NAB 2024: Arkona Amplifies BLADE//Runner’s Audio Capabilities W, New Features, Functionalities

Arkona Technologies, a provider of IP core infrastructure solutions for top-tier broadcast productions, has announced plans to expand its BLADE//runner platform with solutions aimed at audio workflows, specifically mixing and signal processing.

Arkona will be demonstrating both an audio mixer available as an option, and a dedicated audio mixer and DSP instance powered by the company’s AT300 FPGA Programmable Acceleration Care (PAC) at NAB Show in Las Vegas (April 14-17), Booth SU 6037.

Designed around a highly flexible and modular software framework, BLADE//runner comprises a suite of live broadcast production software and hardware tools for professional productions including audio/video routing, compression and processing. The platform, designed for the modern broadcast facility, where flexibility and scalability are essential, operates on arkona’s AT300 FPGA PAC. It allows for the creation, control and deletion of all processing functions on the fly through the company’s web-based UI, open APIs, as well as through NMOS IS-04/-05.

At NAB, Arkona is introducing AMIX, an audio mixer available as an option on the Company’s IP Gateway and Router (IPGR) software application. AMIX provides up to 64 mono and 64 stereo mix instances as well as the ability to easily create mix minus (N-1) feeds. AMIX can easily replace sub-mixers for any size production while simultaneously performing IP and SDI video processing such as routing, color correction, HDR-SDR color-space conversion and more.

Arkona is cranking up BLADE//runner’s audio capabilities to an even higher level by making a new IP Audio Engine (IPA) application comprised of a dedicated audio mixer and DSP available on the AT300 PAC. With a total capacity of up to 16,384 mono audio inputs and 12,288 outputs the IPA offers compression and multi-band equalizers with true peak monitoring and loudness metering in addition to mono, stereo and multi-channel mixes. Capable of handling up to 8,192 faders it is powerful enough to support mixing for the most demanding live broadcast events.

The company said: “With the introduction of AMIX and IPA we are turning up the volume to 11 on the audio functionality of the BLADE//runner ecosystem. With easily assignable mixing and DSP instances, BLADE//runner now provides a fully integrated audio and video infrastructure for the most demanding live productions.”