DK-Audio to launch remote sensing platform

DK-Audio is to launch a remote sensing platform for its modular MSD600M family of audiometers – one that gives a new perspective on surround sound monitoring.
The new platform features a 19” frame for the sensing modules separated from the user-interface (combined display and controls) by an umbilical. This allows audio signal connections - and the sensing modules themselves - to be separated from the user. The standard umbilical can be user replaced by a CAT5 cable, of length to suit the location, with RJ45 connectors.
Rob Moodey, DK-Audio’s Marketing Manager, said: “We’d noticed that some of our users preferred to position their MSD standing on its back instead of its base. They sometimes needed to be quite ingenious in the way that they protected the high quality audio connections at the back of the instrument. We thought that this was a challenge they could do without.”
The new instrument can support the full feature set of the 600M family. Depending on the hardware configuration this includes multi-channel metering for analogue and digital inputs, FFT and 3rd Octave spectrum analysers and the Jelly-Fish surround sound display.
The user interface includes the recently introduced spin-wheel as well as the established soft-key driven menu system. The software is fully compatible with other members of the family, so there is no learning curve for existing users.
If the user upgrades, by adding additional modules to the sensing frame, there is no disruption to cabling at the user position. Additionally there is no latency due to loading placed on the building’s IT network infrastructure since the remote functionality is by point-to-point cabling. As a further benefit, in the event of accidental damage, the keyboard and display module (the user interface) becomes a field replaceable part.
The act of separating the two halves of the instrument has enabled a new way of interacting with the display and user controls. Traditionally the audio monitoring screen is in the vertical plane and the display relates ‘up the screen’ to ‘towards stage-front’ and ‘down’ means ‘towards stage-rear’. The rugged user module is only 10mm thick so can easily be placed, space permitting, in the horizontal plane. In this way the positions on-screen have an absolute (rather than relative) correspondence to reality.
The sensing unit also features a VGA connection for a repeater display to another position, or for confidence monitoring at the sensing unit itself.
(GB)