In
audio
Audio most commonly refers to sound, as it is transmitted in signal form. It may also refer to:
Sound
*Audio signal, an electrical representation of sound
*Audio frequency, a frequency in the audio spectrum
*Digital audio, representation of sound ...
and
broadcast
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum ( radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began ...
engineering, Audio over Ethernet (sometimes AoE—not to be confused with
ATA over Ethernet) is the use of an
Ethernet
Ethernet () is a family of wired computer networking technologies commonly used in local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN) and wide area networks (WAN). It was commercially introduced in 1980 and first standardized in 198 ...
-based
network
Network, networking and networked may refer to:
Science and technology
* Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects
* Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks
Mathematics
...
to distribute real-time
digital audio
Digital audio is a representation of sound recorded in, or converted into, digital form. In digital audio, the sound wave of the audio signal is typically encoded as numerical samples in a continuous sequence. For example, in CD audio, sa ...
. AoE replaces bulky
snake cables or audio-specific installed
low-voltage wiring with standard network
structured cabling
In telecommunications, structured cabling is building or campus cabling infrastructure that consists of a number of standardized smaller elements (hence structured) called subsystems. Structured cabling components include twisted pair and opti ...
in a facility. AoE provides a reliable
backbone
The backbone is the vertebral column of a vertebrate.
Arts, entertainment, and media Film
* ''Backbone'' (1923 film), a 1923 lost silent film starring Alfred Lunt
* ''Backbone'' (1975 film), a 1975 Yugoslavian drama directed by Vlatko Gilić
M ...
for any audio application, such as for large-scale
sound reinforcement
A sound reinforcement system is the combination of microphones, signal processors, amplifiers, and loudspeakers in enclosures all controlled by a mixing console that makes live or pre-recorded sounds louder and may also distribute those sounds ...
in stadiums, airports and convention centers, multiple
studio
A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial design ...
s or
stage
Stage or stages may refer to:
Acting
* Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions
* Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage"
* ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper
* Sta ...
s.
While AoE bears a resemblance to
voice over IP
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also called IP telephony, is a method and group of technologies for the delivery of speech, voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet. The terms In ...
(VoIP) and
audio over IP
Audio over IP (AoIP) is the distribution of digital audio across an IP network such as the Internet. It is used increasingly to provide high-quality audio feeds over long distances. The application is also known as audio contribution over IP (ACI ...
(AoIP), AoE is intended for
high-fidelity, low-latency
professional audio
Professional audio, abbreviated as pro audio, refers to both an activity and a category of high quality, studio-grade audio equipment. Typically it encompasses sound recording, sound reinforcement system setup and audio mixing, and studio mus ...
. Because of the fidelity and
latency constraints, AoE systems generally do not utilize
audio data compression
In information theory, data compression, source coding, or bit-rate reduction is the process of encoding information using fewer bits than the original representation. Any particular compression is either lossy or lossless. Lossless compression ...
. AoE systems use a much higher bit rate (typically 1 Mbit/s per channel) and much lower latency (typically less than 10 milliseconds) than VoIP. AoE requires a high-performance network. Performance requirements may be met through use of a dedicated
local area network
A local area network (LAN) is a computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area such as a residence, school, laboratory, university campus or office building. By contrast, a wide area network (WAN) not only covers a larger ...
(LAN) or
virtual LAN
A virtual local area network (VLAN) is any broadcast domain that is partitioned and isolated in a computer network at the data link layer (OSI layer 2).IEEE 802.1Q-2011, ''1.4 VLAN aims and benefits'' In this context, virtual, refers to a physi ...
(VLAN),
overprovisioning Overprovisioning can refer to:
*Allocating additional bandwidth in
*Allocation of additional storage space required to mitigate write amplification
Write amplification (WA) is an undesirable phenomenon associated with flash memory and solid-sta ...
or
quality of service
Quality of service (QoS) is the description or measurement of the overall performance of a service, such as a telephony or computer network, or a cloud computing service, particularly the performance seen by the users of the network. To quantitat ...
features.
Some AoE systems use proprietary
protocols
Protocol may refer to:
Sociology and politics
* Protocol (politics), a formal agreement between nation states
* Protocol (diplomacy), the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state
* Etiquette, a code of personal behavior
Science and technology
...
(at the lower
OSI
OSI may refer to:
Places
* Osijek Airport (IATA code: OSI), an airport in Croatia
* Ősi, a village in Veszprém county, Hungary
* Oši, an archaeological site in Semigallia, Latvia
* Osi, a village in Ido-Osi, Ekiti State, Nigeria
* Osi, Ekiti ...
layers) which create
Ethernet frame
In computer networking, an Ethernet frame is a data link layer protocol data unit and uses the underlying Ethernet physical layer transport mechanisms. In other words, a data unit on an Ethernet link transports an Ethernet frame as its payload.
...
s that are transmitted directly onto the Ethernet (
layer 2
The data link layer, or layer 2, is the second layer of the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking. This layer is the protocol layer that transfers data between nodes on a network segment across the physical layer. The data link layer pr ...
) for
efficiency
Efficiency is the often measurable ability to avoid wasting materials, energy, efforts, money, and time in doing something or in producing a desired result. In a more general sense, it is the ability to do things well, successfully, and without ...
and reduced
overhead. The
word clock
In digital audio electronics, a word clock or wordclock (sometimes sample clock, which can have a broader meaning) is a clock signal used to synchronise other devices, such as digital audio tape machines and compact disc players, which intercon ...
may be provided by
broadcast packets.
Protocols
There are several different and incompatible protocols for audio over Ethernet. Protocols can be broadly categorized into
layer-1,
layer-2
The data link layer, or layer 2, is the second layer of the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking. This layer is the protocol layer that transfers data between nodes on a network segment across the physical layer. The data link layer p ...
and
layer-3
In the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking, the network layer is layer 3. The network layer is responsible for packet forwarding including routing through intermediate routers.
Functions
The network layer provides the means of transf ...
systems based on the layer in the
OSI model
The Open Systems Interconnection model (OSI model) is a conceptual model that 'provides a common basis for the coordination of SOstandards development for the purpose of systems interconnection'. In the OSI reference model, the communications ...
where the protocol exists.
Layer-1 protocols
Layer-1 protocols use Ethernet wiring and signaling components but do not use the Ethernet frame structure. Layer-1 protocols often use their own
media access control
In IEEE 802 LAN/MAN standards, the medium access control (MAC, also called media access control) sublayer is the layer that controls the hardware responsible for interaction with the wired, optical or wireless transmission medium. The MAC sublay ...
(MAC) rather than the one native to Ethernet, which generally creates compatibility issues and thus requires a dedicated network for the protocol.
Open standards
*
AES50 (SuperMAC) by
Klark Teknik
Klark Teknik is a company that designs and develops professional signal processing and audio equipment. Located in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, UK, the company was founded in 1974 by brothers Terence and Phillip Clarke. It developed a number o ...
, a point-to-point interconnect for bidirectional digital audio and sync clock
*
MaGIC
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
by
Gibson
Gibson may refer to:
People
* Gibson (surname)
Businesses
* Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment
* Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based
* Gi ...
Proprietary
*HyperMAC, a
gigabit Ethernet
In computer networking, Gigabit Ethernet (GbE or 1 GigE) is the term applied to transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second. The most popular variant, 1000BASE-T, is defined by the IEEE 802.3ab standard. It came into use i ...
variant of SuperMAC
*
A-Net by
Aviom
Aviom is a pro audio equipment manufacturer of personal monitoring systems. Headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Aviom produces distributed audio networking gear which uses a proprietary digital audio transport system called A-Net, base ...
*AudioRail
*ULTRANET By
Behringer
Behringer is an audio equipment company founded by the Swiss engineer Uli Behringer on 25 January 1989, in Willich, Germany. Behringer was the 14th largest manufacturer of music products in 2007. Behringer is a worldwide, multinational grou ...
Layer-2 protocols
Layer-2 protocols encapsulate audio data in standard Ethernet packets. Most can make use of standard Ethernet hubs and switches though some require that the network (or at least a VLAN) be dedicated to the audio distribution application.
Open standards
*
AES51, a method of passing ATM services over Ethernet that allows
AES3
AES3 is a standard for the exchange of digital audio signals between professional audio devices. An AES3 signal can carry two channels of pulse-code-modulated digital audio over several transmission media including balanced lines, unbalanced l ...
audio to be carried in a similar way to
AES47
AES47 is a standard which describes a method for transporting AES3 professional digital audio streams over Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks.
The Audio Engineering Society (AES) published AES47 in 2002. The method described by AES47 is al ...
*
Audio Video Bridging
Audio Video Bridging (AVB) is a common name for the set of technical standards which provide improved synchronization, low-latency, and reliability for switched Ethernet networks. AVB embodies the following technologies and standards:
* IEEE 8 ...
(AVB), when used with the IEEE 1722 AV Transport Protocol profile (which transports
IEEE 1394
IEEE 1394 is an interface standard for a serial bus for high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data transfer. It was developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s by Apple in cooperation with a number of companies, primarily Sony an ...
/
IEC 61883 IEC 61883 Consumer Audio/Video Equipment - Digital Interface is a technical standard for a digital interface that is used by IEEE 1394 ( FireWire) devices for audio and video equipment. The standard for these devices is maintained by the Internat ...
(FireWire) over Ethernet frames, using
IEEE 802.1AS
The Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is a protocol used to synchronize clocks throughout a computer network. On a local area network, it achieves clock accuracy in the sub-microsecond range, making it suitable for measurement and control systems. ...
for timing)
Proprietary
*
CobraNet
CobraNet is a combination of software, hardware, and network protocols designed to deliver Audio data compression, uncompressed, multi-channel, Latency (audio), low-latency digital audio over a standard Ethernet network. Developed in the 1990s, ...
**RAVE by
QSC Audio
QSC is an American manufacturer of audio products including power amplifiers, loudspeakers, digital mixers and digital signal processors including the Q-Sys networked audio, video and control platform. QSC products are used by professional instal ...
, an implementation of CobraNet
*
EtherSound
EtherSound is an audio-over-Ethernet technology for audio engineering and broadcast engineering applications. EtherSound is developed and licensed by Digigram.
EtherSound is intended by the developer to be compliant with IEEE 802.3 Etherne ...
by
Digigram
**NetCIRA, a rebranded EtherSound by
Fostex
*REAC and RSS digital snake technology by
Roland
Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...
*
SoundGrid
SoundGrid is a networking and processing platform audio application made by Waves Audio and developed in cooperation with DiGiCo.
It consists of a Linux-based server that runs the SoundGrid environment, compatible plug-ins, a Mac or Windows co ...
by
Waves Audio
Waves Audio Ltd. is a developer and supplier of professional digital audio signal processing technologies and audio signal processing, audio effects, used in recording, mixing, mastering, post production, broadcast, and live sound. The company's ...
*dSNAKE by
Allen & Heath
Allen & Heath (also known as AH or A&H) is a company based in Penryn, Cornwall, England, specialising in the manufacture of audio mixing consoles. Allen & Heath also makes sound management systems for industrial installations and DJ mixers ...
Layer-3 protocols
Layer-3 protocols encapsulate audio data in OSI model layer 3 (
network layer
In the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking, the network layer is layer 3. The network layer is responsible for packet forwarding including routing through intermediate routers.
Functions
The network layer provides the means of transfe ...
) packets. By definition it does not limit the choice of protocol to be the most popular layer-3 protocol, the
Internet Protocol
The Internet Protocol (IP) is the network layer communications protocol in the Internet protocol suite for relaying datagrams across network boundaries. Its routing function enables internetworking, and essentially establishes the Internet.
IP h ...
(IP). In some implementations, the layer-3 audio data packets are further packaged inside OSI model layer-4 (
transport layer
In computer networking, the transport layer is a conceptual division of methods in the layered architecture of protocols in the network stack in the Internet protocol suite and the OSI model. The protocols of this layer provide end-to-end ...
) packets, most commonly
User Datagram Protocol
In computer networking, the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is one of the core communication protocols of the Internet protocol suite used to send messages (transported as datagrams in packets) to other hosts on an Internet Protocol (IP) network. ...
(UDP) or
Real-time Transport Protocol
The Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) is a network protocol for delivering audio and video over IP networks. RTP is used in communication and entertainment systems that involve streaming media, such as telephony, video teleconference applicatio ...
(RTP). Use of UDP or RTP to carry audio data enables them to be distributed through standard computer
routers, thus a large distribution audio network can be built economically using commercial off-the-shelf equipment.
Although IP packets can traverse the
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
, most layer-3 protocols cannot provide reliable transmission over the Internet due to the limited
bandwidth
Bandwidth commonly refers to:
* Bandwidth (signal processing) or ''analog bandwidth'', ''frequency bandwidth'', or ''radio bandwidth'', a measure of the width of a frequency range
* Bandwidth (computing), the rate of data transfer, bit rate or thr ...
, significant
End-to-end delay
End-to-end delay or one-way delay (OWD) refers to the time taken for a packet to be transmitted across a network from source to destination. It is a common term in IP network monitoring, and differs from round-trip time (RTT) in that only path in t ...
and
packet loss
Packet loss occurs when one or more packets of data travelling across a computer network fail to reach their destination. Packet loss is either caused by errors in data transmission, typically across wireless networks, or network congestion.Kur ...
that can be encountered by data flow over the Internet. For similar reasons, transmission of layer-3 audio over
wireless LAN
A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a wireless computer network
A wireless network is a computer network that uses wireless data connections between network nodes.
Wireless networking is a method by which homes, telecommunications networks and bus ...
are also not supported by most implementations.
Open standards
*
AES67
AES67 is a technical standard for audio over IP and audio over Ethernet (AoE) interoperability. The standard was developed by the Audio Engineering Society and first published in September 2013. It is a layer 3 protocol suite based on existing ...
*
Audio Contribution over IP standardized by the
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU; french: Union européenne de radio-télévision, links=no, UER) is an alliance of Public broadcasting, public service media organisations whose countries are within the European Broadcasting Area or who ar ...
*
Audio Video Bridging
Audio Video Bridging (AVB) is a common name for the set of technical standards which provide improved synchronization, low-latency, and reliability for switched Ethernet networks. AVB embodies the following technologies and standards:
* IEEE 8 ...
(AVB), when used with IEEE 1733 or AES67 (which uses standard
RTP over UDP/IP, with extensions for linking
IEEE 802.1AS
The Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is a protocol used to synchronize clocks throughout a computer network. On a local area network, it achieves clock accuracy in the sub-microsecond range, making it suitable for measurement and control systems. ...
Precision Time Protocol
The Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is a protocol used to synchronize clocks throughout a computer network. On a local area network, it achieves clock accuracy in the sub-microsecond range, making it suitable for measurement and control systems. ...
timing information to payload data)
*NetJack, a network backend for the
JACK Audio Connection Kit
JACK Audio Connection Kit (or JACK; a recursive acronym) is a professional sound server Application programming interface, API and pair of daemon (computing), daemon implementations to provide real-time, low-latency connections for both audio and ...
Zita-njbridge a set of clients for the
JACK Audio Connection Kit
JACK Audio Connection Kit (or JACK; a recursive acronym) is a professional sound server Application programming interface, API and pair of daemon (computing), daemon implementations to provide real-time, low-latency connections for both audio and ...
*
RAVENNA
Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the cap ...
by ALC NetworX (uses
PTPv2 timing)
Proprietary
*
Livewire by Axia Audio, a division of
Telos Systems
Telos Alliance is an American corporation manufacturing audio products primarily for broadcast stations. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, the company is divided into six divisions:
* Telos Systems manufactures talkshow systems, IP audio c ...
*
Dante
Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
by Audinate (
PTP version 1 timing)
*
Q-LAN
Q-LAN is the audio over IP audio networking technology component of the Q-Sys platform from QSC Audio Products
QSC is an American manufacturer of audio products including power amplifiers, loudspeakers, digital mixers and digital signal proces ...
by
QSC Audio Products
QSC is an American manufacturer of audio products including power amplifiers, loudspeakers, digital mixers and digital signal processors including the Q-Sys networked audio, video and control platform. QSC products are used by professional insta ...
(PTP version 2 timing)
*WheatNet-IP by
Wheatstone Corporation
Wheatstone Corporation is an American company that produces digital and analog professional audio equipment for broadcast radio, television, and new media. Products include audio consoles, Audio over IP (AoIP) audio networking, audio processing, ...
Similar concepts
High quality digital audio distribution was patented in 1988 by Tareq Hoque at the
MIT Media Lab
The MIT Media Lab is a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, growing out of MIT's Architecture Machine Group in the School of Architecture. Its research does not restrict to fixed academic disciplines, but draws from ...
. The technology was licensed to several leading OEM audio and chip manufacturers that were further developed into commercial products.
RockNet by Riedel Communications, uses Cat-5 cabling. Hydra2 by Calrec uses Cat-5e cabling or fiber through
SFP transceivers.
MADI Madi may refer to:
Places
* Madi, Chitwan, a municipality in Chitwan District in Nepal
* Madi Municipality, Sankhuwasabha, a municipality in Sankhuwasabha District in Nepal
* Madi Rural Municipality, Rolpa, a rural municipality in Rolpa Distr ...
uses 75-
ohm
Ohm (symbol Ω) is a unit of electrical resistance named after Georg Ohm.
Ohm or OHM may also refer to:
People
* Georg Ohm (1789–1854), German physicist and namesake of the term ''ohm''
* Germán Ohm (born 1936), Mexican boxer
* Jörg Ohm (b ...
coaxial cable
Coaxial cable, or coax (pronounced ) is a type of electrical cable consisting of an inner conductor surrounded by a concentric conducting shield, with the two separated by a dielectric ( insulating material); many coaxial cables also have a p ...
with
BNC connector
The BNC connector (initialism of "Bayonet Neill–Concelman") is a miniature quick connect/disconnect radio frequency connector used for coaxial cable. It is designed to maintain the same characteristic impedance of the cable, with 50 ohm and ...
s or optical fibre to carry up to 64 channels of digital audio in a point-to-point connection. It is most similar in design to
AES3
AES3 is a standard for the exchange of digital audio signals between professional audio devices. An AES3 signal can carry two channels of pulse-code-modulated digital audio over several transmission media including balanced lines, unbalanced l ...
, which can carry only two channels.
AES47
AES47 is a standard which describes a method for transporting AES3 professional digital audio streams over Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks.
The Audio Engineering Society (AES) published AES47 in 2002. The method described by AES47 is al ...
provides audio networking by passing AES3 audio transport over an ATM network using structured network cabling (both copper and fibre). This was used extensively by contractors supplying the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
within Internet Protocol. Some of these systems are usable on the Internet, but may not be as instantaneous, and are only as reliable as the
. This is similar to VoIP, however AoIP is comparable to AoE for a small number of channels, which are usually also data-compressed. Reliability for permanent STL uses comes from the use of a
s to be tied together. This may also be done with
rather than wire. This allows each studio to have its own engine, or for auxiliary studios to share an engine. By connecting them together, different sources can be shared among them.
AoE is not necessarily intended for
devices may or may not work with various (or any) AoE protocols.