Island92 on the Dutch side of St. Maarten finds value and reliability in Barix for remote broadcasts, new studio-to-transmitter link to Anguilla that will save thousands per month

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, October 20, 2016 — Audio over IP pioneer Barix is helping St. Maarten FM radio broadcaster Island92, owned by Caribe Broadcasting, strengthen reliability and reduce costs associated with remote broadcasting via its IP encoding and decoding solutions. Using the Barix Instreamer 100 encoder and Exstreamer 100 decoder, the growing station has discovered the benefits of IP connectivity for special events like the annual St. Maarten Yacht Club Heineken Regatta—the largest sailing event in the Caribbean—and live sports broadcasts from the United States.

Island92’s networking capabilities have gradually scaled since current Caribe Broadcasting Program Director, Music Director and afternoon drive-time host Eric Boyer joined the station 11 years ago. The station then had a limited Windows network to manage and deliver on-air programming during daytime hours, before switching to a satellite service at night. With Boyer at the helm, Island92 has since grown to support a mix of live and automated programming, with full on-air, production and back-office functions.

Remote broadcasting proved one of the more challenging functions from a cost and technology perspective, particularly when it came to the St. Maarten Yacht Club Heineken Regatta—an event that Island92 has served as the main broadcaster for over much of the last decade.

“We originally rented a Marti unit, and would broadcast from different locations around the island to gain varied perspectives on the race,” said Boyer. “The problem is the multi-day event takes place on both the French and Dutch sides of the island. Being two separate countries, it’s very difficult and expensive to cover the event over telephone lines. You’re talking a minimum of 20 cents a minute, so it cost us a lot of money over three days, which includes covering the parties, live bands and awards ceremonies, not to mention up to six hours of sailing per day.”

The compact, simple-to-configure Barix Instreamer gives Boyer a reliable and hassle-free way to capture live audio from multiple locations, and stream it back to the studio over a WiMax wireless internet connection. The Barix Exstreamer receives and decodes the audio at the studio, and transports the live signal to the on-air studio. The Barix Audio over IP architecture delivers the program signal at high quality and with minimal latency, typically using a 64kbps bitrate in mp3. Boyer can also log into the Exstreamer at the station from any remote location to monitor the connection, as desired.

“The Barix Instreamer is tuned to our studio IP address over a specific secure port, and it just connects and goes. The reliability has been astounding,” said Boyer. “The great thing about the Instreamer is that it is so small and self-contained: You log into the GUI, set it up, and it reboots every time and simply works. It runs on very low power at 12 volts, which keeps our costs down even more. And we have found the quality to be very worthy of broadcast radio. It’s important to remember that the connectivity and public Internet in St. Maarten is not the best in the world. We can kick the Barix connection up to a higher bitrate when desired, but this provided the best balance of broadcast quality-audio and bandwidth preservation. Once I figured out the best combination of how to make everything work – and it didn’t take long – the entire system has been rock-solid.”

Beyond the St. Maarten Yacht Club Heineken Regatta, Boyer has also used the Instreamer/Exstreamer combination to deliver live remote broadcasts from the Cincinnati Western/Southern Tennis Open, and the US Tennis Open in Flushing Meadows, New York – using the same 64kpbs connection.

Boyer believes Barix will truly deliver its best cost savings yet based on the recent deployment of a studio-to-transmitter link (STL) between Island92 and a remote FM station in Anguilla, a Caribbean island located 11 miles north. This enables Island92 to simulcast its popular Fresh Air in the Morning with Dr. Soc program to Anguilla’s population, and will soon also provide a 24/7 STL link to the island. Boyer secured this latest Barix Instreamer/Exstreamer STL solution from LineQ, Barix’s distributor in the United States, which helped determine the most appropriate solution for their STL requirements.

“Using a fixed microwave STL connection would be prohibitively expensive, as we would need to procure three broadcast licenses in three different countries,” said Boyer, referring to the Dutch and French sides of St. Maarten as well as Anguilla. “And if we wanted a commercial program license on the French side of the island, 60 percent of that programming has to be in the French language. That’s three times the headache and cost of what any broadcaster in the United States, Europe or other major broadcast regions would do. Barix will easily save us thousands of dollars each month using their Audio over IP architecture.”

About LineQ

LineQ is a full-service distributor specializing in complete Audio over IP solutions, with a complete portfolio of premium, networked end point solutions from IP audio specialist Barix, pro AV specialist Ecler and Cornered Audio loudspeakers; and key partnerships with streaming and software companies to ensure rock-solid multipoint content distribution for in-store radio and other IP delivery systems. LineQ’s customized approach ensures tailored systems to meet the needs of systems integrators and end users in the Pro AV, broadcast and security markets. LineQ’s experience in retail, corporate, transit and education further differentiates its position as an expert solutions provider for an array of businesses and organizations.  Additionally, LineQ’s unique Digital Product Manager software simplifies ordering, design, installation and maintenance in the field through an intuitive, easy-to-use mobile app. Visit www.lineq.com or e-mail sales@lineq.com for more information.

Barix: We Move Audio (www.barix.com)

Barix supplies simple and reliable solutions and components to systems integrators and end users worldwide.  We move high-quality audio across IP networks, adding value to customer solutions for more than a decade with hundreds of thousands of devices installed worldwide.  Background music distribution with dynamic advertising insertion for retail shops, bars and hotels; public address solutions for schools and public spaces; and intercom and entry systems for facility surveillance, protection and security are among the many applications of Barix solutions.  Barix also supports OEM projects for a number of Global 500 listed companies serving many industries worldwide.

Easy-to-use IP audio system, distributed in the U.S. by LineQ, cost-effectively overcomes geographic challenges for Massachusetts-based community radio station

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, August 15, 2016 — For non-commercial, community-focused radio stations like WARA 1320AM, finding cost-effective yet reliable solutions that enable them to reach their listeners even in times of emergency is essential. When Attleboro Access Cable System (“DoubleACS”) in Massachusetts took ownership of WARA-AM last year, it turned to Barix Audio over IP devices to overcome geography-imposed technical challenges and deliver these benefits for its studio-to-transmitter link (STL).

Originally a television company, DoubleACS’ first foray into radio came in 2011, partnering with a commercial AM radio station to provide emergency information to the community during a major storm that left residents without power—and thus television service—for many days. Years later, DoubleACS took over the license of that same station, converted it to non-commercial operation and moved its studios before bringing back the locally-significant WARA call letters. Today, WARA’s 5000-watt signal reaches the Attleboro area as well as parts of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, delivering local news, talk, public affairs, educational, music and “old time radio” programming.

When setting up WARA’s new studio, the local terrain created issues for the STL between the station and its transmitter site seven miles away. “Even with 200-foot towers, the local geography meant we couldn’t get high enough over the tree cover to get line-of-sight,” explained Jim Jones, operations manager at DoubleACS. “Beyond the technical considerations, getting frequency licenses in our area is a challenge, and the equipment to implement a traditional microwave STL was expensive. I am very comfortable with IP-based technologies, so it was a simple decision to use an IP STL to overcome these obstacles.”

Jones had seen Barix solutions—distributed in the U.S. by LineQ—at the previous studio that DoubleACS acquired WARA’s license from, but still thoroughly researched his options for IP audio codecs. That research validated Barix as his best choice. “We already knew that Barix was proven, and we found solutions from alternative vendors to be much more expensive and require a lot more handholding and administration,” he said. “The Barix devices are extremely easy to use, and cost much less than other IP audio products we looked at. And compared to the equipment for a wireless STL system, the Barix solution was on the order of ten times less expensive.”

Jones chose a Barix Instreamer as the encoder for the studio, and an Exstreamer 100 as the decoder at the transmitter site. “With only one signal, we didn’t need the extra features or sophistication of the higher-end Barix models,” Jones recounted. “As such, we chose the most cost-effective model that met our needs, as it also made buying redundant units for our backup operations more affordable.”

Setting up the Barix units proved fast and easy. After listening to them audibly “speak” their assigned IP addresses, Jones configured the Barix devices through a browser on his laptop using their built-in web interface. After configuring security, selecting his input source, and choosing his preferred audio codec, the system was operational. “The whole process took maybe around five minutes total,” he recalled.

Jones chose PCM audio for WARA’s STL. “Barix’s flexible support for multiple codecs was a big selling point for us, but we decided to go with the best quality we could for feeding our transmitter site. PCM gave us the richest sound with no artifacts.” A Comcast cable Internet link is backed up by Verizon DSL connectivity for fault-tolerant redundancy. The Barix units are automatically switched between the two connections if a link fails, minimizing the interruption of the radio signal to at most two or three seconds.

In addition to its ease of use, the Barix STL solution has also lived up to Jones’ reliability expectations. “I think I’ve only looked at the Barix units once since we installed them a year and a half ago. I don’t know of many other products that are as ‘set and forget’ as they are,” he concluded.

Barix: We Move Audio (www.barix.com)

Barix supplies simple and reliable solutions and components to systems integrators and end users worldwide.  We move high-quality audio across IP networks, adding value to customer solutions for more than a decade with hundreds of thousands of devices installed worldwide.  Background music distribution with dynamic advertising insertion for retail shops, bars and hotels; public address solutions for schools and public spaces; and intercom and entry systems for facility surveillance, protection and security are among the many applications of Barix solutions.  Barix also supports OEM projects for a number of Global 500 listed companies serving many industries worldwide.

About LineQ

LineQ is a full-service distributor specializing in complete Audio over IP solutions, with a complete portfolio of premium, networked end point solutions from IP audio specialist Barix, pro AV specialist Ecler and Cornered Audio loudspeakers; and key partnerships with streaming and software companies to ensure rock-solid multipoint content distribution for in-store radio and other IP delivery systems. LineQ’s customized approach ensures tailored systems to meet the needs of systems integrators and end users in the Pro AV, broadcast and security markets. LineQ’s experience in retail, corporate, transit and education further differentiates its position as an expert solutions provider for an array of businesses and organizations.  Additionally, LineQ’s unique Digital Product Manager software simplifies ordering, design, installation and maintenance in the field through an intuitive, easy-to-use mobile app. Visit www.lineq.com or e-mail sales@lineq.com for more information.

Exstreamer encoder/decoders keep nation’s most-listened to public radio station on the air in Sacramento during extended outage of main links from San Francisco studio

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, July 20, 2016 — When San Francisco-based KQED Public Radio sought a dependable STL solution as a backup to the unreliable communication links connecting their Sacramento transmitter, the station selected Barix Exstreamer IP audio encoder/decoders. That decision proved invaluable when the Barix system kept KQED on the air during a nearly week-long outage of the station’s primary and secondary Sacramento connections.

KQED-FM is an NPR member station owned by KQED Inc., which offers television, radio, Internet and education services for the greater San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. KQED-FM is the most listened-to public radio station in the U.S., and consistently ranks in the top five of all San Francisco radio outlets. KQED Public Radio has transmitters in San Francisco, where it is heard on 88.5 FM, and in Sacramento, where it broadcasts on 89.3 FM under the call letters KQEI.

KQED first explored Barix IP audio solutions to overcome issues with the reliability of the existing primary and backup links between their studio and the Sacramento transmitter site, both of which depended on aging infrastructure from the same telecommunications provider. The T1 connection that served as KQED’s primary STL failed frequently, and in some cases, the backup ISDN connection would go down at the same time.

The station implemented an STL solution based on Barix Exstreamer 500 units, distributed in the U.S. by LineQ. Linked to the Exstreamer 500 in KQED’s San Francisco studio through a wireless Internet service provider, the Barix unit in Sacramento is connected to a Titus Technological Laboratories 3DRX audio switcher for automated failover. When the AES input signal from the T1 fails, the 3DRX switches the transmitter’s source to the analog feed from the Barix device after a pre-programmed delay. If an ISDN connection can subsequently be established manually from the studio, the 3DRX will then switch to the ISDN audio.

KQED configured the Exstreamer 500s for 16-bit, 32kHz PCM audio, with a relay output used to drive an alarm annunciator for alerts. KQED also took advantage of the Barix units for monitoring purposes, leveraging the Exstreamer’s stereo channels for confidence return of both FM and HD Radio signals.

The Barix equipment was put to the test at the end of 2015, when KQED’s T1 and ISDN-based links were both knocked out by telecommunications cable failures between the two sites. The Barix IP audio STL solution kept KQED’s broadcasts available to Sacramento listeners until the T1 and ISDN connections were fixed several days later.

“We purchased the Barix units to make sure we stay on the air, and that’s exactly what they did for us,” said Larry Wood, Chief Engineer at KQED, who also lauds the Exstreamer’s ease and dependability. “Reliable equipment is that which does not require you to become an expert in its setup and operation; it’s equipment that you set up once and just forget about. The Barix boxes are easy to install and are nice, reliable pieces of equipment. We haven’t had any Barix failures in all the years that we’ve had them.”

Wood’s satisfaction with the Exstreamer 500 has led to plans for expanding Barix’s role in KQED’s operations. While the original Sacramento deployment must be transitioned to a new Internet provider because of the closure of the original ISP, additional Barix units are planned to provide similar fault tolerance for KQED’s soon-to-be relocated San Francisco transmitter site.

Barix: We Move Audio (www.barix.com)

Barix supplies simple and reliable solutions and components to systems integrators and end users worldwide.  We move high-quality audio across IP networks, adding value to customer solutions for more than a decade with hundreds of thousands of devices installed worldwide. Background music distribution with dynamic advertising insertion for retail shops, bars and hotels; public address solutions for schools and public spaces; and intercom and entry systems for facility surveillance, protection and security are among the many applications of Barix solutions. Barix also supports OEM projects for a number of Global 500 listed companies serving many industries worldwide.

About LineQ

LineQ is a full-service distributor specializing in complete Audio over IP solutions, with a complete portfolio of premium, networked end point solutions from IP audio specialist Barix, pro AV specialist Ecler and Cornered Audio loudspeakers; and key partnerships with streaming and software companies to ensure rock-solid multipoint content distribution for in-store radio and other IP delivery systems. LineQ’s customized approach ensures tailored systems to meet the needs of systems integrators and end users in the Pro AV, broadcast and security markets. LineQ’s experience in retail, corporate, transit and education further differentiates its position as an expert solutions provider for an array of businesses and organizations.  Additionally, LineQ’s unique Digital Product Manager software simplifies ordering, design, installation and maintenance in the field through an intuitive, easy-to-use mobile app. Visit www.lineq.com or e-mail sales@lineq.com for more information.