eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, August, 2008

"Information's pretty thin stuff unless mixed with experience." - Clarence Day

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Omnia ONE: best-selling processor in history?
Axia goes NASCAR
Special introductory pricing on Zephyr/IP
On The Road
News from the Field
Tech Tip:
Discrepancy Sheet (links we like)

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* IS OMNIA ONE THE BEST-SELLING AUDIO PROCESSOR EVER? Well, not yet. But it certainly is on a great pace towards achieving that status. With over 1,500 now at radio stations just two years after its NAB introduction and fans raving on bulletin boards and listservers everywhere, Omnia ONE certainly does seem to be a favorite of broadcasters everywhere - whether AM, FM or Netcaster. If you haven't checked it out yet, visit OmniaAudio.com/omlt/ for the whole story.

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* AXIA GOES NASCAR: "One engineer was able to go from sealed boxes to wired studio in about 40 minutes," says Doug Watson, CE of Motor Racing Network, radio home of NASCAR racing. The quote is from Tom Vernon's story about MRN's new Axia router / console installation in the newest issue of Radio World. If you haven't got your copy yet, check it out online at http://tinyurl.com/6hjrsl .

* ZPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICING: Zephyr/IP, in case you haven't heard, is the advanced-technology IP Codec from Telos' famous Zephyr family of broadcast codecs. Maybe you've seen it at NAB, or read the reviews. Maybe you've been waiting for a really reliable codec for Internet remotes. Well, remote season is hard upon us, and Z/IP is now shipping at a special introductory price of $3,995.00 (US MSRP) - that's nearly $2,000.00 off the standard list price - but only until October 15th. Read all about Z/IP at Telos-Systems.com/ZephyrIP/ ...then call your dealer.

* ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Telos, Omnia and Axia representatives are out and about. Here's where they'll be next:

* SBE Ennes Workshop, Oklahoma City, August 27. Link: sbe85.org/info/ennes.php
* IBC, Amsterdam, September 12 - 16, Hall 8, Stand C1. Link: ibc.org
* SBE Ennes Workshop, Hartford, CT., September 13. Link: sbe.org/ennes_workshops.php
* NAB Radio Show and LIVEWIRE UNIVERSITY, Austin, TX., September 17 - 19, Booth 311. Link: nabradioshow.com
* 125th AES Convention, San Francisco, October 2 - 5. Link: aes.org
* Broadcast India, Mumbai, October 17 - 19, Stand J122. Link: saicom.com/broadcastindia/2008/
* BIRTV, Beijing, November 5 - 8, Booth 5012. Link: birtv.com
* Alaska Broadcasters Associaton Convention, Anchorage, November 13 - 14. Link: alaskabroadcasters.org

* NEWS FROM THE FIELD Who's getting new gear? Here's a sample of some recent orders:

Zephyr/IP IP Codecs are now doing Internet remotes at:
- BBC Television Centre, London
- Power 92 (WPWX-FM), Chicago, Illinois
- Entertainment Digital Network (EDNet), San Francisco, California

Omnia audio processors are rocking out at
- KONI-FM, Lanai City, Hawaii
- WNTI-FM, Centenary College, Hackettstown, New Jersey
- KDIX-AM, Dickinson, North Dakota

Axia IP-Audio networks are connecting at:
- KTSA-AM, San Antonio, Texas
- WAYM-FM, Spring Hill, Tennessee
- Radio Free Asia, Washington, D.C.

* TECH TIP – AXIA ELEMENT REMOTE LINE SELECTOR

QUESTION: "Is it possible to program one of the Element console mounted switch modules (like the optional SmartSwitch or FilmCap button modules - Ed.) to act as a remote line selector for an input fader?"

ANSWER: Absolutely. The easiest way to do this is to map the buttons to an Element VMix (Virtual Mixer) subgroup using PathfinderPC or PathfinderPRO. Build a Pathfinder Stack Event that will change the source routed to the input of a VMix fader (i.e VMix 1 fader 1). The qualifier for action will be a button press on the Element Button Module. The Audio output of the VMix fader will be configured with a unique system channel number and enabled. This new source can now be configured as a Source on the Element in the Element's Source Profile library. The source is then loaded onto a fader channel of the console. With the Pathfinder Stack Event configured, the push of a button can change the route to the input of VMixer. If the output of this VMixer is configured as a source on the Element, the audio will pass through the VMixer and onto the Element Surface. This can be configured for as many buttons as you have, thus creating an RLS. There's a lot of cool things you can do with Pathfinder - if you haven't downloaded the new manual that explains all the latest Pathfinder features, you can do so at your convenience; just visit PathfinderPC.com .

* DISCREPANCY SHEET: I've decided to rename the "fun links" section. Why "Discrepancy Sheet"? When I was on the air in the bad old days, the discrep sheet, hanging on its clipboard in the corner, was where we wrote down all the little, inessential studio stuff that we really didn't want to bother the engineer with. (The big stuff was another story, of course!) So it seemed the right name for this section of eNews, which has historically been something of a catch-all of ideas gone sideways.

In that spirit, I don't know any engineer who isn't a fan of remote-controlled gear. Be it model railroad cab control or home-brewed water-bearing hot-air blimps designed for drenching your neighbor's yappy Pomeranian, there's just something about RC that's cool. Which leads us to this Arizona manufacturer of near-Milspec, robotic, remote-controlled lawnmowers named "The Goat." I can't decide if I want the one with the 30" mow deck, or the one with all-terrain tracks... Either way, the video's fun to watch. Link: evatech.net .

Telos / Omnia / Axia eNews Pre-NAB Edition, April, 2008

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Hello Friends,

NAB is just a week away, and if you're coming to Las Vegas for the show, we hope you'll stop by and see Telos, Omnia and Axia in the LVCC North Hall, Booth N7620. The past couple of years, we've endeavored not just to display products, but to present you with information you'll find useful. This year we've put together some speakers and topics we hope you'll find interesting. If something in the schedule below captures your interest, please stop on by, rest your tired feet and enjoy our hospitality - there's no pre-registration needed. We'll be glad to see you!

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Monday April 14

10 am: "ONE is The Bestest Number" (with apologies to 3 Dog Night) – Frank Foti
Since last year, there have been several new siblings added to the award-winning Omnia ONE family of audio processors. Frank Foti tells all about them (as only Frank can).

2 pm "A Studio Integration Primer: Navigating the Integration Maze" - Andrew Rosenberg & Matt Sheahan
As broadcast technology evolves, studio complexes are being built and rebuilt at an ever increasing pace. As a result, studio integration is a topic that broadcast engineering and management teams need more information about. Andrew Rosenberg and Matt Sheahan from Creative Studio Solutions, Inc [CSS] will help you avoid the pitfalls associated with broadcast studio integration.


4 pm "12 Lines, No Waiting" - Marc Johnson
Nx12 is Telos’ latest multi-line talkshow system, with support for 12 callers, four adaptive digital hybrids, tight integration with Axia IP-Audio networks, and the ability to serve two studios simultaneously in split mode. Marc Johnson explains how Nx12 can help solve your talk show problems.

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Tuesday April 15

10 am "Automated Routing Made Easy" – Dan Bays
Up to now, automating router scene changes usually meant messing with custom code or arcane command-line switches. Software Authority’s Dan Bays, author of PathfinderPC router control software, shows you how easy it is to point-and-click your way to custom routing applications.

2 pm "Audio Processing On-Demand" - Frank Foti
Modern radio plants have dozens – if not hundreds – of active audio streams being generated at any given time. Many of those streams could benefit from “on-the-fly” audio sweetening, but a dedicated audio processor for every studio or workstation often isn’t a fiscal reality. Omnia Founder Frank Foti talks about the new Omnia.8X and how “on-demand” processing is finally a dream come true.

4 pm "IP Remotes Demystified, featuring Zephyr/IP" - Steve Church
Telos CEO and Founder Steve Church explains the mechanics and dispels the myths about using the Public Internet for radio remotes, including a discussion of the most effective codecs and a walkthrough of the new Zephyr/IP Broadcast Codec.

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Wednesday April 16

10 am "Zephyr/IP – Hands On" - Kirk Harnack
Kirk Harnack, International Sales Director for Telos (who’s also a radio station owner and broadcast engineer) gives an in-depth presentation on the features and capabilities of the new Zephyr/IP (Z/IP for short) Broadcast Codec for IP.

2 pm "The Best Way to Hear From There, Times Eight" – Ken Skok
The new Zephyr iPort has started a lot of folks thinking about how they could use a codec that transmits eight channels of MPEG AAC audio over a single QoS-enabled IP connection. Telos’ Ken Skok shows you how it works.
 

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, February, 2008

"The production of useful work is strictly limited by the laws of thermodynamics. The production of useless work seems to be unlimited."
-- Donald E. Simanek

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Omnia ONE for FM now shipping
Omnia.8X is shipping too!
News from the Field
Tech Tip: Telos TWO, TWOx12 and Series 2101
DTV Knowlege solicited

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* SOMETHING NEW: When speaking of the Omnia ONE FM audio processor for multicast broadcasting, Omnia President Frank Foti says, “People keep asking me how we got such a powerful four-band FM processor into such a small box; they want to know what we left out. I tell them, ‘Everything’s there; nothing’s missing; we know a few things about audio processing.’” Four-band AGC, wideband automatic gain control and leveler, a separate four-band limiter with precision crossover, and Omnia’s famous final limiter/clipper, all for $2,995 US. See OmniaAudio.com/omlt/ for more.

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* SOMETHING ELSE NEW: Omnia Audio is now shipping the space-efficient Omnia.8X audio processor (US list price $4995), which packs the power, punch, and purity of eight discrete three-band Omnia stereo-audio processors into a single 3-1/2-in.-high networked box that simultaneously processes eight stereo-audio channels. Audio enters and exits on a Livewire Ethernet port, ready to connect to an Axia IP-Audio network. If you don’t yet have an Axia network, you can pair the Omnia.8X with an Axia Audio Node for stand-alone I/O on traditional XLR connectors. For more details, check out OmniaAudio.com/o8x/ .

* NEWS FROM THE FIELD!
Who's getting new gear? Here's a sample of some recent orders:

Zephyr Xstream codecs are now doing remotes at:
- WKLS, Atlanta, Georgia
- Sirius Satellite Radio, NYC
- Salem Radio Network News, Arlington, Virginia

Omnia ONE is processing audio at:
- WGAR, Cleveland, Ohio
- KKWY, West Jordan, Utah
- WKKQ, Barbourville, Kentucky

Axia IP-Audio networks are connecting at:
- WFIU, Indiana University, Bloomington
- United Stations Radio Network, NYC
- KTSA, San Antonio, Texas

* TECH TIP: TELOS TWO, TWOx12 AND SERIES 2101: We’ve recently made some improvements that may affect your Telos TWO, TWOx12, and 2101 Studio Interface and Extended Hybrid.Some units contain power supplies that have a manufacturing defect; our power-supply vender has released a new version of this supply to correct it. All units shipped in the last six months should have the new-style power supplies. To make sure you get the best performance from your gear, you’ll need to visually inspect the power supply to make sure it is the latest revision.

Open your unit and find the six large capacitors behind the 8-pin Molex connector. The brand on those caps should say “Nichicon”. No other brand of cap is acceptable. Also, on the new supply, two of these six caps are 1-cm taller than any other caps in the supply.
If any of your units have a supply that is NOT of this new style, please contact customer support by phone at +1 (216) 241-7225 or by email at support (at) telos-systems.com . We can either ship you a free replacement or schedule your unit for a quick repair in our shop.

FUN STUFF:Your editor is hoping that maybe the readers can provide him with some input on the DTV conversion a year from now. He has never had cable or satellite TV because he doesn't watch a whole lot of TV (he’s a radio guy), so he’s been hoping that over-the-air DTV reception might prove adequate. He’s heard, however, that DTV’s 8-VSB (eight-level vestigial-sideband)-modulated signals are not receivable without an outside antenna in most locations. He lives in a fairly high location--near the top of a hill that’s 200' or more in height and only about 10 miles from the two most likely transmitter sites. So he’s soliciting advice from you on finding out how likely he is to be able to get adequate reception. Firsthand knowledge is preferred, but even if you simply recommend Web sites where he is likely to find useful answers to his questions, this query will have accomplished something worthwhile. Please send replies and comments to: newsletter(at)telos-systems.com . We’ll share answers in the next edition.

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, July, 2007

"More than ever, the creation of the ridiculous is almost impossible because of the competition it receives from reality." - Robert A. Baker

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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Great-sounding Multicast
* PathfinderPC 4.0 now shipping
* Obscure "Pulp Fiction" Reference
* "Element-ary" Required Reading
* Axia in Action – Cool Pics of XM Canada
* News from the Field – who's buying what.
* Tech Tip – Getting More from Your Omnia-5FM
* Broadcast Link of the Week – The Voices of NPR's Future.

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* MULTICAST, SOUNDING GOOD: If sales of the Omnia ONE Multicast are any indication, FM stations are embracing HD Radio multicasting with a vengeance. They're also embracing Omnia ONE! Designed to maximize audio quality with the limited bitrate of multicasting in mind, the ONE Multicast uses Omnia's exclusive SENSUS technology to provide maximize audio while minimizing artifacts that are induced by the coding system. (If you're travelling to Las Vegas for vacation this summer, hear it on KNPR-HD, 88.9 FM.) See more info and video at www.omniaaudio.com/omlt/ .

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* PATHFINDER PC 4.0 NOW SHIPPING: Lots of Axia clients have already found that PathfinderPC software is an essential tool for your Axia IP-Audio system...now it's even more so with Version 4.0. New features, more functionality, and it's a free upgrade for prior users. Among the many nifty things in 4.0: an enhanced version of our graphical "Stacking Events" editor that does away with the hand-scripting that other packages force on you. Also, full control of Element consoles' VMIX virtual mixers, the ability to create custom virtual "button panels" that can be run from computer or mapped to Axia accessory panels, and support for custom graphics on Axia LCD control panels. See the full feature list at http://www.AxiaAudio.com/news/pr/2007_pathfinder4_0_release.htm and send emails to inquiry (at) axiaaudio.com if you've got questions.

WHILE IN AMSTERDAM, GET A ROYALE WITH CHEESE: Come join us across the pond at the International Broadcasting Convention! This year's IBC show is at the RAI Congress Centre in Amsterdam; Telos/Omnia/Axia's Kirk Harnack and Angi Roberson will be there from September 6 – 11 in Stand 8.239.

"ELEMENT-ARY" REQUIRED READING: We're pleased to present version 2.0 of the Axia Element Users Manual, now online at www.axiaaudio.com/manuals . This is a comprehensive update with all info current to the latest software versions. And speaking of the latest software, you can always get that at www.axiaaudio.com/downloads - bookmark it and check often. Don't be the guy that doesn't RTM – go get it, and keep a copy handy.

AXIA IN ACTION: Just to make you jealous, here's some sweet pix of XM Canada's studios, with lots of Telos and Axia gear. Elements, SmartSurfaces & Phone Hybrids - oh my! Pics galore at www.xmfocus.com/axia .

NEWS FROM THE FIELD!
Who's getting new gear? Here's a sample of some recent orders:

Omnia audio processing is pure and clear at:
- KNPR Las Vegas, NV (Omnia ONE Multicast)
- KEOK Tahlequah, OK (Omnia-3AM)
- WAXX Eau Claire, WI (Omnia-3FM)
- WNIJ Dekalb, IL (Omnia-6EXi HD+FM Digital)

Telos broadcast phone systems are taking calls at:
- Voice of America (TWOx12/2101 Desktop Director)
- KBAZ Hamilton / Missoula, MT (ONE+ONE Dual Digital Hybrid)
- WOWF Crossville, TN (ONEx6 talk show system)
- WQHT/WRKS New York City, NY (TWOx12 POTS Digital Talk Show)

Axia is powering studios at:
- WKNL/WNLC New London, CT
- WJCU University Heights / Cleveland, OH
- WHRO Norfolk, VA
- KWVE Santa Ana, CA

Telos Zephyrs are getting audio from here to there at:
- Minnesota Public Radio, St.Paul, MN (Zephyr Xstream Port Mixer)
- City of New York Mayor's Office, New York, NY (Zephyr Xstream)
- Clear Channel Radio, New Orleans, LA (Zephyr Xport POTS+ISDN)
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY (Zephyr Xstream RM ISDN)

* TECH TIP: GETTING MORE FROM YOUR OMNIA-5FM

QUESTION - Corey Keil of Radio Polynesia writes: "My new Omnia-5FM sounds great on our Top 40 station! I also bought the stereo expansion software upgrade. Any tips on installation and tweaking?"

ANSWER - Omnia Tech Guru Mark Manolio replies: "Hi Corey! If you ordered the Stereo EFX upgrade, it will need to be activated using a special password once we have the P.O. from the dealer you ordered it from. To generate that password, send Omnia Support the serial number and MAC address of your unit; these are located on small barcode stickers on the rear panel. Once you have the password code, you simply navigate to the 'Enhance' block of the Process menu and click on the button there. A box will pop up where you can enter the special code and then click on the checkmark button to activate.

"The Omnia-5 Stereo EFX software is just like that in the Omnia-6 and is a fairly subtle stereo enhancer that gives a nice effect at midrange settings (6 to 12) without aggravating multipath.

"With regard to obtaining loudness, settings are very subjective. Generally, make sure that the input levels, pre-emphasis and de-emphasis are set properly per the manual for your system and try each factory preset, settling on the sound signature you like the best. For each one you try, adjust the main Clipper Drive control in the 'Clip' block of the Process menu; this is the primary control over the loudness vs. distortion tradeoff and should be set as low as possible for the loudness you need.

"Start by adjusting it down in 0.5 dB steps, and when the loudness falls off too much, bring it back up a bit from there. If you have to turn it up too much to get the sound you want, try a more aggressive preset instead.

"If you are using the composite output, you can use a few tenths of a dB of the composite clipper for a little extra oomph (this is the 'Composite Drive' control in the Clippers menu)."

We're sending Corey an Omnia t-shirt for his Tech Tip question. Got one of your own? Email clark (at) telos-systems.com .

BROADCAST LINK
The future voices of Public Radio are battling it out at the Public Radio Talent Quest. In that elusive quest for "hostiness", round one whittled 1452 entries to ten semifinalists, and round two has reduced that to seven. Brought to you by CPB and the Public Radio Exchange (PRX), the PRTQ is going through five rounds of voting by official judges and by public opinion; the last three standing will get $10000 and a production mentor to produce a new public radio show. You can cast YOUR vote in round three by checking out audio submissions and blog entries at www.publicradioquest.com .

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, June, 2007

“A conclusion is the place where you got tired thinking." - Martin H. Fischer

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IN THIS ISSUE:
• The Thrilling Three become the Fantastic Four
• NAB Awards Update • New Product Releases!
• New Element software updates
• News from the Field
• Tech Tip – demo an Xport's AACplus using your Xstream
• Cool Broadcast Link: Towers of Power
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* FANTASTIC FOUR: Linear Acoustic, a big name in audio processing for television, has become the new fourth member of the Telos family. Linear President Tim Carroll made the announcement at the NAB2007 convention, saying "We have spent five years developing successful digital audio processors and infrastructure products for the international television community. There are clear and exciting synergies with what we are doing and their capabilities.” More info: www.linearacoustic.com 

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* WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF ROOM ON THE MANTLE: NAB 2007 was very kind to us. We won 4.5 awards for new products: two Radio World "Cool Stuff" awards for the new Omnia ONE audio processor and the Telos Zephyr/IP codec, a Radio Pick Hit for our new Nx12 phone system, and a NAB2007 STAR Award for Linear Acoustic's StreamStacker-HD audio distribution system. The “half-an-award”? Axia partner AudioScience received a Radio Pick Hit for their new ASI6585 sound card, the first anywhere with a Livewire-only interface; perfect for connecting to Axia systems (so we figure we get 50% of the credit! Check www.audioscience.com for details).

* SPEAKING OF AWARD WINNING STUFF: We've got a slew of new product releases. The Omnia ONE for Multicast is shipping now, with an FM version scheduled shortly. Omnia.8X, Telos Zephyr iPort and Telos Nx12 are shipping 3rd quarter 2007. The Zephyr/IP will ship 4th quarter 2007 – good to know if you’re preparing CapEx budgets now. Find out more about these new products by visiting
www.Telos-Systems.com , www.OmniaAudio.com and www.AxiaAudio.com .

* NEW ELEMENT SOFTWARE: Keep your Axia Element system up to date with v1.1.13.13a software, just released! It adds some new functionality for greater control when using PathfinderPC software to automate switching in your Axia network, and also fixes some minor GPIO command issues. Download it free from www.AxiaAudio.com/downloads , and be sure to get StudioEngine software v2.4.7 at the same time - they need to be installed together.

* NEWS FROM THE FIELD Who's getting new gear? Here's a sample of some recent orders:

Omnia audio processing is giving ears a Swedish massage at:
• WRVV Harrisburg, PA (Omnia-6EX HD+FM)
• WCIN Cincinnati, OH (Omnia-5EX HD+AM)
• KMXP Phoenix, AZ (Omnia-6EX HD+FM)
• WBCT Grand Rapids, MI (Omnia ONE Multicast)

Axia is powering new studios at:
• WCTK Providence, RI / New Bedford, MA
• WZLY Wellesley / Boston, MA
• WDOD/WDEF Chattanooga, TN
• WUFT Gainesville, FL

Telos Zephyrs are getting audio from here to there at:
• WCBS-FM, New York (Zephyr Xstream)
• WLUR Washington & Lee University (Zephyr Xport POTS+ISDN)
• WBEZ Chicago, IL (Zephyr Xport POTS+ISDN)
• KAJZ Aspen, CO (Zephyr Xstream)

Telos broadcast phone systems are putting people on air at:
• Clear Channel Pittsburgh, PA (TWOx12 Talkshow System)
• KORL Honolulu, HI (ONE-x-Six Talkshow System)
• WYSO Yellow Springs, OH (Telos ONE hybrid)
• WOAI-TV San Antonio, TX (ONE-x-Six Talkshow System)

* TECH TIP – TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

Q: "I have a Zephyr Xstream and am considering purchase of an Xport. How can I arrange to hear the Xport’s audio?"

A: We have a test line with an Xport to demonstrate the fidelity possible using Xport's aacPlus coding. To hear this virtual demo you must have an Xstream with version 2.5.7p or later. From the DIAL menu select "Xport" for MODE and then enter 216-621-1826 and press DIAL. Let us know what you think! E-mail us at support@telos-systems.com and put "Xport listening test" in the subject line.

* COOL BROADCAST LINK: This week's link may be familiar to you, but it's got a new twist. Scott Fybush and Garrett Wollman, the lovable radio geeks behind "North East Radio Watch" and the "Tower Site of the Month" calendar have updated the Boston Radio Archives (www.bostonradio.org) with new photos of studios and transmitter sites from all over the country…including several Boston-area AM sites, the Fessenden Centennial celebration, and many historic Los Angeles hilltop broadcast sites. Visit http://gallery.bostonradio.org to get your transmitter site photo fix.

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, April, 2007 - Pre-NAB Edition!

* WELCOME TO NAB: We realize that not all of you will make it to Las Vegas this year, but we hope that the information in this email will be interesting to you nonetheless. We're debuting lots of new gear that we'll tell you about further down; and if you _are_ coming to NAB, you can see it in the Telos / Omnia / Axia booth in the North Hall. Look for us in Booth N7726.

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* NEW PRODUCTS: The guys in R&D have really outdone themselves this year. Here's what we'll be unveiling at NAB:

- Telos Zephyr/IP (Z/IP for short) is our brand-new IP codec. Zephyr/IP lets you do remotes over IP links without QoS, like the public Internet, or mobile IP services. Thanks to ACT - Agile Connection Technology - Zephyr/IP continuously senses and adapts to network conditions. The result is that your IP remotes are more stable and better sounding, with less of the audible effects of packet loss, bandwidth variance and jitter. Z/IP comes standard with a very flexible I/O section that includes analog, AES/EBU and a Livewire connection that lets you plug directly into an Axia IP-Audio network. There's also a big, color VGA screen that's much more than just eye candy - there's context-sensitive onscreen help, graphical connection status with traceroute display, and a "buddy list" that makes use of Telos' ZIP Server service to keep track of and connect to frequently-accessed connections, even through NAT layers and DHCP servers.

- The Telos Zephyr iPort MPEG Gateway packs 8 MPEG codecs into a single 2RU box. Put one on each end of an IP network that has guaranteed QoS and you can transport multiple channels of bi-directional stereo audio on a single link. iPort has many different types of MPEG coding so you can optimize bandwidth for your specific audio type. There's MPEG AAC, aacPlus, MPEG Layer 2 & Layer 3, Low-Delay AAC, and AAC-HE+PS (High Efficiency + Perceptual Stereo), which testing shows is the most bit-efficient codec available today, allowing stereo operation down to 32kbps. To make things even easier, there's a Livewire Ethernet port, so all 8 channels of audio plus control can be connected to an Axia network with just one cable. (If you don't have Axia yet, you can use an Axia Analog Node or AES/EBU Node to break out the I/O.) iPort’s efficient use of Livewire I/O combined with multiple codecs in a single 2U device result in a low cost per channel compared to that of multiple single-channel codecs.

- Telos broadcast phone systems have been the industry standard for years. Our new Telos Nx12 Talkshow System may be our best-sounding system ever, thanks to brand-new platform designed from the ground up. Nx12 works with up to 12 phone lines, analog or digital. You can even have half analog/half digital phone lines if you like. Each of Nx12’s 4 hybrids is equipped with its own adjustable AGC and noise gate with algorithms developed by Omnia, plus our Digital Dynamic EQ™ and adaptive hybrid technology. You can run Nx12 as one 12-line phone system, or split it into two independent systems, each with its own program-on-hold input. And of course it plugs right into Livewire networks, too, along with AES3 and analog I/O.

- Omnia ONE is the new audio processor from Omnia. It's compact, with a 1RU chassis, but there's a whole lot packed inside. Right now we're shipping the Multicast version, which preconditions audio that's intended for coded-audio broadcasting, like HD multicasts, satellite broadcasting, DAB, DRM... the list goes on. That's just the beginning; an FM version will be coming your way soon too. And all for a price much lower than you'd expect for a processor with all of Onnia ONE's powerful features.

- Omnia.8X is truly something revolutionary. Inside its 2RU chassis are 8 - that's right, 8 - three-band stereo audio processors. Like our other new products, Omnia.8X is networked, with a Livewire interface. Which means that in a networked studio, you can use it for processing-on-demand. Need to process off-air headphone feeds? Use some of Omnia.8X's capacity. Let your production gurus use it when they need fine control over levels. Use some channels to sweeten phone callers, or to tighten up in-studio performances. What else could you use on-demand audio processing for? Lots of things, we imagine.

- Axia Element consoles, already well-known for their flexibility and power, now give you more options than ever. For one thing, Element now comes in new smaller sizes, thanks to our new Monitor Module that includes 2 faders. That means you can order a networked console with a full router interface with as few as 2 faders (or as many as 40, if you want). Perfect for places where you need large-console functionality in a small space. Like news studios, dubbing stations, voiceover booths, etc. Also, Element now comes in 3 different color schemes: Cool Gray, Bronze and Silver, to go with any studio decor. And there are new in-studio accessory panels for Element too; headphone selectors, mic control panels, producer panels and button panels that make it easy for talent to better control their broadcast environment even if they're not seated at the board.

- New Axia rackmount button panels let you map routing scene changes and machine logic controls to button panels that fit right into studio turrets. Using PathfinderPC software, you can use these film-legendable controllers to execute route changes, start and stop recording devices, control profanity delays and more.

- Last but not least, there's new Axia software to help control your broadcast plant. iProbe is network administration software for IP-Audio networks; it automatically finds all of your audio nodes, consoles, control panels, etc. and helps you keep track of system configuration, software versions, IP addresses and more; it even enables you to perform software updates on groups of devices all at once. And then there's PathfinderPC 4.0, which adds tons of cool new features to our popular routing control software, including such goodies as full control of Axia Element consoles' Virtual Mixer feature, and a Panel Designer GUI that lets you drag-and-drop to create custom-function button panels.

* CHURCH, FOTI & SACKS HOST BEC SESSIONS: Steve Church, Frank Foti and Marty Sacks will all be hosting session at the NAB's Broadcast Engineering Conference. Steve presents "Building Broadcast Audio on IP" April 14th at 11:30 AM; Frank talks about "Sonic Tonic for Audio Coding" on April 16th at 2PM; Marty presents "Packets Everywhere: How IP-Audio and Ethernet Are Transforming Modern Radio Facilities" on April 17th at 11:30AM. Check your NAB program guides for locations.

* 5.1 SURROUND DEMONSTRATION: Have you heard over-the-air discrete 5.1 broadcasting yet? You can if you visit the Telos / Omnia / Axia booth. Slide into the BMW sedan in our display to hear discrete surround, broadcast using Fraunhofer IIS' MPEG Surround system. Unlike systems that multiplex and muddy surround audio, smearing the audio imaging, the FhG system keeps the music discrete, for full, satisfying sound. We could tell you more about how great it sounds, but it's better if you hear it for yourself!

* STORIES FROM THE FIELD: Each day at NAB, we'll be presenting some real-world stories and experiences of Telos, Omnia and Axia users. We'll be interviewing some of broadcasting's best, and hearing their stories about remotes, processing, phones and networked audio. Plus, you'll get an in-depth look at Zephyr/IP, our new IP codec. Here's the schedule:

MONDAY:
-------

> 10 AM: Introducing the Zephyr IP (Z/IP), with Kirk Harnack

> 12 NOON: Andy Hollins of BBC Radio talks remotes with Zephyr Xstream and Xport
> 2 PM: Univision's Marty Scruggs talks about Axia audio networks
> 4 PM: Matt Aaron, engineer of the syndicated "Dave Ramsey Show" on Axia

TUESDAY:
--------

> 10 AM: Introducing the Zephyr IP (Z/IP), with Kirk Harnack

> 11 AM: Frank Foti discusses and demonstrates MPEG Surround
> 1 PM: Chuck Ide, from Clear Channel's Los Angeles cluster, talks about Series 2101
> 3 PM: Chris Alexander of Crawford Broadcasting chats about Omnia processing for AM

WEDNESDAY:
----------

> 10 AM: Introducing the Zephyr IP (Z/IP), with Kirk Harnack

> 11:30 AM: Charles Lelievre from Connoisseur Media on Telos hybrids and Axia
> 1 PM: Steve Church talks to CBS' Paul Donovan about MPEG surround broadcasts at WZLX
> 2 PM: Matt Aaron, engineer of the syndicated "Dave Ramsey Show" on Axia

We look forward to seeing you at the show!
 

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, September, 2006

SEE YOU AT THE AES: We'll be attending several of the sessions at the upcoming AES convention in San Francisco, October 5 - 8. If you're going and you catch a glimpse of one of us, be sure to stop us and shake our hand!

Here's a list of the sessions we'll be presenting at:

* Frank Foti will speak at the LOUDNESS WORKSHOP, Thursday, October 5, 4:30 pm.
* Mike Uhl will be one of the presenters at the CONSIDERATIONS FOR FACILITY DESIGN session Thursday, October 5, 9 am.
* Rolf Taylor talks about AUDIO TRANSPORT OVER DISTANCE: PHONE, INTERNET, SATELLITE on Friday, October 6, 12:30 pm
* Frank Foti will give an audio presentation during the SURROUND SOUND FOR DIGITAL RADIO session, Friday, October 6, 3:00 pm
* Clark Novak will present at the BROADCASTING IN THE IP AGE session, Sunday, October 8, 9:00 am
 

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* A BIG WELCOME FOR MIKE UHL AND JIM ARMSTRONG: It's not every day that you get to welcome home two old friends, so we're doubly honored to have Mike Uhl and Jim Armstrong join the Telos / Omnia / Axia team. Mike Uhl, long known for his work at PR&E and SAS, says "It's time to replace all those BMX consoles. IP Audio is the most efficient and reliable method of studio infrastructure available." Mike will be the "go to" guy for stations West of the Mississippi for all Telos produc ts, including Omnia & Axia. Likewise, Jim Armstrong is well-known from his time spent as a representative for Burk, Gentner and SAS, and will be representing our gear East of the Mississippi. If you'd like to read the press releases about Mike and Jim, visit www.AxiaAudio.com/news/ . Drop 'em an e-mail and say "howdy" at jarmstrong@telos-systems.com  and mikeuhl@telos-systems.com  .


* KIRK HARNACK GOES INTERNATIONAL: If you've attended an SBE meeting lately, you've probably met Kirk Harnack: he's been tirelessly criss-crossing the US for the past several years telling people about Axia IP-Audio networks. Or you might know him from his former positions at VP/Engineering at Scott Studios... but one thing's for sure: you probably know him! Now, Kirk is taking on an even bigger role: that of Director of International Business Development for Telos, Omnia and Axia. "Our companies are all about helping broadcasters,” says Kirk says, “helping them produce more content – better content - and making it sound better. We're broadcasters ourselves. We've ‘been there, done that,’ and are still doing it today. Telos is a trusted name in broadcast telephony and codecs; Omnia is the most-requested audio processor brand, improving audio in radio, TV, cable, satellite, and Internet broadcasting; and Axia – using worldwide data standards – lets broadcasters route and mix audio and data in an efficient, unified IP system. I'm looking forward to talking with broadcasters around the world about these exciting technologies!” You can read more at www.AxiaAudio.com/news/pr/2006_harnack.htm, or drop him an e-mail at kharnack@telos-systems.com  .


* NEWS FROM THE FIELD: Who's getting new gear?

Zephyr Xstream (www.telos-systems.com/zephyr/) does great-sounding remotes on:
- Sirius Satellite Radio, New York
- WKFS / WVMX, Cincinnati, OH
- KZLA, Los Angeles, CA
- Salem Radio Networks, Irving, TX
- WDTJ / WCHB, Detroit, MI
- WOGL, Philadelphia, PA
- WSCR, Chicago, IL

Omnia for AM (www.OmniaAudio.com/am.htm) powers up on:
- WOKY, Milwaukee, WI
- WJCP, Austin, IN
- WRIN, Lafayette, IN

Series 2101 (www.telos-systems.com/2101/) commands the phones at:
- WSB, Atlanta, GA
- ABC/Disney Radio, Arlington, TX

New Axia studios (www.AxiaAudio.com) on the air at:
- WZLX, Boston, MA
- WSRS, Worcester, MA
- Vibe 105, Rhythm Radio 95.1, Inspirational 730 & Sangeet 106.1,
Port of Spain,Trinidad
- WUCF, Orlando, FL

* TECH TIPS: SAVING MONEY ON ISDN LINES
David H. Lacey writes: "I'm wondering if it's possible to save on charges for ISDN codec use by using ISDN PRI. I've seen some office PBX systems that can be configured to provide ISDN 2B+D on the station side. I also recall seeing some Adtran products, larger shelves or frames, that would sit on one or more ISDN PRIs and take cards to split out the service in various fashions. I'm looking to use these 'derived' ISDN lines with ISDN Codecs from Telos."

Our Rolf Taylor responds: The answer is 'probably yes.' What I mean by that is that the concept is sound, it has been done before, but that there are a few possible snags that you need to know about going forward, so be sure to plan carefully.

THE POTENTIAL FOR SAVINGS

There are several potential ways to save money with your proposal, depending on how this is implemented.

• One PRI (23 B + D) is nearly always cheaper than 11 BRIs (2 B +D)

• You may decide to include some "concentration" in the design. For example you may decide to have more BRI ports than 11. This means that at times you could run out of B channels on the PRI, so this must be thought through. However, sometimes a given codec only need one B channel, so this approach is not to be ruled out. Just make sure you don't go overboard.

• If you use the PBX approach (see below) you can share 1 or more PRIs between not only the codecs, but also other PBX voice traffic. For example, if you currently have a PBX with a single PRI, adding a second PRI to the PBX and connecting the codecs to the PBX gives additional PBX capacity that adds to overall flexibility.

• If you get the PRI directly from a Long Distance vendor, you will get a much better per-minute rate (this is because with a normal phone line the LD company must pay the LEC a fee for their portion of handling LD calls. In the case of a direct line to the LD carrier they do not have to pay this fee and can pass the savings to you). Just make sure that you will be able to make *local* calls at a reasonable rate if using this approach.

• You can combine the two approach to savings. If the PBX is currently connected to a PRI from a LEC, and you add a PRI from a LD company, and program the PBX properly to route local vs LD the traffic accordingly, you can save in both ways.
  
  Just don't forget that whoever will be the LD carrier for your codec calls (e.g. Circuit Switched Data) must be able handle this type of traffic. Generally you are limited to MCI and Sprint in this case. You should be able to negotiate a single per minute rate for both voice and data calls (AT&T can handle the CSD calls, but you are billed by a completely different division for these calls and unlike the other carriers the rates are not the same for the two types of calls).

APPROACHES

There are two basic approaches, as David mentions:

* PBX approach. Many digital PBXes can provide BRI ports off of the PBX. The advantage to this approach is that it makes concentration, if desired, much easier to accomplish. Upgrading the PBX may (but not necessarily) be cheaper than buying seperate integration device. Plus management may be easier, particularly if you are already comfortable managing the PBX in question. Telos customers have reported success using the following (your results may vary, and programming can be a bear, see "details" below).

- AT&T/Lucent/Avaya Definity
- AT&T Merlin Legend
- Nortel Meridian Option 11
- Siemens Hicom 150e

* "Integration device." I can't think of a better term for these. These are dedicated boxes that can convert multiple a PRI into multiple BRI's (or sometimes even multiple BRI or a T1 into a PRI).Telos customers have reported success using the following (your results may vary, see "details" below).

- Adtran Atlas (this is not a single product but a series of plug ins for a card frame. You will need to discuss your application with Adtran)
- Ascend Max 2T

Of course a small used PBX such as the Siemens 150e might be cheaper than an integration device. Obviously a small PBX could be used purely as a dedicated integration device. Also this scenario could be used to create some redundancy to the PBX.

DETAILS

The ISDN BRI physical Interface can be the S interface (4 wire interface) or the U interface (2 wire interface). The U interface is what the Telco normally provides since it can be run as far as 18,000 feet. Codecs sold in the USA all support the U interface by default. The S interface is typiclaly used outside the USA and Canada. There is no way to convert an S interface signal into a U interface (though an NT1 can convert a U into an S) so if your PBX or Integration device only supports the S interface make sure your codecs support this interface.

Telos Zephyrs nearly all support both the S and U interface (those that don't support the S interface can be connected to a U interface using an NT1).

Both the S and U interfaces are quite well standardized and robust. The low level physical interface is virtually never the source of compatibility concern (other than making sure you both support the same one).

ISDN protocols: In the USA the ISDN "Layer 3 signaling protocols" are all extremely complicated (more so than needed). Therefore many non-Telco implementations are sub-sets rather than full implementations. This can be a source of compatibility concerns. Terminal Adaptor and Codec manufacturers cannot guarantee that their equipment will be compatible with any particular piece of PBX or Integration device.

In actuality, our experience has been that most PBXs are compatible with Telos equipment, assuming they are programmed properly. That is the biggest problem: Even the 2nd and 3rd tier support people at most PBX vendors don't know much about ISDN (most don't even know what an IOC/ISDN Order Code package is). You already know that your codecs work on a variety of lines and are not the source of difficulties. But getting every last setting on the PBX set correctly can be arduous.

If your PBX vendor assures you they can "get the ISDN up and running easily" you may want to get a quote versus having them do it as a time and materials job. Also, don't believe their compatibility claims until you test the PBX with your ISDN terminal equipment (e.g. codecs)

Protocol details: Most PBXs claim compatibility with the "National ISDN-1" standard. They will provide 2 SPIDS and 2 DN/phone numbers (usually DID numbers) per BRI port. Some only support the "AT&T Custom" protocol. This protocol does not require SPIDs but it has only a single DN. With this protocol callers will not be able to directly access a codec "line": The first call will always go to B1 unless it is busy, in which case the call rolls over to B2. If you tend to use your codec as a "split" codec you will want to be sure the PBX or integration device supports National ISDN-1.

OTHER ISSUES

• PRI can have any number of DID (Direct Inward Dial) numbers. You should be able to program either type of system to route calls to specific BRI ports by telephone number.

• In some cases we have run across fractional PRIs with less than 23 B channels. If you need less than 23 this *may* be an option. You will need to program your PBX or integration device properly so that outbound calls choose from active channels only.

The above options are worth considering for your on-air talkshow systems as well. The advantages to putting your on-air system on your PBX are fairly obvious. But the disadvantages of doing this with PBX analog ports can be significant. For example, most PBXs don't support far-end-drop supervision, meaning that when callers on hold hang up dial tone can end up on air. Plus the usual problems with POTS such as glare (where a line about to ring in is seized and you get a caller instead of dial tone) and slow signaling in general. D channel signaling offers significant advantages. This is one reason Telos developed the TWOx12 ISDN model.

Got a question for Tech Tips? Email us. Of course we answer all questions, but if we use yours in eNews, we'll send you some cool Telos/Omnia/Axia swag too.


* COOL BROADCAST LINK: For those of us that grew up during the Golden Age of television, nothing brings the memories flooding back like an old commercial jingle. Remember The Fifth Dimension for Jell-O? Bobby Short doing Charlie perfume ads? The Monkees for Kool-Aid? Check 'em all out and more at Classic TV Ads (www.roadode.com/classicindex.shtml). And have a Faygo Root Beer on us.
 

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, June, 2006

* THE DAVE RAMSEY SHOW ADDS A NEW ELEMENT: Well-known financial talk host Dave Ramsey (www.daveramsey.com) is the latest to choose Axia IP-Audio networking to power his studios. Dave's recent multi-city deal with Cumulus Media was the perfect reason for a studio upgrade, and Axia IP-Audio technology, along with an Element modular studio controller, turned out to be the perfect fit. The new console hit the air on June 15th (check out the cool custom show logo on the Element display screen - a neat capability possessed by every Element console). Axia Element control surfaces are scalable from 4 to 40 faders and offer a host of customizable functions designed to make life easier and more error-free for jocks and board operators. Check out www.AxiaAudio.com/surfaces/ for more information.

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* MARTY SACKS RETURNS! It's always good to welcome back a familiar face. Marty Sacks, formerly National Sales Director for Telos / Omnia from 1999 - 2003, has returned to the family after spending time at ERI and Radio Ink. Marty fills the new Vice President's post at our Axia division, where he'll be overseeing the explosive growth Axia has been experiencing. Says Marty, “Axia is the fastest growing console company in the industry…It's wonderful to be back!” drop him a line at marty@AxiaAudio.com  .


* CONSUMER REPORTS BROADCASTING CHOOSES ZEPHYR XSTREAM: Ernie Sprance at Consumer Reports TV News tells us they've purchased three Zephyr Xstream MX ISDN codecs to link their auto test track in Connecticut with their studios in Yonkers, New York and offices in Washington DC. Ernie says that using Zephyrs with built-in mixers will let them quickly produce interviews and reports without having to build full studios. We love it when folks think "out of the box"! Find out what Zephyr can do at www.telos-systems.com/zephyr/ .


* NEWS FROM THE FIELD: Who's getting new gear?

Zephyr Xport is on the line at:
- Sirius Satellite Radio, New York
- KUPD, Phoenix, AZ
- Korean Christian Broadcasting, New York
- Major League Baseball Radio, New York

ProFiler is now logging audio at:
- WINS, New York
- KTRU, Houston, TX
- Clear Channel, Pensacola, FL
- WCBM, Baltimore, MD

Omnia-6EX sounds great on:
- WLTQ, Sarasota, FL
- WIFE, Cincinnati, OH
- WCDX, Richmond, VA
- KOMR, Phoenix, AZ
- KZWY, Sheridan, WY
- WNUA, Chicago, IL

New Axia studios on the air at:
- Canada Satellite Radio
- WUOT, Knoxville, TN
- KOOP, Austin, TX
- WUCF, Orlando, FL

* TECH TIPS: "Can my Zephyr Xport talk to my Classic Zephyr?"

David Kalb of Wichita, Kansas asks "I just bought a Zephyr Xport POTS+ISDN codec. I know it'll talk to Zephyr Xstreams, but can I connect with my classic [black-faced] Zephyr, too?"

Sure, can, Dave. In fact, Xport is very flexible and can talk to many different codecs, not just Zephyr, since Xport is capable of outputting G.722 audio streams. Here's how:

1. First, make sure your Xport has the latest software, which is Version 2.0.2p. If not, go to www.telos-systems.com/support/ and download the update package.

2. Follow the instructions at http://tinyurl.com/oobsqto update your Xport. (PDF viewer required)

3. Once your Xport is updated, you can connect with any other G.722 codec - including another Zephyr Xport.

Got a question for Tech Tips? Email us at cnovak@AxiaAudio.com. Of course we answer all questions, but if we use yours in eNews, we'll send you some cool Telos/Omnia/Axia swag too.

* COOL BROADCAST LINK: How many of us cut our teeth in electronics assembling a big box of parts from Heathkit? For a lot of us, it was almost a rite of passage. The Heathkit Virtual Museum (www.heathkit-museum.com) takes you down memory lane with pictures, articles and histories of the Heath company and the thousands of products they made over 40+ years. Seems like just yesterday I was nursing my burnt fingers and wiping spattered flux off the kitchen table...

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, January, 2006

* OMNIA ON WLS...: When a station like ABC Radio's WLS chooses your audio processor over all the others on the market, folks take notice! The legendary Chicagoland station (www.wlsam.com) is using an Omnia-5EX HD+AM audio processor, and Warren Schulz likes it a lot. "Having the ability to affect audio processing with such great detail in control is a huge benefit. With Omnia-5EX, WLS is the king of the hill.” Maybe your AM could benefit by upgrading to Omnia? Visit www.omniaaudio.com/am.htm to read more.

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*...AND ON KLZ: Another Omnia success story from the Mile High City, where Crawford Broadcasting's KLZ (www.z560.com) has also upgraded to Omnia as part of their HD Radio conversion -- Omnia-5EX HD+AM is the world's only AM audio processor that's ready for HD Radio, with two simultaneous processing paths (one for analog AM, the other for HD). Chief Engineer Ed Dulaney told us “Everyone that has heard our AM HD Radio signal says it sounds as good or better than FM!” People love to talk about their Omnias - read more client comments at www.omniaaudio.com/buzz/ .

* BSI BECOMES AXIA PARTNER: The latest delivery system provider to become an Axia partner is BSI, makers of Simian and WaveCart playout software. This means that BSI clients with an Axia audio network can use our IP-Audio Driver to stream content directly from their playout PCs to the routing network via Ethernet - without multiple sound cards, D/A conversions, or multi-cable connections. BSI is just the latest in a growing list of Axia partners; click www.axiaaudio.com/partners/ to see the full list.

* 300,000 PHONE CALLS!: That's how many connection attempts were placed to Howard Stern's toll-free line on his first day at Sirius Satellite Radio. 130,000 of those in the first hour alone! Luckily, Sirius uses a Telos Series 2101 Multi-Studio Talkshow System. The 2101 system plugs right into T-1 and E-1 digital lines, allowing management of up to 120 incoming call circuits across as many as 32 studios. Mike Schweizer of Improbable Missions Force was on hand, and he told us that the 2101 was definitely up to the task, even in the face of what he called "crushing" call volume. Read the whole story at http://tinyurl.com/a6u94 .

* NEWS FROM THE FIELD: Who's getting new gear? Here's a sample of some recent orders:

New Telos broadcast phone systems are on air at:
- WMXD, Detroit (TWOx12 12-Line Talkshow System)
- WDNQ, Huntington, West Virginia) (ONE-x-Six Six-Line Talkshow System)
- KPLA, Columbia, Missouri (ONE-x-Six Six-Line Talkshow System)
- KKFR, Phoenix (TWOx12 12-Line Talkshow System)

Telos ProFiler is now logging broadcasts at:
- KHTK, Sacramento
- KFAN, Minneapolis
- WDHA/WMTR, Somerset, New Jersey
- WDOK, Cleveland

Omnia audio processing pumps up the volume at:
- KBCO, Denver (Omnia-6EXi HD+FM)
- KRCL, Salt Lake City (Omnia-6EXi HD+FM)
- WENN, Birmingham, Alabama (Omnia-6EXi HD+FM)
- WPKE, Pikesville, Kentucky (Omnia-3AM)

Axia IP-Audio technology is now powering studios at:
- Radio Free Asia, Bangkok
- KWMU, University of Missouri, St. Louis
- Minnesota Public Radio, Saint Paul, Minnesota
- KINV/KDOS, Univision Radio, Austin, Texas

* TELOS, OMNIA, AXIA ON THE ROAD: We're planning now for a few road trips in 2006. Here's what's lined up so far:

• Frank Foti and Kirk Harnack will be attending (along with Radio Systems President, Dan Braverman), an Open House & Technical Session Day at Radio Systems, 601 Heron Drive, Logan Township, New Jersey on February 2nd. Want to come? Phone 856-467-8000 for information.

• Kirk Harnack will make a presentation on MPEG Surround at the St. Louis, MO, SBE Chapter 55 meeting on Thursday,  January 26th (www.broadcast.net/~sbe55).

• See us at CABSAT 2006 in Dubai, March 7 - 9 in the Tek Signals booth, Hall C8-11 (www.cabsat.com)

* TECH TIP - USING A TELOS HYBRID OVER GSM: This week's Tech Tip comes from one Ali Rasheed in Abu Dhabi: "How do I connect a Telos ONE or Telos TWO telephone hybrid to a GSM network?"

--->ANSWER: There are some interesting third-party devices to emulate dial tone that could work (please note that Telos has not tested or approved these devices). Voice quality will depend on the type of network you obtain service from.

Many of these devices act as a cradle for the cell phone and then generate a "telephone line like" signal that could ring a few phones around the house. One is called "CellSocket" (www.cellsocket.com), and is compatible with mostly Motorola phones.

A similar product called "Dock and Talk" (www.phonelabs.com) covers Sony, Siemens, Nokia, Motorola and Ericsson handsets). This seems to be a more current product and as such seems to support more phones and may be more likely to add phones in the future.

A company called "Telular" (www.telular.com/products/) makes a device that acts like a cell phone but wires up to corded phone in a similar way. However, this would count as a separate cell phone and therefore would have to be activated separately. This is a much more professional setup for use in sound/TV trucks, but be aware that the basic limitations still apply.

NOTE: Digital cell "dial tone" systems will not work with modems or faxes (and no, you cannot use your Telos Zephyr Xport with these either), but "dial tone" derived from analog (AMPS) cellular service *will* work with modems and fax machines.

Got a question for Tech Tips? E-mail it to clark@telos-systems.com .If we use it in eNews, I'll send you a new Telos, Omnia or Axia T-shirt.

* BROADCAST LINK OF THE WEEK: Our first news item above, regarding WLS, put us in mind of one of our favorite websites: www.wlshistory.com , created by well-known Chicago voiceover artist Scott Childers. The site traces WLS' history from its sign-on in 1924 by original owners Sears, Roebuck through the Top 40 days to the inception of the News/Talk format. Lots of sound bites, too!

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, October, 2005

* REGARDING THE FUTURE OF RECORDED MUSIC: There are probably a lot of you reading this who have by now caught the Surround bug. Here at Telos / Omnia / Axia, it seems nearly all of us have, Telos founder and CEO Steve Church among the first. Forthwith, some related observations from Steve:

"If you were at NAB, or if you have been following the heated debates in the pages of Radio World, you know that we are strongly in favor of a high-quality non-matrix surround system for HD Radio. And with good reason: not only does surround audio offer an intensely immersive listener experience, it seems surround may soon be getting more consumer attention. Rumors are flying that MTV will soon launch an HDTV music channel. How much do you want to bet that it will include Dolby Digital 5.1 sound? You figure that MTV might not be shy to promote this feature?

"You see all those "home theater in a box" audio systems in the shops? There is probably soon going to be a surround broadcast music source to feed them. This will be the first time in our lifetimes that TV will have significantly better audio than radio. This also means that music is going to be near universally produced in surround.

"Which leads me to wonder: what’s the point of CDs? DVD players cost less than CD players these days, and the disks cost about the same to produce. You get both video and your choice of stereo or surround audio. Much of the generation raised on MTV think something is missing if they don’t get pictures with their audio. Record companies are waking up to this. Music DVDs are a strong category among both buyers and renters. The introduction of the DualDisk (CD on one side, DVD on the other) may well be the first step to an eventual transition to an all-DVD music distribution format.

"But it won’t be with today’s DVD system. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are about to happen, and one of these will probably become tomorrow’s music carrier. They have plenty of capacity to support both hi-def audio and video. Audio-only players could be programmed to pick out the audio part, while a video player could get at all of the material. A single disc for all purposes, MTV generation-friendly, without the hassle of the two sides. But more important to the record biz - with tight anti-piracy protection. And presumably a justification for a price jump."

For those of you who’ve caught the surround bug and are looking for cool stuff, Steve’s latest recommendations are: "Over and Out" on the Foo Fighters "In Your Honor" DVD bonus disc and "The Sound of Muzak" on Porcupine Tree’s "In Absentia" DVD-Audio. Both are surround mixes by Elliott Scheiner, who seemingly can do no wrong. Frank Foti likes the latest Mark Knopfler release, "Sailing to Philadelphia." And the 20th Anniversary CD/DVD release of Dire Straits' "Brothers In Arms" is a favorite of Mike Dosch.

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* MULTICAST IS EVERYWHERE: Multicast is surely the main HD Radio focus at the moment and we have a new Omnia processor made to order for it. Bits are being sliced pretty thin for these additional multicast channels, and you need all the help you can get from the processor to make them sound good. We’ve been doing a lot of research into this topic, combining forces from our Telos codec engineers and the processing tweakers from the Omnia side. The result is Sensus, a technology that anticipates what the HD codec will do and adapts the processing to best deal with it. There’s a lot of power in this combined "codec conditioner" and dynamics processor. You can order the new Omnia Multicast with Sensus right now: the Omnia part number is 2001-00191 and the list price is $4,310.00 (US MSRP). Omnia Multicast begins shipping December 9, 2005. Read more about it at http://tinyurl.com/d95fn .

* MORE AM STATIONS UPGRADE TO OMNIA: More and more stations upgrade to Omnia processing every week, especially AM stations, who are finding that advanced Omnia processing tech helps them reclaim lost fidelity and punch on their AM signals. The latest: WGAC-AM in Augusta, Georgia; KCMN in Colorado Springs and KLZ, Denver all upgraded to Omnia-5EX HD+AM processors, and WDSR, Lake City, Florida, got a shiny new Omnia-3AM. Want to know more about Omnia for AM? Go to www.omniaaudio.com/am.htm .

* SEE AXIA AT BOS-CON: With new Axia studios coming on-line in New York City, Southern California and Dallas, Texas, more and more broadcasters are learning about the advantages of Axia IP-Audio networks. Visitors to the SBE National Convention and Broadcast Equipment Expo in Dallas this week saw demonstrations of a full Axia studio featuring the new Element Control Surface; next week, you can see Element at Bos-Con 2005 in Boston, beginning Tuesday, October 25th. Swing by our booth with a coffee for Axia's Kirk Harnack, who can use some caffeine to deal with his mega-case of jet lag.

* AXIA IS A BIG HIT IN CANADA: You've probably heard about the huge Axia "showcase studio" installation at Newcap's new Edmonton Mall studios. Broadcast Dialogue has printed a feature story about these beautiful new studios in their September issue; if you missed it, you can read Newcap Engineer Doug Mattice's first-person account of this major studio project at http://tinyurl.com/crmqa , or download a PDF copy to print and share from www.axiaaudio.com/news/ .

* WHAT'S MEDIAFLO, AND WHY SHOULD I CARE? In case you hadn't noticed, technology is making it possible for people to receive entertainment in more places, more of the time, than ever before. In addition to Apple's recent annoucement of an iPod with video capabilities, Qualcomm has just made waves with the news of their MediaFLO technology, that will send audio and video to cell phones. At first blush, this sounds like more competition for traditional broadcasters... but is it? Read Steve Church's Guest Commentary at Radio World Online entitled "MediaFLO: Yet Another Rival?" for another perspective. It's at http://tinyurl.com/9rn5y .

* TECH TIP - AXIA GPIO: This week's Tech Tip comes from one of our readers, Garrett Wood of WJCT-FM in Jacksonville, Florida: "Howdy guys, just wanted to pass on something I think is pretty cool. I’ve been tossing around some ideas about how to distribute the Axia GPIO connections. I couldn’t come up with much other than using a krone block; they make a 10-pair mini-block that is 110 punch compatible now. Figured I would wire one DB15 per mini-block and locate near the equipment that needed the closures. I was about to order some when Larry at Balsys and he mentioned the Winford breakouts. Have you seen them?

http://www.winfordeng.com/products/brk15.php

"In my situation I basically need the DB15's to end up in different locations spread throughout my millwork and a couple of racks. My thought is that the Winford really suits that type of distribution as it accommodates each DB15 individually. (There's also a new StudioHub breakout for the Axia GPIO that looks perfect for bringing out all the connections to ONE specific location.) By using these I’m still able to keep the soldering iron COLD for yet another part of this install. I can use pre-made DB15 to DB15 cables to connect from Axia to the breakouts, then make up whatever short cable I need to hit the device from the breakout. Pretty cool!"

We'll be sending Garrett a Telos / Axia T-Shirt as a "thank you" for his submission. Got a Tech Tip of your own for Telos, Omnia or Axia gear? E-mail it to clark@telos-systems.com, and if we use it in eNews, I'll send you a new T-shirt, too.

* BROADCAST LINK OF THE WEEK: If you're a phone system freak like many of us are (that's freak, not phreak), check out Albert LaFrance's tribute to the Bell System's Long Distance network at www.long-lines.net . There's lots of historical information and photos about the L1/L3 coax networks, the radio repeater networks, much from AT&T's own publications, and off-site links to microwave data as well. Cool stuff! Props to Bob Gonsett of the CGC Communicator for passing along this link

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, September, 2005

****************************************************
SPECIAL HURRICANE RELIEF ISSUE
****************************************************

By now we've all seen pictures of the devastation of America's Gulf Coast caused by Hurricane Katrina. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this tragedy. The monetary cost is estimated to be in the billions of dollars, but the human cost can't begin to be measured.

As always, radio and TV are among the first to respond in times of calamity. Below is a list of some of the resources and special assistance available to broadcasters and the general public.

----------

* The Society of Broadcast Engineers is helping to match up broadcasters in need with those who have the ability to help. SBE members affected by Katrina can e-mail hurricanehelp@sbe.org or call (317) 846-9092 with their needs; SBE members who can supply shelter, clothing and/or needed parts for damaged equipment should contact SBE at the same e-mail address. Website: www.sbe.org

* CPB, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, has $500,000 in grants available to non-commercial stations affected by the hurricane. These funds are available _immediately_ for emergency repairs and generator fuel. Contact CPB directly at (202) 879-9600. Website: www.cpb.org

* The National Association of Broadcasters has teamed with the American Red Cross, and has radio and TV PSAs for disaster relief available for stations wishing to air them. Radio PSAs of :10- to :30-second duration can be downloaded directly from www.nab.org/publicservice/Relief/ ; TV stations can get a free overnight dub of video PSAs by e-mailing Sarah Roberts at sroberts@nab.org .

* The FCC's Media Bureau has temporarily changed some of its normal procedures to help broadcasters knocked off the air by Katrina resume service. FM and TV stations in the affected area can erect temporary towers without prior FCC authorization. AM stations can resume broadcasting using single-wire horizontal or vertical antennas or non-directional vertical elements of directional arrays. Temporary authority requests can be submitted by e-mail. Many filing and regulatory deadlines have also been extended. See the FCC homepage at www.fcc.gov for a complete list of special procedures.

* Many broadcasters have joined with the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org) to raise funds for disaster relief. Stations who want to put a Red Cross donation banner on their websites can get them from www.redcross.org/psa/bannerorder/index_GenDS.html .

* FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Administration, has posted a web page listing 23 certified charitable organizations accepting donations of cash and/or volunteer labor for the relief effort, which may be useful for stations passing information to their listeners. Web link: www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=18473

* Information on obtaining Federal assistance for citizens affected by the disaster is available online at http://disasterhelp.gov . This site includes a "friends and family registry" that can assist in reuniting friends and loved ones separated during the storm.

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, August, 2005

* "YOU WON'T FIND MULTIPAIR HERE": That's the name of the article Buckley Broadcasting's VP of Engineering, Tom Ray, wrote about his new Axia-powered studios at New York City's WOR Radio (www.wor710.com). "The WOR analog signal sounds great. The WOR-HD signal sounds fantastic. It appears that the Axia SmartSurface and Livewire system was a good choice for WOR," says Tom, whose Radio World article also talks about the lack of multipair cabling, multiple automatic mix-minus generation, and how he built an entire production studio single-handedly in just 6 hours. You can read the rest at www.axiaaudio.com/news/AxiaRWUS072005.pdf (PDF viewer required).

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* AND EVEN MORE ABOUT WOR: When a story's this big, everybody covers it! Radio featured WOR on the cover of its July issue, wherein Tom Ray notes that "With the ability to route data, we should be able to start taking advantage of Program Associated Data in the near future." Didn't catch it? Browse to http://beradio.com/systemintegration/radio_redefining_heritage/ and take a look at more WOR studio pictures.

* UPGRADE YOUR OMNIA TO "EXI": Omnia's new "EXi" audio processing is a serious hit. Here are a couple of comments we've gotten lately: "I knew the Omnia would make a difference, but Holy Cow! I never expected it would make THAT MUCH difference!" "I've never heard anything else that could get the low end so massive and the high end so clear at the same time." Part of the "EXi" secret is Omnia's exclusive new LoIMD Clipper that kills IMD distortion, so you can crank it up and keep it clean, too. "EXi" also adds integrated Diversity Delay for HD Radio(tm) broadcasters. New "EXi" processors have been shipping for several weeks; any Omnia-6, Omnia-5 or Omnia-4.5 can be upgraded to "EXi" status as well. Just e-mail support@omniaaudio.com to find out more.

* AXIA PATHFINDER PC v3.10 RELEASED: PathfinderPC users, take note: Version 3.10 has just been released and is available for download. This new version adds the ability to have PathfinderPC send an e-mail alert for any event you choose, and also adds automatic database backup to prevent hair-tearing moments. You can find the download link (and links to all other Axia software downloads) at www.axiaaudio.com/downloads/ .

* TWOx12 GETS USER RAVES: There's been a lot of praise flying lately for the Telos TWOx12 12-line talkshow system. Maybe you saw this one on the boards: "I've got four [TWOx12's]... The "Assistant Producer" software and the Ethernet TCP/IP interface on the TWOx12 is very slick. I can see and even control the talk studio phone systems from my engineering office computer. More impressive, you can take your talk show on the road or have a remote host, via ISDN, for example, and they can connect to the studio TWOx12 via an Internet connected computer and remotely put calls on the air and send and receive text messages too." Could TWOx12 help solve your on-air phone troubles? Read more at www.Telos-Systems.com/2x12/ .

* RHYTHME FM GETS NEOWINNERS: Canadian broadcaster Cogeco Radio-Television's Rhythme FM stations (www.rythmefm.com) will soon be organizing their contests and tracking winner data with NeoWinners Contest Management Software. NeoWinners lets you schedule contests for multiple stations using a cool drag-and-drop interface, stores winner data (phone number, name, prizes won and more), keep track of prize stocks, automatically generate winner lists, and much more. And NeoWinners stores its contest and winner data in a centralized, networked database, so there's never a question about who won what or when. NeoWinners can even integrate with Telos TWOx12 and Series 2101 multi-line phone systems. Find out more at www.telos-systems.com/winners/ .

* TELOS / OMNIA / AXIA ON THE ROAD: Meet us at these upcoming events:

• BIRTV, at the China International Exposition Center in Beijing, 25 - 28 August (www.birtv.com/english/about.asp)

• IBC 2005 in The Netherlands at the Amsterdam RAI, 9 - 13 September in the Nautel booth, Stand 8.360 (www.ibc.org)

• The NAB Radio Show, September 21 - 23 in the Philadelphia Convention Center. We'll be with Broadcaster's General Store, Booth 112 (www.nab.org)

• The 119th AES Convention, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, 7 - 10 October (www.aes.org)

• The Dallas SBE 2005 Broadcast Engineering Expo, October 19 & 20 (www.sbe67.org)

• See Kirk Harnack's Axia demonstration at Bos-Con 2005 in Marlborough, MA on October 25 & 26 (www.bos-con.com)

• We'll also be at these upcoming local SBE meetings:
  - New Orleans Chapter 72, August 17th (www.sbe72.org)
  - Washington, DC Chapter 37, September 13th (www.sbe37.org)
  - Denver Chapter 48, September 29th (www.smpte-sbe48.org)
  - Detroit Chapter 82, October 7th (http://broadcast.net/~sbe82)

* TECH TIP - ZEPHYR XSTREAM: Question: "I just connected my new Zephyr Xstream to Ethernet and I'm trying to use its web remote control, but it keeps asking for a password. I've looked in the manual, and there's no mention of a password. What's up?"

---> ANSWER: Sorry... our goof. Originally, Zephyr Xstream's webserver wasn't password-protected, but we soon realized that it ought to be! Unfortunately, the manual gnomes haven't got round to updating the paperwork. The password is "Telos" (without the quotes, of course). Our apologies for the confusion.

* BROADCAST LINK OF THE WEEK: We've all got big, feature-rich software audio-editing packages in our production rooms. But sometimes you only need a basic editor for a news or dubbing station, or for the PD's desktop computer. And you don't want to pay another software license fee (we're all running SPA-legal shops, right?). If this sounds familiar, you may find the free open-source Audacity software a good fit. It's available for Windows, Mac OS 9 and OS X platforms, and for Linux/UNIX users, and has some expensive-software features like large-file support, individual sample waveform editing, hum/hiss removal, FFT filtering, and support for file resolutions up to 96 kHz/32-bit. You'll find it at http://audacity.sourceforge.net .

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, July, 2005

* TECHNOLOGY IS GOOD, PROFIT IS REALLY GOOD: Conclave 2004 begins this week on the 21st of July in the Twin Cities. If you have folks from Programming or Operations attending, be sure to remind them that they can get the whole scoop on HD Radio at Frank Foti's Conclave session with Don Kelly and Dave Robbins, entitled "Begin The Revolution: HD Radio For Fun And Profit." Frank and his co-hosts will give your programming people a thorough understanding of what HD Radio is and what it isn't, and how they can use HD Radio to increase listenership and revenue. And Frank will demonstrate HD Surround in all its glory! The two-part session takes place Friday, July 22; visit www.theconclave.com for more details.

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* MANUAL LABOR: The gnomes have been hard at work updating User's Manuals for Telos and Omnia products. Omnia-6 owners will find a manual update which includes information on the new Omnia-6EXi models with integrated HD Radio Diversity Delay and LoIMD Clipper. For Omnia-3 owners, the updated manual includes all Omnia-3 models: FM, AM, NET (for coded audio applications such as the Web, satellite transmission or HD Radio Multichannel streams) and FM Turbo. You'll find these new manuals at www.omniaaudio.com/support/manuals.htm .

We've also got updated manuals for owners of the Telos Series 2101 Multi-Studio Talkshow System. The PDF files are available for one-at-a-time download or in a ZIP file from www.telos-systems.com/support/manuals.htm . Don't forget, you'll need Acrobat Viewer (since our manuals are provided in PDF format).

* NEW PROFILER CLIENT SOFTWARE: Telos ProFiler, the automated program archiving software, is rapidly becoming broadcasters' favorite way to keep audio logs of their programming. "We use ProFiler as a backup recorder as well as for logging and skimming, and it's saved us a few times," says Erick Steinberg, CE at San Francisco's KFOG. And others agree: ProFiler is priced much more affordably than those hardware recorders, can archive multiple streams at once, and works on any standard Windows PC. If you already own ProFiler, download the new ProFiler Client Player v2.09 from www.telos-systems.com/profiler/ - just click on the "Download" link on the sidebar. If you don't have ProFiler and are looking for a logging solution, visit www.telos-systems.com/profiler/ to find out how ProFiler can help you.

* FREE BITRATE CALCULATOR UTILITY: We've just released an updated version of our Telos Bitrate Calculator. It's a handy little Windows applet that computes MP3 storage needs, data rate, and running time from the other two characteristics; for instance, if you're a Telos ProFiler user, this calculator will tell you how many days' worth of logged audio you can fit onto a given hard-drive space based upon the MP3 compression ratio you've chosen. It's also helpful for determining the MP3 bitrate needed to fit audio onto a given storage medium (for instance, a floppy disk or CD-ROM). Version 1.3 can now handle drive storage sized up to an exabyte, will calculate store audio time for an unlimited number of days. Download it for free from the "Download" link at www.telos-systems.com/profiler/ .

* NEW SERIES 2101 SOFTWARE UPDATE PACKAGE: Telos Series 2101 owners can download a brand new software updater package. Some of our clients mentioned problems using the previous software updater; those issues have been fixed in this new version. You can download the new updater from www.telos-systems.com/support/software.htm ; as always, we recommend contacting Telos support at support@telos-systems.com (in the US) or europe-info@telos-systems.com (in Europe and Asia) before upgrading to determine if the upgrade software is right for you.

* NEW GEAR GUIDE: Every week, more Telos, Omnia and Axia equipment goes into radio stations worldwide. Here are a few of the folks getting new goodies this week:

- Zephyr Xstream ISDN & Xport POTS Codecs are now heard on:
ISP Sports Network, (www.ispsports.com)
The Michael Savage Show (www.michaelsavage.com)
Ohio Center for Broadcasting (www.beonair.com)
XM Satellite Radio (www.xmradio.com)

- Stations Upgrading to Omnia Audio Processing:
Voice of Han, Taipei, Taiwan, gets Omnia-6EX (www.voh.com.tw)
WMUZ-FM, Detroit, upgrades to Omnia-6EXi with Diversity Delay (www.wmuz.com)
WDAS-FM, Philadelphia, gets Omnia-6EX (http://wdasfm.amfmi.com)
KHWY-FM, Barstow, CA. gets Omnia A/X Software Audio Processing (www.thehighwaystations.com)

- Axia IP-Audio Networks are being installed at:
NewCap Broadcasting, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (www.ncc.ca)
Indiana University's WFIU-FM, Bloomington, IN (www.wfiu.org)
Multicultural Radio, New York City (www.mrbi.net)

* TECH TIP - SERIES 2101: "I've just ordered a Telos Series 2101 talkshow system and I need to order PRI. Do you have any guidelines for how to do so?"

---> ANSWER: You bet. In fact, we've just updated our Tech Paper discussing how to order PRI for use with 2101; it walks you through everything you'll need to know, from how to talk to the Telco to determining how to set up trunk groups. We've also included a list of Telco contact numbers, and faxable order forms to help you communicate exactly what you need. Download this PDF document (and similar dox for ordering BRI for use with TWOx12, and ISDN for Zephyr) from www.telos-systems.com/techtalk/isdn_order.htm .

* BROADCAST LINK OF THE WEEK: Searching for parts for old consumer gear? Sometimes you can tear your hair out trying to find replacement bits to keep equipment running. A friend recently turned me on to www.partstore.com , a huge clearing house of parts for electronics, computers, appliances and more. Searching is easy, by manufacturer and model number - within 60 seconds, I'd found 10 pages of parts for my beloved Sony CRF-1 shortwave receiver. Sorry, no Ampex 601 parts available :)

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE: 5.1 surround sound for HD Radio has occupied a lot of print space recently; it almost seems that 5.1 on FM is all but assured. But if you're just beginning to examine how multichannel audio is delivered to consumers (and by extension, will be delivered to radio), it can be quite confusing: what's the difference between DVD-A, SACD, DTS and others? What's a DualDisc? And how will Blu-Ray affect these standards? Telos founder Steve Church has written a handy "survival guide" titled "Surround Cuisine For Newbies" that's just appeared in the June issue of Radio Guide (www.radio-guide.com). Don't have a copy? You can read it online; just visit www.telos-systems.com/news , or click http://tinyurl.com/excl5  for the direct link (PDF viewer required). Thanks to Barry Mishkind and Ray Topp for allowing us to archive this article online.

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* FROM THE MAILBAG: Thanks to all the Omnia-6 users who've written us lately with great stories about Omnias. Here's a sample of some e-mails we've received recently: "I knew the Omnia would make a difference, but Holy Cow! I never expected it would make THAT MUCH difference!" "Thanks to Omnia, our TSL increased by one-third in the last book. It's amazing how clean it sounds." And finally: "We could never get the bass right with our old O**** processor. It just never thumped like it should have. Since I put the Omnia-6 online, I can hear when one of our listeners is driving down the street... our PD is ecstatic!" Got an Omnia story to tell? E-mail clark@OmniaAudio.com  .

* NEW OMNIA SOFTWARE ONLINE: Omnia-6EX users, take note: Version 7.1 software and Omnia-6 Remote v7.1 have just been released. The latest software for all Omnia products is always online at www.omniaaudio.com/support/updates.htm ; to find out if the new software is right for your application, e-mail our support team at support@omniaaudio.com before installing.

* NEW SMARTSURFACE FIRMWARE ONLINE: SmartSurface users can find the latest firmware upgrades for SmartSurface (v2.49.53) and the Axia Studio Engine (v2.3.27a5) at www.AxiaAudio.com/downloads/ . New features include enhanced Show Profile creation and editing, and enhanced GPIO functions. Check with our support team by emailing inquiry@AxiaAudio.com to determine if this software update is right for you.

* FRANK FOTI RETURNS TO THE CONCLAVE: Attendees of last year's Conclave Learning Conference in Minneapolis were left wide-eyed when Omnia president Frank Foti let them hear just how powerful music in Surround Sound can be - and tantalized them with the possibility of HD Radio in 5.1. There have been lots of developments in HD Surround since then, and Frank will be heading back to the Conclave this year with an over-the-air demonstration of Coded-Discrete surround. If your Program Director, Music Director or Operations Manager is attending Conclave 2005, be sure to have them attend Frank's session with iBiquity's Don Kelly and Infinity's Dave Robbins, entitled "Begin The Revolution: HD Radio For Fun And Profit." The two-part session takes place Friday, July 22; visit www.theconclave.com for more details.

* TELOS / OMNIA / AXIA ON THE ROAD: Meet us at these upcoming events:

• Frank Foti co-hosts HD Radio sessions at The Conclave in Minneapolis, Friday, July 22nd (www.theconclave.com)

• See Axia at the Mountain State SBE (Chapter 116) Statewide Meeting in Flatwoods, West Virginia on August 1st (http://tinyurl.com/96omf)

• Axia returns to the Texas Association of Broadcasters convention August 4th at the Hilton Austin (www.tab.org)

• Kirk Harnack will demo Axia gear at the Nebraska Broadcasters Association convention, August 10-12 in Lincoln, NE (www.ne-ba.org)

• Shake our hands at the NAB Radio Show, September 21 - 23 at the Philadelphia Convention Center (www.nab.org)

• Dallas SBE 2005 Broadcast Engineering Expo, October 19 & 20 (www.sbe67.org)

• See Kirk Harnack's Axia demonstration at Bos-Con 2005 in Marlborough, MA on October 25 & 26 (www.bos-con.com)

• We'll also be at these upcoming local SBE meetings:
  - Dallas Chapter 67, July 28th (www.sbe67.org)
  - New Orleans Chapter 72, August 17th (www.sbe72.org)
  - Washington, DC Chapter 37, September 13th (www.sbe37.org)
  - Detroit Chapter 82, October 7th (http://broadcast.net/~sbe82)

* NEW GEAR GUIDE: Every week, more Telos, Omnia and Axia equipment goes into radio stations worldwide. Here are a few of the folks getting new goodies this week:

- Stations now logging with Telos ProFiler include:
Northwestern College Radio (http://nwc.nwc.edu)
KSSN-FM, Little Rock, AR (www.kssn.com)
WBZX-FM, Columbus, OH (www.wbzx.com)
WYCD-FM, Detroit (www.wycd.com)

- Stations Upgrading to Omnia Audio Processing:
WMZQ-FM, Washington DC (www.wmzq.com), Omnia-6
WNVE-FM, Rochester, NY (www.1073thenerve.com), Omnia-6
KCOF-LP, Captain Cook, HI, Omnia-A/X
KCDX-FM, Phoenix, AZ (www.kcdx.com), Omnia-6

- Axia IP-Audio Networks are being installed at:
Corus Broadcasting, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (www.corusent.com)
Radio Free Asia, Thailand (www.rfa.org)
KMHD-FM, Mount Hood Community College (www.kmhd.org)
Que Pasa Radio, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (www.quepasamedia.com)

* TECH TIP - ZEPHYR XPORT: From our Support e-mail account comes this question: "I just bought a Zephyr Xport with the ISDN option. Can it talk to my classic Zephyr (you know, the black one)?"

---> ANSWER: Yes it can. Someone may tell you that Xport will only work with Zephyr Xstream, but the fact is that Xport is very flexible and it can talk to many different codecs. Here's how: First, make sure your Xport has the latest software, Version 2.0.2 (get it from www.telos-systems.com/support/software.htm). v2.0.2 gives your ISDN-equipped Xport G.722 capabilities, so it will communicate with your Classic Zephyr and also work perfectly with any other G.722 codec. Using the split-receive feature of your Zephyr Xstream or Zephyr Classic, you can even have 2 Xports in the field calling back to one Zephyr in your studio! You can also use Xport's G.722 coding to call another ISDN-equipped Xport (though in this case you'd benefit greatly from using Xport's superior AAC-LD Low Delay codec instead).

---> XTRA XPORT TIP: If your Xport is on a POTS line, you can also use it in hybrid mode to get telephone quality audio to your Zephyr Classic by dialing it from the Zephyr. To do this, press <Dial> and then press the <No> button and change the "Call Type" to "Phone." Then press <Yes>, enter the number of the Xport you're calling and press <Dial> to proceed.

---> SHARE YOUR TECH TIPS: Got a favorite way of using your Telos, Omnia or Axia gear that would be helpful for others to hear about it? E-mail it to clark@telos-systems.com and we'll use it in an upcoming eNews.

* BROADCAST LINKS OF THE WEEK: With FM surround being such a hot topic, plenty of folks have been searching for information on what content is available in SACD, DVD-A and DTS multi-channel formats. Here are a few we've found useful: www.sa-cd.net lists SACD releases from all manufacturers around the world; over 3100 titles and counting! DVD Audio Daily (www.dvdaudiodaily.com) reports on new releases and industry news relating to DVD-A. And www.dts.com/entertainment jumps to DTS Entertainment's listing of multichannel DTS audio discs. Have a favorite of your own? Write and let us know.

eNews from Telos / Omnia / Axia, June, 2005

* MIKE TOCCO TALKS PROCESSING: New York is perhaps the world's most competitive radio market. With nearly 70 radio signals in-market, it's imperative that your signal stands out. Maybe that's why an overwhelming number of New York stations have switched to Omnia audio processing to create their signature sound. "Even though WSKQ's loudness keeps up with the New York market, our time-spent-listening has improved because our processing doesn't fatique our listeners," says Mike Tocco, Chief Engineer of SBS Broadcasting's New York stations. He describes his experiences with his Omnia-6s in the current edition of Radio World; we've archived it for your convenience at www.omniaaudio.com/news/articles.htm (Acrobat reader required).

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* MAKING SURROUND FM-STEREO COMPATIBLE: The biggest buzz in HD Radio circles these days has to be the issue of 5.1 Surround. There are lots of different opinions on how this can be accomplished, but one thing's for sure: any future surround standard for broadcast must be compatible with the existing FM-Stereo standard. Omnia founder Frank Foti has written a new White Paper discussing this subject, entitled "5.1 Surround Sound Compatibility Within HD Radio and The Existing FM-Stereo Environment." Check it out on the Omnia website at www.omniaaudio.com/tech/ .

* THE DEBATE GOES ON: There's already been a lot of open discussion among the different proponents of FM surround, and there will likely be lots more. The give-and-take continues in the June 8th issue of Radio World (