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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