The broadcast audio landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and Internet Protocol (IP) technologies. This roundtable discussion brings together leading experts to explore these trends and their impact on production workflows.

AI is poised to revolutionize audio processing. "In future, AI will help to polish the audio, and today’s requirement of having to capture audio as perfectly as possible will be “softened”," says Tobias von Allwörden, manager, broadcast and film, Sennheiser. "AI will not only optimize the audio but also offer additional functions such as transcription."

IP-based audio transport is gaining traction, offering greater flexibility and scalability. "Lawo prefers to stick to open-standards IP," says Chris Scheck, head of marketing content, Lawo. "Our audio products are firmly rooted in the Ravenna protocol, which allows our customers to achieve what they have in mind, regardless of the size and distribution of their production setups. We do offer convenient gateways into, and out of, Dante islands, though, to enable our customers to keep using their existing Dante gear in a seamless way."

Cloud-based production tools are emerging as a game-changer. "Virtualized headless mixers have been around for a while in the cloud, but newer developments like Calrec’s ImPulseV Cloud mixing engine are giving broadcasters the opportunity to flex their DSP resources to match the requirements of a production," says Henry Goodman, director of product management, Calrec. "This is very different to traditional processing models which require broadcasters to buy enough DSP hardware resources to cater for their biggest event of the year, leaving DSP capacity unused for much of the year. Spinning up a DSP mix engine to complement existing DSP resources means total scalability is possible, and is a huge ideological shift for both broadcasters and manufacturers."

"Cloud-based production tools are far more flexible and require a significantly lower up-front investment," adds Chris Scheck. "Whether broadcasters and production companies choose to rely on them, is a different matter. This is why Lawo offers the possibility to build so-called private clouds of wholly-owned standard servers."

The cloud is opening up new possibilities for content creation. "The cloud has the potential to change how and where we produce content; it opens up access in similar ways that AoIP did years ago in that we can move content around easier and faster than before," explains Dee McVicker, marketing director, Wheatstone. "With this comes a whole host of possibilities, such as servers located at the home studio that might be useful to spin up instances of mixing or streaming or processing by event or show. We think of cloud and server software like our Layers Software Suite as another extension of the studio and AoIP network."

Wireless technology is also seeing significant advancements. "From a wireless microphone and IFB standpoint, the equipment and infrastructure required to cover large events or a multi-studio facility where users need to seamlessly move between studios without audio interruption will become simpler and more streamlined with WMAS developments," says Chris Phillips, technical applications engineering, Sennheiser. "These systems can accommodate multiple IFB and microphone audio links on the same WMAS RF carrier for more channels in less spectrum. For example, both the microphone and IFB can share the same bodypack. This newfound capability holds the promise of delivering a more seamless and efficient wireless experience, setting the stage for a new chapter in the evolution of wireless technology."

Flexibility is key in today's broadcast environment. "Flexibility is everything, and our customers are already pushing the boundaries of what is possible," says Henry Goodman. "The adoption of IP has been a real enabler; the combination of asynchronous processing of the audio and video with reliable and dedicated connectivity has provided broadcasters with the ability to really push the limits of remote, distributed and hybrid working. As connectivity gets cheaper and more reliable this is only going to increase, and modular IP mixing systems like Argo and Type R plays into these workflows by providing combinations of hardware and software that are just as flexible."

AI is also expected to play a growing role in real-time workflows and generative use cases. "AI will become better at real-time workflows and generative use cases; some AI-based tools can already mix a live sporting event or deconstruct mixes in the file-based domain back to stems," says Larry Schindel, senior product manager, Telos Alliance. "Virtual announcers, language translation, and captioning will be some of the first use cases for generative AI in audio. And finally, AI-based QC will be able to offer a much more in-depth analysis than what is typically delivered today."

The future of broadcast audio is bright, with innovative technologies shaping the way content is produced and consumed. "The true value of innovation lies in the flexibility it brings," concludes Chris Scheck. "Users of Lawo mc² consoles, for instance, can now host their DSP processing either inside the trusted and ever-evolving A UHD Core, or using the Home mc² DSP app—whichever makes more sense for the production at hand. Removing boundaries and enabling even more effective workflows for operators, whether automated or not, will remain the name of the game."