New updates coming soon!

We've been pretty quiet here this summer, and it's primarily because we're busy testing firmware for our products. Coming in September are new releases for ACCESS and BRIC-Link, STAC-VIP and LiveShot products.
ACCESS/BL- lots of bug fixes, new modem support and better compatibility with apps
STAC-VIP- Better support for PBX's, NTP locked clock, better audio processing
LiveShot- The long-awaited 1.2 release will dramatically improve performance over wireless networks, and provide the necessary hooks for some very enhanced functions coming later regarding the app control and LiveShot Central Server functions.

If you simply can't wait to try this stuff out, contact our crack support team for info on getting pre-release testing firmware.

New 4G modems on the engineering to-do list

It's always a challenge to keep our products that use third-party wireless USB modems (Like ACCESS and LiveShot) up to date with all the latest drivers. And the carriers certainly aren't making it easy--they seem to enjoy completely changing the driver structure for each new generation of USB modems they sell (and a generation lasts less than a year). Comrex codecs already support connecting to modems via ppp, DirectIP, Option protocol, custom drivers, and XML commands (not to mention a huge list of specialized drivers required for WiMAX compatibility).

Both AT&T and Sprint have changed up their USB offerings this summer. The new modems are shown below, and are currently the only 4G LTE modems offered by each carrier. AT&T calls their variant the "Beam"(340U)  and Sprint uses the model name of 341U.

And while they look the same (both are manufactured by Netgear, formerly Sierra Wireless), sure enough, each carrier has opted for a completely new, and completely different driver arrangement. And neither are simple upgrades (from a development perspective) to codec firmware.

We're on it. But it will take some time. We recommend not to upgrade to either of these modems for LiveShot or ACCESS until we can manage a firmware update for these. Keep an eye toward our website's update section for late details.

For now, we have a limited stock of previous generation LTE modems for use on the AT&T network for sale. And Mifi-style devices (compatible with the wi-fi modems that ship with our codecs) are still a good alternative for use on these networks.

Product Review: Tascam iXZ smartphone audio interface

Speaking of apps, here's a cheapo little device that will let you plug your pro dynamic mic into your smartphone. Accent on cheapo, it can be gotten for around 25 bucks online.

The device sure won't win any audio awards, but we are talking phone audio here and it does provide a basic battery powered adjustable preamp  for your mic. It seems to work fine with the iPhone and Androids I have around the lab.

The cable on the iXZ has a TRRS plug on the smartphone side for connection to the headset jack. The input is XLR/Phono jack and the headphone out is shunted to a 3.5mm TRS jack. Note the headphone pass-through is passive, so you'll still be driving them with your phone's headset amp.

Mind the app

No doubt about it, Comrex customers want smartphone apps. Our philosophy has remained constant: Wideband audio apps are cool and have their place, but are a poor substitute for hardware codecs. They don't work on Ethernet, they don't support stereo, and are constrained by the mobile phone audio section. To their credit, most customers I talk to see the sense in this and agree,

But we have put a lot of effort into support for apps.

A few years back, we even published our own Android app (ARC) and offered it for free. Unfortunately, we found our chosen platform extremely difficult to support as Android matured. The entry on the Android store became laden with angry commenters who reported various failures on ICS and Jelly Bean, so given the proliferation of good third-party stuff, we decided to pull it. Hopefully it proved useful in its time.

Because we get asked about apps so often now, we've posted an extensive primer on what's out there, and how well it works. In particular be sure to check out Luci Lite Live and CSipSimple options, both of which now have their own individual cheat sheet on our website.

Checking in with NYC

We try to visit the world's biggest media market regularly, and since it's a relatively short hop from our base in Massachusetts it's easy to do. So we made the trip last month, and it's always interesting to hear from Comrex users there. A couple of things we've learned, especially regarding wireless operation:
1) Many reporters have transitioned to Mi-fi style devices for using ACCESS codecs over 4G. It allows them to share bandwidth with their laptops and tablets easily without extra accounts, and the 4G performance of these devices is usually as good or better than USB modems
2) Verizon coverage is usually found to be adequate for audio on the upload path in Manhattan, but in several areas (at least on our mid-town tests) really doesn't cut the mustard for LiveShot video yet. In contrast, we find AT&T upload speeds to be remarkable given the market congestion and proliferation of iPhones.
3) Despite all the warnings, ISDN remains available. But it's not simple or cheap, so IP is the first choice most of the time.

Billboard on 6th Ave. I don't get it either.

NAB post mortem

It's been a few weeks and I've been meaning to write a little about our experience at NAB 2013.

Our Nicole aka Natasha modeling the helmet cam

NAB is always great for us, and we all very much enjoy meeting with customers and dealers and friends and press and talking about what we've been up to all year (who wouldn't?). One big disappointment is the increasing tendency of radio networks not to send local and regional tech folks. We love talking to the network chiefs, but they often approach us already pretty glazed over from the amount of data they are expected to absorb at the show.

A particularly proud moment was a "Cool Stuff" award for our STAC VIP system from Radio World Magazine. The VIP product (and the companion app) are especially dear to me, as I'm a self-confessed evangelist for banning telephone audio on the radio. And VIP has the potential to do that.

We're finding VIP is finding it's place with folks that need to integrate VoIP phone lines to the studio. But word about the potential benefits of the wideband app and Skype capability is slow to get out. Behind the scenes, I'm working hard to make this case.  It's pretty obvious what STAC VIP does for radio when you get a live demo of it. In print or web ads, not so much. More on these efforts later.

So the makeup of NAB attendees is shifting slowly year-to-year. Much fewer traditional radio techs and many more new media representatives. But that not true of the Latin American visitors, who continue to send large contingents of traditional engineers and managers. Latin American visitors (from our perspective) are approaching 50% of our traffic. Very few European or Asian visitors this year.

What was cool at the show? General sentiment titled toward evolutionary changes rather than anything revolutionary. Lots of companies jumping in to compete with our LiveShot. And drone copters for news and film-making! (everyone loves those!). In video, 4K is becoming much more approachable from a hardware standpoint thanks to companies like Black Magic.

I know so many people who start technical careers and get left behind as they hit middle age simply because they didn't have the time or incentive to keep up with all the latest tech. It's such a fast-changing part of life in general that shows like this should be required attendance. I'm not saying a trip to Vegas is justified every year, but if haven't been educated about industry trends within five years or so, you are in danger of falling into that trap. Find a way to get to NAB. We're there to spend time with folks like you.

A little update on ISDN

There was a lot of talk at NAB about the demise of ISDN as noted here. Since then, there have been "clarifications" issued by Verizon that maybe the situation isn't quite as bad as once feared. I think the jury's still out, and I'll abstain from judgement until after the May 18 deadline. We'll talk then.