Studio Technologies, manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, will showcase the new Model 354 Talk Station at NAB 2022 (Booth C2625). The unit is designed for use in a variety of permanent installation and live-event settings, supporting applications including voice paging, music, audio-file playback, intercom, and broadcast talent cueing. The desktop unit is Dante-compatible and uses Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) technology. AES67-compliant, the unit also supports Audinate’s Dante Domain Manager (DDM) software application.
“The Model 354 provides a versatile audio solution for a range of contemporary applications,” said Gordon Kapes, president of Studio Technologies. “Consultants and systems designers will especially appreciate the unit’s numerous specialized capabilities. Hardware resources include direct support for a gooseneck microphone and the ability to store and playback audio files, but the unit’s real power is its range of configurable operating parameters.”
The Model 354 is housed in a rugged, table-top enclosure that supports four independent “talk” channels. Only a gooseneck microphone and a PoE Ethernet connection are needed for the unit to become part of a sophisticated networked application. To achieve excellent voice audio quality, Studio Technologies offers the compatible GME-3-12 Gooseneck Microphone. The Model 354 also incorporates a monitor section, allowing the four Dante input channels to be routed as desired to an interconnected amplifier or amplified speaker.
Using a standard USB flash drive, two 40-second audio files can be easily imported and stored in the Model 354’s non-volatile memory. The audio files are typically used as “pre-page” audio signals, supplying the sound of bells or chimes, electronic audio sequences, or voice messages, prior to the gooseneck microphone becoming active. The files follow the common 16-bit monaural WAV format and can be created outside of the Model 354 and then easily imported for use.
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The Model 354 provides a low-noise, wide dynamic-range microphone preamplifier and associated dynamics controller (compressor) circuit. This helps to ensure that gooseneck microphone audio quality is preserved while minimizing the chance of signal overload. The output of the microphone preamp and compressor is routed to an analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) section that supports a sampling rate of 48 kHz with a bit depth of up to 32.
Set up, configuration, and operation of the Model 354 is simple. A Neutrik etherCON protected RJ45 jack is used to interconnect with an Ethernet port associated with a PoE-enabled network switch. This connection provides both power and bidirectional digital audio. The Model 354 has four pushbutton switches, which feature dual-color LEDs to present the unit’s real-time operating status. A push-in/push-out rotary control allows user adjustment of the monitor output level. The monitor output (available in both analog and Dante digital formats) can assist users in confirming the unit’s current operating status as well as being used for general monitoring applications.
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The Model 354’s range of resources make it suitable for use in many applications. For theater or live-event spaces, the Model 354 could be located in a box office or manager’s location to control up to four channels of background audio with gooseneck microphone paging and preamble audio capability. General voice-paging applications can directly use one or more Model 354 units. Configurable resources are provided to allow multiple units to be used together, displaying channel status activity and, if desired, “locking out” all but the currently active talk function.
“Custom” WAV audio files can be created and utilized as the preamble (“pre-page”) audio sources. They can also serve announcement-only purposes, replaying only on the designated output channels without involving the gooseneck microphone. For broadcast use, the Model 354 can be configured as a 4-channel talent cue (IFB) master station. Up to four independent IFB program sources can be directly utilized. The unit’s gooseneck microphone will serve as the IFB interrupt audio source.
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The Model 354 is configured using the STcontroller software application. Available free of charge from Studio Technologies, STcontroller allows production personnel to quickly and easily configure the unit’s operating capabilities to meet an application’s exact needs. STcontroller is offered in versions that are compatible with the WinOS and macOS operating systems.
