London Architect™.

Kreifeldt explains that the Harman Pro Group will showcase HiQnet products at the upcoming InfoComm ’08 exhibition by arranging its demo room around typical real-world environments where audio professionals make use of HiQnet to design and implement unified systems for a variety of applications including education, worship, corporate AV and more. The education example will be a university system comprising of a Media Lab, a Small Classroom, a Student Cafeteria, a University Conference Center and a Performing Arts Center.

“We now are in the fortunate situation whereby our user community is sharing ideas, information and system designs among one another and this marks an important milestone in HiQnet’s evolution towards a standard,” Kreifeldt added. “We are committed to continuing to engage our customers and partner manufacturers in pro AV and adjacent industries like network computing, semiconductor design and consumer AV to advance the value HiQnet provides.”

Harman Pro Group Debuts HiQnet System Architect Version 1.7 At Pro Light & Sound

FRANKFURT, GERMANY, 12 March, 2008 — Coincident with the opening of the ProLight & Sound exposition here today, the Harman Pro Group debuted HiQnet™ System Architect™ Version 1.7, providing systems integrators and tour sound professionals with an updated, streamlined tablet PC interface and quicker operation for on-the-fly repurposing of racks and arrays. According to Rick Kreifeldt, Vice President Harman Pro System Development & Integration Group (SDIG), the new developments are a product of end-user input and focused particularly at the tour sound and performance installation markets, and within those, particularly for the tablet PC user.

“As more audio professionals across the globe make HiQnet and System Architect their platform for system integration, we naturally receive more feedback on how we can make the product better,” Kreifeldt said today. “The general trend is towards functionality coupled with customizability and we’re systematically adding to the interface to advance both areas. We’re also adding to our R&D team here at SDIG so that we can keep pace with the market momentum and make HiQnet and System Architect as progressive and innovative as our growing community of users – currently approaching 15,000 registered users worldwide.”

New additions to System Architect version 1.7 include a new ‘System Browser’ navigation interface aimed primarily at the tablet PC user, which provides the same ease-of-use experience and familiarity of navigation as browsing the Internet — optimizing the application display and featuring browser-style navigation buttons. This new navigation philosophy can also be used in the more standard ‘Desktop’ mode. System Architect version 1.7 also includes new context-sensitive, alphanumeric keypads which automatically pop up when a value or text entry box is selected with the stylus, each of which is optimized to provide buttons relevant to the parameter units – kHz and Hz for example. This enables the tablet PC user to easily enter specific values directly into the application interface. Tablet PC users will also appreciate the new automatic adjustment of the Windows screen resolution to 1024 x 768 to maximize the screen real estate when entering Tablet Mode.

“Tablet PCs seem to be the tool of choice for many of our users within the HiQnet community – in particular the System Tech staff whose responsibility might be to repurpose amplifier racks, monitor the system during a performance and walk a venue fine-tuning a system from the perspective of the audience,” Kreifeldt continued. “And as such, our continued optimization of System Architect will make it even more useful in the field for all markets, version 1.7 focusing particularly on performance install spaces and touring applications.”

The philosophy of repurposing elements of system design on a more macro level was one of the main focuses of the current release of System Architect, version 1.6, which included Partial Venue File Export: the ability to save the settings of a user-determined selection of devices and associated Custom Control Panels within an open Venue file to disk. If the user already has an existing system configuration which includes a rack of amplifiers, a line array configuration or a zone of devices, for example, it can now be very easily repurposed in additional system designs. Along with the ability to export such sub-systems, System Architect version 1.6 also introduced Venue File Import: the ability to import a complete existing Venue File into the open configuration including all the device configurations and Custom Control Panels it contains. These two features together create an extremely powerful sharing of existing data between system designs and also for the building of libraries of sub-systems for contracting firms to share amongst staff.

About HiQnet:
Harman HiQnet is the world’s first connectivity and control protocol that integrates all product categories in the signal chain for professional audio systems of all types, size, and applications. Harman HiQnet no longer requires the user to manage multiple disparate operating systems or be responsible for programming individual signal processors, speaker controllers, wireless microphone systems, and mixing consoles. HiQnet was developed by the Harman Pro Group System Development and Integration Group (SDIG), a team of dedicated systems specialists based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Headquartered in Northridge, California, the Harman Pro Group is part of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com), a leading manufacturer of high-quality, high fidelity audio products and infotainment systems for the automotive, home and professional markets.

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