Jake’s Take on the Top Reasons to Pick Gateway
In this edition of Jake’s Take, I want to explore some of the top reasons to pick Gateway over competing codec brands. The point of this post is to provide the tools you need to make an informed decision as to what brand of studio codec to acquire, and why we think the new Gateway is the best choice.
Multiple Use-Case Options
The first reason is the range of standard use-cases that the Gateway supports;
- Audio Contribution & Multiple Inbound Remotes
- Studio-to-Transmitter Links
- Network Syndication
- Multi-Channel Studio-to-Studio Links
The Gateway can handle a wide range of applications because of the number of encoders and decoders that are built-in to its DSP platform. This allows the Gateway to act not only as a syndication base-station for your morning AM drive show but later that same day it could be used for remote contributions to your studios.
Flexible Upgrade Options
A second reason to consider the Gateway is the flexible upgrade options available. The model of hardware determines the number of concurrent bi-directional streams available:
- Gateway 4 (TLR6200-4)
- Gateway 8 (TLR6200-8)
- Gateway 16 (TLR6200-16)
Should you decide on the Gateway 16, the hardware chassis will have 16 discrete mono inputs and 16 discrete mono outputs available. Your station can have up to 16 sporting events, breaking news events, guest interviews, primary/backup STLs, and much more, all connected to the studio at the same time in a one rack unit chassis. The Gateway 8 has the same hardware as the 16-channel model, but only 8 channels are enabled. The remaining 8 channels can be activated using a software key – usually via a same-day process. The Gateway 4 has slightly different hardware featuring four discrete mono inputs and four discrete outputs.
Analog and Flexible Digital Options
Speaking of audio inputs and outputs, a third reason to consider the Gateway is the audio interfaces. Tieline is always looking forward when it comes to hardware design and we’ve seen a widespread adoption of the StudioHub+ I/O audio interface. The Gateway offers a mix of analog and digital audio inputs and outputs, depending on the hardware model you pick. All you have to do as the operator is define the audio interface type per channel for analog or digital operations.
The future of audio delivery is Audio over IP (AoIP) for an internal studio infrastructure. This brings me to the next point about the Gateway…AoIP for audio delivery to and from the studio. AoIP comes in several different “flavors” depending on the console manufacturer you have selected. The Gateway can work with any AoIP equipment that complies with the AES67/ST2110-30 standard. A user can easily integrate the Gateway with a single ethernet cable to deliver all 16 audio inputs and outputs. In addition to AES67/ST2110-30, we have also included NMOS ISO-4 & ISO-5 for discovery and registration purposes inside these AES67 networks. As AES67 and NMOS are great, other protocols provide even more benefits, so we added those too.
- Wheatnet IP (Closed Source – Wheatstone Corp)
- Audio Input & Outputs (Sources and Destinations)
- 64 Logic Input and Output Channels using WheatNet-IP
- RAVENNA / Ember+ (Non-Proprietary – Lawo)
- Audio & Discovery / Control
The additions of these standards have provided more straightforward means to integrate into these network types and offer some additional functionality that the AES67 protocol doesn’t provide.
Many Audio Processing Options
As audio connectivity is essential, knowing how the audio will sound when decoded at the remote end is essential. This brings me to still another reason to invest in a Gateway…Audio Compression. Within the Tieline ecosystem as a whole, our engineers have jammed a wide range of audio algorithms into our ecosystem, from linear (PCM) to heavily compressed algorithms:
- Tieline’s Music & Music PLUS (Backwards and Forwards Compatibility within Tieline)
- OPUS – Low Latency, High Quality, Low Bandwidth Consumption
- AAC Suite – AAC Low-Delay; AAC Extended Low-Delay v1 & v2; AAC High Efficiency v1 & v2; AAC Low-Compression
- MPEG Layer 2 & MPEG Layer 3 – Classic Familiar Algorithms that offer a good quality sound, but at a price of higher bandwidth consumption
- Enhanced aptX – High Quality, Ultra-Low Latency Algorithm, High Bandwidth consumption
- G.711 – Traditional Compression used for telecommunications networks like POTS lines
- G.722 – Traditional Compression used for telecommunications networks like POTS or ISDN lines
- Linear Uncompressed PCM – Highest Quality (up-to 96 kHz @ 24 Bits), High Bandwidth Consumption
This wide range of algorithms allows our users to be flexible for any audio link. For example, OPUS, AAC, and Tieline algorithms are all great for remote broadcasts out in the field. A good mix of high-quality audio but compressed with reasonable encode times. As another example, you could use the Enhanced aptX algorithm for studio-to-studio bi-directional programs. There are many possibilities and several combinations. If you want a better idea of what works great for different applications, then take a look at our user manual for the Gateway that outlines algorithm options further.
Streaming Options
The wide range of algorithms is helpful, but knowing how many streams and channel formats you can achieve is just as important and something to consider. What I’m referring to here is the audio format for the audio channels:
- Mono
- Stereo
- Phased-aligned 6.0/5.1 Channels
- Phased-aligned 8.0/7.1 Channels
The Gateway can handle all these different modes in a handful of different ways. The Gateway will pair channels and encoders/decoders together to get stereo streams or surround sound links. You can even mix and match between Mono and Stereo remote links. Having the ability to mix and match formats implies that you can combine Stereo FM STL, Mono AM STLs, and leftover capacity for inbound remote broadcasts or guest interviews.
Backward and Forward Compatibility
The last thing I want to point out about the Gateway is the simplicity of dialing into any IP audio codec manufactured by Tieline. The backward compatibility of the Gateway means connecting to the legacy Commander G3 Rack and Field unit, i-Mix, Merlin and Genie is easy. You also can use the Report-IT application to dial in for remotes or interviews.
This feature allows all Tieline users to expand their ecosystem without purchasing a whole new system. In addition to connecting to all Tieline IP audio codecs, the Gateway also can connect up to 16 SIP Devices that are compliant or compatible with the EBU 3326 standard (N/ACIP). This function means that even facilities that don’t use Tieline can now reap most of the benefits without upgrading their entire codec network. Whether you have Brand A, B, or C (or X), you can integrate a Tieline codec into your network.
These aren’t the only reasons a Gateway would be a great addition to your studio, but are unquestionably among some of the most important. If you are interested in learning more about the Gateway, don’t hesitate to contact anyone at Tieline for more details. Or you can check out some of my past articles about the Gateway that refer to topics such as like redundancy, bonding, and other great additions to the Tieline ecosystem. As always, if you have thoughts or comments about this month’s Jake take, please send me a comment at Jacob@tieline.com
For more information on Gateway and Gateway 4 codecs visit www.tieline.com/products or contact Tieline sales:
- For USA, Canada & Latin America contact: sales@tieline.com
- For Australia and International: info@tieline.com
(Top Reasons to Pick Gateway, first published on 15th November, 2021)
