TWiRT 651 - Click Here to Virtualize with Dan McQuillin

Containerised software offers many benefits that today’s broadcasters are looking for: Flexibility, Resilience, Density, Scalability... but you also need specialist IT skills and knowledge to deploy them. Containerized software installation and configuration typically requires a thorough knowledge of the Linux command line interface (CLI). It also involves several abstract operating system constructs such as MACVLAN and CPU pinning. Moreover, while transaction-based applications may not be time-critical, programs handling real-time audio can’t afford to skip a beat or even rest a cycle or two. Timing is critical. 

Virtual Rack is a user-friendly deployment environment for containerized broadcast software.  The idea is to take advantage of containerized software’s benefits, while simplifying the deployment process. Utilizing purpose-built management software and appliances optimized to run broadcast applications, Virtual Rack enables broadcast engineers to install containerized broadcast products with just a few mouse clicks.

Dan McQuillin, Managing Director at Broadcast Bionics, joins us to explain the philosophy behind Virtual Rack, and further explain how backup and failover is implemented with similar ease.

Show Notes:
Virtual Rack - Broadcast Hardware that Isn’t Hard
Virtual Rack introduced at IBC 2022 (YouTube video)

Guest:
Dan McQuillin - Managing Director at Broadcast Bionics, Ltd.

Hosts:
Chris Tarr - Group Director of Engineering at Magnum.Media
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, & South Seas Broadcasting

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TWiRT is brought to you by:
Nautel brings you Transmission Talk Tuesday Discussions. Easy, free registration is here.
Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. 

Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. 
And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.

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TWiRT 651 - Click Here to Virtualize with Dan McQuillin

TWiRT 650 - Recording, Mixing, & Processing for Broadcast with Kirk Yano

Who is Kirk Yano? We’re about to find out on this episode of TWiRT! 

Kirk Yano is a multiple Grammy-winning recording engineer with well over 30 Platinum and Gold records. He has won three Grammys including a Grammy for the last album that Miles Davis recorded. He has worked with Public Enemy, Mariah Carey, Miles Davis, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Placido Domingo and Phoebe Snow, and has toured as a musician with Snow, Savoy Brown, Scott Holt and Texas Scratch.

Kirk was the recording engineer for “Fight the Power’ by Public Enemy which Billboard magazine still lists as one of the most influential recordings.  He was also the engineer on Mariah Carey’s Christmas Album and her Jewel Box album and he worked on History by Michael Jackson.

We'll hear about Kirk Yano's first visit to Nashville and his early association with Steve Church and Frank Foti.  And even how Steve Church sometimes stayed at the "Yano Arms Hostel" (my name for it) in NYC in Steve's early phone hybrid days.  Plus we'll hear about WMMS remotes that Kirk worked on with Frank in the late 1970's.

Finally, we'll understand part of the reason that music started to get really processed in the early 2000's, and how Kirk worked to mitigate the craziness in the music industry, or at least turn it into something musical and useful.  Also, what about the production transition from multitrack tape and mixing consoles to digital DAW production? 

Show Notes:
Part of a video on YouTube with a French host describing Kirk Yano’s essential contribution to Hip Hop music in France.

Guest:
Kirk Yano - Award-Winning Musician, Recording, Mixing, and Mastering Engineer

Host:
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, & South Seas Broadcasting

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TWiRT is brought to you by:
Nautel brings you Transmission Talk Tuesday Discussions. Easy, free registration is here.
Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. 

Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. 
And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.

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TWiRT 650 - Recording, Mixing, & Processing for Broadcast with Kirk Yano

TWiRT 649 - TX-Control Monitoring Platform with Chuck Kelly & Aimé Diattà

When Chuck Kelly recommends a new technique or technology, it’s important to pay attention. TX-Control is a networked and cloud-based monitoring, alarm, analysis, and control system designed for broadcast equipment. In Europe TX-Control is monitoring over 1,500 transmitter sites, providing custom reports on trends, outages, automatic remediation, and more.  It leverages SNMP, a monitoring and control protocol which is built-in to more and more broadcast equipment. Chuck is joined by Aimé Diattà to help us understand this technology and service that’s watching over critical broadcast infrastructure.

Show Notes:
The TX-Control web site is highly informative with graphical explanations of the system.
The TX-Control brochure shows layout diagrams to help explain the concept and operation.

Guests:
Chuck Kelly - Broadcast Industry Technology Consultant
Aimé Diattà - Consulting, Business Development & Relazioni Istituzionali - 22hbg.com

Hosts:
Chris Tarr - Group Director of Engineering at Magnum.Media
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook

TWiRT is brought to you by:
Nautel brings you Transmission Talk Tuesday Discussions. Easy, free registration is here.
Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. 

Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. 
And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.

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TWiRT 649 - TX-Control Monitoring Platform with Chuck Kelly & Aimé Diattà

TWiRT 648 - AM Radio's Decline & Future with David Bialik & Charles Kinney

Charles Kinney and David Bialik are here to hash out the apparent demise of the AM Radio Band. As bad as some say? Worse? Or still quite viable and important? Have the FCC or the NAB been helpful, or harmful to AM Radio? Is there legislation that would help the AM Radio service? Are there technical improvements that haven’t been implemented yet? Both David and Charles have extensive experience in engineering for large AM stations, and they’re both avid listeners. Salient comments and some good ideas are just ahead, on TWiRT!

Guests:
David Bialik - Broadcast Engineering & Streaming Consultant
Charles Kinney - Director of Engineering at Cox Media Group Atlanta

Host:
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, & South Seas Broadcasting

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TWiRT is brought to you by:
Nautel brings you Transmission Talk Tuesday Discussions. Easy, free registration is here.
Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. 

Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. 
And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.

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TWiRT 648 - AM Radio's Decline & Future with David Bialik & Charles Kinney

TWiRT 647 - PTS Gear Connects Directly to Livewire with Tyler Everitt

Audio-over-IP now a 20-year-old technology, and we’re witnessed many dozens of AoIP networked devices brought to the broadcast marketplace. Now, Pippin Technical Service, a Canadian broadcast equipment supplier and engineering firm, is adding AoIP network devices to its PTS Gear product line. Designed in-house, the PTS Gear lineup includes PTSBeacon, an warning light that gets its signaling directly from virtual GPIO signals on a packet network. PTSAurora is another device driven by the virtual GPIO signals found on Livewire networks. Both devices are PoE powered, meaning they work with just one Ethernet connection for signaling, control, power, and configuration. We broadcast engineers welcome this kind of innovation for making our studios easier to build and more functional for on-air talent.

Show Notes:
PTSGear website, linking to all the PTS Gear offerings
PTSBeacon - the warning light we discussed in some detail

Guest:
Tyler Everitt - President/CEO, Pippin Technical Service Ltd

Host:
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, & South Seas Broadcasting

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TWiRT is brought to you by:
Nautel brings you Transmission Talk Tuesday Discussions. Easy, free registration is here.
Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. 

Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. 
And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.

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TWiRT 647 - PTS Gear Connects Directly to Livewire with Tyler Everitt